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The evaluation of search range assignment in 300 mm automated material handling system (AMHS)

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Abstract

In the 300 mm AMHS with a connected loops layout, the vehicle can travel not just in one loop but all around the wide fab to execute tool-to-tool delivery. Determining how far the waiting FOUPs (WFs) or idle vehicles (IVs) should be considered before selecting a dispatching rule might make dispatching more efficient. A two-phase approach with simulation has been developed to assign the search range (SR) for studying this idea. The model of a simplified 300 mm AMHS was built using eM-Plant and Design Expert to design experiments and analyse the results. In phase I, the number of WF and IV in the system at the time of dispatching will affect the distance of the vehicle’s empty trip (DVemp). Further, the SR was assigned and evaluated based on the average and standard deviation of DVemp under different numbers of WF and IV in phase II. The results indicated that the SR significantly affects the performance, and a longer SR used in a light system is feasible; a shorter SR is applicable for a heavy system.

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Abbreviations

AMHS:

automated material handling system

OHT:

overhead hoist transporter

OHS:

overhead shutter

FOUP:

front-opening unified pod

MES:

manufacturing execution system

FEFS:

dispatching rule based on foremost encounter first served

NV:

dispatching rule based on the nearest vehicle

MR:

moving rate

SR:

search range

FSV:

FOUP search vehicle

VSF:

vehicle search FOUP

Dvemp :

distance of vehicle’s empty trip

WF :

waiting FOUP

IV :

idle vehicle

LSD:

the least significant difference

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the consultation made with the UMC Corporation at Taiwan, R.O.C. and the subvention from National Science (NSC) project: NSC 94-2213-E-009-084.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, National Chiao Tung University, 1001, Ta Hsueh Road, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan, Republic of China

    D. Y. Sha & C. J. Yang

  2. Department of Business Administration, Asia University, 500, Liufeng Road, Wufong, Taichung 413, Taiwan, Republic of China

    D. Y. Sha

  3. Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Section 2 Kuang Fu Road, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan, Republic of China

    J. T. Lin

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  1. D. Y. Sha
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  2. J. T. Lin
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  3. C. J. Yang
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Correspondence to D. Y. Sha.

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Sha, D.Y., Lin, J.T. & Yang, C.J. The evaluation of search range assignment in 300 mm automated material handling system (AMHS). Int J Adv Manuf Technol 35, 697–710 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-006-0747-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-006-0747-4

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