A dispatching management information system suitable for large steel beam flexible welding production line

Abstract

This invention discloses a scheduling and management information system suitable for flexible welding production lines of large steel beams, comprising: an order management subsystem for receiving and managing welding order information for large steel beams, and classifying and tracking the demand for different steel beam products; a process configuration subsystem, connected to the order management subsystem, for generating welding process paths based on order product requirements; a scheduling execution subsystem, connected to the order management subsystem and the process configuration subsystem, for configuring production resources using a scheduling algorithm based on order product requirements, process configuration, and production resource constraints, generating a production schedule, and allocating welding tasks to the welding production line; and a monitoring and feedback subsystem, connected to the scheduling execution subsystem, for collecting welding production line data in real time and feeding it back to the scheduling execution subsystem to support dynamic adjustments to the production schedule. This invention enables dynamic optimization of production resource allocation, improving the flexibility and efficiency of the welding production line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent manufacturing and production scheduling, specifically to a scheduling management information system applicable to a flexible welding production line for large steel beams. Background Technology

[0002] In manufacturing, flexible production lines have a long history, significantly improving enterprise capacity and product quality, and promoting production modernization. Compared to traditional rigid automated production lines, flexible production lines can adapt to the requirements of different products and processes in a shorter time. For example, in the manufacturing of large steel beams (such as bridge steel box girders), due to significant differences in plate thickness, welding methods, welding requirements, and weld orientation between different projects, the requirements for production line flexibility are extremely high. Building flexible welding production lines has become an important measure for modernization and upgrading.

[0003] However, existing welding production line scheduling often relies on fixed processes or manual experience, making it difficult to simultaneously meet the flexible demands of multi-variety, high-volume production. Existing systems are mostly designed for single products or single welding methods, lacking real-time responsiveness to order changes and production schedules. In terms of enterprise management, ERP, MES, and other systems are often independent, failing to achieve dynamic integration of production data, resulting in lagging and inefficient production resource allocation and scheduling adjustments. Furthermore, there is currently a lack of comprehensive scheduling and management solutions tailored to the characteristics of large steel beam welding production lines. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an intelligent scheduling design method based on information systems to achieve dynamic optimization of production resource allocation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main objective of this invention is to provide a scheduling and management information system suitable for flexible welding production lines of large steel beams. By conducting in-depth analysis of the process and order requirements of the welding production line, it enables intelligent scheduling of welding operations and dynamic allocation of resources.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a scheduling and management information system suitable for a large-scale flexible steel beam welding production line, comprising: The order management subsystem is used to receive and manage large steel beam welding order information, and to classify and track the demand for different steel beam products; The process configuration subsystem, connected to the order management subsystem, is used to extract the location, length and joint type of welds by parsing the 3D design model of the steel beam product according to the product requirements of the order, using feature recognition technology, matching the best welding parameters with the built-in welding process library, and generating the welding process path. The scheduling and execution subsystem, connected to the order management subsystem and the process configuration subsystem, is used to configure production resources based on order product requirements, process configuration, and production resource constraints, generate production plans, and allocate welding tasks to the welding production line using scheduling algorithms. The monitoring and feedback subsystem, connected to the scheduling and execution subsystem, is used to collect welding production line data in real time and feed it back to the scheduling and execution subsystem to support dynamic adjustment of the production schedule.

[0006] Following the above technical solution, the order management subsystem interfaces with the enterprise's PLM / ERP / MES system to synchronize large steel beam welding order information, so as to classify and track the specifications, quantities and delivery dates of different steel beam products.

[0007] Following the above technical solution, the three-dimensional design model of the steel beam product includes TEKLA or CAD data.

[0008] Following the above technical solution, the process configuration subsystem supports configuring multiple welding process paths for different steel beam products, including matching technologies for welding torch oscillation, flipping, and fixed process tooling.

[0009] Following the above technical solution, the scheduling algorithm adopts a priority-based dynamic programming strategy or heuristic rules, with order delivery time as a hard constraint and maximizing equipment utilization and minimizing process changeover costs as the objective functions.

[0010] Based on the above technical solution, the scheduling algorithm comprehensively considers the production capacity of each production line, the number of equipment, the number of personnel, and process constraints to generate daily or shift-level production plans.

[0011] Following the above technical solution, the monitoring and feedback subsystem collects the production progress, welding quality, equipment status and operating efficiency of the welding production line in real time, calculates key performance indicators and feeds them back to the scheduling and execution subsystem, and visualizes the dynamic monitoring of production resources and project progress information.

[0012] Based on the above technical solution, the key performance indicators include overall equipment efficiency (OEE), single-station operation completion rate, first-pass yield rate of welds, and deviation between actual and planned process time.

[0013] Following the above technical solution, the monitoring and feedback subsystem inputs the actual operating efficiency data of each welding station daily, and the system dynamically adjusts the production schedule based on the feedback.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a large steel beam flexible welding production line, including the scheduling and management information system applicable to the large steel beam flexible welding production line as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are: (1) High flexibility: The system can automatically adapt to changes in different specifications and diverse welding requirements, support multiple welding forms, and improve the product flexibility and output flexibility of the production line.

[0016] (2) Improve efficiency: By tracking order and working time efficiency in real time and automatically adjusting resource allocation, equipment utilization can be effectively improved, idle and waiting time can be reduced, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0017] (3) Ensure continuity: By allocating welding production line call plans, ensure smooth connection between each welding station and reduce downtime or bottlenecks caused by scheduling errors; the dynamic scheduling function enables the production line to respond quickly to order changes and maintain a stable production rhythm.

[0018] (4) Visualized management: The digital monitoring interface enables dynamic monitoring of production resources and visualization of project progress, which helps managers to grasp the production status in real time and make decisions.

[0019] (5) Easy to integrate: The system is based on a standardized data exchange interface and can be integrated with existing PLM / ERP / MES systems to achieve information sharing and promote the organic integration of production and management. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is an overall architecture diagram of a scheduling and management information system for a large steel beam flexible welding production line according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a block diagram of a scheduling algorithm according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0021] 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. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments provided by this invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0022] Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are merely some examples or embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can apply the present invention to other similar scenarios based on these drawings without any inventive effort. Furthermore, it is understood that although the efforts made in this development process may be complex and lengthy, for those skilled in the art related to the content disclosed in this invention, modifications to design, manufacturing, or production based on the technical content disclosed in this invention are merely conventional technical means and should not be construed as insufficient disclosure of the present invention.

[0023] In this invention, the reference to "embodiment" means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a mutually exclusive, independent, or alternative embodiment. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described in this invention may be combined with other embodiments without conflict.

[0024] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this invention shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms "a," "an," "an," "the," and similar words used in this invention do not indicate quantity limitation and may indicate singular or plural. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and any variations thereof used in this invention are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or modules (units) is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may also include steps or units not listed, or may include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices. The terms "connected," "linked," "coupled," and similar words used in this invention are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "A plurality" used in this invention refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships may exist; for example, "A and / or B" can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects have an "or" relationship. The terms "first," "second," and "third" used in this invention are merely to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific ordering of the objects.

[0025] This invention provides a scheduling and management information system suitable for flexible welding production lines of large steel beams. It aims to improve the flexibility and efficiency of welding production lines by using information technology to achieve intelligent scheduling and management of production order tracking, capacity planning allocation, and resource allocation.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, the scheduling and management information system for large steel beam flexible welding production lines provided by this invention achieves intelligent scheduling and dynamic resource allocation for welding operations through in-depth analysis of the welding production line's process and order requirements. It mainly includes the following: (1) Product process configuration: For steel beam products with different specifications and welding requirements, design corresponding welding process flows and load them into the system. For example, determine the process route and operation sequence of each welding unit according to product drawings and quality specifications.

[0027] (2) Order and progress tracking: The system establishes a real-time order management subsystem, which incorporates customer orders and production progress into information management, and obtains data such as order quantity, delivery date and current process progress in real time.

[0028] (3) Production scheduling decision: Based on the above process configuration and order information, the scheduling execution subsystem generates a flexible production scheduling plan, which reasonably allocates each welding task to different welding production lines or robot units. The scheduling process comprehensively considers resource constraints such as production line capacity, number of equipment, and personnel capabilities, as well as process sequence and material supply, to ensure smooth connection between each workstation.

[0029] (4) Dynamic resource optimization: A feedback mechanism is established, and the actual operating efficiency data of each welding station is entered daily. The system dynamically adjusts the production schedule based on the feedback. For example, when the efficiency of a production line decreases, the system can automatically allocate more equipment or personnel to that production line, or transfer some tasks to other idle production lines.

[0030] (5) System Integration and Module Division: A multi-layered system structure is designed, mainly including an order management subsystem, a process configuration subsystem, a scheduling execution subsystem, and a monitoring and feedback subsystem. The order management subsystem is responsible for maintaining order information and production notifications; the process configuration subsystem is responsible for generating and managing welding process routes; the scheduling execution subsystem implements scheduling algorithms and plan allocation; and the monitoring and feedback subsystem collects data such as equipment status and personnel attendance to provide data support for scheduling decisions. Each subsystem interfaces with enterprise PLM / ERP / MES systems through standard interfaces to achieve information sharing and data synchronization.

[0031] The scheduling and management information system of the present invention, applicable to flexible welding production lines for large steel beams, has the following features: (1) High flexibility: The system can automatically adapt to changes in different specifications and diverse welding requirements, support multiple welding forms, and improve the product flexibility and output flexibility of the production line.

[0032] (2) Improve efficiency: By tracking order and working time efficiency in real time and automatically adjusting resource allocation, equipment utilization can be effectively improved, idle and waiting time can be reduced, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0033] (3) Ensure continuity: By allocating welding production line call plans, ensure smooth connection between each welding station and reduce downtime or bottlenecks caused by scheduling errors; the dynamic scheduling function enables the production line to respond quickly to order changes and maintain a stable production rhythm.

[0034] (4) Visualized management: The digital monitoring interface enables dynamic monitoring of production resources and visualization of project progress, which helps managers to grasp the production status in real time and make decisions.

[0035] (5) Easy to integrate: The system is based on a standardized data exchange interface and can be integrated with existing PLM / ERP / MES systems to achieve information sharing and promote the organic integration of production and management.

[0036] Figure 1 The design scheme of the scheduling management information system is shown. The system mainly includes: an order management subsystem, a process configuration subsystem, a scheduling execution subsystem, and a monitoring and feedback subsystem.

[0037] The order management subsystem is used to input and manage large steel beam welding orders, classifying and tracking requirements such as specifications, quantities, and delivery dates for different products. This module integrates with the ERP system to synchronize order information to the system in a timely manner.

[0038] The process configuration subsystem, based on order process requirements, analyzes the 3D design model of the steel beam product (such as TEKLA or CAD data). Using feature recognition technology, the system automatically extracts the weld location, length, and joint type. Subsequently, based on its built-in welding process library, the system matches the optimal welding parameters (current, voltage, speed) and generates a welding path diagram and process sequence. The system's built-in welding process library allows for configuration of weld type, joint type, positioning method, and welding parameters.

[0039] The scheduling and execution subsystem is the core module, used to receive information from the order management subsystem and the process configuration subsystem, and to configure production resources using scheduling algorithms. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the scheduling algorithm specifically employs a priority-based dynamic programming strategy (or heuristic rules), with order delivery time as a hard constraint and maximizing equipment utilization and minimizing process changeover costs as objective functions. The algorithm comprehensively considers the capacity of each production line, the number of machines, the number of personnel, and process constraints to generate daily or shift-level production plans. This subsystem allocates welding production line scheduling plans by calling the management module, ensuring smooth coordination between welding workstations.

[0040] The monitoring and feedback subsystem collects real-time data on production progress, welding quality, equipment status, and operational efficiency from the production line, and feeds back key performance indicators (specifically including: Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), single-station work completion rate, first-pass yield rate of welds, and deviation between actual and planned process time) to the scheduling subsystem. The system features digital dashboards or visual interfaces to dynamically monitor production resources and project progress information for management and scheduling system reference.

[0041] Through the above technical solution, this invention achieves intelligent scheduling and management of a large-scale flexible steel beam welding production line. On the one hand, the system can automatically adjust the welding process according to different products; on the other hand, it can track orders and production status in real time, dynamically adjust resource allocation, and ensure the continuity and efficiency of the welding process, specifically including: (1) Dynamic scheduling algorithm: A method for automatically allocating tasks across multiple welding production lines by combining order requirements, process routes and real-time production data. This algorithm comprehensively considers production line capacity, number of equipment, personnel capabilities and constraints of each process, and supports real-time adjustment of the production scheduling plan during the production process.

[0042] (2) Flexible process configuration: It supports multiple welding process paths for different steel beam products, including matching technologies for welding torch oscillation, flipping, and fixing. By flexibly configuring the welding platform and fixtures, it can meet the needs of various welding forms.

[0043] (3) Multi-module integrated architecture: The system architecture adopts a modular design, and the various functional modules (order management, process configuration, scheduling execution, production monitoring) communicate with each other through standard interfaces. The system is highly integrated with enterprise PLM / ERP / MES platforms to achieve seamless transmission of production data at all levels.

[0044] (4) Efficiency feedback mechanism: A closed-loop mechanism using daily work efficiency data as scheduling input is used to achieve iterative optimization of production plans. By regularly collecting and inputting the work efficiency of each workstation, the equipment and personnel configuration scheme can be dynamically adjusted.

[0045] In addition, other methods can be used to achieve similar functionality. For example, traditional static scheduling can be used, which involves determining fixed production line task allocations in advance during the planning phase; alternatively, offline scheduling methods based on simulation and optimization can be employed, comparing different scheduling schemes and selecting the optimal one. However, these alternatives generally lack real-time data feedback and dynamic adjustment capabilities, making it difficult to quickly respond to changes in the production site and fully leverage the flexibility of the production line. In contrast, the dynamic scheduling method proposed in this invention combines flexibility and real-time performance, making it more suitable for the management needs of large-scale flexible steel beam welding production lines.

[0046] Finally, the present invention also provides a large steel beam flexible welding production line, including the above-mentioned scheduling and management information system applicable to large steel beam flexible welding production lines, so as to realize intelligent scheduling and management of production order tracking, capacity planning allocation and resource allocation, thereby improving the flexibility and efficiency of the welding production line.

[0047] It should be noted that, depending on the implementation needs, the various steps / components described in this invention can be broken down into more steps / components, or two or more steps / components or parts of the operation of steps / components can be combined into new steps / components to achieve the purpose of this invention.

[0048] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A scheduling and management information system suitable for a large steel beam flexible welding production line, characterized in that, include: The order management subsystem is used to receive and manage large steel beam welding order information, and to classify and track the demand for different steel beam products; The process configuration subsystem, connected to the order management subsystem, is used to extract the location, length and joint type of welds by parsing the 3D design model of the steel beam product according to the product requirements of the order, using feature recognition technology, matching the best welding parameters with the built-in welding process library, and generating the welding process path. The scheduling and execution subsystem, connected to the order management subsystem and the process configuration subsystem, is used to configure production resources based on order product requirements, process configuration, and production resource constraints, generate production plans, and allocate welding tasks to the welding production line using scheduling algorithms. The monitoring and feedback subsystem, connected to the scheduling and execution subsystem, is used to collect welding production line data in real time and feed it back to the scheduling and execution subsystem to support dynamic adjustment of the production schedule.

2. The scheduling and management information system for a large steel beam flexible welding production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The order management subsystem interfaces with the enterprise's PLM / ERP / MES system to synchronize large steel beam welding order information, so as to classify and track the specifications, quantities and delivery dates of different steel beam products.

3. The scheduling and management information system for a large steel beam flexible welding production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The three-dimensional design model of the steel beam product includes TEKLA or CAD data.

4. The scheduling and management information system for a large steel beam flexible welding production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process configuration subsystem supports configuring multiple welding process paths for different steel beam products, including matching technologies for welding torch oscillation, flipping, and fixed process tooling.

5. The scheduling and management information system for a large steel beam flexible welding production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The scheduling algorithm adopts a priority-based dynamic programming strategy or heuristic rules, with order delivery time as a hard constraint and maximizing equipment utilization and minimizing process changeover costs as the objective functions.

6. The scheduling and management information system for a large steel beam flexible welding production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The scheduling algorithm takes into account the capacity of each production line, the number of equipment, the number of personnel, and process constraints to generate daily or shift-level production plans.

7. The scheduling and management information system for a large steel beam flexible welding production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The monitoring and feedback subsystem collects real-time data on the production progress, welding quality, equipment status, and operational efficiency of the welding production line, calculates key performance indicators, feeds them back to the scheduling and execution subsystem, and visualizes the dynamic monitoring of production resources and project progress information.

8. The scheduling and management information system for a large steel beam flexible welding production line according to claim 7, characterized in that, Key performance indicators include overall equipment efficiency (OEE), single-station work completion rate, first-pass yield rate of welds, and deviation between actual and planned process time.

9. The scheduling and management information system for a large steel beam flexible welding production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The monitoring and feedback subsystem inputs the actual operating efficiency data of each welding station daily, and the system dynamically adjusts the production schedule based on the feedback.

10. A large-scale flexible steel beam welding production line, characterized in that, The system includes the scheduling and management information system applicable to a flexible welding production line for large steel beams, as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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