JP4841189B2 - Production system using a stacker crane - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a production system that uses a stacker crane for transporting transported materials such as raw materials, intermediate products, and products in a pharmaceutical factory, for example.

  As a conventional example of a production system using a stacker crane, the stacker crane is used exclusively for transporting transported goods in a rack warehouse, and for transporting transported materials such as raw materials and intermediate products between the production area and the rack warehouse. Some use a traverser or AGV.

  Moreover, there is a system as shown in FIG. 2 as a conventional example of a production system in which a stacker crane is arranged in the vicinity of a production area for effective use. That is, the symbol a indicates a building, the building a has a configuration in which production areas c are arranged on both sides of the storage area b, and the storage area b has a configuration in which storage racks e are installed on both sides of the stacker crane d. Yes. Reference symbol f denotes a raw material, an intermediate product, or a transport container for transporting the product, for example, a transport container called a flow bin. The transport container f is transported to appropriate positions on the storage racks e on both sides by a stacker crane d. Is done. A production facility g is installed in the production area c, and a loading stand h is provided at a position higher than the floor on which the production facility g is installed, and a conveyor i is provided on the loading stand h. A conveyed product in a transport container f positioned directly above the production facility g by the conveyor i, for example, a granular material such as a drug, falls in the granular material input pipe j and is supplied to the production facility g. On the other hand, in the storage rack e, a transfer conveyor k is installed corresponding to the conveyor i in the production area c, and a shutter m is installed between the production area c and the storage area b.

A configuration in which the storage area in which the storage racks are installed on both sides of the stacker crane is arranged adjacent to the production area is also described in Patent Document 1 and the like.
JP 11-310303 A

  The above conventional system has the following problems.

  First, in the case of using a traverser, AGV or the like for transporting a transported object between the production area and the rack warehouse, there are problems that many transport facilities are required and transport takes time.

  Further, in the conventional example shown in Patent Document 1 or FIG. 2, since the storage rack is arranged between the production area and the stacker crane, the space efficiency is poor. In particular, an air lock chamber is provided between the production area and the stacker crane. A large floor area was required to separate the air conditioning zones.

  Therefore, the present invention aims to solve such a conventional problem.

In order to achieve the above-described object, in the present invention, a stacker crane is installed so as to be able to transport a transported object over a plurality of floors of a building, and a production room is configured with at least one floor as a production floor. In addition, the production facility is installed at the same time, and at least one other floor is configured as a storage floor, a storage rack for storing the transported goods is installed on the storage floor, and the production floor is provided with a floor on which the production facility is installed. A loading platform is installed at a position higher than the surface, and a first conveyor for transferring the transported material to an appropriate position with respect to the production facility, and the first conveyor are connected to the loading platform. There is provided a second conveyor for transferring a conveyed product to a position where it can be handled by the stacker crane, and the second conveyor side of the second conveyor and the stacker crane are provided. Each A of the first, by installing the second shutter, propose a production system using stacker cranes configured space as an air lock chamber containing the second conveyor.

  In the present invention, it is proposed that in the above-described configuration, the conveyed product is an item to be conveyed in a conveyance container.

  In the system of the present invention, by installing stacker cranes across multiple floors of the building, the transportation time between the floors can be greatly reduced, and the production floor that constitutes the production room and the storage floor where the storage racks are installed Since it is configured as a separate floor, the production room can be installed close to the stacker crane, which is a transfer device, and the time and energy required for transfer can be greatly reduced.

  It is also easy to install an air lock chamber between the production room on the production floor and the stacker crane from the viewpoint of the floor area. And the risk of contamination can be eliminated.

  In the present invention, the object to be transported by the stacker crane is, for example, a medicine or the like that is transported in a transport container, or an object that is transported while being fixed to an appropriate transport jig or the like.

Next, an embodiment in which the production system of the present invention is applied to a pharmaceutical factory will be described with reference to FIG.
In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a building having a plurality of floors constituting the production system of the present invention. In the figure, the building is represented as a two-story building, but it goes without saying that it may have more floors. A stacker crane 3 is installed so as to be able to transport a transported object 2 across a plurality of floors of the building 1. As described above, this embodiment is applied to a pharmaceutical factory, and a conveyed product is conveyed in a conveyance container called a flow bin, for example. Accordingly, the reference numeral 2 in the figure indicates the transport container together with the transported object.

  In the present invention, at least one floor of the building 1 is a production floor 4, a production room 5 is formed on the production floor 4, a production facility 6 is installed in the production room 5, and at least one other floor is formed. The storage floor 7 is configured, and a storage rack 8 for storing the transported goods 2 is installed on the storage floor 7.

  In this embodiment, the production floor 4 comprises production chambers 5 on the left and right sides of the stacker crane 3 in the drawing, and each production chamber 5 contains raw materials and intermediate products placed in the transported goods 2. In order to drop the granular material through the granular material injection pipe 9 and input it into the production facility 6, the input platform 10 is installed at a position higher than the floor surface where the production facility 6 is installed. The height of the loading platform 10 can be set as appropriate in accordance with the production equipment 6, and accordingly, various production equipment 6 can be introduced into the production room 5.

  The input rack 10 is located immediately above the production facility 6, and is connected to the first conveyor 11 for transferring the conveyed product 2 to an appropriate position with respect to the production facility 6, and the first conveyor 11. A second conveyor 12 for transferring the conveyed product 2 to a position where it can be handled by the stacker crane 3 is provided. The first conveyor 11 side and the stacker crane 3 side of the second conveyor 12 are respectively provided with first and second shutters 13 and 14 to air-lock the space including the second conveyor 12. It is configured as a chamber 15, and the conveyed product 2 is configured to be carried in and out by the stacker crane 3 with the air lock chamber 15 as an entrance / exit.

  In the above configuration, the raw materials to be supplied to the production facility 6 of the production room 5 configured on the production floor 4 and the conveyed products 2 such as intermediate products produced in the production facility 6 are different from the production floor 4 in the figure. Can be stored in the storage rack 8 installed on the storage floor 7 above the production floor 4.

  In the present invention, the stacker crane 3 is installed over a plurality of floors of the building 1, and the production floor 4 constituting the production room 5 and the storage floor 7 having the storage rack 8 are constituted as separate floors. The production room 5 can be installed in the vicinity of the stacker crane 3, and the time and energy required for transportation can be greatly reduced.

  That is, in the present invention, the transported article 2 can be transported by the stacker crane 3 between the storage rack 8 on the storage floor 7 and the entrance / exit of the production room 5 on the production floor 4, that is, the air lock chamber 15.

  Similarly, the conveyed product 2 can be transported from one production chamber 5 to another production chamber 5 by the stacker crane 3 via the air lock chamber 15.

  At this time, the installation height of the air lock chamber 15 in the production room 5 can be set as appropriate according to the production equipment 6, and the stacker crane 3 can thus set the air lock of the production room 5 having different heights. The conveyed product 2 can be conveyed to each of the chambers 15.

  In the present invention, as described above, it is also easy to provide the air lock chamber 15 between the production chamber 5 of the production floor 4 and the stacker crane 3 from the viewpoint of the floor area. The air conditioning zone can be clearly separated, and the risk of contamination can be eliminated.

  In the present invention, a space 16 isolated from the production room 5 is formed on the production floor 4 on the stacker crane 3 side, and production facilities and operation panels (not shown) associated with the production equipment 6 are provided in the space 16. Can be installed.

  Since the production system of the present invention is as described above, for example, a stacker crane is used exclusively for transporting transported goods in a rack warehouse, and for transporting transported materials such as raw materials and intermediate products between the production area and the rack warehouse. Compared with the conventional production system using a traverser or AGV, it has many features as shown below, and its industrial applicability is great.

1. The transport lead time can be reduced to about 1/4.
2. The floor area of the conveyance path can be reduced to about 1/3.
3. When the granular material in the transport container is introduced into the production facility of the production room via the input pipe, the floor for the transport container is conventionally required on the upper floor of the production room. In the present invention, it is only necessary to configure the loading platform at an appropriate height in the production room, and it is not necessary to install a floor for loading.
4). Since the transport distance can be shortened, an energy saving effect is also achieved.
5). Since it is not necessary for the operator to carry heavy objects such as intermediate products, the burden on the operator can be reduced.
6). It becomes possible to perform advanced production management without human error.

It is explanatory drawing which shows embodiment which applied the production system of this invention to the pharmaceutical factory. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the conventional production system in a pharmaceutical factory.

Explanation of symbols

1 Building 2 Transported goods (transport container)
3 Stacker crane 4 Production floor 5 Production room 6 Production facility 7 Storage floor 8 Storage rack 9 Powder input pipe 10 Input stand 11 First conveyor 12 Second conveyor 13 First shutter 14 Second shutter 15 Air lock Room

Claims (2)

A stacker crane is installed so that transported goods can be transported across multiple floors of the building, a production room is configured with at least one floor as a production floor, production equipment is installed in this production room, and at least one other The floor is configured as a storage floor, a storage rack for storing the transported goods is installed on the storage floor, and an input stand is installed on the production floor at a position higher than the floor on which the production equipment is installed. A first conveyor for transferring the transported object to an appropriate position with respect to the production facility and a transporter connected to the first conveyor to a position where the transported object can be handled by the stacker crane. And a second shutter for each of the first conveyor side and the stacker crane side of the second conveyor. Te production system using a stacker crane which is characterized by being configured the space including the second conveyor as an air lock chamber. The production system using a stacker crane according to claim 1, wherein the conveyed item is an item to be conveyed in a conveying container .

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