Method and Plant for Parts Logistics

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A method for the processing, tracking, and distribution of items in a plant, the method comprising the following steps: each individual item is tagged as a unique specimen, wherein choosing for each individual item a customized career path based on the sequence of processes to which the item is to be subjected in the plant, and the logistics of the individual item is determined based on the necessary processes in the customized career path, whereupon the indivisual item is routed through the plant in accordance with the logistics of the individual item.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the logistics of the individual item takes place depending on its existing and/or missing properties and/or the required supplementation of its properties.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the customized career path of the individual item is the modification of the condition of the item and the processes necessary for modifying the condition of the item, in particular, the identification and/or the supplementation of the properties of the individual item and/or the commissioning, along with further items, if necessary, of the individual item.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual item is connected/married to an article carrier in the form of a trolley, which is equipped with a read and/or write element in the form of a barcode or transponder, whereby the individual item becomes a unique specimen.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an open data record is created/generated for each read and/or write element in a database associated with the plant, and the data record is linked to an electronically writable, custom data record for each item.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual item is inspected for the presence of information, such as the item number and/or the item description, and/or is investigated for the presence of predetermined properties, and existing or ascertained properties are entered into the data record.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual item is routed to a uniquely determined process chain, for example, for returned items, or properties of the items, such as color, shape, or size, up to the identification of the item, for example, a water bottle or an 0.5-liter, filled cola bottle, are manually or automatically ascertained at workstations, in particular by photographing items, for example, within and/or outside the plant.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one property is added to the individual item at at least one workstation, and this added property is entered into the data record.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual item is subjected to a quality inspection, in particular before being stored and/or warehoused in the plant.

10. (canceled)

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, given the presence or absence of certain properties, the individual item is routed to a warehouse, from which the individual item is sold online or via a retail business, and/or, in the event that less important properties or a small number of properties are missing, the individual item is routed to a wholesale warehouse, from which the individual item is sold to a wholesale business, and/or, in the event that important properties or a large number of properties are missing, the individual item is routed to a recycling warehouse, from which the individual item is routed to a recycling process or any other type of reclamation process.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual items are transported on article carriers, in particular on trolleys, which are equipped with the read and/or write element, in particular a barcode or transponder, the individual items being attached to the article carrier, for example, being clamped or hung on hangers, or being placed, for example, in pouches or bags, mesh baskets, or trays, on the article carrier, and the individual items comprise a goods label or have existing properties, wherein the article carriers and the items connected thereto are handled as individual unique specimens.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the existing properties are stored in a data memory with the aid of a coding of the individual item and, if necessary, are assigned to the coding of the individual article carrier.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each article carrier can be identified, in particular with the aid of a scanner, and guided and steered through the plant to workstations in a targeted manner.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, at the workstations, information regarding the present properties of the individual item is gathered and the task in the process chain at this workstation is displayed and, after the individual item has been processed, all information that is important or relevant for this item can be electronically stored in the data record.

16. The method as claimed claim 1, wherein the further transport route of the individual item is determined depending on the present properties of the individual item and the location of the individual item, and/or according to a current capacity utilization of the workstations.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual item is dynamically stored in the holding areas and/or in the warehouse zones and is commissioned as quickly as is reasonably possible.

18. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the items can be, for example, returned items or used textiles, which are inspected with respect to their condition and their further processing, and the identification as well as the condition are determined with the aid of the ascertained properties, and the necessary steps in the process chain are predefined.

19. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the presence of all buttons, the proper functioning of zippers, holes in the textiles, the source of the textiles, and the size and/or general condition of the textiles are defined as properties and are entered in the custom data record.

20. A plant for carrying out a method for the processing, tracking, and distribution of items, wherein the plant comprises: a control system, a database, an overhead conveyor including a plurality of article carriers in the form of trolleys configured for accommodating items, a workstation configured for adding at least one property of an item, a respective read and/or write element connected to each respective trolley, and cot figured to create an open data record wherein each read and/or write element is linked to an electronically writable, custom data record for each item so that each individual item is tagged as a unique specimen, wherein the control system is configured to assign processes to each individual item in the course of a customized career path so that the logistics of the individual item is triggered by the necessary processes.

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. A method for the processing, tracking, and distribution of a plurality of items in a plant having a plurality of processing stations within the plant, the method comprising the following steps: affixing a unique tag to each one of the plurality of items or to a trolley that uniquely carries the respective one of the plurality of items; identifying the type of each item that is uniquely tagged or carried by a uniquely tagged trolley; for each respective uniquely tagged item or item carried by a uniquely tagged trolley, based on the type of the respective item, determining the processes to which the respective item is to be subjected in the plant; based on the processes to which the respective uniquely tagged item or item carried by a uniquely tagged trolley is to be subjected in the plant and the availability of a station for performing each of the processes, determining a sequence for performing the processes that are to be applied in the plant to the respective uniquely tagged item or the item carried by a uniquely tagged trolley; determining a customized career path according to the sequence for the respective uniquely tagged item or the item carried by a uniquely tagged trolley, wherein the customized career path constitutes the relative locations within the plant of the processing stations that are to be applied to the respective uniquely tagged item or the item carried by a uniquely tagged trolley; using the tag to keep track of the location of the respective uniquely tagged item or the respective uniquely tagged trolley in the plant with respect to the processing stations in the customized career path of the respective uniquely tagged item or the item carried by a uniquely tagged trolley; and moving the respective uniquely tagged item or the item carried by a uniquely tagged trolley between the processing stations in the customized career path in accordance with the sequence for performing the processes to be applied to the respective uniquely tagged item or the item carried by a uniquely tagged trolley.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] Further advantages of the invention are described in the following exemplary embodiments. Wherein:

[0057] FIG. 1 shows an example of a flow chart of the process management in a plant according to the invention,

[0058] FIG. 2 shows an assignment of properties of an part to a write/read element according to the data management according to the invention,

[0059] FIG. 3 shows an example of a material flow,

[0060] FIG. 4 shows an example of a layout of a first level, and

[0061] FIG. 5 shows an example of a layout of a third level.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0062] As schematically represented in FIG. 1, the procedure in the inbound area of the plant, in particular, takes place in a part-focused manner. Subsequently, in the outbound area of the plant, the order is of primary importance. Of course, it is also possible according to the invention, however, that the entire plant is run in such a way that the part is of primary importance.

[0063] The part, namely an article of clothing in this exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, enters the plant and, first of all, is registered in the registration area. A barcode is printed out and attached to each part. A picture is also taken of the part and the various properties of the part are recorded. This recording can take place manually, i.e., a person inspects the part and enters the part's found or missing properties into the database with reference to the part and its barcode. The recording can also take place automatically, however, in that the photograph of the part is evaluated and the properties of the part are recorded and entered into the database.

[0064] After the tagging and registration of the parts, each part is placed on a separate trolley. The part is then transported to various workstations in order to complete any missing properties, as necessary, and the part is processed at the workstations. The workstations are differently equipped, for example, with a photostation once again, or automatic or manual devices for improving the properties of the part, i.e., for improving its career. The logistics of the particular part takes place in such a way that each individual part is tagged as a unique specimen, wherein each individual part passes through processes in the course of a customized career path, and the logistics of the individual part is triggered by the necessary processes. The individual part is moved to the individual workstations depending on the specific work it requires and the capacities of the workstations that are free at the moment that the part is available for transport to the particular workstation. The logistics of the individual part takes place depending on its existing and/or missing properties and/or the required supplementation of its properties. In so doing, each article carrier is identified, in particular with the aid of a scanner, and can be guided and steered through the plant to workstations in a targeted manner.

[0065] In the plant according to FIG. 1, after the properties of the part have been improved to the extent required or as much as possible at one of the workstations, then the part is routed to a holding buffer, from which it can be distributed to further stations. In the present case, the part is transported into a static warehouse, for example, when it is likely not to be required for a longer time. Alternatively, the part can be routed directly or via a quality control to a buffer zone provided for the sale of the part via e-commerce. As another alternative, the part is routed via the quality control to a holding buffer. When the part is to be commissioned, it ultimately enters a dynamic buffer and, from there, depending on the order and the part property, is routed to outbound points for the recycling of the part, the sale of the part in wholesale, or for packaging and sale in a retail business.

[0066] In FIG. 2, an embodiment variant of the data management of the present invention is schematically represented. A data record is assigned to a unique pair consisting of the trolley and the part. With the aid of a barcode, the trolley and, therefore, the part are identified by scanners. An open data record is created/generated for each read and/or write element in a database associated with the plant, and the data record is linked to an electronically writable, custom data record for each part. The part information regarding the properties of the part and, if necessary, shipping data are incorporated into the data record. These properties are supplemented in the course of the processing of the part at the workstations. Therefore, the gaps in the data record, which represent missing properties, are gradually filled. During a query of the present properties with the aid of a scanner, the further route to another workstation or into a certain warehouse can be determined, in order to close the remaining gaps. This is, therefore, event-driven logistics.

[0067] The piece of goods or the part is therefore moved according to a customized logistics. Given a large number of single, unique parts which are moved in a customized manner, a highly effective plant concept arises, on the basis of which even individual parts having very specific properties can be very quickly tagged, stored, and shipped.

[0068] A material flow according to the invention is represented in FIG. 3. The individual parts are initially handled in a part-focused manner. Subsequently, for shipping or commissioning, the work is carried out in an order-focused manner. The order can also consist of multiple parts, or of only one part having very specific properties. The parts are repeatedly located in holding buffers, dynamic buffers, or static or dynamic stores until they arrive at a further processing station or the shipping area.

[0069] FIG. 4 schematically shows an example of a layout of a level of a plant. The layout contains suspension track rails, switches, workstations, and buffer zones, through which the individual part can pass and improve its career. Located in further levels (not shown) are further stores and buffer zones for trolleys including their parts, which are presently located in a waiting position. The trolleys are repeatedly detected by scanners and directed to their next position. In this next position, for example, a property of the part is improved, the part is inspected, or the part is stored or commissioned.

[0070] FIG. 5 schematically shows an upper level, for example, a third level of the layout of FIG. 4. In this level schematically shown in FIG. 5, the parts wait to be called; the parts wait chaotically or having been sorted according to a predetermined storage strategy. The parts can be marked, so that they are always filtered, for example, according to the oldest release order part (the part that has been in the filter process for the longest time) as the priority. The parts can be transported from the first level or from the second level into this third level for intermediate storage. When the parts are required for a commissioning, they are transported either into the second level for further filtering or sorting, or they are transported into the first level for sorting, or directly to the packing station.

[0071] The present invention is not limited to the represented and described exemplary embodiments. Modifications within the scope of the claims are also possible, as is any combination of the features, even if they are represented and described in different exemplary embodiments.