JP7817544B2 - Planning device, planning program, and planning method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a planning device, a planning program, and a planning method.

The manufacturing process for steel materials such as structural steel generally involves a rolling process and a cutting process. The rolling process involves using rollers to stretch a heated slab longitudinally, forming a semi-finished product (hereafter referred to as a billet). The cutting process involves cutting out multiple short, plate-shaped final products (hereafter referred to as structural steel) from the billet formed in the rolling process. Steel is manufactured using a made-to-order production method, where each customer's order is unique. Meanwhile, to reduce manufacturing costs, it is necessary to increase the number of structural steel pieces produced at one time. For this reason, it is important to properly develop a plan (hereafter referred to as a manufacturing plan) that determines how many of each type of structural steel will be cut from each billet.

This manufacturing plan becomes difficult for a human planner to create manually when the number of types of steel sections to be manufactured becomes large (for example, around 10 types). Therefore, various technologies have been proposed to allow machines to create manufacturing plans on behalf of planners. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a cutting method that includes a cutting re-creation process in which, when a first cutting plan created based on order information for steel plate products is applied to the base steel plate, if the effective length of the base steel plate is insufficient and the length of the lightest steel plate product in the first cutting plan is equal to or greater than the insufficient effective length, the lightest steel plate product is excluded and a second cutting plan is created.

JP 2016-101590 A

However, the conventional method described in Patent Document 1 aims only to minimize the amount of scrap in the cutting process. Therefore, even if a production plan is made using the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1, it may still occur that the planned number of shaped steel pieces cannot be cut out from a billet in the cutting process. The main cause of this is, for example, that the rollers that roll the billet wear with each rolling cycle, causing the pressure applied to the billet to decrease, and the billet that is formed last among the multiple billets does not elongate to the planned length. If some shaped steel pieces cannot be cut out as planned, it becomes necessary to produce an extra billet, which increases production costs.
An object of one aspect of the present invention is to improve the accuracy of manufacturing planning when cutting out one or more types of shaped steel from a plurality of steel billets.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a plan creation device that creates a manufacturing plan for cutting one or more types of steel from multiple steel billets, and includes: an information acquisition unit that acquires order information for the steel; a condition setting unit that sets constraint conditions that indicate constraints for manufacturing the steel billets and the steel billets; a plan creation unit that creates the manufacturing plan, including combination patterns that specify the types and quantities of the steel billets to be cut from each steel billet and the quantities for each combination pattern, based on the acquired order information and the set constraint conditions; and an output unit that outputs the created manufacturing plan, where the constraint conditions set by the condition setting unit include billet shape conditions that specify the relationship between the condition of the rollers used for rolling and the shape of the billets manufactured using the rollers having the said condition.

The planning device according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the planning program for the planning device, which causes the computer to operate as each unit (software element) of the planning device, thereby realizing the planning device on the computer, and the computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded, also fall within the scope of the present invention.

A planning method according to another aspect of the present invention is a planning method for creating a manufacturing plan for cutting one or more types of steel from multiple steel billets, comprising the steps of: acquiring order information for the steel; setting constraint conditions indicating constraints for manufacturing the steel billets and the steel billets; creating the manufacturing plan including combination patterns that specify the types and quantities of the steel billets to be cut from each steel billet and the quantities for each combination pattern based on the acquired order information and the set constraint conditions; and outputting the created manufacturing plan, wherein the constraint conditions set in the step of setting constraint conditions include billet shape conditions that specify the relationship between the condition of the rollers used for rolling and the shape of the billets manufactured using the rollers having the said condition.

One aspect of the present invention can improve the accuracy of manufacturing plans when cutting one or more types of structural steel from multiple steel billets.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a part of the manufacturing process of structural steel. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a manufacturing plan created by a plan creation device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the plan creation device according to the embodiment. 10 is a graph showing past production results acquired by the plan creation device according to the embodiment, and a graph showing the relationship between the cumulative number and the length of a billet calculated by the plan creation device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a partial operation of the plan creation device according to the embodiment. 1A to 1C are diagrams showing a manufacturing plan created by a conventional planning device, a manufacturing plan created by a person taking constraints into consideration, and an example of a manufacturing plan created by the planning device according to the embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a planning method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

One embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below.

[Planning device]
First, an embodiment of a planning device 100, which is one aspect of the present invention, will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a portion of a manufacturing process for structural steel. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a manufacturing plan created by the planning device 100. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the planning device 100. FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating past manufacturing results acquired by the planning device 100, and a graph illustrating the relationship between the cumulative number of billets and the length of the billets calculated by the planning device 100. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a portion of the operation of the planning device 100. Note that, although the manufacturing of structural steel will be described as an example here, the present invention may also be applied to the manufacturing of steel materials other than structural steel.

The planning device 100 is used to create a manufacturing plan for cutting one or more types of structural steel from multiple billets. The planning device 100 according to this embodiment is used to create a manufacturing plan for cutting multiple types of structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc., of different lengths from multiple billets. A billet is a rolled object, such as a cast piece such as a slab. When cutting steel materials other than structural steel, the cast piece may be a bloom or a billet. As shown in FIG. 1 , the manufacturing process for structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. includes a rolling process, a cutting process, and a sorting process. The rolling process is a process in which a heated cast piece such as a slab _S0 is stretched longitudinally using rollers R to form a long plate-shaped billet S. The cutting process is a process in which multiple short plate-shaped structural steel pieces Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. are cut from the billet S formed in the rolling process. The sorting process is a process in which the structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc... cut out in the cutting process are placed in storage areas _P1 , _P2 ... _PM (shelves) by type. The types of structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc... include differences in at least one of length and cross-sectional shape (at least one of width and height).

The manufacturing plan determines the number (total number) of billets S required to cut all ordered structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. that are the subject of the plan. In this manufacturing plan, as shown in Figure 2, a first number of virtual structural steels corresponding to a first number (e.g., several hundred to several thousand) of structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. are aggregated into a second number (e.g., several tens to several hundred) of combination patterns (combination pattern 1 x number of adopted + combination pattern 2 x number of adopted... combination pattern m x number of adopted), which is smaller than the first number, to determine the number of billets S required, which is the sum of the numbers adopted determined for each combination pattern. The combination pattern determines the types (lengths) of structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. to be cut from one billet, the order of these types, and the number of each type of structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. to be cut. In creating this manufacturing plan, the combination of assortment patterns for each of the structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. and the number (quantity) of each assortment pattern to be used is determined so that all of the ordered structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. can be cut out while satisfying various constraints during manufacturing. As shown in Figure 3, the planning device 100 includes an input unit 1, an output unit 2, and a calculation unit 3.

[Input section]
The input unit 1 is composed of at least one of a communication module that receives data and signals from other devices, a terminal that connects to other devices, a drive that reads information from a recording medium, and an operating device that can be operated by a user. The operating device includes at least one of a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel.

[Output section]
The output unit 2 is composed of at least one of a communication module that transmits data and signals to other devices (such as display devices), a terminal that connects to other devices, a drive that writes information to a recording medium, and a display device such as a display that displays images.

[Calculation section]
The calculation unit 3 includes an information acquisition unit 31 , a calculation unit 32 , a condition setting unit 33 , a plan creation unit 34 , and an output control unit 35 .

(Information acquisition department)
The information acquisition unit 31 acquires order information for structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. The information acquisition unit 31 according to this embodiment acquires multiple pieces of order information via the input unit 1. As shown in Table 1 below, each piece of order information includes the length of the structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. to be manufactured and the number of structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. to be manufactured. The order IDs "1,""2," etc. in Table 1 correspond to the codes "Sa,""Sb," etc. for different types of structural steels (however, this applies when multiple structural steels of the same type are aggregated into one group and the IDs correspond to each group, or when orders for the same type of structural steel are accepted from multiple suppliers). Each piece of order information can be identified by the ID.

The information acquisition unit 31 according to this embodiment also acquires past production results. The condition of the roller R changes with use, such as wear due to repeated rolling. The past production results acquired by the information acquisition unit 31 are performance data showing the relationship between the state of the roller R at each rolling (use) and the shape of the billet S produced under that roller R condition. Specifically, the condition of the roller R may be determined by a rolling accumulation index, such as the cumulative number N of billets S produced, which can indicate the cumulative effect of rolling on the roller R from its initial state. The shape of the billet S may be determined by a shape index of the billet S, such as the length or thickness of the billet S. The initial state of the roller R is, for example, a state in which the roller R is not worn, or if there is any wear, the effect is negligible, such as when it is new or has been used a predetermined number of times or less since replacement. The predetermined number of times may be, for example, Na in Figure 4, which will be described later.

In this embodiment, the information acquisition unit 31 acquires, as past production results, multiple pairs of the cumulative number N of billets S produced using the roller R from the initial state and the length of the billet S corresponding to the cumulative number N (hereinafter referred to as the billet length L). Note that the information acquisition unit 31 may also acquire, as past production results, multiple pairs of the cumulative number N of billets S and the difference (shape index) between the length or thickness of the billet S when rolling the cumulative number of billets S and the length or thickness expected for the roller R in its initial state.

(Calculation unit)
The calculation unit 32 calculates the relationship between the state of the roller R and the shape of the billet S based on the above-mentioned past production results. More specifically, the above-mentioned relationship may be the relationship between the cumulative number N and the billet length L of the billet S, as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 4. By plotting past production results on a graph with the cumulative number N on the horizontal axis and the billet length L on the vertical axis, a graph (relationship) such as that shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 4 is obtained. Note that the graph in the upper diagram of FIG. 4 is an approximation of multiple plots of production results with straight lines, and the entire graph is approximated by a broken line. From this graph, it is possible to read a tendency for the billet length L to decrease once the cumulative number N exceeds a certain number Na. It is also possible to read from the graph that the tendency for the billet length L to decrease is generally constant (can be represented by a straight line with a certain slope) after the certain number Na. Note that the approximation line showing the above-mentioned relationship may be approximated by a curve.

Alternatively, as shown in the lower part of Figure 4, the above relationship may be approximated by a step function that produces a stepped graph. The lower part of Figure 4 was created by dividing the range of possible cumulative numbers N in the upper part of Figure 4 into multiple ranges and specifying the length of billets for each divided range. That is, when the boundaries of the multiple ranges of cumulative numbers N are defined as cumulative numbers Ni (i = 0, 1, 2, ...), and this cumulative number Ni and the billet length Li corresponding to each cumulative number _Ni are defined, the lengths are calculated discretely so that the assumed length of the billet S is not longer than the actual length of the billet S, and when the cumulative number Ni is equal to or less than a first number _N0 , the billet length _Li is a first length _L0 , and when the cumulative number Ni exceeds the first number _{N0 ,} the billet length Li is a second length _L1 shorter than the first length L0 (so that the graph appears stepped when visualized). Furthermore, the calculation unit 32 according to this embodiment further discretely calculates the billet length Li so that when the cumulative number _Ni exceeds a second number _N1 that is greater than the first number _N0 , the billet length _Li becomes a third length _L2 that is shorter than the second length _L1 , and when the cumulative number Ni exceeds a third number _N2 that is greater than the second number _N1 , the billet length _Li becomes a fourth length _L3 that is shorter than the third length L2.

By making the relationship between the cumulative number N _i and the billet length L _i stepwise, as shown in the lower diagram of Figure 4, it is possible to simplify the relationship so that it is easier for the user to intuitively understand. As a result, the user can more easily manage the cumulative number N _i and the billet length L _i (including manual setting and changing). Note that while the calculation unit 32 calculates four billet lengths L ₀ to L ₃ in the example described above, the calculation unit 32 may also calculate two or three billet lengths L ₀ to L ₃ , or may calculate five or more billet lengths. If the information acquisition unit 31 is configured to acquire the cumulative number N _i and the billet length L _i from another device, the operation unit 3 does not need to include the calculation unit 32.

The calculation unit 32 then outputs the relationship between the state of the roller R and the shape of the steel billet S calculated as described above to the condition setting unit 33, which will be described next, so that a production plan can be created that takes this relationship into account.

In other embodiments, if the calculation unit 32 does not perform calculations based on past production results, the information acquisition unit 31 may not need to acquire past production results. In this case, the information acquisition unit 31 may be configured to acquire calculation results (the relationship between the state of the rollers R and the shape of the billet S) from another device based on the past production results of the other device, or may be configured to acquire the relationship between the cumulative number N and the billet length L created based on experience, etc. In such cases, the plan creation device 100 may not need to be equipped with the calculation unit 32.

Here, the reason for determining the relationship between the state of the roller R and the shape of the billet S as described above will be explained.
The condition of the roller R changes with use, for example, as it wears with repeated rolling. For example, as the roller R wears, the rolling force for the same pressure setting decreases accordingly, so the length of the slab obtained after rolling may be shorter than the length (estimated length) expected when the roller R is used in its initial state, and the thickness may be thicker than expected. In other words, if the condition of the roller R changes, the shape of the slab S produced by rolling with the roller R may not be as expected, and may deviate from the allowable range.

Meanwhile, when creating a production plan, the shape, such as length, of the billet S produced by rolling a base material such as a cast slab is assumed (the shape of the base material after rolling), and the type and quantity of the arrangement pattern are determined based on this assumed shape of the billet S. However, if the actual shape of the billet S produced by rolling with rollers R falls outside the tolerance range as described above, the actual billet S may not be long enough, resulting in shaped steel that cannot be produced. In other words, if a production plan is created based on the shape, such as the length, of the billet that will be obtained through production with rollers R in its initial state, and the actual billet S, for example, does not have the expected length, it may not be possible to cut out the shaped steel according to the arrangement pattern defined in the created production plan.

Therefore, the inventors came up with the idea of determining in advance the relationship between the state of the rollers R and the shape of the billet S from production results, and using this relationship as a constraint when creating a production plan. In this way, the shape of the billet S can be determined depending on the number of billets S used when creating a production plan, making it possible to create a production plan that takes into account changes in the shape of the billet S due to changes in the state of the rollers. This makes it possible to prevent the occurrence of a situation such as that described above in which section steel cannot be cut out when following a production plan.
The creation of a manufacturing plan will be explained below.

(Condition setting section)
The condition setting unit 33 sets constraint conditions that indicate constraints when producing the billet S and shaped steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. The constraint conditions set by the condition setting unit 33 include conditions (hereinafter referred to as billet shape conditions) that define the relationship between the state of the rollers R used in producing (rolling) the billet S as described above and the shape of the billet S produced using rollers in this state. The billet shape conditions according to this embodiment are conditions that define the relationship between the cumulative rolling index (described above) of the billet S from its initial state by the rollers R and the shape index (described above) of the billet S. More specifically, the billet shape conditions are the relationship between the cumulative number N of billets rolled by the rollers R and the length L of the billet to be rolled (see FIG. 4 ).

Furthermore, the constraints set by the condition setting unit 33 according to this embodiment include a storage yard condition regarding the number of storage yard(s) in which the structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc... cut from the billet S are temporarily stored by type when multiple types of structural steel are cut from the billet S. As shown in FIG. 1, each storage yard _P1 , _P2 ... can store only structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc... of the same length. In other words, the condition setting unit 33 sets a storage yard condition such that the number of types of structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc... that can be sorted simultaneously (cut from one billet S) is limited to n.

The condition setting unit 33 may be configured to further set the capacity of each storage yard _P1 , _P2 , etc. (the number of structural steel pieces Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. that can be placed therein) as a storage yard condition. The condition setting unit 33 may also be configured to set other conditions as constraint conditions in addition to the billet shape conditions and the storage yard conditions. The other conditions include at least one of conditions related to rolling (e.g., reduction ratio) and conditions related to operations other than rolling and sorting (e.g., cutting). The condition setting unit 33 may also be configured to modify the constraint conditions (at least one of the billet shape conditions, storage yard conditions, and other conditions) once set, for example, in response to an operation performed by a user on the input unit 1, etc. In this embodiment, the billet shape conditions and storage yard conditions are used as described above, but the storage yard conditions may also be used without using the billet shape conditions.

(Planning Department)
The plan creation unit 34 creates a manufacturing plan based on the acquired order information and the set constraints. Specifically, the plan creation unit 34 creates the manufacturing plan including combination patterns that specify the type and quantity of steel materials to be cut from each steel billet S, and the quantities for each combination pattern. The plan creation unit 34 may create a manufacturing plan that includes the total number of steel billets S required, in addition to the combination patterns and their quantities. The plan creation unit 34 according to this embodiment creates the manufacturing plan using mathematical optimization. When using mathematical optimization, it is necessary to describe a real-world problem as a mathematical model. The plan creation unit 34 according to this embodiment uses a mathematical model that lists multiple combination pattern candidates (hereinafter referred to as candidate patterns) and selects the optimal candidate pattern to be adopted in the manufacturing plan from the listed candidate patterns. For this reason, the plan creation unit 34 according to this embodiment includes an enumeration unit 341 and a selection unit 342, as shown in FIG. 3 .

Enumeration Unit The enumeration unit 341 enumerates multiple candidate patterns, as shown on the left side of FIG. 5 . The enumeration unit 341 according to this embodiment enumerates all candidate patterns that satisfy the constraints set by the condition setting unit 33. As described above, the constraints include the billet shape condition. Therefore, the enumeration unit 341 according to this embodiment enumerates candidate patterns for billet S with a maximum length (the expected length when rolled by the rollers R in the initial state) as well as candidate patterns for billet S with a length L _i (i = 1, 2, ...). In the matrix on the left side of FIG. 5 , each row represents one candidate pattern. For example, if a storage location condition is set such that the number M of storage locations P ₁ , P _2, ... is three (up to three types can be sorted simultaneously), the enumeration unit 341 lists, for example, a candidate pattern (pattern m) as shown in the third boxed row from the top. This candidate pattern indicates that it includes three structural steel pieces of _L1 m, five structural steel pieces of _L3 m, and one structural steel piece of _Ln m. The candidate pattern shown as an example here corresponds to a billet S with a maximum length of _L0 m. Therefore, the total length of the structural steel pieces to be cut out is _L1 x 3 + _L3 x 5 + _Ln x 1 = _L0 m (maximum length).

5, the selection unit 342 determines, as a production plan, combination patterns and the number of each combination pattern to be adopted that can extract all of the ordered structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, ... from the plurality of candidate patterns enumerated by the enumeration unit 341. The selection unit 342 according to this embodiment determines the total number of billets S from which the structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, ... are to be extracted and the total number of combination patterns included in the production plan so as to be as small as possible, while satisfying the constraint conditions set by the condition setting unit 33.

When rolling a billet S, portions of the billet S that cannot be used as structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. (i.e., scrap) inevitably occur at the leading and trailing ends. It is also known that the time required for a billet S to be placed in a storage area _P1 , _P2 , etc. after being rolled is generally constant regardless of the length of the billet S. Therefore, the selection unit 342 performs selection to reduce the total number of billets S. Specifically, the selection unit 342 performs selection so that the length of each billet S is as close to or as close to the maximum length as possible. This reduces the total number of billets required, and the number of leading and trailing portions is reduced. As a result, the amount of scrap is reduced, and the yield can be improved. Furthermore, the time required to cut out all of the structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. is reduced, and the freed up time can be used to manufacture other structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc., thereby improving throughput.

Furthermore, the multiple structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc... cut out in the cutting process are continuously transported to storage areas _P1 , _P2 .... At each storage area _P1 , _P2 ..., structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc... of the same length must be stored together. However, the number of storage areas M is limited. If the number of types (lengths) of structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc... exceeds M+1, the removal of structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc... from storage areas _P1 , _P2 ... (emptying the storage areas) will not keep up, and the cutting process and, ultimately, the rolling process will have to be stopped (reducing throughput before the cutting process). Therefore, the selection unit 342 selects an arrangement pattern that minimizes the number of patterns to be adopted. Specifically, it selects an arrangement pattern that maximizes the number of identical arrangement patterns. This allows smooth removal from storage areas _P1 , _P2 ..., preventing a decrease in throughput before the cutting process.

The plan creation unit 34 may be configured to create a manufacturing plan using a method other than mathematical optimization. For example, the plan creation unit 34 may be configured to create a manufacturing plan from information obtained when new order information is input into a trained model that has learned the relationship between past order information and past manufacturing plans. The plan creation unit 34 may also be configured to create a manufacturing plan using IF statements, etc.

(Output control section)
The output control unit 35 controls the output unit 2 to output the created manufacturing plan. As a result, the output unit 2 outputs the created manufacturing plan. The output control unit 35 according to this embodiment outputs the manufacturing plan in a format such as that shown in Table 2 below. The manufacturing plan according to this embodiment indicates the details of the combination pattern to be adopted (the types (cutting order) of structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. and the number of cuts of each type) for each combination pattern. The manufacturing plan according to this embodiment also indicates, for each combination pattern, the total length (total length) of the multiple structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. cut in each combination pattern and the number of each combination pattern adopted (the number of billets S). The sum of the number of each combination pattern adopted is the total number of billets S. Note that if the output unit 2 is configured with a communication module and terminals for communicating with and connecting to a liquid crystal panel or a display device, the output control unit 35 may control the liquid crystal panel or display device to display the manufacturing plan in the form of a diagram, for example, as shown in FIG. 6.

[Planning devices and others]
The functions of the plan creation device 100 (hereinafter referred to as the device) can be realized by a plan creation program (hereinafter referred to as the program) that causes a computer to function as the device, and that causes the computer to function as each control block of the device (particularly each unit included in the calculation unit 3). In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., the calculation unit 3) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the program. The functions described in each of the above embodiments are realized by executing the program using this control device and storage device. The program may be stored non-transitory on one or more computer-readable storage media. The storage media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the program may be supplied to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

Furthermore, some or all of the functions of each of the above control blocks can be realized by logic circuits. For example, integrated circuits incorporating logic circuits that function as each of the above control blocks are also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the functions of each of the above control blocks can also be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[Action and effect]
When the billet S is repeatedly rolled, the rollers R begin to wear (pressure reduction during rolling), and the billets S produced later do not extend to the planned length. Therefore, as shown in the upper part of Figure 6, if a production plan is created assuming that the length of all billets S is equal to or greater than the maximum length (L ₀ m) of the arrangement pattern, if the actual length of the billet S is not as expected, it will not be possible to cut out the sectional steel according to the arrangement pattern. In this case, an extra billet S will need to be prepared to produce all the sectional steel included in that arrangement pattern, which will increase production costs.

However, the planning device 100 according to this embodiment can create a production plan that takes roller R wear into account by including billet shape conditions in the constraints. That is, as shown in the lower part of Figure 6, it is assumed that the billet S being rolled toward the end of the rolling process will become shorter, and determines the type and number of structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. that can be cut out even with the shortened billet S. Therefore, by proceeding with the production of structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. according to the production plan created by this planning device 100, it is possible to prevent situations in which the actual billet S is not long enough. This increases the likelihood that all ordered structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. can be cut out as planned without adding additional billets S. As a result, yield and throughput can be improved compared to when a production plan is created using a conventional planning device.

Furthermore, by including the storage yard conditions in the constraints, the plan creation device 100 according to this embodiment can create a manufacturing plan that takes into account the number of storage yard locations _P1 , _P2 , etc. (the types of structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. that can be sorted simultaneously). That is, if there are only M storage yard locations _P1 , _P2, etc., a plan including an assortment pattern (pattern 4) containing M+1 types of structural steel is not created, as shown in the area enclosed by the dashed line in the upper part of Figure 6 . If the storage yard conditions were not included in the constraints, the removal of structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. from storage yard locations _P1 , _P2 , etc. could not keep up, resulting in the need to stop the cutting process and, ultimately, the rolling process. However, if a manufacturing plan is created that takes into account the number of storage yard locations _P1 , _P2, etc. in advance, the number of types of steel included in all of the assortment patterns to be adopted will be equal to or less than the number of storage yard locations _P1 , _P2 , etc., as shown in the lower part of Figure 6 . As a result, the dispensing from the storage areas P ₁ , P ₂ . . . can be carried out smoothly, and a decrease in throughput before the cutting process can be prevented.

In this way, with the planning creation device 100 according to this embodiment, by including at least one of the billet shape conditions and the storage site conditions in the constraint conditions, it is possible to improve the accuracy of manufacturing plans when cutting out one or more types of structural steel from multiple billets.

Furthermore, with this configuration, the simulation accuracy of the simulator S is improved, which improves the operating efficiency of each device on the steel production line and reduces energy consumption. This can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[Information prediction method]
Next, the information prediction method will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the plan creation method.

The planning method uses a processor to create a manufacturing plan for producing multiple steel billets S and cutting out multiple types of structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc., of different lengths from the steel billets S. The information prediction method according to this embodiment is performed using the planning device 100. As shown in FIG. 7, the planning method includes an information acquisition step S1, a calculation step S2, a condition setting step S3, a planning step S4, and an output step S5.

(Information acquisition step)
In the initial information acquisition step S1, order information for structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. is acquired. In the information acquisition step S1 according to this embodiment, the information is acquired by the information acquisition unit 31 of the plan creation device 100. Note that in the information acquisition step S1, past production results or the cumulative number N _i and billet length L _i calculated by another device may also be acquired.

(Calculation step)
In calculation step S2, the cumulative number N _i and the billet length L _i are calculated based on past production results. In calculation step S2 according to this embodiment, the calculation is performed by the calculation unit 32 of the plan creation device 100. Note that if the cumulative number N _i and the billet length L _i calculated by another device are acquired in information acquisition step S1, calculation step S2 may be skipped.

(Condition setting step)
After acquiring the order information, the process proceeds to condition setting step S3. In condition setting step S3, constraint conditions indicating constraints for manufacturing the billet S and the shaped steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. are set. In condition setting step S3 according to this embodiment, the condition setting unit 33 of the plan creation device 100 sets the constraint conditions. The constraint conditions set in condition setting step S3 include billet shape conditions that arise when the billet S is rolled by rollers R. In condition setting step S3, the above-mentioned storage yard conditions may also be set, or storage yard conditions may be set without setting billet shape conditions. In condition setting step S3, the constraint conditions may also be set manually using the input unit 1 of the plan creation device 100.

(Planning step)
After the constraints are set, the process proceeds to plan creation step S4. In plan creation step S4, a manufacturing plan is created based on the acquired order information and the set constraints. Specifically, a manufacturing plan is created that includes combination patterns that specify the type and quantity of steel material to be cut from each steel billet, and the quantity for each combination pattern. The manufacturing plan may also include the number (total number) of steel billets S required. In plan creation step S4 according to this embodiment, the plan creation unit 34 of the above-mentioned plan creation device 100 creates the manufacturing plan. Note that the manufacturing plan may also be created by another device.
Create a.

(output step)
After the manufacturing plan is created, the process proceeds to an output step S5. In the output step S5, the created manufacturing plan is output. In the output step S5 according to the present embodiment, the output unit 2 of the plan creation device 100 outputs the plan.

[Action and effect]
The above-described planning method provides the same effects as the planning device 100. That is, this planning method increases the likelihood that all ordered shaped steels Sa, Sb, Sc, ... can be cut out as planned without adding additional steel billets S.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Plan creation device 1 Input unit 2 Output unit 3 Calculation unit 31 Information acquisition unit 32 Calculation unit 33 Condition setting unit 34 Plan creation unit 341 Enumeration unit 342 Selection unit 35 Output control unit

Claims (8)

A planning device that creates a manufacturing plan for cutting out one or more types of steel materials from a plurality of steel billets,
an information acquisition unit that acquires order information for the steel material;
a condition setting unit that sets constraint conditions that indicate constraints when producing the steel billet and the steel material;
a plan creation unit that creates the manufacturing plan including combination patterns that define the types and quantities of the steel materials to be cut out from each steel billet, and the quantities for each combination pattern, based on the acquired order information and the set constraint conditions;
an output unit that outputs the created manufacturing plan;
Equipped with
the constraint conditions set by the condition setting unit include a billet shape condition that defines a relationship between a state of a roller used for rolling and a shape of the billet produced using the roller having the state.
Planning device. The planning device according to claim 1, wherein the billet shape condition is the relationship between the cumulative rolling index of the billet from the initial state by the rollers and the shape index of the billet. the rolling cumulative index is the cumulative number of the steel billets produced using the rollers,
The planning device according to claim 2 , wherein the shape indicator is a length of the billet. The plan creation device according to claim 3 , further comprising a calculation unit that calculates the relationship between the cumulative number and the length based on past production results. the calculation unit discretely calculates the length so that the length is a first length when the cumulative number is equal to or less than a first number, and so that the length is a second length shorter than the first length when the cumulative number is greater than the first number.
The plan creation device according to claim 4. The planning device of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the constraint conditions set by the condition setting unit include a storage location condition regarding the number of storage locations in which the steel products cut from the billet are placed for each type when multiple types of steel products are cut from the billet. A planning program for causing a computer to function as the planning device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
a planning program for causing a computer to function as the information acquisition unit, the condition setting unit, the planning unit, and the output unit; A planning method for creating a manufacturing plan for cutting one or more types of steel materials from a plurality of steel billets, comprising:
obtaining order information for the steel material;
setting constraint conditions that indicate constraints when producing the steel billet and the steel product;
creating the manufacturing plan including combination patterns that define the types and quantities of the steel materials to be cut out from each steel billet, and the quantities for each combination pattern, based on the acquired order information and the set constraint conditions;
outputting the created manufacturing plan;
and
the constraint conditions set in the step of setting the constraint conditions include a billet shape condition that defines a relationship between a state of a roller used for rolling and a shape of the billet produced using the roller having the state.
How to create a plan.