A method for automatically calculating surface treatment process standard man-hours under a structuring process

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of industrial engineering and production management, in particular to a method for automatically calculating surface treatment process standard man-hours under a structured process, comprising: determining a target process and extracting its processing flow structure including hanging, equipment operation and hanging; collecting inherent attribute of a processing center and production tool configuration data of each stage; determining the number of materials per hanging tool and the capacity of the hanging tool per production cycle according to the above data; setting a reference production cycle; and establishing a dynamic man-hour calculation model by comprehensively considering the above parameters. The total standard man-hours corresponding to the batch quantity of the material to be processed can be automatically calculated by inputting the batch quantity of the material to be processed into the model. The method realizes the automation of man-hour calculation, accurately reflects the actual production rhythm by quantifying physical constraints and responding to batch changes, and provides a reliable time reference for production planning and resource scheduling.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of industrial engineering and production management technology, and in particular to a method for automatically calculating the standard working hours of surface treatment processes under structured processes. Background Technology

[0002] In manufacturing fields such as surface treatment, standard working hours are core foundational data for production planning, cost control, and performance analysis. Current techniques for determining standard working hours primarily rely on the experience and judgment of process engineers or static calculations based on theoretical equipment parameters. These methods typically treat the entire process flow as a black box, assigning a vague average time value, or using only the equipment's main operating time as the primary calculation subject.

[0003] Existing technical solutions have shortcomings. Conventional methods generally fail to incorporate the specific physical configuration of the production line as a key variable in the calculation. For example, information such as the actual design and capacity of the hangers, and the specific number of hangers that the processing equipment can handle in each batch, is simplified or ignored in the calculation, leading to discrepancies between the calculated results and the actual time consumption in the field. Furthermore, existing methods cannot accurately respond to changes in production batch size. Their models are essentially static, often outputting fixed unit working hours or simply performing linear superposition, failing to characterize the true impact of non-linear factors such as equipment loading rate, waiting time, and changeover time on the total working hours under different batch sizes.

[0004] There is a need for a method that can deeply integrate specific production tool configuration data and dynamically and automatically calculate the total standard working hours based on production batches, in order to overcome the inaccuracies caused by reliance on experience, detachment from actual physical constraints, and static models. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and to propose a method for automatically calculating the standard working time of surface treatment process under structured process.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a method for automatically calculating the standard working time of surface treatment process under structured process, comprising:

[0007] The target surface treatment process to be calculated is determined, and the processing flow structure of the target surface treatment process is extracted. The processing flow structure includes the material hanging stage, the equipment operation stage, and the material unhanging stage.

[0008] Collect the inherent attribute data of the machining center used in the target surface treatment process, and collect the configuration data of the production tools used in each stage of the processing flow structure;

[0009] Based on the production tool configuration data, determine the amount of material hanging on a single hanger and the number of hangers that can be accommodated per furnace or arm.

[0010] Based on the inherent attribute data of the machining center, set the initial value of the production cycle with the machining center as the benchmark;

[0011] A dynamic time calculation model for the target surface treatment process is established by combining the quantity of materials hanging on a single hanger, the quantity of hangers accommodated per unit furnace or arm, and the initial value of the production cycle.

[0012] Input the batch quantity of the materials to be processed into the dynamic working time calculation model to trigger the calculation;

[0013] The dynamic time calculation model outputs the total standard working hours required for the batch quantity of materials to be processed.

[0014] As a further aspect of the present invention, a target surface treatment process for which the working hours are to be calculated is determined, and the processing flow structure of the target surface treatment process is extracted. The processing flow structure includes a material loading stage, an equipment operation stage, and a material unloading stage, specifically including:

[0015] Based on production instructions or process documents, identify the specific surface treatment process types that require standard man-hour calculations and use them as the target surface treatment process.

[0016] The standardized operating instructions for the target surface treatment process are analyzed, and the complete process is broken down into three sequentially executed logical stages:

[0017] The operation of loading materials onto a special hanger is defined as the material hanging stage;

[0018] The process of sending the loaded hanger into the processing equipment and running it according to a predetermined procedure is defined as the equipment operation stage;

[0019] The operation of unloading and storing the processed materials from the hanger is defined as the material unloading stage; it is confirmed that the order of the three sequentially executed logical stages cannot be reversed and together constitutes the processing flow structure.

[0020] As a further aspect of the present invention, the inherent attribute data of the machining center used in the target surface treatment process are collected, and the configuration data of the production tools used in each stage of the processing flow structure are collected, specifically including:

[0021] Identify the specific processing equipment unit on which the target surface treatment process depends, and define the processing equipment unit as the processing center;

[0022] The model, rated processing capacity, standard heating and cooling rate, standard processing time, and equipment start-up preparation time of the processing center are read from the equipment management system and integrated into the inherent attribute data of the processing center.

[0023] Simultaneously, the type and specifications of the fixtures used in the material hanging stage are retrieved from the production resource database, as well as the capacity specifications of the furnace body or robotic arm corresponding to the equipment operation stage. The type, specifications, and capacity specifications of the fixtures are used together as the configuration data of the production tools.

[0024] As a further aspect of the present invention, based on the production tool configuration data, the quantity of material hung on a single hanger and the number of hangers accommodated per furnace cycle or arm cycle are determined, specifically including:

[0025] Based on the type and specifications of the hangers in the production tool configuration data, query the standard operating instructions or historical operation records of the corresponding type of hanger to obtain the maximum number of materials that can be stably loaded in a single operation, and determine this value as the number of materials hung on the single hanger.

[0026] Based on the furnace body or robotic arm's capacity specifications in the production tool configuration data, and combined with the physical dimensions of the fixture, calculate the maximum number of fixtures of the specified type that can be simultaneously accommodated in a standard work unit of the machining center, i.e., in a single processing cycle. Determine this value as the number of fixtures accommodated per furnace cycle or arm cycle.

[0027] As a further aspect of the present invention, based on the inherent attribute data of the machining center, an initial value for the production cycle is set using the machining center as a reference, specifically including:

[0028] The standard processing time is extracted from the inherent attribute data of the processing center and used as the core processing time.

[0029] Based on the standard heating and cooling rates and rated processing capacity in the inherent attribute data of the processing center, the auxiliary time required for the equipment to go from the preparation state to the stable processing state and from the processing state to the operable state is calculated.

[0030] The core processing time is added to the auxiliary time to obtain the reference time required for the machining center to complete one full work cycle, and this reference time is set as the initial value of the production cycle.

[0031] As a further aspect of the present invention, a dynamic time calculation model for the target surface treatment process is established by combining the quantity of material hung on the single hanger, the quantity of hangers accommodated per furnace cycle or arm cycle, and the initial value of the production cycle. Specifically, this includes:

[0032] Construct a mathematical model for the processing unit based on the initial value of the production cycle;

[0033] In the mathematical model, the quantity of material hanging on the single hanger is introduced as the minimum output factor within a single processing unit;

[0034] Meanwhile, the number of fixtures accommodated per unit furnace or arm is introduced as a parallel processing amplification factor for a single processing cycle.

[0035] The logic of the dynamic working time calculation model is as follows: the total standard working time is equal to the number of processing batches multiplied by the initial value of the production cycle, wherein the number of processing batches is obtained by dividing the total number of materials to be processed by the product of the number of materials hanging on the single hanger and the number of hangers accommodated in the unit furnace or arm, and rounding the result up.

[0036] As a further aspect of the present invention, the batch quantity of the materials to be processed is input into the dynamic working time calculation model to trigger the calculation, specifically including:

[0037] Receive order tasks from the production planning system or manually input. The order tasks contain the total amount of materials that need to be processed by the target surface treatment process, i.e. the batch quantity of the materials to be processed. Use the batch quantity of the materials to be processed as a key variable and import it into the corresponding input interface of the established dynamic time calculation model.

[0038] The dynamic working time calculation model automatically calls up the stored quantity of materials hanging on a single hanger, the quantity of hangers accommodated per unit furnace or arm, and the initial value of the production cycle based on the internally set logic, and starts the calculation process.

[0039] As a further aspect of the present invention, the dynamic time calculation model outputs the total standard working hours required for the batch quantity of materials to be processed, specifically including:

[0040] The dynamic working time calculation model calculates the theoretical number of processing times, which is equal to the batch quantity of the material to be processed divided by the quantity of material hanging on a single hanger and the number of hangers accommodated per unit furnace or arm.

[0041] Round up the theoretical number of processing cycles to obtain the minimum number of processing batches actually required.

[0042] Multiply the actual minimum batch size required by the initial production cycle value to obtain the total theoretical processing time required to complete the batch size of the materials to be processed, and output this total theoretical processing time as the total standard working hours.

[0043] As a further aspect of the present invention, after outputting the total standard working hours, the method further includes:

[0044] The target surface treatment process involved in this calculation, the key parameters of the inherent attribute data of the processing center, the details of the configuration data of the production tools used, the batch quantity of the input materials to be processed, and the calculated total standard working hours are associated to generate a standard working hour record;

[0045] The standard working hours records are stored in the standard working hours history database to form a historical knowledge accumulation.

[0046] As a further aspect of the present invention, the step of calculating the auxiliary time required for the equipment to reach a stable processing state and recover from the processing state to an operable state based on the standard heating and cooling rates and rated processing capacity in the inherent attribute data of the processing center specifically includes:

[0047] The standard heating and cooling rates and the rated processing capacity are read from the inherent attribute data of the processing center;

[0048] Based on the maximum processing load corresponding to the rated processing capacity, determine the theoretical heating time required for the machining center to heat from ambient temperature to the target processing temperature required by the process.

[0049] Based on the standard heating and cooling rates and the temperature difference between the target processing temperature and the ambient temperature, the heating assistance time required to reach the stable processing state from the preparation state is calculated.

[0050] After the equipment operation phase is completed, the cooling assistance time required to recover from the processing state to the operable state is calculated based on the standard heating and cooling rate and the temperature difference between the target processing temperature and the ambient temperature.

[0051] Adding the heating auxiliary time to the cooling auxiliary time yields the auxiliary time required for the equipment to move from the preparation state to the stable processing state and from the processing state back to the operable state.

[0052] Compared with the prior art, the advantages and positive effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0053] By accurately collecting and integrating specific configuration data of production tools, the actual load capacity of the hangers and the actual loading capacity of each batch of equipment are used as core calculation parameters. This approach directly quantifies the physical constraints of the production site into model input, transforming the basis of time calculation from vague empirical values ​​to measurable and verifiable objective data. The calculation process thus moves away from subjective estimation, achieving standardization and precision based on physical constraints, and eliminating time calculation errors caused by differences in tool specifications or equipment loading schemes.

[0054] A dynamic calculation model is established with the batch size of materials to be processed as the driving variable. Based on the input batch size, the model automatically combines the capacity of a single fixture and the single-cycle processing capacity of the equipment to dynamically calculate the required number of production cycles and the corresponding total time. This model can accurately simulate the actual process of materials entering the equipment in batches during batch production, thereby calculating the comprehensive time including equipment waiting and full-load operation. The output is no longer a fixed unit time, but a total standard working time that dynamically adjusts with the batch size, accurately reflecting the true impact of production scale on efficiency and providing a precise time benchmark for production planning that matches the actual production rhythm. Attached Figure Description

[0055] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the method for automatically calculating the standard working time of surface treatment process under the structured process described in this invention;

[0056] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the data acquisition method;

[0057] Figure 3 A bar chart comparing the auxiliary times for heating and cooling of three types of machining centers;

[0058] Figure 4 A pie chart showing the percentage of time required for the entire surface treatment process;

[0059] Figure 5 A bar chart comparing the amount of material that can be loaded on a single hanger for different mounting brackets. Detailed Implementation

[0060] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0061] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "length," "width," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, in the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0062] See Figure 1The target surface treatment process for which time calculations are to be performed is identified, and its processing flow structure is extracted. This flow structure consists of a material loading stage, an equipment operation stage, and a material unloading stage, arranged sequentially. The inherent attribute data of the processing center used in the target surface treatment process is collected, along with the configuration data of the production tools used in each stage of the processing flow structure. Based on the collected production tool configuration data, the quantity of material loaded onto a single rack and the number of racks accommodated per furnace or arm are determined. An initial production cycle value is set based on the inherent attribute data of the processing center. Combining the quantity of material loaded onto a single rack, the number of racks accommodated per furnace or arm, and the initial production cycle value, a dynamic time calculation model for the target surface treatment process is established. The batch quantity of the material to be processed is input into the dynamic time calculation model to trigger the calculation. The dynamic time calculation model outputs the total standard time required for processing that batch quantity of material.

[0063] In one embodiment of the present invention, a specific surface treatment process requiring standard time calculation is identified based on production instructions or process documents, and this is designated as the target surface treatment process. The standardized operating instructions for the target surface treatment process are analyzed, and the complete process is decomposed into three sequentially executed logical stages. The operation of loading materials onto a dedicated hanger is defined as the material loading stage. The process of sending the loaded hanger into the processing equipment and operating according to a predetermined procedure is defined as the equipment operation stage. The operation of unloading and storing the processed materials from the hanger is defined as the material unloading stage. It is confirmed that the order of these three logical stages is irreversible and that they collectively constitute the processing flow structure.

[0064] In practice, the system identifies specific surface treatment processes that require standard time calculations based on production instructions or process documents. Production instructions may contain multiple process items to be processed, such as "anodizing," "electrophoretic coating," and "powder coating." By comparing the process requirements with the system's defined process library, the matching item "electrophoretic coating" is established as the target surface treatment process. The system analyzes the standardized operating instructions for the target surface treatment process "electrophoretic coating" and decomposes the complete process into three sequential logical stages. The standardized operating instructions clarify all operational steps from material preparation to finished product warehousing. The system automatically segments the process based on the logical dependencies between steps and resource conversion nodes.

[0065] In some embodiments, the operation of loading materials onto a special hanger is defined as the material loading stage. Specifically, the material loading stage refers to the entire process in which the operator, according to the work instructions, fixes the workpiece to be processed at the designated position of the conductive hanger using a specific clamp and checks the reliability of the connection. The process of sending the loaded hanger into the processing equipment and running it according to the predetermined program is defined as the equipment operation stage. The equipment operation stage covers a series of processing steps that are automatically completed by the equipment, such as the hanger entering the electrophoresis tank with the conveyor chain, electro-deposition, post-tank cleaning, and drying and curing.

[0066] It is understandable that the operation of unloading and storing the processed materials from the hanger is defined as the material unloading stage. The material unloading stage involves a series of actions, including cutting off the power, releasing the clamps, removing the cured coated workpiece from the hanger, conducting preliminary inspection, and loading it into the transfer container. It is confirmed that the order of the three logical stages—the material loading stage, the equipment operation stage, and the material unloading stage—cannot be reversed. The system verifies the arrow directions and step state transition rules in the process flow diagram to confirm that the material loading stage must start before the equipment operation stage, and the material unloading stage can only start after the equipment operation stage has ended. The material loading stage, the equipment operation stage, and the material unloading stage together constitute the processing flow structure of the electrophoretic coating process.

[0067] Optionally, when identifying a specific target surface treatment process, the system may face multiple candidate processes. For example, a production order may be associated with alternatives such as "Process A", "Process B", and "Process C". The system reads the "Surface Treatment Technical Requirements" document attached to the order, extracts keywords such as "conductive" and "corrosion-resistant layer", and matches them with the process feature database. The "Process B" with the highest matching degree is identified and locked as the target surface treatment process. The system parses the standardized operating instructions document for the target surface treatment process "Process B". The document exists in the form of a structured list of steps and a process flow diagram. Based on the node model of "start-mount-equipment-unloading-end", the system automatically maps the document content to the framework of the material mounting stage, equipment operation stage, and material unmounting stage.

[0068] In some embodiments, the material loading stage is defined to include all material loading and fixing actions in preparation for equipment processing; the equipment operation stage is defined to include all automatic or semi-automatic processes from equipment startup and program execution to the equipment issuing a completion signal; and the material unloading stage is defined to include all state transition operations from the processing completion state to the material being ready to enter the next flow stage. Ensuring that the order of the material loading stage, equipment operation stage, and material unloading stage cannot be reversed is achieved by setting state locks between stages during process modeling. That is, when the material loading stage is not marked as complete, the tasks in the equipment operation stage cannot be scheduled; when the equipment operation stage does not output a completion signal, the operation instructions for the material unloading stage will not be generated.

[0069] In one embodiment of the present invention, see [reference] Figure 2 The specific processing equipment unit upon which the target surface treatment process depends is identified and defined as a processing center. The processing center's model, rated processing capacity, standard heating and cooling rates, standard processing time, and equipment start-up preparation time are retrieved from the equipment management system and integrated into the processing center's inherent attribute data. The type and specifications of the fixtures used in the material loading stage, as well as the capacity specifications of the furnace or robotic arm corresponding to the equipment operation stage, are retrieved from the production resource database and used as production tool configuration data. Based on the fixture type and specifications in the production tool configuration data, the standard operating procedure or historical operation record for the corresponding type of fixture is queried to obtain the maximum number of materials that can be stably loaded in a single operation, and this value is determined as the number of materials loaded on a single fixture. Based on the furnace or robotic arm capacity specifications in the production tool configuration data, combined with the physical dimensions of the fixtures, the maximum number of fixtures of the currently specified type that can be simultaneously accommodated within a standard working unit of the processing center is calculated, and this value is determined as the number of fixtures accommodated per furnace or arm operation.

[0070] In practical implementation, the specific processing equipment unit on which the target surface treatment process depends is identified. For example, a surface treatment production line includes multiple equipment units such as pretreatment tanks, electroplating tanks, cleaning tanks, and drying ovens. According to the process route definition, the "high-temperature drying oven" unit that performs the core heat treatment or coating curing function is defined as the processing center. The model, rated processing capacity, standard heating and cooling rate, standard processing time, and equipment start-up preparation time of the "high-temperature drying oven" are read from the equipment management system. For example, the model is "HG-300", the rated processing capacity is "300 kg", the standard heating rate is "5℃ / min", the standard cooling rate is "3℃ / min", the standard processing time is "45 minutes", and the equipment start-up preparation time is "2 minutes". This information is integrated into the inherent attribute data of the processing center.

[0071] In some embodiments, the type and specifications of the fixtures used in the material hanging stage are retrieved from the production resource database. The production resource database stores entries for various types such as "frame fixtures", "arm fixtures", and "basket fixtures". By associating the code of the target surface treatment process, the specified fixture type is retrieved as "frame fixture". The specifications include "length 800 mm, width 600 mm, height 1200 mm" and "maximum conductive load 150 amperes". At the same time, the capacity specifications of the furnace body or robotic arm corresponding to the equipment operation stage are retrieved from the production resource database. For a "high temperature drying furnace", the effective capacity specifications inside the furnace body are "length 2000 mm, width 1800 mm, height 2200 mm". The fixture type, fixture specifications, and effective capacity specifications inside the furnace body of the "frame fixture" are used together as production tool configuration data.

[0072] Understandably, based on the type and specifications of the hangers in the production tool configuration data, the system queries the standard operating procedure or historical operation record for the corresponding type of hanger. The system calls the standard operating procedure for the hanger type "frame hanger". The procedure specifies that for parts of "workpiece model X", a maximum of 6 parts can be hung on a single layer, and a total of 4 layers can be set. Therefore, the maximum number of materials that can be stably loaded at one time is 24. This value of 24 is determined as the number of materials hung on a single hanger. Based on the capacity specifications of the furnace or robotic arm in the production tool configuration data, combined with the physical dimensions of the hanger, the system calculates the maximum number of currently specified hangers that can be simultaneously accommodated in a standard work unit of the machining center. The calculation process takes into account the placement method of the hangers and the necessary safety intervals.

[0073] Optionally, the fixture specifications obtained from the production resource database can be multi-dimensional data. For example, the fixture type is "rotary arm fixture", and the fixture specifications include "rotation radius 500 mm" and "arm length 1200 mm". The obtained equipment capacity specifications are "inner diameter of the annular plating tank 1500 mm". These data together constitute the production tool configuration data. The query of the number of materials hanging on a single fixture may be based on historical operation records. The system filters out all operation records of "rotary arm fixture" used for "galvanizing" process in the past year, extracts the mode value 8 of the "number of workpieces loaded on a single arm" field from these records, and determines this value 8 as the number of materials hanging on a single fixture. When calculating the number of fixtures accommodated per furnace or arm, the physical constraints of equipment operation need to be considered.

[0074] In some embodiments, the maximum number of currently specified type of fixtures that can be simultaneously accommodated within a standard work unit of the machining center is calculated based on the effective accommodating space specifications inside the furnace body, the physical dimensions of the fixtures, and operational safety requirements. One feasible calculation method is to use a floor function to determine the integer quantity, as shown in the following formula:

[0075]

[0076] in: This indicates the number of fixtures that can be accommodated per furnace cycle. , , These represent the length, width, and height of the effective internal space of the furnace body. , , These represent the length, width, and height of the hanging fixture, respectively. This indicates the minimum safe distance required between fixtures and between fixtures and the furnace wall, calculated accordingly. The value is defined as the number of fixtures accommodated per furnace or arm.

[0077] In one embodiment of the present invention, a standard processing time is extracted from the inherent attribute data of the machining center as the core processing time. Based on the standard heating / cooling rate and rated processing capacity in the machining center's inherent attribute data, the auxiliary time required for the equipment to move from a ready state to a stable processing state and from the processing state to an operable state is calculated. The core processing time is added to the auxiliary time to obtain the reference time required for the machining center to complete one full work cycle, and this reference time is set as the initial value of the production cycle. The standard heating / cooling rate and rated processing capacity are read from the machining center's inherent attribute data. Based on the maximum processing load corresponding to the rated processing capacity, the theoretical heating time required for the machining center to heat from room temperature to the target processing temperature required by the process is determined. Based on the standard heating / cooling rate and the temperature difference between the target processing temperature and the room temperature environment, the heating auxiliary time required to move from the ready state to the stable processing state is calculated. After completing the equipment operation phase, based on the standard heating / cooling rate and the temperature difference between the target processing temperature and the room temperature environment, the cooling auxiliary time required to recover from the processing state to the operable state is calculated. Adding the heating auxiliary time to the cooling auxiliary time gives the auxiliary time required for the equipment to go from the preparation state to the stable processing state and from the processing state back to the operable state.

[0078] In practical implementation, the standard processing time is extracted from the inherent attribute data of the machining center as the core processing time. For example, the inherent attribute data of the machining center "vacuum ion plating machine" includes "standard processing time: 180 minutes". The system directly extracts the value of 180 minutes as the core processing time. Based on the standard heating and cooling rate and rated processing capacity in the inherent attribute data of the machining center, the auxiliary time required for the equipment to go from the preparation state to the stable processing state and from the processing state to the operable state is calculated. The inherent attribute data of the machining center "vacuum ion plating machine" includes "standard heating rate: 10℃ / minute", "standard cooling rate: 5℃ / minute" and "rated processing capacity: maximum loading capacity 200 kg". The core processing time is added to the auxiliary time to obtain the reference time required for the machining center to complete one complete operation cycle. For example, the core processing time of 180 minutes and the auxiliary time of 60 minutes are added to get 240 minutes. This reference time of 240 minutes is set as the initial value of the production cycle.

[0079] In some embodiments, the standard heating and cooling rates and rated processing capacity are read from the inherent attribute data of the machining center. For example, "standard heating rate: 15°C / min", "standard cooling rate: 8°C / min" and "rated processing capacity: chamber volume 1 cubic meter" are read from the data entry of "heat treatment box furnace". The theoretical heating time required for the machining center to heat from the ambient temperature to the target processing temperature required by the process is determined according to the maximum processing load corresponding to the rated processing capacity. The rated processing capacity "chamber volume 1 cubic meter" means that the heat load in the furnace reaches its maximum value when fully loaded with standard workpieces. At this time, calculations need to be performed based on this load condition. The target processing temperature required by the process is 850°C, the ambient temperature is set to 25°C, and the temperature difference is 825°C.

[0080] Understandably, based on the standard heating rate and the temperature difference between the target processing temperature and the ambient temperature, the auxiliary heating time required to reach a stable processing state from the preparation state is calculated. The standard heating rate is 15℃ / minute, the temperature difference is 825℃, and the calculated theoretical heating time is 55 minutes. This time is the auxiliary heating time. After the equipment operation phase is completed, based on the standard cooling rate and the temperature difference between the target processing temperature and the ambient temperature, the auxiliary cooling time required to recover from the processing state to the operable state is calculated. The standard cooling rate is 8℃ / minute, the target processing temperature of 850℃ needs to be reduced to below the safe operating temperature of 80℃, the temperature difference is 770℃, and the calculated theoretical cooling time is 96.25 minutes. This time is the auxiliary cooling time.

[0081] Optionally, the auxiliary time for heating and cooling can be added together to obtain the auxiliary time required for the equipment to go from the preparation state to the stable processing state and from the processing state to the operable state. For example, the auxiliary time for heating is 55 minutes and the auxiliary time for cooling is 96.25 minutes, which gives 151.25 minutes. The inherent attribute data of the "heat treatment box furnace" of the machining center may include a comprehensive "equipment start-up preparation time", such as "equipment start-up preparation time: 10 minutes". This time covers the initial operations such as equipment self-inspection, vacuuming or atmosphere replacement. When calculating the total auxiliary time, this "equipment start-up preparation time" needs to be superimposed and integrated with the heating and cooling time. One integration method is to treat the start-up preparation time as an independent fixed value and add it to the calculation.

[0082] In some embodiments, the calculation of heating auxiliary time and cooling auxiliary time can employ a segmented calculation model, considering the differences in heating and cooling efficiency of the equipment in different temperature ranges. For example, different standard rate values ​​are used in the low-temperature and high-temperature ranges. The calculation is based on multi-segment rate parameters defined in the inherent attribute data. The inherent attribute data of the machining center's "aluminum alloy solution treatment furnace" defines "heating rate below 300°C: 20°C / minute" and "heating rate above 300°C: 8°C / minute," along with corresponding cooling rate parameters. This is based on the target processing temperature of 185°C and the ambient temperature of 25°C. With a temperature difference of 160℃, all within the range below 300℃, the corresponding heating auxiliary time is calculated to be 8 minutes. Based on the 135℃ temperature difference between the target processing temperature of 185℃ and the safe temperature of 50℃, also within the low-temperature cooling range, the corresponding cooling auxiliary time (calculated using a cooling rate of 12℃ / minute below 300℃) is 11.25 minutes. Adding the 8-minute heating auxiliary time, the 11.25-minute cooling auxiliary time, and the inherent 5-minute equipment startup preparation time, the total auxiliary time is 24.25 minutes. The calculation formula can be expressed as:

[0083]

[0084] in: Indicates the total auxiliary time. Indicates the equipment startup preparation time. and These represent the number of temperature intervals during the heating and cooling processes, respectively. and They represent the first The first temperature rise range and the first The temperature difference between the cooling zones. and These represent the standard heating rate and standard cooling rate for the corresponding temperature range, respectively.

[0085] See Figure 3This is a bar chart comparing the auxiliary times for heating and cooling in three types of processing centers. The target processing temperature and auxiliary time are positively correlated; the higher the processing temperature, the longer the heating and cooling time. Cooling auxiliary time is generally longer than heating auxiliary time, a common characteristic of most industrial heat treatment equipment, as the cooling process is limited by the equipment's heat dissipation efficiency and safe operating temperature requirements. This chart visually illustrates the time costs of different equipment in the preparation and finishing stages, serving as an important basis for calculating initial production cycle values ​​and formulating production plans. For example, the long auxiliary time of a heat treatment box furnace means a longer production cycle per batch, requiring more time to be allocated during scheduling. By comparing the differences in auxiliary times among different equipment—for example, the significantly longer auxiliary time of a heat treatment box furnace compared to other equipment—companies can prioritize small-batch, high-value orders during scheduling, or allocate more production intervals for equipment with long auxiliary times.

[0086] In one embodiment of the present invention, a mathematical model is constructed based on the initial value of the production cycle as the basic processing unit. The quantity of material hanging on a single fixture is introduced into the mathematical model as the minimum output factor within a single processing unit. Simultaneously, the number of fixtures accommodated per furnace or arm is introduced as the parallel processing amplification factor for a single processing cycle. The logic of the dynamic time calculation model is that the total standard working hours equal the number of processing batches multiplied by the initial value of the production cycle, where the number of processing batches is obtained by dividing the total quantity of materials to be processed by the product of the quantity of material hanging on a single fixture and the number of fixtures accommodated per furnace or arm, and rounding the result up. Order tasks are received from the production planning system or manually input. These order tasks contain the total amount of materials requiring processing through the target surface treatment process, i.e., the batch quantity of materials to be processed. The batch quantity of materials to be processed is imported as a key variable into the corresponding input interface of the established dynamic time calculation model. Based on its internally set logic, the dynamic time calculation model automatically calls the stored quantity of material hanging on a single fixture, the number of fixtures accommodated per furnace or arm, and the initial value of the production cycle to initiate the calculation process.

[0087] In practical implementation, a mathematical model is constructed based on the initial value of the production cycle as the basic processing unit. The initial value of the production cycle is a specific time value; for example, the initial value of the production cycle for a "vacuum quenching furnace" is determined to be 380 minutes. The mathematical model uses this 380 minutes as the basic time unit for each equipment operation phase. The mathematical model introduces the quantity of material hanging on a single fixture as the minimum output factor within a single processing unit. The quantity of material hanging on a single fixture is derived from the production tool configuration data. For example, the quantity of material hanging on a single fixture of the "tooth-shaped special fixture" used for suspending gears is... The number of items was determined to be 36. At the same time, the number of fixtures that can be accommodated per furnace or arm was introduced as a parallel processing amplification factor for a single processing cycle. The number of fixtures that can be accommodated per furnace also comes from the production tool configuration data. For example, the furnace chamber of a "vacuum quenching furnace" can accommodate 4 "tooth-shaped special fixtures" at a time. The logic of the dynamic working time calculation model is that the total standard working time is equal to the number of processing batches multiplied by the initial value of the production cycle. The number of processing batches is obtained by dividing the total number of materials to be processed by the product of the number of materials hanging on a single fixture and the number of fixtures that can be accommodated per furnace or arm, and then rounding the result up.

[0088] In some embodiments, an order task is received from a production planning system or manually entered. The production planning system transmits a production task package containing the process code "HT-001" and the required quantity: 500 pieces through an interface. The order task contains the total amount of material that needs to be processed by the target surface treatment process "HT-001" (carburizing and quenching), that is, the batch quantity of the material to be processed is 500 pieces. The batch quantity of the material to be processed, 500 pieces, is used as a key variable and imported into the corresponding input interface of the established dynamic time calculation model. The input interface can be a data entry form or an application programming interface function parameter. The dynamic time calculation model automatically calls the stored quantity of material hanging on a single rack (36 pieces), the number of racks that can be accommodated per furnace (4), and the initial value of the production cycle (380 minutes) according to the internally set logic, and starts the calculation process. The calculation process first processes the batch quantity and then calculates the total standard time.

[0089] It is understandable that the dynamic time calculation model performs division and rounding up when processing batch quantities. The product of 36 pieces of material hanging on a single rack and 4 racks that can be accommodated per furnace is 144 pieces. This means that a complete processing furnace can process a maximum of 144 pieces of material. The batch quantity of material to be processed, 500 pieces, divided by 144 pieces, yields approximately 3.47 theoretical furnaces. After rounding up, the minimum actual batch quantity required is 4 furnaces. Multiplying the batch quantity of 4 furnaces by the initial production cycle value of 380 minutes, we get the total theoretical processing time of 1520 minutes. The dynamic time calculation model outputs 1520 minutes as the calculation result. The internal calculation logic of the dynamic time calculation model can be expressed by a core formula:

[0090]

[0091] in: This represents the calculated total standard working hours. Indicates the batch quantity of materials to be processed. This indicates the quantity of materials hanging on a single hanger. This indicates the number of fixtures that can be accommodated per furnace cycle. Indicates the initial value of the production cycle, symbol This indicates the rounding up operation.

[0092] Optionally, the dynamic time calculation model may call multiple versions of parameters after receiving input. For example, for the same "multi-functional coating line", when processing "workpiece A", the system calls the number of materials hanging on a single hanger corresponding to "hanger type A" (20 pieces) and the number of hangers accommodated per unit arm (6). When processing "workpiece B", the system calls the number of materials hanging on a single hanger corresponding to "hanger type B" (15 pieces) and the number of hangers accommodated per unit arm (8). The initial value of the production cycle is also set to 250 minutes and 210 minutes respectively due to different process programs. The system automatically matches and calls the correct parameter group according to the "workpiece code" and "process code" carried in the input order task. The dynamic time calculation model performs matching search and parameter loading according to the internally set logic, and then starts the calculation process for the set of parameters.

[0093] In some embodiments, manually entering order tasks may be done through a graphical user interface. The operator enters "Gear-2035" in the "Product Number" field, "1200" in the "Batch" field, selects "Phosphating" in the "Process Selection" drop-down menu, and clicks the "Calculate" button. The interface then submits "1200" as the batch quantity of the materials to be processed to the background dynamic time calculation model. Based on its internal logic and the combination of "Gear-2035" and "Phosphating," the dynamic time calculation model retrieves the corresponding quantity of materials hanging on a single hanger (30 pieces), the number of hangers accommodated per unit arm (5), and the initial production cycle value of 95 minutes from the parameter database. It then automatically calls these parameters and starts the calculation process. The calculation process processes a batch of... Each batch, with a total standard working hours of [number] times. Minutes can vary depending on the initial input, leading to different calculation paths and output results. See Table 1 for a set of calculation examples based on different batch sizes of materials to be processed.

[0094] Table 1: Example Output of Dynamic Working Time Calculation Model for Different Batch Quantities of Materials to be Processed

[0095]

[0096] See Figure 4 This is a pie chart showing the breakdown of time spent in the entire surface treatment process. The chart clearly illustrates the time structure of surface treatment, which is "equipment-driven with material loading as an auxiliary process," consistent with the typical industrial production pattern of "equipment-led, manual assistance." The equipment operation stage accounts for the largest share and is the core breakthrough point for optimizing production efficiency. Core processing time can be reduced by improving equipment stability and optimizing process parameters. The material loading stage accounts for the second largest share, and manual operation time can be reduced by optimizing fixture design and introducing automated loading equipment. This provides an intuitive structural basis for setting standard working hours, ensuring that time calculations accurately reflect the actual time consumed in each stage. It helps production managers identify bottlenecks and rationally allocate human and equipment resources, such as allocating more maintenance and support resources for the equipment operation stage and optimizing personnel scheduling for the material loading and unloading stages. The time share of each stage can be directly linked to the allocation of costs such as energy and labor, providing data support for accurate calculation of single-batch production costs.

[0097] In one embodiment of the present invention, a dynamic time calculation model calculates the theoretical number of processing runs. The theoretical number of processing runs is equal to the batch quantity of the material to be processed divided by the product of the quantity of material hanging on a single rack and the number of racks accommodated per furnace or arm. The theoretical number of processing runs is rounded up to obtain the minimum batch quantity actually required. The minimum batch quantity actually required is multiplied by the initial value of the production cycle to obtain the total theoretical processing time required to complete the batch quantity of the material to be processed. This total theoretical processing time is output as the total standard time. A standard time record is generated by associating the target surface treatment process identifier, key parameters of the inherent attribute data of the processing center, details of the configuration data of the production tools used, the batch quantity of the input material to be processed, and the calculated total standard time. The standard time record is stored in the standard time history database to form historical knowledge accumulation.

[0098] In practical implementation, the dynamic time calculation model calculates the theoretical processing times. The theoretical processing times are equal to the batch quantity of the materials to be processed divided by the product of the quantity of materials hanging on a single rack and the number of racks accommodated per furnace or arm. For example, for a batch of screws to be "electroplated for nickel", the batch quantity of the materials to be processed is 10,000 pieces, the quantity of materials hanging on a single rack is 70 pieces, and the number of racks accommodated per arm is 4. Then the theoretical processing times are 10,000 / (70×4)=35.714. Rounding the theoretical processing times of 35.714 up, we get the minimum batch quantity actually required to be processed, which is 36 arm times. Multiplying the minimum batch quantity actually required to be processed, which is 36 arm times, by the initial value of the production cycle, for example, 50 minutes, we get the total theoretical processing time required to complete the batch quantity of 10,000 pieces of materials to be processed, which is 1800 minutes. The dynamic time calculation model outputs this total theoretical processing time of 1800 minutes as the total standard time. The output format can be the result displayed on the user interface or the data returned through the interface.

[0099] In some embodiments, the rounding up operation of the theoretical processing times is performed using a rounding up function in mathematics. For example, if the theoretical processing times are calculated to be 8.2 times, rounding up results in 9 times, which is taken as the minimum number of batches required for actual processing. The calculation of the total theoretical processing time follows the multiplication relationship that the total theoretical processing time equals the minimum number of batches required for actual processing multiplied by the initial value of the production cycle. After outputting the total standard working hours, the target surface treatment process identifier involved in this calculation, the key parameters of the inherent attribute data of the processing center, the details of the configuration data of the production tools used, the batch quantity of the input materials to be processed, and the calculated total standard working hours are associated to generate a standard working hour record.

[0100] Optionally, the calculation and output process of the dynamic working time calculation model can be expressed as the following formula:

[0101]

[0102] in: This represents the total standard working hours output by the dynamic working hours calculation model. This indicates the batch quantity of the materials to be processed. This indicates the quantity of materials hanging on a single hanger. This indicates the number of fixtures accommodated per furnace or arm. Indicates the initial value of the production cycle, symbol This represents the floor function. The generated standard time record includes the specific values ​​of all variables in the formula and the calculation results. .

[0103] In some embodiments, the operation of storing standard working hours records to the standard working hours history database is automatically triggered after each successful output of total standard working hours by the dynamic working hours calculation model. The system encapsulates the key inputs, outputs and parameters of this calculation process into a data object and writes it to a designated table in the standard working hours history database through the database access interface. The written data entries include meta-information such as timestamps, calculation task numbers, and operator identifiers, which together with the core calculation data constitute a complete record. The records in the standard working hours history database are indexed by time or process type to form a searchable and analyzable historical knowledge accumulation.

[0104] See Figure 5 This is a bar chart comparing the number of materials that can be loaded per rack for different hangers, which has clear practical value in the production efficiency and cost control of surface treatment processes. The loading capacity of different hangers varies significantly, with a maximum difference of up to 30 pieces. This directly affects the material handling volume of a single batch of production, and thus relates to production cycle and cost. Prioritizing the use of type D and type B hangers allows for the handling of more materials within the same production cycle, effectively reducing production batches and equipment start-ups and shutdowns, and increasing overall capacity. For small-batch orders or special materials, using type C hangers can avoid resource waste and balance loading rate and production flexibility. The hanging capacity of a hanger is directly related to the labor and equipment costs per unit of material. Hangers with high loading capacity can significantly reduce the labor time allocation per unit of material, thereby compressing production costs. This provides data for hanger selection and procurement; under the premise of meeting process requirements, priority should be given to hangers with stronger loading capacity to improve return on investment.

[0105] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention in any other way. Any person skilled in the art may make changes or modifications to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments that can be applied to other fields. However, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for automatically calculating standard working hours of surface treatment processes under structured processes, characterized in that, The method includes: The target surface treatment process to be calculated is determined, and the processing flow structure of the target surface treatment process is extracted. The processing flow structure includes the material hanging stage, the equipment operation stage, and the material unhanging stage. Collect the inherent attribute data of the machining center used in the target surface treatment process, and collect the configuration data of the production tools used in each stage of the processing flow structure, specifically including: Identify the specific processing equipment unit on which the target surface treatment process depends, and define the processing equipment unit as the processing center; The model, rated processing capacity, standard heating and cooling rate, standard processing time, and equipment start-up preparation time of the processing center are read from the equipment management system and integrated into the inherent attribute data of the processing center. At the same time, the type and specifications of the hangers used in the material hanging stage are retrieved from the production resource database, as well as the capacity of the furnace body or robotic arm corresponding to the equipment operation stage. The hanger type, specifications and capacity are used together as the production tool configuration data. Based on the production tool configuration data, determine the amount of material hanging on a single hanger and the number of hangers that can be accommodated per furnace or arm. Based on the inherent attribute data of the machining center, an initial value for the production cycle is set using the machining center as a reference, specifically including: The standard processing time is extracted from the inherent attribute data of the processing center and used as the core processing time. Based on the standard heating and cooling rates and rated processing capacity in the inherent attribute data of the processing center, the auxiliary time required for the equipment to go from the preparation state to the stable processing state and from the processing state to the operable state is calculated. The core processing time is added to the auxiliary time to obtain the reference time required for the machining center to complete one complete work cycle, and this reference time is set as the initial value of the production cycle. Based on the quantity of material hanging on a single hanger, the number of hangers accommodated per furnace cycle or arm cycle, and the initial value of the production cycle, a dynamic time calculation model for the target surface treatment process is established, specifically including: Construct a mathematical model for the processing unit based on the initial value of the production cycle; In the mathematical model, the quantity of material hanging on the single hanger is introduced as the minimum output factor within a single processing unit; Meanwhile, the number of fixtures accommodated per unit furnace or arm is introduced as a parallel processing amplification factor for a single processing cycle. The logic of the dynamic working time calculation model is as follows: the total standard working time is equal to the number of processing batches multiplied by the initial value of the production cycle, wherein the number of processing batches is obtained by dividing the total number of materials to be processed by the product of the number of materials hanging on the single hanger and the number of hangers accommodated in the unit furnace or arm, and rounding the result up. Input the batch quantity of the materials to be processed into the dynamic working time calculation model to trigger the calculation; The dynamic time calculation model outputs the total standard working hours required for the batch quantity of materials to be processed.

2. The method for automatically calculating the standard working time of surface treatment process under a structured process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The target surface treatment process for which the working hours are to be calculated is determined, and the processing flow structure of the target surface treatment process is extracted. The processing flow structure includes a material loading stage, an equipment operation stage, and a material unloading stage, specifically including: Based on production instructions or process documents, identify the specific surface treatment process types that require standard man-hour calculations and use them as the target surface treatment process. The standardized operating instructions for the target surface treatment process are analyzed, and the complete process is broken down into three sequentially executed logical stages: The operation of loading materials onto a special hanger is defined as the material hanging stage; The process of sending the loaded hanger into the processing equipment and running it according to a predetermined procedure is defined as the equipment operation stage; The operation of unloading and storing the processed materials from the hanger is defined as the material unloading stage; it is confirmed that the order of the three sequentially executed logical stages cannot be reversed and together constitutes the processing flow structure.

3. The method for automatically calculating the standard working time of surface treatment process under a structured process according to claim 2, characterized in that, Based on the production tool configuration data, the quantity of material hanging on a single hanger and the number of hangers accommodated per furnace cycle or arm cycle are determined, specifically including: Based on the type and specifications of the hangers in the production tool configuration data, query the standard operating instructions or historical operation records of the corresponding type of hanger to obtain the maximum number of materials that can be stably loaded in a single operation, and determine this value as the number of materials hung on the single hanger. Based on the furnace body or robotic arm's capacity specifications in the production tool configuration data, and combined with the physical dimensions of the fixture, calculate the maximum number of fixtures of the specified type that can be simultaneously accommodated in a standard work unit of the machining center, i.e., in a single processing cycle. Determine this value as the number of fixtures accommodated per furnace cycle or arm cycle.

4. The method for automatically calculating the standard working time of surface treatment process under a structured process according to claim 3, characterized in that, Input the batch quantity of the materials to be processed into the dynamic time calculation model to trigger the calculation, specifically including: Receive order tasks from the production planning system or manually input. The order tasks contain the total amount of materials that need to be processed by the target surface treatment process, i.e. the batch quantity of the materials to be processed. Use the batch quantity of the materials to be processed as a key variable and import it into the corresponding input interface of the established dynamic time calculation model. The dynamic working time calculation model automatically calls up the stored quantity of materials hanging on a single hanger, the quantity of hangers accommodated per unit furnace or arm, and the initial value of the production cycle based on the internally set logic, and starts the calculation process.

5. The method for automatically calculating the standard working time of surface treatment process under a structured process according to claim 4, characterized in that, The dynamic time calculation model outputs the total standard working hours required for the batch quantity of materials to be processed, specifically including: The dynamic working time calculation model calculates the theoretical number of processing times, which is equal to the batch quantity of the material to be processed divided by the quantity of material hanging on a single hanger and the number of hangers accommodated per unit furnace or arm. Round up the theoretical number of processing cycles to obtain the minimum number of processing batches actually required. Multiply the actual minimum batch size required by the initial production cycle value to obtain the total theoretical processing time required to complete the batch size of the materials to be processed, and output this total theoretical processing time as the total standard working hours.

6. The method for automatically calculating the standard working time of surface treatment process under a structured process according to claim 5, characterized in that, After outputting the total standard working hours, the method further includes: The target surface treatment process involved in this calculation, the key parameters of the inherent attribute data of the processing center, the details of the configuration data of the production tools used, the batch quantity of the input materials to be processed, and the calculated total standard working hours are associated to generate a standard working hour record; The standard working hours records are stored in the standard working hours history database to form a historical knowledge accumulation.

7. The method for automatically calculating the standard working time of surface treatment process under a structured process according to claim 6, characterized in that, The auxiliary time required for the equipment to reach a stable processing state and recover from the processing state to an operable state, calculated based on the standard heating and cooling rates and rated processing capacity in the inherent attribute data of the processing center, specifically includes: The standard heating and cooling rates and the rated processing capacity are read from the inherent attribute data of the processing center; Based on the maximum processing load corresponding to the rated processing capacity, determine the theoretical heating time required for the machining center to heat from ambient temperature to the target processing temperature required by the process. Based on the standard heating and cooling rates and the temperature difference between the target processing temperature and the ambient temperature, the heating assistance time required to reach the stable processing state from the preparation state is calculated. After the equipment operation phase is completed, the cooling assistance time required to recover from the processing state to the operable state is calculated based on the standard heating and cooling rate and the temperature difference between the target processing temperature and the ambient temperature. Adding the heating auxiliary time to the cooling auxiliary time yields the auxiliary time required for the equipment to move from the preparation state to the stable processing state and from the processing state back to the operable state.

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