Conveyor system with automated carriers

1. A method of constructing a conveyor system, the method comprising:

decommissioning an existing conveyor system by removing electrification or a powered chain from a conveyor rail;

removing carriers of the existing conveyor system from the rail;

installing an automated conveyor carrier (ACC) onto the rail so that a drive wheel of a self-driving trolley of the ACC is put into contact with the rail;

installing a battery on the ACC; and

establishing electrical connection from the battery to the self-driving trolley.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising setting a load-carrying capacity of the ACC by adjusting a spring load within a spring that biases the drive wheel onto the rail.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein setting the load-carrying capacity of the ACC includes adjusting the spring load biasing an entire drive unit including both the drive wheel and a motor powering the drive wheel.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising programming an on-board controller of the ACC with instructions for an actuator to further adjust the spring load biasing the drive wheel onto the rail in response to a detected position of the ACC along the rail.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein installing the ACC onto the rail includes installing at least one non-driving trolley of the ACC onto the rail.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising programming an on-board controller of the ACC, the controller including an inverter selectively powering an on-board motor of the ACC from the battery according to a drive signal from the on-board controller.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising establishing wireless communication between a wireless communication module of the ACC and at least one external wireless device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one external wireless device includes a master land-based processing unit that communicates with the wireless communication module of the ACC and a wireless communication module of at least one additional ACC on the rail.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising installing a sleep mode module on-board the ACC comprising a secondary wireless communication module and a processor, the sleep mode module configured to selectively turn on and turn off power from the battery to the on-board controller.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising establishing a charging station for charging the battery of the ACC, the charging station located along the rail in a section thereof that is actively utilized for transport of the ACC between two adjacent functional work stations or work locations.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising establishing a charging station for charging the battery of the ACC, the charging station located along the rail in a section thereof that is remote from portions of the rail used for transport of the ACC between functional work stations or work locations.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising installing a branch rail extending from a branch point on the rail to be spaced laterally from the rail at a spacing distance.

13. The method of claim 12 , installing an additional ACC onto the rail, both the ACC and the additional ACC being coupled to a load bar at respective attachment points spaced at the spacing distance.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising creating a discontinuity at a location along the rail, and installing a rotary turntable rail portion at the location, the rotary turntable rail portion having a movable conveyor rail portion thereon.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the existing conveyor system is a power and free conveyor system, and the method includes removing the powered chain from the conveyor rail.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the existing conveyor system is an electrified monorail conveyor system, and the method includes removing electrification from the conveyor rail.

17. A method of converting an existing electrified monorail conveyor system, the method comprising:

decommissioning the electrified monorail conveyor system by removing electrification from a conveyor rail thereof;

removing existing carriers of the electrified monorail conveyor system from the rail; and

installing a plurality of independent, self-powered automated conveyor carriers (ACCs) onto the rail so that a drive wheel of each one of the plurality of ACCs is put into contact with the rail.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising

programming an on-board controller of each one of the plurality of ACCs, each controller including an inverter selectively powering an on-board motor of the respective one of the plurality of ACCs from a respective on-board battery thereof according to a drive signal from the on-board controller; and

establishing wireless communication between a wireless communication module of each one of the plurality of ACCs and at least one external wireless device.

19. A method of converting an existing power and free conveyor system, the method comprising:

decommissioning the power and free conveyor system by removing a powered chain from a conveyor rail thereof;

removing existing carriers of the power and free conveyor system from the rail; and

installing a plurality of independent, self-powered automated conveyor carriers (ACCs) onto the rail so that a drive wheel of each one of the plurality of ACCs is put into contact with the rail.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

programming an on-board controller of each one of the plurality of ACCs, each controller including an inverter selectively powering an on-board motor of the respective one of the plurality of ACCs from a respective on-board battery thereof according to a drive signal from the on-board controller; and

establishing wireless communication between a wireless communication module of each one of the plurality of ACCs and at least one external wireless device.