Real-time evaluation and material shortage early warning system for ship welding production line

Abstract

The application discloses a ship welding production line incoming material complete set real-time evaluation and material shortage early warning system, which comprises a data integration unit, an incoming material information acquisition unit, a complete set evaluation unit, an early warning triggering unit, a decision support unit, an information pushing unit and a data storage and tracing unit, can realize the integrated association of production plans and distribution information, the real-time acquisition and uploading of incoming material information, the dynamic evaluation of material complete set state, the hierarchical early warning triggering, the automatic generation of material shortage list and adjustment suggestions and multi-channel information pushing, and supports the whole-process data storage and tracing; the application solves the problems of traditional ship welding production line material management, such as information asynchronization, low acquisition efficiency, untimely early warning and lack of data support for decision-making, ensures the matching degree of material complete set and production plan, reduces the production interruption risk, and improves the production line operation efficiency and lean management level.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of intelligent manufacturing material management technology for ships, and in particular relates to a real-time assessment system for incoming material completeness and material shortage early warning system for ship welding production lines. Background Technology

[0002] Shipbuilding assembly welding production is characterized by a wide variety of materials, diverse specifications, and strong batch requirements. Each batch of production requires a specific quantity and specification of materials such as base plates and stiffening plates, and the availability of these materials directly determines whether the production plan can proceed smoothly. Traditional shipbuilding welding production lines rely heavily on manual statistics and verification for material management, which has many drawbacks.

[0003] Firstly, the material demand and actual material arrival information are not synchronized. After the production plan is issued, it is impossible to keep track of the material arrival status in real time, which can easily lead to problems such as "planned but no material" or material specifications not matching, resulting in production interruption.

[0004] Secondly, the collection of incoming material information is lagging behind, relying on manual data entry, which is inefficient and prone to statistical errors, affecting the accuracy of kitting assessment.

[0005] Third, material shortage warnings are not timely. Material shortages are often only discovered before production starts. There is a lack of early warning mechanisms, making it difficult for production management departments to allocate sufficient time for material allocation or replenishment.

[0006] Fourth, it lacks intelligent analysis capabilities and cannot automatically generate a list of material shortages and material adjustment suggestions, requiring manual compilation and analysis, which further delays the processing time.

[0007] Existing material kitting management systems are mostly applicable to general manufacturing industries and have not been adapted to the special characteristics of materials in ship welding production lines (such as the strong correlation between materials and sub-assembly welding tasks and the diversity of specifications) and production rhythm requirements, making it difficult to meet the actual production requirements of real-time assessment, accurate early warning and rapid response.

[0008] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a real-time assessment system for incoming material availability and a material shortage early warning system specifically designed for ship welding production lines to address the aforementioned technical challenges. Summary of the Invention

[0009] This invention aims to provide a real-time assessment and material shortage early warning system for incoming materials in a ship welding production line. It enables accurate calculation of incoming material requirements, real-time collection of incoming material information, dynamic assessment of material availability, and timely early warning of material shortages. This provides data support and decision-making suggestions for production management departments, ensures continuous execution of production plans, and improves production line operating efficiency.

[0010] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a real-time assessment system for incoming material completeness and a material shortage early warning system for ship welding production lines, including:

[0011] Data integration unit: used to integrate production plan data and tray allocation information data, and establish data association mapping; the production plan data includes batch number, small group assembly welding task list, production start time, and material requirement delivery node; the tray allocation information data includes the bill of materials (BOM) corresponding to each batch of small group assembly welding task, the bill of materials includes material type (such as base plate, stiffening plate), specification parameters (material, size, thickness), required quantity, and associated welding process.

[0012] Incoming Material Information Collection Unit: Includes a handheld PDA terminal and a data transmission module deployed in the incoming material pallet area. The handheld PDA terminal is used to collect actual information about the incoming materials, including material batch number, type, specifications, actual quantity received, arrival time, and storage location. The data transmission module supports wireless communication (such as WiFi / 5G) to upload the collected actual information to the system in real time.

[0013] Kitting Assessment Unit: Based on the material requirement information of the data integration unit and the actual material arrival information of the incoming material information collection unit, the kitting assessment algorithm is used to perform real-time comparative analysis to calculate the kitting rate of each batch of group assembly welding tasks and determine the kitting status; the kitting status includes fully kitting, partially kitting, and material shortage.

[0014] Early warning triggering unit: used to preset the completeness threshold and early warning rules. When the completeness assessment unit determines that the completeness status is partially complete or lacking materials, an early warning is automatically triggered. The early warning rules include the early warning duration based on the production start time and the early warning level based on the amount of materials lacking (general early warning, emergency early warning).

[0015] Decision Support Unit: Used to automatically generate a material shortage list or material adjustment suggestions after an early warning is triggered; the material shortage list includes the material shortage type, specifications, missing quantity, associated batch number, and production impact range; the material adjustment suggestions include material allocation plans (such as temporary allocation from other batches), alternative material recommendations (which must meet welding process requirements), and emergency procurement suggestions.

[0016] Information push unit: Used to push early warning information, material shortage list and material adjustment suggestions to the designated terminals of the production management department (computer client, mobile APP, workshop dashboard) through multiple channels, and record the push status and reception feedback;

[0017] Data storage and traceability unit: Used to store production plan data, batching information data, actual incoming material information, kitting assessment results, early warning records, processing results and other full-process data, to establish a traceable data ledger, and to support historical data query and statistical analysis.

[0018] Preferably, the data integration unit also supports data interaction with the Shipbuilding Execution System (MES) and Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP), automatically synchronizing production plan change information and material requirement adjustment information, and updating the material requirement list in real time.

[0019] Preferably, the handheld PDA terminal has the following functions:

[0020] QR code recognition: Supports scanning QR codes / barcodes on incoming packaging to quickly input basic information such as material batch number and specifications, reducing manual input errors;

[0021] Data verification: After the actual quantity of materials received is entered, it will automatically verify whether it is consistent with the quantity in the purchase order. If they are inconsistent, an error message will be displayed and the reason for the difference will be entered.

[0022] Offline data collection: When the network is interrupted, it supports offline storage of collected data, which will be automatically synchronized and uploaded after the network is restored;

[0023] Access control: Assign permissions for collecting, modifying, and approving data based on user roles to ensure the accuracy and security of incoming material information collection.

[0024] Preferably, the kitting evaluation algorithm of the kitting evaluation unit includes the following steps:

[0025] S1: Link the material requirements list with the actual material arrival information by batch number to establish a one-to-one comparison dimension;

[0026] S2: Match and verify the actual quantity of each material received with the required quantity, and determine the fulfillment status of each material (satisfied, insufficient, specification mismatch, no material received).

[0027] S3: Calculate the kitting rate. Kitting rate = (Number of material types that meet the requirements / Total number of material types in this batch) × 100%;

[0028] S4: Combine the satisfaction status of individual materials with the matching rate to determine the overall matching status: a matching rate of 100% and no non-compliant materials are considered fully matched; a matching rate of 50% ≤ matching rate < 100% and no missing key materials are considered partially matched; a matching rate of < 50% or missing key materials is considered missing materials; the key materials are the core materials that affect the start of the welding process (such as a base plate of a specific specification).

[0029] Preferably, the matching threshold of the early warning triggering unit can be customized. The default matching threshold is 90%, that is, an early warning is triggered when the matching rate is less than 90%. The early warning duration can be set according to the production start time. The default is to trigger an early warning 24 hours in advance. If the production start time is less than 24 hours, an emergency warning is triggered immediately.

[0030] Preferably, the alternative material recommendation function of the decision support unit should meet the following conditions: the material and mechanical properties of the alternative material are consistent with the original material, and it meets the process requirements of the corresponding group assembly welding task (such as welding current matching and weld strength meeting the standard), while also indicating the precautions for using the alternative material.

[0031] Preferably, the information push unit supports tiered push of warning information: general warnings are only pushed to production planning specialists; emergency warnings are pushed to production planning specialists, material management supervisors, and department heads simultaneously, and include a voice reminder function.

[0032] Preferably, the data storage and traceability unit supports multi-dimensional queries based on batch number, time range, material type, warning level, etc., and generates completeness rate statistical reports, material shortage frequency analysis reports, and warning processing timeliness reports, providing data support for production management optimization.

[0033] The embodiments of the present invention bring the following beneficial effects:

[0034] 1. Real-time performance and accuracy: Real-time collection and automatic uploading of incoming material information via handheld PDA terminals, combined with seamless integration of data integration units and MES / ERP systems, ensures real-time synchronization of material requirements and actual incoming material information, eliminating information lag and manual input errors;

[0035] 2. Dynamic assessment and intelligent early warning: Based on the kitting assessment algorithm, the kitting rate is dynamically calculated, and combined with preset thresholds and rules, the graded early warning is automatically triggered to detect the risk of material shortage in advance and buy time for production management to respond.

[0036] 3. Decision support and rapid response: After the early warning is triggered, a shortage list and material adjustment suggestions (allocation, substitution, emergency procurement) are automatically generated to assist managers in making quick decisions and reduce the risk of production interruption;

[0037] 4. End-to-end traceability: The data storage and traceability unit records data from planning to execution, supports multi-dimensional statistical analysis and report generation, and provides data support for lean management;

[0038] 5. Adapted to the characteristics of ship welding production lines: The system fully considers the characteristics of ship welding materials, which are diverse in type and specifications and strongly related to the process. Through functions such as key material identification and alternative material process verification, it accurately matches the actual production needs.

[0039] Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description, and some features will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practicing the invention. The objects and other advantages of the invention are realized and obtained through the structures particularly pointed out in the description and the drawings.

[0040] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of the overall structure of the real-time assessment and material shortage early warning system for the incoming material matching of a ship welding production line in this embodiment of the invention.

[0042] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the homogeneity evaluation algorithm in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 3 This is a timing diagram of the early warning triggering and processing flow in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0045] Example 1:

[0046] System overall operation process

[0047] This embodiment uses a shipyard's group assembly welding production line as an example to explain in detail the system composition and operation process of the present invention.

[0048] 1. Data Integration Phase

[0049] The system interfaces with the MES and ERP systems through the data integration unit to synchronously obtain the group assembly welding production plan data for batch "202406".

[0050] Batch number: 202406

[0051] Welding task: Deck component assembly team

[0052] Production start date: June 15, 2024

[0053] Material Requirements Delivery Node: 2024-06-10

[0054] The bill of materials in the synchronized distribution information data:

[0055] Base plate: material Q345 steel, size 2000mm×1000mm×12mm, quantity required 50 pieces, related welding process is deck transverse weld welding;

[0056] Rib plate: Material: Q345 steel, size: 800mm×500mm×10mm, quantity required: 100 pieces, related welding process: transverse weld of deck.

[0057] 2. Incoming Material Information Collection Stage

[0058] After the materials arrive at the factory, warehouse management personnel use handheld PDA terminals to scan the barcodes on the incoming packaging and quickly enter the incoming material information corresponding to batch 202406.

[0059] The actual number of base plates delivered was 45, the delivery time was 2024-06-08, and the storage location was shelf number 1 in area A.

[0060] The actual quantity of reinforcing ribs received was 100 pieces, the arrival time was 2024-06-09, and the storage location was shelf number 2 in area A.

[0061] The PDA terminal automatically checks if the quantity of baseboards delivered is inconsistent with the purchase order (50 pieces), prompts for the reason for the discrepancy to be entered (the supplier delayed delivery of 5 pieces), and uploads the actual material information to the system in real time via the 5G network.

[0062] It should be noted that when selecting a handheld PDA terminal, to adapt to the industrial environment of ship welding workshops with high dust, high humidity, and strong electromagnetic interference, an industrial-grade rugged PDA terminal should be selected. Specific recommended models are Urovo i6310C / Zebra TC26 (mainstream industrial-grade models, supporting the complex environment of ship workshops). The core performance requirements are as follows:

[0063] Hardware specifications: Equipped with Android 10.0 or above, quad-core or above processor, ≥4GB RAM, ≥64GB storage, and supports TF card expansion; features a 5.0-inch or larger high-definition touchscreen, supports operation with gloves / wet hands, and meets the needs of workshop operations;

[0064] Recognition function: Built-in QR code / barcode scanner (supports 1D barcode Code128 / Code39, QR code / Data Matrix), scanning distance 5-30cm, recognition speed ≤100ms, can directly scan the laminated code and fuzzy code on incoming packaging;

[0065] Three-proof performance: Meets IP67 protection standard (dustproof and waterproof), resists 1.5m drop impact, adapts to working temperature of -20℃~50℃, and matches the environmental characteristics of ship welding workshops;

[0066] Communication capabilities: Supports WiFi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, 5G / 4G full network compatibility, Bluetooth 5.0, and seamless switching between multiple networks; built-in GPS / BeiDou positioning, which can record the location information of material collection.

[0067] Battery life and expansion: Equipped with a ≥5000mAh high-capacity lithium battery, it can work continuously for ≥8 hours and supports fast charging; it has NFC function and an external barcode scanner interface to meet diverse data collection needs.

[0068] 3. Complete Set Assessment Phase

[0069] The kitting assessment unit associates the material requirements list with the actual material arrival information for batch number 202406 and executes the kitting assessment algorithm:

[0070] S1: Establish a comparison dimension between the demand for base plate and stiffening plate and the actual material delivered;

[0071] S2: The base plate is determined to be "insufficient" (50 pieces required, 45 pieces actually required), and the stiffening plate is determined to be "satisfied" (100 pieces required, 100 pieces actually required).

[0072] S3: Calculate the completeness rate = (1 type of material that meets the requirements / 2 types of materials in total) × 100% = 50%;

[0073] S4: Since the kitting rate is 50% and the base plate is a critical material (affecting the start of the welding process), the kitting status is determined to be "material shortage".

[0074] 4. Early Warning Triggering and Decision Support Stage

[0075] The early warning trigger unit has a preset completion threshold of 90% and an advance warning duration of 24 hours. The current completion rate is 50%, below the threshold, and there is a 6-day interval between the production start time of 2024-06-15 and the current time of 2024-06-09, triggering a general early warning.

[0076] Decision support units are generated automatically:

[0077] List of missing materials: The missing material type is the bottom plate, the specifications are Q345 steel 2000mm×1000mm×12mm, the number of missing pieces is 5, the associated batch is 202406, and the production impact is the delay in the start of the deck component group assembly welding process.

[0078] Material adjustment recommendations:

[0079] Option 1: Check the ERP system to confirm that there are 10 base plates of the same specification in batch 202407. 5 pieces can be temporarily allocated, marked "Materials from batch 202407 need to be replenished after allocation";

[0080] Option 2: Recommended alternative material (Q345 steel 2000mm×1000mm×14mm), with the message "Welding process parameter compatibility needs to be confirmed, and weld strength needs to be retested."

[0081] 5. Information Push and Processing Stage

[0082] The information push unit sends general warning information, material shortage lists, and material adjustment suggestions to the production planning specialist's computer client and mobile APP, accompanied by voice reminders. After reviewing the information, the production planning specialist responds with "Select Option 1, allocate 5 base plates from batch 202407." The system records the processing result and synchronizes it to the material management supervisor. After the material management supervisor arranges the allocation, they update the actual number of base plates received to 50 via a handheld PDA terminal. The system recalculates the kitting rate in real time, setting it to 100%, and determines the kitting status as "fully kitted," automatically clearing the warning.

[0083] 6. Data storage and traceability stage

[0084] The data storage and traceability unit stores the entire process data for this batch, including production plan data, incoming material information, kitting assessment results, early warning records, and processing results. The production management department can query the complete data ledger through batch number 202406. When conducting subsequent statistical analysis of material shortage frequency, it can quickly locate the cause of material shortage and the processing time for this batch.

[0085] It should be noted that deploying industrial-grade wireless APs to achieve full wireless signal coverage in incoming material areas (warehouse, incoming material storage area, and production line material preparation area) requires specific deployment specifications:

[0086] Equipment selection: Select industrial-grade dual-band wireless APs (such as H3C WAP7220X, Siemens SCALANCE W788), which support WiFi 6, meet IP30 and above protection standards, resist electromagnetic interference, and are suitable for workshop industrial environments;

[0087] Coverage requirements: Wireless APs should be deployed at a density of 1 unit per 300㎡, with a signal strength of ≥-70dBm in the material receiving area and no signal blind spots; AP repeaters should be added at the junction of the production line and the warehouse to ensure data transmission continuity;

[0088] Network topology: A hybrid network of thin and fat APs is used, with thin APs serving as the primary coverage and fat APs as backups. Seamless roaming is supported to avoid network disconnection when PDA terminals move.

[0089] For core data such as incoming material information and production plans, an end-to-end three-level encryption protection system is established to ensure the security of data transmission and storage. The specific mechanism is as follows:

[0090] Terminal-level encryption: The PDA terminal enables local data encryption. The collected incoming material information is stored locally using the AES-256 encryption algorithm. The terminal is equipped with dual authentication of power-on password and employee ID permission to prevent unauthorized personnel from operating it.

[0091] Transport layer encryption: Communication between the PDA, wireless AP, and system server adopts WPA3-Enterprise wireless encryption + HTTPS protocol. All data packets are encrypted and verified to prevent data from being eavesdropped or tampered with. The wireless AP enables MAC address filtering, allowing only authorized PDA terminals to access the network.

[0092] Server-level encryption: Incoming material data uploaded to the system server is encrypted using the database, and core fields (such as material batch, specifications, and quantity) are stored in anonymized form. At the same time, data transmission logging is enabled to trace the operator, operation time, and operation terminal of each data upload / modification.

[0093] Given the strong correlation between materials and processes in ship welding production lines, a dual approach of manual pre-setting and automatic identification of the system's BOM structure is adopted to ensure the accuracy and flexibility of key material identification. Specific rules are as follows:

[0094] The system automatically identifies key materials based on their irreplaceable nature and criticality in the welding process: The system incorporates a BOM structure analysis algorithm.

[0095] Irreplaceable: Materials that have no substitutes and directly affect the start of the welding process (such as hull structure bottom plates and main load-bearing stiffeners of specific specifications).

[0096] Process core: The material located at the top of the BOM structure that provides the foundation for all subsequent welding processes (such as the base material of the sub-assembly components).

[0097] Manual preset and adjustment: Process engineers can manually add / delete critical materials or adjust the priority of critical materials in the system; for customized needs of ship welding, it supports setting up critical material lists separately by batch and welding task type to adapt to the production characteristics of different batches.

[0098] Synchronization of identification results: The list of key materials automatically identified by the system must be reviewed and confirmed by process personnel before it becomes effective. The reviewed list is synchronized to the kitting assessment unit as the core basis for determining kitting status.

[0099] Criteria for determining non-conforming material specifications:

[0100] Based on the precision requirements of ship welding processes, specification non-compliance is divided into strictly prohibited (absolute non-compliance) and tolerance-allowed (relative compliance) categories. A "one-size-fits-all" approach is avoided, balancing process requirements with production flexibility. Specific judgment criteria are as follows:

[0101] Materials classified as strictly prohibited (determined to be non-compliant) whose core performance parameters and main specifications are inconsistent with the requirements list directly affect welding quality and hull structural strength, including but not limited to:

[0102] Material mismatch (e.g., Q345 steel requested, but Q235 steel actually delivered);

[0103] Thickness deviation exceeds ±10% (e.g., if the required thickness is 12mm, the actual material delivered is ≤10.8mm or ≥13.2mm).

[0104] Mechanical properties do not meet requirements (e.g., tensile strength and yield strength do not meet the required standards);

[0105] Welding compatibility is incompatible (e.g., the welding wire type does not match the base material).

[0106] For materials classified as tolerance-allowed (judged as conforming to specifications, with indicated deviations), minor deviations in non-core appearance parameters are acceptable, do not affect welding processes or hull structural performance, and comply with shipbuilding industry tolerance standards, including but not limited to:

[0107] Length / width deviation ≤ ±5mm (e.g., if the required size is 2000mm×1000mm, the actual material delivered is 1998mm×997mm).

[0108] Surface flatness deviation ≤ ±2mm / m;

[0109] The chamfering and fillet deviations for non-critical dimensions are within the industry standard range.

[0110] Judgment result processing: Materials with tolerance allowable are judged as "satisfied", but the system will mark the specific deviation value in the incoming material information and synchronize it to the production process department; Materials with strict prohibition are directly judged as "specification non-conformity", included in the material shortage statistics, and trigger the corresponding warning.

[0111] The system supports dynamic adjustment of early warning thresholds based on factors such as production urgency, material procurement cycle, and batch priority, replacing the original fixed threshold mode and adapting to the flexible production needs of ship welding production lines. Specific adjustment rules are as follows:

[0112] Basic threshold configuration: The system defaults to a complete set rate threshold of 90% and an early warning duration of 24 hours, which serve as the basic standard for general batches.

[0113] Adjustments based on production urgency:

[0114] For urgent batches (such as orders with near delivery dates or urgent shipboard installations): the completeness threshold is increased to 95%, the advance warning period is extended to 48 hours, the risk of material shortage is detected in advance, and sufficient processing time is reserved;

[0115] Regular batches: Maintain the default threshold (90% / 24 hours);

[0116] Backup batches (such as capacity reservations and temporary adjustment batches): The completeness threshold is lowered to 80%, the early warning time is shortened to 12 hours, and the frequency of unnecessary warnings is reduced.

[0117] Adjusted according to material procurement cycle:

[0118] For materials with long procurement cycles (such as imported raw materials and customized components, with procurement cycles > 7 days): the advance warning period for the corresponding batch is extended to 72 hours to ensure sufficient time for emergency procurement;

[0119] For materials with short procurement cycles (such as general welding wire and standard accessories, with a procurement cycle of ≤3 days): the advance warning time can be shortened to 12 hours.

[0120] Adjustment permissions and effectiveness: The authority to adjust the warning threshold is only granted to the production management supervisor. After adjustment, it takes effect in batches. The system records the person making the adjustment, the reason for the adjustment, and the time of the adjustment, forming a traceable threshold adjustment ledger. After the thresholds in the same batch are adjusted, the entire set of assessment units synchronize in real time and make warning judgments based on the new thresholds.

[0121] The decision support unit incorporates an intelligent allocation algorithm that comprehensively considers allocation costs, transportation time, and the impact on other batches of production when generating material allocation plans. It also adheres to the principles of highest production priority, least impact, and lowest cost to ensure the feasibility and rationality of the allocation plan. Specific generation rules are as follows:

[0122] The material allocation screening system first filters materials of the same specification and material that are not locked in the ERP system's material inventory. The screening scope expands sequentially from within the factory area to within the region to within the group, excluding materials that have been allocated to emergency batches or locked batches.

[0123] The core considerations and weight allocation intelligent allocation algorithm assigns weight coefficients to each influencing factor and generates the optimal allocation plan by sorting the comprehensive scores. Weight allocation (total score 100):

[0124] Impact on other batches of production (40 points): Prioritize materials allocated to spare batches and low priority batches to avoid affecting the production of emergency / regular batches; if the allocation does not affect the completeness rate of the batch (e.g., the completeness rate of the batch is still ≥90% after the allocation), full marks will be awarded;

[0125] Transportation time (30 points): Priority will be given to materials from the same warehouse and the same factory area. Full marks will be awarded for transportation time ≤ 1 hour, and no marks will be awarded for transportation time exceeding 4 hours.

[0126] Transfer cost (20 points): Prioritize materials with no additional transfer cost (such as transfers within the factory area), and a cost of ≤500 yuan will receive full marks;

[0127] Material expiration date (10 points): Prioritize materials with closer expiration dates to avoid stockpiling and expiring materials.

[0128] Generation and annotation of allocation plans:

[0129] The system generates 1-3 feasible allocation plans based on the comprehensive score from high to low. Each plan is marked with the location, quantity, transportation time, allocation cost, and impact on the allocated batch.

[0130] If the completeness rate of the allocated batch is lower than the threshold after the transfer, the system will prompt supplementary measures in the plan (such as emergency procurement to supplement the materials of the allocated batch).

[0131] If no matching materials are available, the system will skip the allocation plan and only generate alternative material recommendations / emergency procurement suggestions.

[0132] Define standardized interaction protocols between the system and the Shipbuilding Execution System (MES) and Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) to achieve seamless data integration and real-time synchronization, avoiding information silos caused by inconsistent protocols. Specific integration specifications are as follows:

[0133] Core interaction protocol:

[0134] With MES system: Adopts Modbus-TCP protocol (the mainstream industrial protocol, adapted for real-time interaction of production data), realizes bidirectional data transmission based on industrial Ethernet, and the data interaction latency is ≤100ms;

[0135] With ERP systems: It adopts the RESTful API interface protocol (adapted to enterprise-level data interaction) and also supports the OPCUA protocol (optional, for high-end ERP systems) to realize the synchronization of data such as material inventory, purchase orders, and material batches.

[0136] Data interaction methods and frequency:

[0137] Passive synchronization: When the production plan, material requirements, and inventory information of the MES / ERP system change, the system actively pushes the changed data to this system to achieve real-time synchronization;

[0138] Active data retrieval: This system actively retrieves the latest data from the MES / ERP system every 5 minutes as a supplement to passive synchronization to ensure data consistency;

[0139] Abnormal retransmission: If data transmission fails, the system will automatically trigger a 3-retransmission mechanism with a 10-second retransmission interval. If the transmission still fails, an alarm will be triggered in the system to notify technical personnel for handling.

[0140] All data exchange data uses JSON structured format (UTF-8 encoding). Data fields are defined according to shipbuilding industry standards, and core fields (such as batch number, material code, and specification parameters) use unified encoding rules to ensure that both systems can parse the data directly without additional conversion.

[0141] A three-tiered feedback mechanism to ensure the effectiveness of information delivery:

[0142] For the push notifications of early warning information, material shortage lists, and adjustment suggestions, a three-tiered mechanism of overdue reminders, hierarchical supervision, and closed-loop results has been established to ensure timely feedback and effective handling by the production management department, preventing information from being lost in the dark.

[0143] Level 1: Automatic Timeout Reminder System sets feedback time limits for different levels of warnings: general warning feedback time limit ≤ 2 hours, emergency warning feedback time limit ≤ 30 minutes; if no feedback is received within the time limit, the system will continuously remind the responsible person through mobile APP pop-up window, SMS, and red reminder on the workshop board until feedback is received.

[0144] Level 2: Hierarchical Supervision

[0145] General warning: If no feedback is received within 2 hours, the system will automatically push the warning information to the material management supervisor, who will then supervise the responsible person to handle it.

[0146] Emergency Warning: If no response is received within 30 minutes, the system will automatically push the warning information to the person in charge of the production department, who will then directly supervise the matter and record the supervision information.

[0147] Level 3: After the person responsible for the closed-loop management of results provides feedback on the handling (such as selecting a transfer plan, adopting alternative materials, or initiating emergency procurement), they must update the handling progress in the system in real time. After the material shortage problem is resolved and the warning is lifted, the person responsible must upload the handling result voucher (such as transfer order, purchase order, material acceptance form). After the system confirms, a complete ledger of "warning trigger - feedback - handling - closed loop" is formed. Warnings that are not closed will be continuously marked in the system until the handling is completed.

[0148] To improve the accuracy of kitting assessment and the adaptability of early warning rules, the system incorporates a machine learning-based self-learning algorithm. This algorithm continuously optimizes the kitting assessment model and early warning rules based on historical early warning processing results, enabling the system to self-iterate and upgrade. Specific self-learning functions include:

[0149] The kitting assessment model optimization system continuously collects data such as the kitting rate of materials, the shortage of key materials, and the actual production impact of historical batches. It analyzes the correlation between kitting rate and production interruption through machine learning algorithms, and optimizes the identification weight of key materials and the determination logic of kitting status. For example, if historical data shows that the shortage of a certain type of non-preset key material will also lead to production interruption, the algorithm will automatically include it in the key material candidate list and push it to process personnel for review.

[0150] The early warning rules and threshold optimization system analyzes the processing time, material shortage resolution methods, and the matching degree between the early warning level and the actual severity of the material shortage in historical early warnings, and automatically optimizes the early warning threshold and early warning level determination rules. For example, if historical data shows that a certain type of material will only actually affect production when the availability rate is below 85%, the system will push threshold adjustment suggestions to the production management supervisor (such as lowering the threshold for the corresponding batch of that type of material to 85%). If it is found that the processing time of emergency early warnings generally exceeds 30 minutes, the system will suggest extending the feedback time limit for emergency early warnings.

[0151] The material adjustment suggestions aim to optimize the adoption rate and execution effect of historical material shortage handling solutions recorded by the system, and optimize the algorithm logic for material allocation and alternative material recommendation. For example, if the adoption rate of a certain type of alternative material reaches 90% and no welding quality problems occur, the system will list it as the preferred alternative material and give it priority in subsequent warnings. If the execution cost of a certain allocation solution is too high and the impact is too great, the system will reduce its ranking weight in the allocation solutions.

[0152] The self-learning optimization results of the system are pushed to relevant personnel (process engineers, production management supervisors) in the form of suggestions. They are officially implemented after manual review and confirmation, avoiding process risks or production chaos caused by the algorithm's autonomous optimization, and balancing intelligent and manual control.

[0153] Example 2:

[0154] Application scenarios for alternative material recommendations

[0155] During one alert, a shortage of the critical material "specification stiffening plate" was identified, with no available batches to be allocated. Based on the material inventory data, the decision support unit recommended a substitute material: a stiffening plate of the same material and thickness but slightly wider, and advised that "the welding bevel angle needs to be adjusted, and process testing should be conducted for confirmation." After the production department adopted the suggestion and the process verification was successful, the substitute material was put into use, preventing production delays.

[0156] Example 3:

[0157] Multidimensional statistical analysis

[0158] After six months of system operation, the data storage and traceability unit generated a shortage frequency analysis report, which revealed that a certain type of base plate had the highest shortage frequency, the root cause of which was insufficient delivery capacity from the supplier. Based on this, the production management department adjusted its procurement strategy, increased safety stock, and subsequently, the shortage rate of this type of material decreased by 80%.

[0159] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms “comprising,” “including,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0160] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A real-time assessment system for incoming material completeness and a material shortage early warning system for a ship welding production line, characterized in that, include: The data integration unit is used to integrate production plan data and pallet information data, and to establish a correlation mapping between production plan and material requirements. The production plan data includes batch number, small group assembly welding task list, production start time and material requirement delivery node. The pallet information data includes a bill of materials corresponding to each batch of production plan, and the bill of materials includes material type, specifications, required quantity and associated welding process. The incoming material information collection unit is used to collect and upload the actual information of the incoming materials in real time. The incoming material information collection unit includes a handheld PDA terminal deployed in the incoming material area and a data transmission module that is communicatively connected to the handheld PDA terminal; the handheld PDA terminal is used to collect actual information including material batch number, type, specification parameters, actual quantity of material received, arrival time and storage location, and the data transmission module is used to upload the actual information in real time; The kitting assessment unit is used to perform real-time comparative analysis based on the material demand information provided by the data integration unit and the actual material arrival information uploaded by the incoming material information collection unit, and to calculate the kitting rate of the current batch of materials and determine the overall kitting status. The overall kitting status includes fully kitted, partially kitted, and material shortage. The early warning triggering unit is used to automatically trigger an early warning of the corresponding level when the completeness assessment unit determines that the completeness status is partially complete or lacking materials, based on the preset completeness threshold and early warning rules. The decision support unit is used to automatically generate a shortage list containing specific shortage details and / or provide at least one material adjustment suggestion based on the shortage analysis after the warning is triggered. The information push unit is used to push the early warning information generated by the early warning triggering unit, as well as the material shortage list and material adjustment suggestions generated by the decision support unit, to the designated terminal of the production management department, and record the push status and the feedback received. The data storage and traceability unit is used to store data from the entire process, from production planning, actual incoming materials, kitting assessment, early warning triggering to processing feedback, forming a traceable data ledger and supporting multi-dimensional querying and statistical analysis of historical data.

2. The real-time assessment and shortage early warning system for incoming materials in a ship welding production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data integration unit also supports data interaction with the Shipbuilding Execution System (MES) and Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) to automatically synchronize changes in production plans and adjustments to material requirements, and to update the material requirements list in the system in real time.

3. The real-time assessment and shortage early warning system for incoming materials in a ship welding production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The handheld PDA terminal has at least the following functions: The barcode scanning function is used to scan the QR code or barcode on the incoming material packaging to automatically enter the basic information of the material; The data verification function is used to automatically compare the actual quantity of materials received with the required quantity in the purchase order when the quantity is entered, and to prompt an error and allow the reason for the difference when the quantity is inconsistent. The offline data collection function is used to store the collected data locally when network communication is interrupted, and automatically synchronize and upload it to the system after the network is restored. The access control function is used to assign data collection, modification, and approval permissions based on user roles.

4. The real-time assessment and shortage early warning system for incoming materials in a ship welding production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The homogeneity evaluation algorithm executed by the homogeneity evaluation unit includes the following steps: S1: By batch number, associate the corresponding batch's material requirements list with the actual material arrival information to establish a material-level comparison dimension; S2: For each type of material, match and verify the actual quantity received with the required quantity to determine the satisfaction status of that single material; the satisfaction status includes satisfied, insufficient, non-compliant with specifications, and no material received; S3: Calculate the material completeness rate for the current batch. The formula is: Completeness Rate = (Number of material types with a "Satisfied" status / Total number of material types in this batch) × 100%; S4: Combining the kitting rate and the satisfaction status of key materials, comprehensively determine the overall kitting status; wherein, the key materials refer to the core materials that affect the start of the welding process.

5. The real-time assessment and shortage early warning system for incoming materials in a ship welding production line according to claim 4, characterized in that, The specific rules for determining the overall completeness status in step S4 are as follows: When the kitting rate is 100% and there are no non-conforming materials, it is judged as "fully kitted"; When the kitting rate is greater than or equal to 50% but less than 100%, and all key materials are in the "satisfied" state, it is judged as "partial kitting". When the kitting rate is less than 50%, or when any key material is in a state of "insufficient", "incompatible with specifications" or "not received", it is judged as "material shortage".

6. The real-time assessment and shortage early warning system for incoming materials in a ship welding production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset warning rules in the warning triggering unit include: Early warning duration rules based on production start time; and The warning level rules are based on the severity of material shortages, and the warning levels include at least general warnings and emergency warnings; The matching threshold is a customizable parameter used to compare with the matching rate calculated by the matching evaluation unit to trigger an early warning. Its default value is 90%.

7. The real-time assessment and shortage early warning system for incoming materials in a ship welding production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material shortage list generated by the decision support unit includes at least the material shortage type, specifications, quantity, associated batch number, and impact on production; the generated material adjustment suggestions include at least one of the following: material allocation plan, alternative material recommendation, and emergency procurement suggestion; wherein, the recommended alternative material must meet the welding process requirements of the original material.

8. The real-time assessment and shortage early warning system for incoming materials in a ship welding production line according to claim 7, characterized in that, The recommended alternative materials must meet the following conditions: the material and mechanical properties of the alternative materials must be consistent with those of the original materials, and they must also meet the welding process requirements of the corresponding group assembly welding task.

9. The real-time assessment and shortage early warning system for incoming materials in a ship welding production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The information push unit supports information push via at least one channel selected from computer clients, mobile apps, and workshop dashboards; and has a tiered push mechanism, wherein: General early warning information is pushed to the production planning specialist; Emergency alerts are simultaneously pushed to production planning specialists, materials management supervisors, and department heads, along with voice reminders.

10. The real-time assessment and shortage early warning system for incoming materials in a ship welding production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data storage and traceability unit supports combined queries based on at least one of the following conditions: batch number, time range, material type, and warning level. It can also generate reports on completeness rate, material shortage frequency analysis, and warning processing timeliness.

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