Patent ID: 8205558
Filing Date: 2012-06-26
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A high-efficiency workpiece transportation system for a clean manufacturing environment, comprising: a rail-based transportation pathway configured as a loop and providing indirect workpiece transportation via discrete vehicles selectively transiting the indirect transportation pathway, each vehicle capable of selectively transporting a workpiece; a plurality of static transfer points disposed along the indirect transportation pathway, each capable of being a destination for a workpiece transported by one of the discrete vehicles, a source of a workpiece to be transported by one of the discrete vehicles, or both such a destination and source; a conveyor transportation pathway enabling direct, asynchronous workpiece transportation; and a plurality of dynamic transfer points disposed along the indirect transportation pathway, each being an interface between the indirect transportation pathway and one end of the direct transportation pathway, wherein each dynamic transfer point enables wherein the plurality of dynamic transfer points and direct transportation pathway enable a workpiece to be selectively off-loaded from or loaded onto one of the discrete vehicles transiting the indirect transportation pathway, thereby enabling increased utilization of a vehicle transiting the indirect transportation pathway per loop cycle compared to utilization of the vehicle in the absence of the plurality of dynamic transfer points and direct transportation pathway, and wherein each of the plurality of dynamic transfer points enables a choice of multiple transiting pathways for a workpiece to reach a destination.