A method for quickly optimizing the layout of plate furniture and dividing the waste

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of furniture processing, more particularly, the present application relates to a method for quickly optimizing the layout of plate furniture and the division of waste materials, comprising: obtaining standard-sized boards; obtaining idle units in the standard-sized boards, spatially dividing the idle units according to the boundaries of the workpieces to obtain a set of idle sub-units, and constructing a layout matrix, wherein the positions of the idle sub-units in the layout matrix are marked as 1, and the positions of the workpieces are marked as 0. By introducing an intelligent optimization mechanism based on a genetic algorithm, in the case where multiple sorting schemes cannot be distinguished in terms of advantages and disadvantages or there is no recyclable waste material, the present application can perform evolutionary search on the sorting of idle sub-units from a global perspective, construct a multi-objective fitness function combining the total area of waste materials and the length of the cutting path, achieve the optimal balance between material utilization and processing efficiency, and provide an efficient, quantifiable and intelligent method for identifying and optimizing the layout of waste materials.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of furniture processing technology. More specifically, this invention relates to a method for rapidly optimizing the layout and waste material allocation of panel furniture. Background Technology

[0002] In panel furniture manufacturing, standard-sized panels are the primary raw material, and their layout and cutting strategies directly impact material utilization, production efficiency, and cost control. Traditional layout methods often rely on manual experience or simple heuristic algorithms, which struggle to achieve optimal partitioning when faced with complex and diverse workpiece sizes and panel combinations. This results in a large number of reusable unused areas remaining unidentified and unmanaged, leading to resource waste. Especially during processing, the non-workpiece areas remaining after cutting are typically irregular in shape and difficult to use directly in subsequent production. Timely identification and effective classification of these areas into reusable scraps or unusable waste will significantly benefit a company's material recycling, inventory management, and cost control. With the increasing diversification of panel furniture design styles and customer customization needs, workpiece size combinations exhibit high uncertainty and dispersion, further exacerbating the complexity of layout and cutting optimization. Therefore, relying solely on traditional methods is no longer sufficient to meet the demands of modern manufacturing for efficient material utilization and rapid response.

[0003] Currently, while existing technologies possess many basic waste material management functions, most still rely solely on the size of the waste material's area, lacking in-depth analysis of its spatial structure and failing to accurately determine whether an area has reprocessing value. Furthermore, the optimization of partitioning methods still heavily depends on fixed rules, lacking global search and intelligent optimization capabilities. In addition, in actual production, standard sheet metal often needs to accommodate the arrangement of multiple workpieces of varying sizes, resulting in diverse shapes of remaining space after layout. If not properly partitioned and evaluated, potentially usable areas can easily be incorrectly classified as waste, increasing material waste. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a method for quickly optimizing the division of waste materials in panel furniture layout. It aims to solve the problem in related technologies where the remaining space after layout has different shapes. If it cannot be reasonably divided and evaluated, it is easy for potentially usable areas to be incorrectly classified as waste, increasing material waste.

[0005] This invention provides a method for rapidly optimizing the layout and waste material division of panel furniture, comprising: obtaining standard-sized boards; obtaining free units in the standard-sized boards, wherein a free unit is an area on the standard-sized board excluding the workpiece; spatially dividing the free units according to the boundaries of the workpiece to obtain a set of free sub-units, and constructing a layout matrix, wherein the position of a free sub-unit in the layout matrix is ​​marked as 1, and the position of the workpiece is marked as 0; for any free sub-unit, obtaining the total number of the free sub-unit and its right-side consecutive adjacent free sub-units in the layout matrix; marking each free sub-unit with an index; dividing the layout matrix according to the index of each free sub-unit to obtain a matrix of all 1s in the layout matrix, and determining the matrix of all 1s as a layout rectangle combination; determining whether the layout rectangle combination belongs to surplus material or waste material based on its area size. By constructing a layout matrix and combining it with the maximum order and sequence number of the free sub-units, the system can efficiently identify and divide the free areas in the layout of panel furniture. It can quickly extract reusable rectangular combination areas and accurately distinguish between surplus materials and waste materials based on area thresholds, thereby improving the recycling rate of surplus materials, reducing material waste, and optimizing layout efficiency. It has the beneficial effects of fast calculation, accurate identification, and strong adaptability.

[0006] Furthermore, determining whether a material is scrap or waste includes: if the area of ​​the layout of rectangular combinations is greater than or equal to a preset area threshold, then its area is considered usable for subsequent processing or reuse, and it is classified as scrap; otherwise, it is classified as waste. The area threshold can be aligned with the company's actual process parameters (such as minimum processable size, minimum inventory size, etc.); ensuring that rectangular combinations judged as scrap can truly be used for reuse or inventory management, preventing resource waste.

[0007] Furthermore, if the area of ​​the layout rectangle combination is less than a preset area threshold, it is considered that its area cannot be used for subsequent processing or reuse, and it is classified as waste.

[0008] Furthermore, the optimal partitioning scheme for standard-sized boards is determined using a genetic algorithm. This includes: randomly generating several chromosomes, one of which represents a group of empty subunits; constructing a fitness function to obtain the fitness function value of each chromosome; selecting chromosomes whose fitness function values ​​meet preset conditions to enter the next generation; and iterating through crossover, mutation, and population updates until a set number of generations or fitness convergence is achieved. The optimal chromosome is then output, and the order of empty subunits corresponding to the optimal chromosome is the optimal partitioning scheme. Genetic algorithms are highly adaptable to fluctuations in input data and changes in constraints; they can handle diverse situations such as heterogeneous board types, different layout rules, and process constraints, making them suitable for practical engineering environments.

[0009] Furthermore, a fitness function is constructed, which is positively correlated with the total area of ​​the scrap material and negatively correlated with the travel distance of the scrap cutting path.

[0010] Furthermore, the fitness function is constructed using the following formula: In the formula, Indicates the first The fitness function value of each chromosome. Indicates the first The total area of ​​residual material for each chromosome. Indicates the first The distance of the waste cutting path in a chromosome is the sum of the adjacent common side lengths of the waste between the rectangular combinations of waste after utilizing the chromosome. The remaining area reflects the degree of material utilization; the larger the area, the higher the material utilization rate. The cutting path reflects the cutting complexity and cost in the processing; the smaller the path, the shorter the cutting distance and the higher the processing efficiency. Combining the two helps to find the optimal balance between high material utilization and low cutting cost.

[0011] Furthermore, chromosomes whose fitness function values ​​meet preset conditions are selected for the next generation, including using a roulette wheel selection method. The roulette wheel method assigns the probability of selection to each chromosome based on its fitness value; the higher the fitness, the greater the probability of selection. This aligns with the evolutionary logic of natural selection and is beneficial for the preservation and dissemination of superior genes.

[0012] Furthermore, chromosomes whose fitness function values ​​meet preset conditions are selected to enter the next generation, including: using a tournament method to select chromosomes to enter the next generation.

[0013] Furthermore, the idle units are spatially divided according to the boundaries of the workpieces, including: extending the boundary lines of each workpiece to the boundary lines of the standard-sized sheet metal; and using the extended lines of the workpiece boundary lines to spatially divide the idle units.

[0014] Furthermore, each idle sub-unit is marked with a serial number, which can be a number or a letter. This serial number marking transforms scrap materials into addressable and schedulable digital material units, facilitating subsequent intelligent layout and resource scheduling.

[0015] Beneficial effects

[0016] (i) By constructing a layout matrix, spatial structure modeling of standard-sized boards is performed. Based on information such as maximum order, adjacency relationship, and sequence number, the free space is quickly located and regularly divided. This solution effectively improves the automation and accuracy of free space division, transforming complex and fragmented free spaces into structured rectangular combinations. By setting area thresholds, leftover and waste materials are classified and managed within the layout rectangular combinations, making material utilization clearer and more controllable. This improves the efficiency of board use from the source, reduces resource waste, and optimizes board utilization and leftover material management processes.

[0017] (ii) By introducing an intelligent optimization mechanism based on genetic algorithms, when multiple sorting schemes cannot distinguish between superior and inferior or there is no recyclable waste material, it can perform evolutionary search on the sorting of idle sub-units from a global perspective, construct a multi-objective fitness function that combines the total area of ​​waste material and the length of the cutting path, and achieve the optimal balance between material utilization and processing efficiency in the sorting scheme. This provides an efficient, quantifiable, and intelligent method for waste material identification and sorting optimization. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a standard-sized sheet metal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a first sorting scheme according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a second sorting scheme according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a third sorting scheme according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the cutting process of a third sorting scheme according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the division of scrap material according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] like Figure 6 As shown, S101: Obtain standard-sized sheet metal.

[0026] like Figure 1As shown, in one embodiment, a standard-sized sheet serves as the basic carrier for layout and cutting, and typically contains several workpieces to be cut. Figure 1 (The shaded area in the image). These workpieces are rectangular structures of pre-defined dimensions, representing structural or functional components to be cut out during actual furniture production, such as door panels, side panels, and drawer panels. Each workpiece's specific dimensions and type are determined during the design phase based on the finished product drawings, typically existing in a rectangular or near-rectangular form to facilitate efficient and compact arrangement and cutting on the board material. In practice, these workpieces to be cut must be arranged on one or more standard-sized boards. The arrangement must satisfy basic geometric constraints of non-overlapping and not exceeding the board edges, while maximizing board utilization and minimizing waste or scrap. Therefore, the spatial organization of standard boards directly determines the complexity and efficiency of subsequent cutting optimization and scrap management. For example: Figure 1 The outer rectangle in the diagram represents a standard-sized board material. Its size can be randomly selected based on actual conditions to obtain the standard-sized board material, for example, a board material with a size of [missing information]. wait.

[0027] S102: Obtain the layout matrix in a standard-sized board.

[0028] In one embodiment, free units are obtained from a standard-sized sheet metal. A free unit is the remaining free area in the standard-sized sheet metal excluding the workpiece to be cut (the workpiece to be cut is...). and Then, based on the workpiece boundaries, the idle units are spatially divided to obtain a set of idle sub-units, which is called the idle sub-unit set. Specifically, the horizontal and vertical boundary lines of all workpieces are extended outwards until they reach the upper and lower boundaries and left and right boundaries of the standard-sized sheet metal, thus constructing a series of crisscrossing spatial dividing lines. These dividing lines will create multiple small rectangular areas within the idle units. The above extension operation divides the originally irregular idle units into several regular rectangular areas, called idle sub-units. Each idle sub-unit is the smallest rectangular unit enclosed by adjacent boundary lines. All the divided idle sub-units together constitute a set, called the idle sub-unit set. Finally, it is necessary to determine whether the sheet metal of that area constitutes usable surplus material or useless waste material based on the area of ​​the idle sub-units.

[0029] Following the above, after completing the spatial division of the standard-sized sheet metal and obtaining the set of free sub-units, the next step is to construct a layout matrix with spatial indication function based on this set. This layout matrix is ​​used to uniformly represent the spatial usage status of the standard sheet metal in the form of a two-dimensional discrete grid, including the area occupied by the workpiece to be cut and the geometric distribution of free sub-units. Specifically, a two-dimensional coordinate axis is constructed by dividing the standard-sized sheet metal according to the horizontal and vertical coordinate boundaries defined by the aforementioned extension lines (e.g., ...). Figure 1 (As shown in x1, x2, y1, y2), and based on this, a two-dimensional matrix structure called the layout matrix is ​​established to record the spatial status information of each divided area. In this matrix: if a cell corresponds to an already arranged workpiece area, the value of that cell is set to 0, indicating that the area is occupied and cannot participate in the division of surplus materials; if a cell corresponds to an empty sub-unit, the value of that cell is set to 1, indicating that the area is free space and can participate in subsequent surplus material judgment and rectangle combination calculations. Through the above method, the entire standard sheet space is digitally encoded and mapped to a layout matrix. Figure 1 As shown, the layout matrix is .

[0030] S103: Filter out the layout rectangle combinations.

[0031] In one embodiment, the maximum order of the free sub-units in the layout matrix is ​​extracted. The maximum order of any free sub-unit and the maximum order of its adjacent free sub-units are obtained. By searching the relationship between the maximum order of the current free sub-unit and the maximum order of its adjacent pixels, a matrix of all 1s with the largest order is quickly combined. This allows for the rapid finding of the matrix combination with the most 1s, and this matrix is ​​identified as the layout rectangle combination. The maximum order refers to the total number of the free sub-unit and its right-hand adjacent free sub-units in the layout matrix. Specifically, each free sub-unit is numbered (either numbers or letters). The layout matrix is ​​divided according to the order of the free sub-units to obtain the matrix of all 1s, and this matrix is ​​identified as the layout rectangle combination. One method of sorting the free sub-units corresponds to one sorting scheme.

[0032] Following the above, for any free sub-unit (matrix unit with a value of 0) in the layout matrix, its maximum order is defined as the total number of that unit and its consecutive adjacent free units to the right, including itself. In other words, this index reflects the ability of the current unit to combine along the X-axis in the layout matrix to form a continuous free rectangle, and is a fundamental parameter for determining whether it can participate in forming a larger rectangle combination. To facilitate subsequent processing, all free sub-units are first uniquely marked, using numbers (such as 1, 2, 3, ...) or letters (such as A, B, C, ...) to ensure that the identity of each free unit in the matrix is ​​identifiable and traceable. A sorting list is constructed based on these identifiers, and the matrix is ​​sequentially traversed and structurally partitioned. The all-1 matrix obtained from the above search is used as a layout rectangle combination under the current sorting scheme, recording its position index, the number of the free units it contains, the actual physical area, etc., as input for subsequent waste / surplus material classification and fitness function evaluation. For example, each idle sub-unit is marked with a serial number, and then the serial numbers of each idle sub-unit are sorted to obtain the first sorting scheme as "6754321" (e.g., Figure 2 As shown), the free space can be divided into rectangles composed of "6754", rectangles composed of "3" alone, and rectangles composed of "21". Therefore, this sorting scheme can yield three combinations of layout rectangles. Re-sorting yields a second sorting scheme of "6457312" (as shown). Figure 3 As shown); after sorting again, the third sorting scheme is "3421567" (as shown). Figure 4 (As shown).

[0033] S104: Determine whether the type of the layout rectangle combination belongs to surplus material or waste material based on its area.

[0034] In one embodiment, to achieve categorized management of layout rectangle combinations, their actual area needs to be evaluated and classified according to a preset area threshold. Specifically, for any layout rectangle combination, the actual area of ​​the combination can be calculated by statistically analyzing the physical dimensions of its contained idle sub-units. This area is then compared with a preset area threshold (i.e., the minimum recyclable area threshold). This preset area threshold can be set based on the company's actual production capacity, processing technology requirements, or material recycling standards, and typically represents a critical value for whether an idle piece of material has reuse value. For example, if the minimum cutting size for subsequent processing steps is... The preset area threshold can then be set to Rectangular combinations with areas below this threshold are difficult to cut or utilize and can be directly treated as scrap. The specific classification logic is as follows: If the area of ​​the current layout of rectangular combinations is greater than or equal to the preset area threshold, the rectangular area is considered to have reusable value and can be included in the subsequent material cutting plan or inventory management system, and is marked as a surplus material area; if the area of ​​the current layout of rectangular combinations is less than the preset area threshold, it means that the area is too small to meet the subsequent processing needs or the storage cost is higher than its utilization value, and it is classified as a waste area.

[0035] It's important to note that if the area of ​​all layout rectangle combinations is less than the preset area threshold, it indicates that no surplus material meeting the area limit can be obtained from the standard-sized board, or that the areas of layout rectangle combinations in multiple sorting schemes are equal. In this case, a genetic algorithm is used to determine the optimal partitioning scheme. In other words, if no rectangular area meets the minimum reuse requirement in the current partitioning result, and all partitioned rectangle combinations fail to meet the minimum area requirement to be defined as surplus material, they cannot be used as raw materials in subsequent processing. In this case, the entire standard-sized board will be completely converted into waste under the current partitioning method. Alternatively, in another scenario, although multiple sorting schemes can partition several surplus material areas that meet the area threshold, the surplus material areas in these schemes are equal, making it difficult to distinguish their superiority in the main objective dimension (material recovery rate). In this case, simply relying on the surplus material area is insufficient to determine the optimal partitioning strategy. In this situation, an optimal waste partitioning strategy based on a genetic algorithm is introduced, with the goal of minimizing cutting costs, to select the optimal partitioning scheme from a global perspective. Specifically, through the global search and fitness-driven mechanism of the genetic algorithm, all possible pixel sorting combinations are iteratively optimized to select the optimal partitioning result in terms of waste processing efficiency. If effective residual material cannot be generated under a certain sorting scheme, or if the superiority or inferiority cannot be distinguished by the residual material area under multiple sorting schemes, then the genetic algorithm optimization process aimed at minimizing cutting costs is initiated.

[0036] In one embodiment, determining the optimal partitioning scheme using a genetic algorithm includes: randomly generating several chromosomes, where each chromosome represents a group of free subunits; constructing a fitness function, where the fitness function is positively correlated with the total area of ​​surplus material and negatively correlated with the length of the waste cutting path, thereby obtaining the fitness function value of each chromosome; selecting chromosomes whose fitness function values ​​meet preset conditions to enter the next generation, where meeting the preset conditions means using classic strategies such as roulette wheel selection, tournament selection, or ranking selection to ensure the priority retention of individuals with high fitness. After iterating through crossover, mutation, and population updates until a set number of generations or fitness convergence is reached, the optimal chromosome is output, and the free subunit sorting corresponding to the optimal chromosome is the optimal partitioning scheme. This optimal partitioning scheme has the optimal structural characteristics of maximizing surplus material area, minimizing cutting path, or both, and can be used to guide actual sheet metal cutting scheduling and processing execution.

[0037] In one embodiment, if there is excess material in the layout scheme, its fitness function is constructed, and the formula is as follows: In the formula, Indicates the first The fitness function value of each chromosome. Indicates the first The total area of ​​residual material for each chromosome. Indicates the first The stroke of the waste cutting path in a chromosome, wherein the stroke of the waste cutting path is the sum of the adjacent common side lengths of the waste between the rectangular combinations of the chromosome after layout, that is, in the th Under the sorting and partitioning scheme corresponding to each chromosome, analyze all the partitioned layout rectangle combinations and extract the adjacent and shared edge relationships between their waste materials (e.g., Figure 5 The black part shown is Figure 3 The cutting path travel of the layout scheme is calculated as the sum of the lengths of adjacent shared edges of the scrap materials. The total length of the boundaries between these contacting rectangles is then summed to obtain the cutting path travel. A larger fitness function value indicates a better sorting scheme while achieving the combined goals of high material utilization (large surplus area) and short scrap cutting paths; conversely, a smaller value indicates a poorer sorting effect. In another embodiment, if there is no surplus material in the layout scheme (i.e., the layout scheme consists entirely of scrap materials), a fitness function is constructed. This fitness function is negatively correlated only with the scrap cutting path travel, which is the travel of the scrap cutting path using the first... The sum of the side lengths of adjacent waste materials in the rectangular combination of chromosomes after their arrangement.

[0038] Ultimately, based on the optimal chromosome obtained through the iterative optimization process using a genetic algorithm, the corresponding sorting of free sub-units is determined as the optimal partitioning scheme for the current standard-sized sheet material under specific layout conditions. This partitioning scheme not only achieves a reasonable division and effective organization of free areas structurally, but also considers both material utilization efficiency and processing path cost in terms of quantitative indicators. After determining the optimal partitioning scheme, the system will use this scheme as a basis to perform actual cutting operations on the standard-sized sheet material. Specifically, processing paths are generated sequentially according to the layout rectangle combinations in the partitioning results, and partitioning is performed according to the corresponding surplus and waste areas. Areas identified as surplus materials can be further managed in the warehouse based on their location, shape, and area, and included in subsequent cutting or reuse plans; while areas identified as waste materials can be centrally recycled or processed according to a specified process flow.

[0039] The embodiments described above are merely examples of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for rapidly optimizing the layout and waste material allocation of panel furniture, characterized in that, include: Obtain standard-sized sheets; Obtain the free units in the standard-sized sheet material. The free units are the areas on the standard-sized sheet material other than the workpiece. Divide the free units into spatial units according to the boundaries of the workpiece to obtain a set of free sub-units and construct a layout matrix. In the layout matrix, the position of the free sub-unit is marked as 1 and the position of the workpiece is marked as 0. For any free sub-unit, obtain the total number of free sub-units and their consecutive right-side adjacent free sub-units in the layout matrix; Each free sub-unit is marked with a serial number. The layout matrix is ​​divided into sub-matrixes according to the serial numbers of each free sub-unit to obtain the all-1 matrix in the layout matrix. The all-1 matrix is ​​then determined as a combination of layout rectangles. The type of the rectangular arrangement is determined by its area size, indicating whether it is surplus material or waste material.

2. The method for rapidly optimizing the layout and waste material division of panel furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining whether it is scrap or waste includes: If the area of ​​the layout rectangle combination is greater than or equal to a preset area threshold, it is considered that its area can be used for subsequent processing or reuse, and it is classified as surplus material; otherwise, it is classified as waste material.

3. The method for rapidly optimizing the layout and waste material allocation of panel furniture according to claim 2, characterized in that, The optimal partitioning scheme for standard-sized boards is determined based on a genetic algorithm.

4. The method for rapidly optimizing the layout and waste material division of panel furniture according to claim 3, characterized in that, The optimal partitioning scheme for standard-sized plates is determined using a genetic algorithm, including: Several chromosomes are randomly generated, one of which is a sorted set of free subunits; Construct a fitness function to obtain the fitness function value of each chromosome. Select chromosomes whose fitness function value meets the preset conditions to enter the next generation. Then, iterate through crossover, mutation and population update until the set number of generations or fitness convergence is reached. Then output the optimal chromosome. The sorting of the free subunits corresponding to the optimal chromosome is the optimal partitioning scheme.

5. The method for rapidly optimizing the layout and waste material division of panel furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that, Constructing the fitness function includes: The fitness function is positively correlated with the total area of ​​the waste material and negatively correlated with the travel distance of the waste cutting path.

6. The method for rapidly optimizing the layout and waste material division of panel furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that, Construct the fitness function using the following formula: ； In the formula, Indicates the first The fitness function value of each chromosome. Indicates the first The total area of ​​residual material for each chromosome. Indicates the first The stroke of the waste cutting path in a chromosome, wherein the stroke of the waste cutting path is the sum of the adjacent common side lengths of the waste between the rectangular combinations of the chromosome after it is laid out.

7. The method for rapidly optimizing the layout and waste material division of panel furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that, Chromosomes whose fitness function values ​​meet preset conditions are selected to enter the next generation, including: A roulette wheel method is used to select chromosomes to enter the next generation.

8. The method for rapidly optimizing the layout and waste material division of panel furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that, Chromosomes whose fitness function values ​​meet preset conditions are selected to enter the next generation, including: A tournament-style selection process is used to select chromosomes for the next generation.

9. The method for rapidly optimizing the layout and waste material division of panel furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The free space is divided according to the workpiece boundary, including: Extend the boundary lines of each workpiece to the boundary lines of the standard-sized sheet metal; The empty units are spatially divided using the extension lines of the workpiece's boundary lines.

10. The method for rapidly optimizing the layout and waste material division of panel furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each free sub-unit is numbered, including: The serial number can be a number or a letter.

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