How does DFleet integrate into the semiconductor and electronics industries for intralogistics using SECS/GEM?
In the semiconductor and electronics industries, multiple machines are used for various steps of production, such as Printed Circuit Board (PCB) manufacturing, etching, pick and place, oven soldering, and packaging. SECS/GEM, a widely used communication protocol, ensures consistent and easy integration, allowing the host system to avoid implementing multiple communication protocols. This approach enables consistent and error-free recipe changes across different machines, while allowing the host to configure machines and collect status updates for data collection. Additionally, alarms are broadcast to a central control system for efficient monitoring.
How does DFleet and NavWiz fit in the SECS/GEM protocol?
DFleet is a Fleet Management System that helps manage and optimize the AMR’s task assignments, organize fleet movements, establish routes, and monitor traffic. It also helps balance your AMRs’ battery life and manage charging activities. While NavWiz, or Navigation Wizard, is a software application for Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). NavWiz includes all the features required in a modern autonomous mobile robot, such as programming the robot, status monitoring, smart navigation, and AI and IoT enablement. Developed by DF, NavWiz is the core intelligence behind all AMRs and AGVs from DF.
DFleet implements the E05, E30, and E82 standards, with E82 enabling the host system to issue transfer commands, extending its capability beyond just communicating with production machines to planning material transfers. For example, it can manage transfers from a warehouse stocker machine to a production machine or between different process stages. The host only needs to communicate with DFleet, which provides status updates and safety conditions for the entire fleet, eliminating the need for individual communication with each Autonomous Robot Vehicle (ARV). DFleet also offers event updates whenever an ARV’s state changes.
DFleet implementation of 3 SEMI specifications, offering transfer command capabilities that allow the host system to define item IDs, source, and delivery locations, while also enabling monitoring of transfer status, staging, and cancel or abort functions. For instance, the host can call an AMR to standby at a pickup location. Event reporting ensures that any changes in AMR status or transfer queue are immediately updated, with live tracking of carrier locations during transfers and instant notifications of AMR alarms for quick recovery.
The system also supports data collection, where the host can query AMR status such as location, battery levels, and available ports, along with tracking active transfers and their status. Additionally, Navwiz uses the SECS/GEM E84 device to facilitate communication between machines and AMRs, ensuring safety checks during item transfers, including signaling the machine to open port doors or pause and disable safety curtains to initiate transfer operations.
Applications by DF Automation for Intralogistics Automation
Consider a scenario where the host communicates with both production machines and DFleet using SECS/GEM. The host monitors the production machine’s resources and detects when more material is needed. It sends a command to a stocker machine to buffer materials, while simultaneously sending a stage request to DFleet to ensure an AMR is on standby at the stocker port.
Once the materials are ready, DFleet initiates the transfer process, with the AMR validating the carrier ID before picking up the item. Throughout the operation, DFleet updates the host with real-time transfer and AMR status changes via event reporting. Once the transfer is complete, the production machine updates the host, all autonomously.
Benefits of Using DFleet
1. Automated Data Collection and Logging
DFleet offers data collection and logging capabilities, ensuring that every material transfer is precisely recorded. From the moment an AMR initiates a transfer task to its successful completion, all relevant data points such as start and end times are captured. This data enables detailed analyses of key metrics, including average transfer times, individual AMR utilization rates, and overall fleet performance. Furthermore, monthly performance reports generated by DFleet help businesses identify inefficiencies, optimize workflows, and make data-driven decisions to enhance operational efficiency.
2. Error Reduction
Manual material transfers are liable to errors that can disrupt the production process, such as misplacing materials or incorrect data entry. DFleet eliminates these risks by automating the transfer process. Each AMR is equipped with advanced verification tools, including QR code or barcode scanners, to ensure the carrier ID matches the transfer information provided by the host. This step not only guarantees accuracy but also fosters reliability, preventing costly mistakes that could slow down production or compromise product quality.
3. Optimized Multi-Item Delivery
In facilities where multiple items need to be transferred simultaneously, DFleet excels by leveraging the AMRs’ ability to carry more than one item at a time. The system intelligently plans delivery routes to maximize efficiency, ensuring that materials reach their destinations with minimal travel time. By analyzing the list of materials awaiting transfer, DFleet dynamically determines the most effective paths, reducing energy consumption, and streamlining logistics operations.
4. Redundancy and High Availability
Operational continuity is critical in industrial settings, and DFleet addresses this with advanced redundancy features. If an AMR encounters an issue, such as a mechanical fault or loss of connectivity, DFleet can immediately reassign the transfer task to another available AMR within the fleet. Additionally, DFleet is built with high availability in mind; if one instance of the system faces downtime, another instance within the cluster seamlessly takes over, ensuring no disruptions to material transfer activities. This built-in resilience minimizes downtime and supports uninterrupted production cycles.
For more information on our system integration, feel free to contact us via email at sales@dfautomation.com
Author: Muhammad Farhan Bin Mustar
Editor: Shalani Krishnan
DF Automation & Robotics is one of the leading robotics companies in Southeast Asia, specializing in the design and manufacture of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) for the global automation and robotics industry. The company’s success is driven by its two proprietary AMR software solutions – NavWiz and DFleet – which are utilized across multiple industries. NavWiz serves as the cognitive engine for the robots, enabling seamless autonomous navigation, while DFleet facilitates efficient fleet management and optimizes traffic control in factory environments.
With over 500 robots deployed worldwide, DF Automation & Robotics has successfully expanded its solutions to countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, India, Mexico, and various European nations. Visit www.dfautomation.com to learn more.
