Management of multiple types of empty carriers in automated material handling systems

摘要

Management of multiple types of empty carriers in automated material handling systems. In one embodiment, an automated material handling system (AMHS) includes a plurality of material carriers including a plurality of empty carriers classified into two or more types and one or more stock areas, each including a plurality of bins for storing material carriers. Each stock area is associated with one or more thresholds for each empty carrier type. The AMHS further includes a control system coupled to a first one of the stock areas for computing an empty percentage for each empty carrier type. The empty percentage for a particular empty carrier type is the percentage of bins of the first one stock area which contain empty carriers of the particular type. The AMHS also includes a transportation system responsive to the control system for selectively moving an empty carrier of a certain carrier type between a staging area and the first stock area based on a comparison of the empty percentage for the certain carrier type to the one or more thresholds of the first stock area for the certain carrier type.