Pallet transport system, pallet transport method, and pallet transport program

A pallet transport system comprising:

• a transport device for transporting a pallet to which a workpiece can be attached;
• a pallet housing unit for housing the pallet, the pallet housing unit being one of destinations to which the pallet is to be transported by the transport device;
• a workstation in which a worker is to conduct work of attaching the workpiece to the pallet transported from the pallet housing unit, the workstation being one of destinations to which the pallet is to be transported by the transport device, the workstation further includes a door that can be opened and closed for separating a place to which the pallet is transported in the workstation from a work area in which the attachment work is conducted, and an open/close sensor for sensing an open/closed state of the door;
• a machine tool for machining the workpiece attached to the pallet in the workstation, the machine tool being one of destinations to which the pallet is to be transported by the transport device;
• and
• a control device for controlling the transport device,
• wherein the control device is configured to:
• acquire an indicator indicating progress of the attachment work in the workstation,
• determine whether or not the attachment work has been completed based on the indicator, and when it is determined that the attachment work has been completed, transports the pallet located in the workstation to the pallet housing unit or the machine tool,
• acquire the open/closed state sensed by the open/close sensor as the indicator, and
• determine that the attachment work has been completed in response to the open/close sensor sensing the closed state of the door.

A pallet transport system comprising:

• a transport device for transporting a pallet to which a workpiece can be attached;
• a pallet housing unit for housing the pallet, the pallet housing unit being one of destinations to which the pallet is to be transported by the transport device;
• a workstation in which a worker is to conduct work of attaching the workpiece to the pallet transported from the pallet housing unit, the workstation being one of destinations to which the pallet is to be transported by the transport device;
• a machine tool for machining the workpiece attached to the pallet in the workstation, the machine tool being one of destinations to which the pallet is to be transported by the transport device;
• and
• a control device for controlling the transport device, wherein
• the control device
• acquires an indicator indicating progress of the attachment work in the workstation,
• determines whether or not the attachment work has been completed based on the indicator, and
• when it is determined that the attachment work has been completed, transports the pallet located in the workstation to the pallet housing unit or the machine tool,
• the workstation further includes an area sensor,
• the area sensor including a light projecting unit, and a light receiving unit for receiving light emitted from the light projecting unit and outputting intensity of the light, and
• the light projecting unit being arranged such that the light emitted from the light projecting unit passes between a place to which the pallet is transported in the workstation and a work area in which the attachment work is conducted, and
• the control device
• acquires the intensity of the light output by the light receiving unit as the indicator, and
• determines that the attachment work has been completed in response to a time during which the intensity of the light is higher than a prescribed value exceeding a prescribed time.

A pallet transport method in a pallet transport system,

• the pallet transport system comprising:
• a transport device for transporting a pallet to which a workpiece can be attached;
• a pallet housing unit for housing the pallet, the pallet housing unit being one of destinations to which the pallet is to be transported by the transport device;
• a workstation in which a worker is to conduct work of attaching the workpiece to the pallet transported from the pallet housing unit, the workstation being one of destinations to which the pallet is to be transported by the transport device;
• and
• a machine tool for machining the workpiece attached to the pallet in the workstation, the machine tool being one of destinations to which the pallet is to be transported by the transport device,
• the work station including a button for accepting an operation indicating completion of the attachment work by the worker, and
• the pallet transport method comprising:
• acquiring an indicator indicating progress of the attachment work;
• determining, regardless of whether or not the operation indicating completion has been accepted, whether or not the attachment work has been completed based on the indicator;
• and
• when it is determined that the attachment work has been completed, transporting the pallet located in the workstation to the pallet housing unit or the machine tool.

A computer-readable storage medium storing a pallet transport program for execution in a pallet transport system,

• the pallet transport system comprising:
• a transport device for transporting a pallet to which a workpiece can be attached;
• a pallet housing unit for housing the pallet, the pallet housing unit being one of destinations to which the pallet is to be transported by the transport device;
• a workstation in which a worker is to conduct work of attaching the workpiece to the pallet transported from the pallet housing unit, the workstation being one of destinations to which the pallet is to be transported by the transport device;
• and
• a machine tool for machining the workpiece attached to the pallet in the workstation, the machine tool being one of destinations to which the pallet is to be transported by the transport device,
• the work station including a button for accepting an operation indicating completion of the attachment work by the worker, and
• the pallet transport program causing the pallet transport system to:
• acquire an indicator indicating progress of the attachment work;
• determine, regardless of whether or not the operation indicating completion has been accepted, whether or not the attachment work has been completed based on the indicator;
• and
• when it is determined that the attachment work has been completed, transport the pallet located in the workstation to the pallet housing unit or the machine tool.