A linear conveyor system, a control method for a linear conveyor system, a control program for a linear conveyor system and a recording medium

A control method for a linear conveyor system with a slider to be driven in a first direction, a plurality of fixed linear modules arrayed in a second direction intersecting the first direction, a movable linear module being configured to move between a plurality of facing ranges arranged in the second direction while facing toward the plurality of fixed linear modules from the first direction, the movable linear module being configured to drive the slider in the first direction, and a slider transfer mechanism configured to convey the movable linear module between the plurality of facing ranges, the control method comprising:

• setting a coordinate axis for each of the plurality of fixed linear module and the movable linear module, the coordinate axis representing positions in the first direction by coordinate values, the coordinate value changing according to a position change in the first direction;
• performing a judgment process of judging whether or not one coordinate axis, the one coordinate axis being the coordinate axis of the fixed linear module, and an other coordinate axis, the other coordinate axis being the coordinate axis of the movable linear module, are continuous in the first direction;
• making the one coordinate axis and the other coordinate axis continuous in the first direction by changing at least one object coordinate axis of the one coordinate axis and the other coordinate axis if it is judged that the one coordinate axis and the other coordinate axis are not continuous as a result of the judgment process;
• and
• performing a transfer operation of moving the slider between the fixed linear module and the movable linear module by a position control based on the coordinate axes after the object coordinate axis is changed.

A computer readable medium storing a control program for a linear conveyor system with a slider to be driven in a first direction, a plurality of fixed linear modules arrayed in a second direction intersecting the first direction, a movable linear module configured to move between a plurality of facing ranges arranged in the second direction while facing toward the plurality of fixed linear modules from the first direction, the movable linear module being configured to drive the slider in the first direction, and a slider transfer mechanism configured to convey the movable linear module between the plurality of facing ranges, the control program causing a computer to:

• set a coordinate axis for each of the plurality of fixed linear module and the movable linear module, the coordinate axis representing positions in the first direction by coordinate values, the coordinate value changing according to a position change in the first direction;
• perform a judgment process of judging whether or not one coordinate axis, the one coordinate axis being the coordinate axis of the fixed linear module, and an other coordinate axis, the other coordinate axis being the coordinate axis of the movable linear module, are continuous in the first direction;
• make the one coordinate axis and the other coordinate axis continuous in the first direction by changing at least one object coordinate axis of the one coordinate axis and the other coordinate axis if it is judged that the one coordinate axis and the other coordinate axis are not continuous as a result of the judgment process;
• and
• perform a transfer operation of moving the slider between the fixed linear module and the movable linear module by a position control based on the coordinate axes after the object coordinate axis is changed.