The present document discloses a conveyor system comprising a plurality of workpiece carriers, each adapted for supporting at least one workpiece during transportation, a conveyor, adapted for transporting the workpiece carriers, at least one flow device for controlling a movement of one of the workpiece carriers relative to the conveyor, the flow device comprising a local controller, at least one workpiece carrier sensor and at least one actuator, and a central controller, which is in data communication with the flow device, and having a memory containing a flow plan comprising data describing an intended flow of workpieces in the conveyor system.

Processing a list of customer orders with a control system and a preparing station, which includes a picking position, an insertion position and local recirculation. The control system: selects a reference in the greatest number of order lines of the list; determines a set E of all the N.sub.E orders each containing an order line containing the selected reference; creates a group G of N orders that are the N.sub.E orders, if N.sub.EN.sub.max with N.sub.max being a predetermined threshold, or the N.sub.max first orders of the N.sub.E orders sorted according to decreasing order of priority, if N.sub.E>N.sub.max; builds a list LC of the K order lines in the N orders of the group G; and controls the system to bring source loads to the picking position and ship loads to the insertion position and to make the shipping loads recirculate to the insertion position, according to the list LC.

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate, the apparatus including a stage configured to hold and move the substrate, a conveying unit configured to hold and convey the substrate between conveying unit and the stage, an accumulation unit configured to accumulate control information concerning the stage and the conveying unit which is generated by processing the substrate, and a determination unit configured to determine a conveying procedure when conveying the substrate between the stage and the conveying unit by selecting one of a plurality of conveying procedures which can be set for the stage and the conveying unit based on control information accumulated in the accumulation unit.

A system and an apparatus capable of independently driving movers are described herein. The system and apparatus includes: a track that forms a path for movers; a plurality of movers movably mounted on the track for moving along the path; and a plurality of drive elements fixedly arranged along the track. The drive elements each have a surface that is oriented to contact a driven member of the movers. The drive elements are configured to sequentially engage the driven member of a plurality of the movers to provide controlled independent motion of the movers along the track. The drive elements may be driven by rotary motors. A method of independently driving movers is also described herein.

A system and an apparatus capable of independently driving movers are described herein. The system and apparatus includes: a track that forms a path for movers; a plurality of movers movably mounted on the track for moving along the path; and a plurality of drive elements fixedly arranged along the track. The drive elements each have a surface that is oriented to contact a driven member of the movers. The drive elements are configured to sequentially engage the driven member of a plurality of the movers to provide controlled independent motion of the movers along the track. The drive elements may be driven by rotary motors. A method of independently driving movers is also described herein.

A method for monitoring a conveying system with a monitoring device includes recording a signal pattern progression in relation to a functional unit of the conveying system. A reference signal progression is stored in a database as is a correlation data set for the reference signal progression, the correlation data set including instants or time segments in the reference signal progression and reference to the functional unit. The reference is linked to each instant or time segment, the recorded signal pattern progression is compared with the reference signal progression by a processing unit, and in the event of deviation between the signal progressions an entry in the correlation data set belonging to the reference signal progression is determined by the processing unit on the basis of an instant or time segment of such a deviation, and the functional unit referenced there is output as a cause.

A method for processing, tracking, and distribution of items in a plant in which a plurality of processes can be performed includes tagging each individual item with a unique identifier. For each individual item, the method identifies a customized career path that includes a plurality of processes in a defined sequence. The method includes passing each individual item through the customized career path identified for each individual item wherein the logistics of moving the individual item between processes is triggered by the processes in the customized career path.

A method for collecting products listed in an order in a product collecting system having a plurality of modules, the method including: assigning the order to a module, allocating a product listed in the order to the order if the product is already available in the module, allocating a product to the order from another module if the product of the slow-moving type is not already available in the module whereas it is available in the other module, allocating a product to the order from a pallet warehouse if the product of the slow-moving type is not already available in the module nor in another module, and releasing the order and loading the products onto a collecting carrier when all the products listed in the order have been collected in the module.

Various embodiments disclosed herein provide for an improved accumulation conveyor and systems and methods for controlling a high rate, high density tunable accumulation conveyor. In one embodiment, an accumulation conveyor system determines whether an item detection variable associated with a second zone of a plurality of zones is satisfied, wherein the second zone is downstream of a first zone. The accumulation conveyor system determines whether at least one of two operational characteristic variables is satisfied. In an instance where both the item detection variable and at least one operational characteristic variable are satisfied, the accumulation conveyor system is configured to set a zone operating state associated with the first zone to inactive and send a command signal comprising the zone operating state associated with the first zone to a control module associated with the first zone. In another embodiment, an improved method for adjusting aggressiveness is disclosed. In another embodiment, a tunable release rate accumulation conveyor is disclosed. In still another embodiment, a tunable crowding accumulation conveyor is disclosed.

A system and an apparatus capable of independently driving movers are described herein. The system and apparatus includes: a track that forms a path for movers; a plurality of movers movably mounted on the track for moving along the path; and a plurality of drive elements fixedly arranged along the track. The drive elements each have a surface that is oriented to contact a driven member of the movers. The drive elements are configured to sequentially engage the driven member of a plurality of the movers to provide controlled independent motion of the movers along the track. The drive elements may be driven by rotary motors. A method of independently driving movers is also described herein.