Method for managing a fleet of transport units of an automation system and automation system configured to carry out said method

An automation system comprising:

• at least one automation station configured to sequentially receive a plurality of workpieces to be processed at an entrance, and to sequentially deliver a plurality of processed workpieces at an exit, the automation station being configured to perform one or more automation operations on the workpieces to be processed to transform said workpieces to be processed into the processed workpieces, the workpieces to be processed being organized in a first group of workpieces to be processed and in a second group of workpieces to be processed
• a movement plane having a parking region where transport units can stop after having delivered the workpieces to be processed at the entrance of the automation station,
• a fleet of transport units independently movable on the movement plane in a controlled manner to sequentially feed respective workpieces to be processed to the entrance of the automation station, and collect respective processed workpieces from the exit of the automation station, the transport units being organized in a first group of transport units and in a second group of transport units
• a control unit configured to control the movement of each transport unit on the movement plane,
• wherein the control unit is configured to control the movement of the fleet of transport units, wherein the control unit is configured to:
• a) bring the first group of transport units, loaded with respective workpieces to be processed of the first group of workpieces to be processed, in succession:
• a1) to the entrance of the automation station to feed the first group of workpieces to be processed to the automation station, and then
• a2) to a parking region of the movement plane
• b) after step a1), bring the second group of transport units, loaded with respective workpieces to be processed of the second group of workpieces to be processed, in succession:
• b1) to the entrance of the automation station to feed the second group of workpieces to be processed to said automation station, and then
• b2) to the exit of the automation station to sequentially collect respective processed workpieces obtained from the first group of workpieces to be processed fed in step a1),
• c) after step a2), bring in succession the first group of transport units from the parking region to the exit to sequentially collect respective processed workpieces obtained from the second group of workpieces to be processed fed in step b1).