System and method for delivering supplies to a production line

A method for delivering supplies to a production line:

• labeling a plurality of supply loads with barcodes comprising a production line delivery station identifier and quantity of supplies for each of said supply loads;
• loading said supply loads on a conveyor, said conveyor comprising a plurality of positions;
• scanning said barcodes on each of said supply loads loaded on said conveyor;
• transferring each of said supply loads on said conveyor into one of said plurality of positions on said conveyor;
• entering into a computer said barcodes and said position for each of said supply loads;
• receiving at said computer requests for said supply loads on said conveyor, said requests received from production line delivery stations;
• determining a priority for servicing said requests for said supply loads;
• locating supply loads on said conveyor to match said requests, said supply loads located by said computer in accordance with said production line delivery station identifiers, said barcodes and said positions for each of said supply loads, and said priorities for said requests;
• transferring said located supply loads from said conveyor positions to pickup stations;
• dispatching automated guided vehicles to transport said located supply loads from said pickup stations to said production line delivery stations;
• and
• transporting by said automated guided vehicles said located supply loads from said pickup stations to said production line delivery stations.

A system for delivering supplies to a production line comprising:

• a conveyor computer system adapted to:
• a) receive barcode information about supply loads received on a plurality of conveyor lanes, said barcode information comprising a production line delivery station identifier;
• b) receive position information for each of said supply loads on said plurality of conveyor lanes;
• c) transmit requests to locate supply loads on said plurality of conveyor lanes in accordance with said position information for each of said supply loads;
• and
• d) transmit requests to transfer supply loads from said positions on said plurality of conveyor lanes to pickup stations;
• a vehicle facility manager computer adapted to receive and track requests to dispatch automated guided vehicles adapted to receive supply loads from pickup stations at said conveyor lanes and deliver them to production line delivery stations;
• and
• a supply delivery computer adapted to:
• a) receive from said conveyor computer system said barcode information for said supply loads;
• b) receive from production line delivery stations requests for delivery of supplies;
• c) process said production line delivery station requests;
• d) transmit to said conveyor system computer commands to locate and transport to said pickup stations supply loads to service said requests for said delivery of supplies;
• and
• e) transmit to said vehicle facility manager computer commands to dispatch automated guided vehicles to transport supply loads from said pickup stations to said production line delivery stations.

A system for delivering supplies to a production line comprising:

• a production line comprising a plurality of delivery stations, each of said delivery stations comprising at least one sensor for detecting the presence of a supply load;
• at least one outbound conveyor lane for transferring supply loads from a back position on said outbound conveyor lane to a front position on said outbound conveyor lane;
• a first scanner at said back position of said outbound conveyor lane for reading barcode labels on supply loads loaded on said outbound conveyor lane;
• an automated guided vehicle pickup station at said front position for receiving supply loads from said outbound conveyor lane wherein said supply loads are transferred to said automated guided vehicle pickup station in accordance with supply delivery requests initiated by said sensors at said delivery stations;
• a second scanner at said automated guided vehicle pickup station for confirming said supply load at said automated guided vehicle pickup station matches one of said supply delivery requests;
• and
• an automated guided vehicle for transferring supply loads from said automated guided vehicle pickup station to said delivery stations on said production line.