automated conveyor systems

Various Automated Conveying Systems in the Automated Warehouse

An automated pallet conveying system is an important part of an automated warehouse; it has the role of connecting a logistics station in the connection of people and stations, stations and stations, processing and storage, processing and assembly, and other logistics links, but it also has the temporary storage and buffer function of materials. Through the rational use of the automated pallet conveying system, the connection between the various processes can be closer and the production efficiency can be improved, which is an essential adjustment in the logistics link.

In the inbound and outbound system of the automated warehouse, the functions of the automatic pallet conveying system generally include conveying, receiving, processing, and storing materials and usually include the functions of size inspection, weighing, and automatic identification. Transport the pallet goods from A to B to complete the space-time transfer function of pallets and materials, and other functions are completed in this process.

Automated Conveyor System Type

1. Conveyor mode

The so-called conveyor mode is an automatic pallet conveying system composed of various automatic conveyors. Pallet conveyors have various forms, such as roller type, chain type, plate type, and lifting platform. In the automated warehouse system, in order to meet the system’s requirements for the capacity of pallet goods, the roller type with higher transportation efficiency is generally selected. The chain conveyor constitutes the pallet automatic conveying system. According to the needs of automatic conveying, a single type of conveyor can be used to synthesize a pallet automatic conveying system with specific functions, or several types of conveyors can be mixed to form a pallet automatic conveying system with specific functions.

2. Reciprocating shuttle car mode

The reciprocating shuttle car is a new type of rail material handling vehicle, which shuttles quickly on a fixed track to complete the material handling work. Under some special conditions, the automatic material handling system composed of reciprocating shuttle vehicles is very simple and convenient. For example, outside the three-dimensional warehouse with multiple lanes, in order to complete the automatic operation of pallets entering and leaving the warehouse, it is usually necessary to transport the pallets laterally relative to the lanes, and it is an ideal mode to use a reciprocating shuttle car to realize it.

3. Ring shuttle car mode

The circular shuttle car can be used to transport the pallet horizontally and vertically. Multiple shuttle cars can work at the same time, and the transport capacity is strong.

4. AGV mode

The automatic conveying system AGVS, composed of AGVs, can carry out flexible conveying of pallets, and the conveying distance is relatively long.

Delivery Mode Analysis

1. Conveyor mode

The advantage of the conveyor mode is that

• It is a continuous conveying method with large conveying capacity. It can be conveyed without interruption, and its loading and unloading are all carried out without stopping the conveying process. It is not necessary to go back and forth with empty loads to cause intermittent conveying. At the same time, because it does not start and brake frequently, it can use a higher conveying speed and the long service life of the electrical airless parts that make up the conveyor.
• The structure is relatively simple. It has a single action, compact structure, light weight, and low cost. Because of the uniform load and stable speed, the power consumed during work is generally small and does not change much.
• The length of a single conveyor can be extended, and a long-distance transmission line can be formed by multiple conveyors, and it is convenient to realize programmed control and automatic operation.
• The material buffering function can be conveniently handled on the conveying line.

The disadvantages of conveyor mode are

The versatility is poor, and the conveyor must be arranged according to the entire conveying line. There is much conveying equipment, and the conveying path is complicated. It belongs to the category of rigid transportation, and it is not suitable for changing the transportation route. It needs a lot of equipment to be combined into a storage channel, which occupies too much area.

2. Reciprocating shuttle car mode

The reciprocating shuttle vehicle mode is changed from the continuous conveying mode of the conveyor mode to intermittent fast conveying, and the rigid conveying is transformed into flat conveying. In order to complete the automatic operation of pallets in and out of the warehouse, it is usually necessary to transport the pallets laterally relative to the roadway, and it is very convenient to use a reciprocating ship speed car.

The characteristics of this mode are that the system is simple and clear, there is less equipment, there is a small footprint, there is fast delivery, and an automatic pick-up device can be designed on the shuttle car, which can transport large-quantity pallet goods.

The disadvantage is that the transportation capacity of the reciprocating shuttle vehicle is limited. For large-scale three-dimensional warehouses, this method is not suitable, because it is easy to form a bottleneck of outbound transportation capacity and affect the operation of the three-dimensional warehouse system.

In addition, the reliability of the system is too much restricted by the reliability of a single reciprocating shuttle car. If the shuttle car breaks down, the entire system cannot complete the warehousing operation. Therefore, it is particularly important to improve the reliability of the shuttle.

3. Ring shuttle car mode

The circular shuttle car model is developed from the reciprocating shuttle car model. The shuttle car is arranged in a ring on the plane, and multiple shuttles can be run at the same time, overcoming the defect that the reciprocating shuttle car model may produce an operation bottleneck, but it still has the advantage of maintaining the compound shuttle car. The circular shuttle car can be used to transport the pallet horizontally or longitudinally according to needs. Can run multiple units at the same time; conveying capacity is strong.

However, the track of the circular shuttle vehicle mode arranged in a plane is relatively complicated, and the cost is high. At the same time, it is technically difficult to dispatch it by wireless communication.

4. AGV mode

The AGV mode is a medium- and high-flexibility automatic pallet conveying system. AGV mode uses AGV to form a professional AGCS, which can transport pallets flexibly and over a long distance. The stacker is connected to the conveying platform at the entrance and exit of the warehouse, and the AGVS is connected to the conveying platform. AGV can extend material transportation to all aspects of the production line under the automatic scheduling of the upper computer system. It has a complete intelligent energy supply system and various safety assurance systems. Therefore, some people say “AGV is not a tired porter”.

Moreover, when it is necessary to change the production process, the advanced AGCS (such as the laser-guided transport vehicle system LGVS) only needs to simply change the computer program, which is very beneficial to protect the user’s investment. The only downside of this model is the higher cost.

For the implementation of the automatic pallet conveying system of the specific automated warehouse system, it is necessary to analyze the specific problems according to the actual situation. The various automated transportation modes mentioned above have their own advantages and disadvantages. When designing the system, the requirements and goals of the handling system must first be clarified. How to choose a cost-effective and ideal transportation mode, the following factors are very important:

1. Specific requirements for conveying items and pallets. What kind of items are stored in the three-dimensional warehouse?

Some items need to be designed with special conveyors; the standardization of pallets is very important, which is the necessary technical basis for modern logistics.

2. To meet the demand for transportation capacity, the inbound and outbound capacity of the automated three-dimensional warehouse must match the transportation capacity of the automated pallet conveying system. Under normal circumstances, the transportation capacity of the automated palletized conveying system is required to be slightly higher than the inbound and outbound capacity of the automated three-dimensional warehouse.

3. Economy. On the premise of meeting the demand, a more economical delivery mode must be adopted to avoid unnecessary waste.