Apparatus, method and program for determining production schedule

Abstract

To increase the production efficiency of a plurality of intermediate products.SOLUTION: An apparatus for determining a production schedule (1), for determining a production order of a plurality of intermediate products to be produced by continuous casting, includes: determining a cast in which an intermediate product can be arranged, out of a plurality of casts that are defined with a production order in a period of time concerned and include an incorporation-instructed product selected from the plurality of intermediate products, and in which the production order of the incorporation-instructed product within each cast has been determined; incorporating into the determined cast an incorporation-instructed product that is distributed in a cast later in the production order than the relevant cast; and thereby correcting the production order in the period of time concerned.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a production schedule determination device, a production schedule determination method, and a production schedule determination program. [Background technology]

[0002] In the steel manufacturing process, pig iron produced in a blast furnace is transported to a converter, where the composition is adjusted in ladle (charge) units, and the molten steel poured into a tundish is then continuously cast and cut to produce intermediate products called slabs, blooms, billets, etc. In this process, the process of continuously casting and cutting is called the continuous casting process, and the unit (production lot) in which the intermediate products are continuously produced without interrupting the continuous casting of molten steel in the continuous casting process is called a cast. In addition, the determination of the casting order (production schedule) of the intermediate products within each cast (each production lot) based on the size, quality, delivery date, etc. of the intermediate products is called cast organization.

[0003] The determination of a manufacturing schedule for intermediate products for multiple casts is roughly divided into the following steps: (i) a cast frame design process, (ii) a cast frame arrangement process, and (iii) a cast organization process. In the cast frame design process, the number and combination of casts are determined, and it is also determined which intermediate products are to be allocated to which cast. In the cast frame arrangement process, each cast is arranged on the schedule, and the order of arrangement for each cast is determined. In the cast organization process, it is determined, for each of multiple casts, in what order the intermediate products allocated to the cast are to be manufactured within the cast. That is, after the intermediate products are roughly allocated to the casts in (i) the cast frame design process, the detailed manufacturing order within the cast for each cast is determined in (iii) the cast organization process.

[0004] As a technique for performing the above-mentioned (i) casting flask design process, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for provisionally determining a production schedule for cast products based on specification information on the cast products, information on the cast, and process constraints, and allocating cast products to each cast by replacing a first cast product included in the provisionally determined production schedule with a second cast product that has a higher production priority and is made of a different steel type that can substitute for the steel type of the first cast product. Here, the second cast product is a cast product that is not included in the provisionally determined production schedule, that is, a cast product that is not allocated to a cast in the above-mentioned (i) casting flask design process. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-111086 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the technology described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 has a problem in that although it is possible to advance the timing of casting of the second cast product ((i) a cast product not assigned to a cast in the cast flask design process), it is not possible to advance the timing of casting of the cast product (first cast product) assigned to the cast in the cast flask design process (i). In other words, (ii) a cast product (first cast product) assigned to a cast whose casting timing is later in the cast flask arrangement process can only be produced at that later timing. Thus, the conventional technology has room for improvement in terms of increasing the production efficiency of multiple cast products.

[0007] An object of one aspect of the present invention is to realize a technology that can increase the efficiency of manufacturing a plurality of intermediate products. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a production schedule determination device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a production schedule determination device that determines a production order of a plurality of intermediate products produced by continuous casting, and includes a discrimination unit that discriminates a cast in which an intermediate product can be placed among a plurality of casts in which a production order for a target period is determined and which include an incorporation instruction product selected from among the plurality of intermediate products, and in which the production order of the incorporation instruction product within each cast has been determined, and a correction unit that corrects the production order for the target period by incorporating, into the cast determined by the discrimination unit, the incorporation instruction product that has been allocated to a cast whose production order is later than that of the cast in question.

[0009] Moreover, a production schedule determination method according to one aspect of the present invention is a production schedule determination method for determining a production order of a plurality of intermediate products produced by continuous casting, the method including: a determination step of determining a cast in which an intermediate product can be placed, among a plurality of casts in which a production order for a target period is determined and which include an incorporation instruction product selected from among the plurality of intermediate products, and in which the production order of the incorporation instruction product within each cast has been determined; and a correction step of correcting the production order for the target period by incorporating, into the cast determined in the determination step, the incorporation instruction product allocated to a cast whose production order is later than that of the cast in question.

[0010] The production schedule determination device according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the production schedule determination program of the production schedule determination device, which causes a computer to operate as each unit (software element) of the production schedule determination device to realize the production schedule determination device on a computer, and a computer-readable recording medium having the same recorded thereon, also fall within the scope of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, the efficiency of manufacturing a plurality of intermediate products can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a production schedule determination device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schedule in which a plurality of cast members are arranged. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a manufacturing schedule determination method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a cast formation method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a cast whose production order has been determined by the cast editing device. [Figure 6] A figure showing an example of a cast formation corrected by the cast formation device. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a cast in which the production order of slabs is adjusted in the prior art. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] [Embodiment 1] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below. The present embodiment relates to a casting apparatus and a casting method used in a steel manufacturing process, particularly in a manufacturing process of an intermediate product including a slab, a bloom, or a billet.

[0014] In this embodiment, a cast is a unit for continuously manufacturing (casting) an intermediate product, and this unit corresponds to one manufacturing lot. In other words, one cast produces a group of intermediate products consisting of multiple intermediate products manufactured in one continuous operation. Usually, each intermediate product has a different composition and size according to customer requirements. The composition of each intermediate product is grouped according to a predetermined allowable range and is called a "material" or "steel type." In other words, multiple intermediate products belonging to a given steel type may have at least one composition different from the other intermediate products. The intermediate products included in one steel type group are manufactured from one or more charges whose composition has been adjusted to within the allowable range of the steel type.

[0015] In this embodiment, cast organization refers to determining the manufacturing order of a group of intermediate products of various sizes and made of multiple steel types contained in each cast (production lot) based on the size, steel type, delivery date, etc. of the intermediate products.

[0016] In this embodiment, a slab is an intermediate product produced when casting steel, and refers to a product in which molten steel is cast into a long body having a rectangular cross section and then cut. The slab is then rolled in the next process, wound into a coil, and then further processed in other processes to produce various products.

[0017] In this embodiment, the size of the slab refers to the length of the short side and the long side when the slab is viewed from above, but the length of the short side is particularly important. The length of the short side is the length of the cast slab in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the strand is transported, and this length will be referred to as the width hereinafter. The long side corresponds to the length of the slab.

[0018] A bloom is smaller than a slab and has a cross-sectional width-to-thickness ratio close to 1 (close to a square). A billet is a rectangular cross-section that is even smaller than a bloom. The widths of blooms and billets are defined in the same way as for slabs.

[0019] A strand is a casting line that includes a mold into which molten steel is poured from a tundish, and a series of forming rolls that transport and form the slab pulled from the mold.

[0020] There are a great number of combinations of steel types and sizes of intermediate products required by many customers. Furthermore, due to operational constraints of the casting line, it is not easy to determine an efficient product arrangement for a wide variety of intermediate products. Since it is time-consuming to evaluate all combinations, it is necessary to select and evaluate a combination of production orders that are likely to be efficient. The casting apparatus and casting method according to the present embodiment are an apparatus and method for determining the production order of an intermediate product, either a slab, bloom, or billet, so as to maximize production efficiency.

[0021] (Production schedule determination device) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a production schedule determination device 1 according to this embodiment. In the following, an example will be described in which the intermediate product is a slab. The production schedule determination device 1 is a device that determines the production order of a plurality of slabs produced by continuous casting. Each unit of the production schedule determination device 1 may be implemented, for example, in a dedicated computer system, or may be implemented as application software in a general-purpose computer system such as a personal computer. Alternatively, each component of the production schedule determination device 1 may be distributed and implemented in a plurality of computers connected via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. In addition, each component of the production schedule determination device 1 may be partially or entirely placed on a cloud and connected to each other so as to be able to communicate information with each other.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 1, the production schedule determination device 1 includes a cast frame design device 11, a schedule determination device 12, and a cast organization device 13. The cast frame design device 11 is an example of a distribution unit according to the present disclosure. The cast organization device 13 is an example of a determination unit, a discrimination unit, and a correction unit according to the present disclosure. The functions of each unit of the production schedule determination device 1 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 are realized by one or more processors that operate according to a program, and an interface for inputting and outputting data to the processor.

[0023] The slab information file 101 and the cast information file 102 used for processing by the production schedule determination device 1 are read by an operator's operation or a regular automatic import instruction. The production schedule determination device 1 records the results of processing executed based on the information recorded in these files in a cast formation result file 104. The production schedule determination device 1 also reads a constraint condition file 103 in processing executed by the cast formation device 13.

[0024] These files are recorded, for example, in a memory built into the computer or a removable recording medium connectable to the computer. Any or all of the above files may be stored in an information processing device different from the production schedule determination device 1. In this case, the contents of these files may be read into or written by the production schedule determination device 1 via communication using an electric communication line such as a LAN or the Internet.

[0025] The slab information file 101 is a file for storing information about a slab to be manufactured. The slab to be manufactured is, for example, a slab corresponding to an order received from a customer. The information about the slab includes, for example, a product ID (information to identify the slab), information indicating manufacturing specifications such as width, length, weight, material, etc., and process information such as a desired process passing date and time, and a deadline for passing date and time. The width includes a width specified by a customer and a width range allowed at the stage of manufacturing the slab. The latter width range may be set as a target when manufacturing the slab. This is because the width of the slab can be adjusted to within the width range specified by the customer in a rolling process or the like after the slab is manufactured. However, the information about the width may include at least one piece of information indicating the width of the slab, such as the width specified by the customer or the width range allowed at the stage of manufacturing the slab.

[0026] The cast information file 102 is a file for storing information about casts. The information about casts includes information about charges of each steel type included in the cast. Specifically, the cast information file 102 includes, for each cast, a cast ID, the number of charges, a lower weight limit, an upper weight limit, a material, a manufacturing order, and the like, for example.

[0027] The constraint file 103 includes, for example, constraints on the production schedule of slabs in the continuous casting process and constraints on the production schedule of coils in the hot rolling process. The constraints on the production schedule of slabs include, for example, width transition conditions. Width transition means changing the width of the slab to be produced. For example, the width transition condition means that the amount of change in the width transition direction of adjacent slabs in the production order is smaller than a predetermined width (threshold value). For example, the width transition condition means that the number of changes in the width transition direction is small. However, the constraints are not limited to the above examples and may include other conditions. For example, the constraints may include a part placement condition such as placing a slab in a predetermined production order whose allowable range of slab composition is relatively larger than a predetermined range.

[0028] (Cast frame design device) The cast frame design device 11 determines the number of casts to be arranged in the schedule SC and the combination of slabs to be distributed to each cast. Here, the schedule SC is the planned production of slabs in a predetermined period to be determined (for example, one week, one month, etc., hereinafter referred to as the target period as appropriate) (see FIG. 2). More specifically, the cast frame design device 11 determines how many casts to produce, sets multiple casts, and allocates which slabs based on information such as the number of charges to be produced and the delivery date of the slabs. In other words, the cast frame design device 11 selects some slabs to be incorporated into the cast as incorporation instruction materials from the multiple slabs to be produced, and distributes the selected multiple incorporation instruction materials to the multiple casts. Note that multiple incorporation instruction materials are assigned to each cast on a charge basis.

[0029] The incorporation instruction material is a slab with a high priority among the multiple slabs to be manufactured. The incorporation instruction material is an example of an incorporation instruction product according to the present disclosure. Examples of the priority include a delivery priority based on the delivery date of the multiple slabs to be manufactured, and a manufacturing priority based on the manufacturing conditions in the downstream process. The priority may be with or without priority. For example, the cast frame design device 11 creates multiple casts to distribute and arrange the multiple slabs according to the number of charges scheduled to be manufactured in the target period and the amount of the multiple slabs to be manufactured, and distributes the multiple slabs to the multiple casts so that slabs with similar priorities are arranged in the same cast as much as possible. For example, the multiple slabs to be manufactured may be arranged in order of priority, and each cast may be filled with slabs in sequence. If each cast has a margin for arranging slabs other than the incorporation instruction material, once the part excluding the margin is filled with the incorporation instruction material, the next cast may be filled with the incorporation instruction material in the same manner. In this case, the slabs that are distributed to the cast are built-in guides, and the slabs that are not distributed to the cast, i.e., are not built-in guides, are low priority slabs.

[0030] (Schedule determination device) The schedule determination device 12 arranges multiple cast members in the schedule SC. The schedule determination device 12 is an example of a production schedule determination section according to the present disclosure. By arranging multiple cast members in the schedule SC, the order (production order) of the multiple cast members is determined. In other words, the schedule determination device 12 arranges multiple cast members in the schedule SC to determine the production order of the multiple cast members in the target period. The schedule SC before the arrangement of the multiple cast members may have predetermined arrangement prohibited areas in which the arrangement of the cast members is prohibited, and the schedule determination device 12 arranges the multiple cast members in areas (arrangement possible areas) excluding the arrangement prohibited areas.

[0031] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a schedule SC in which multiple cast members are arranged. In the example of Fig. 2, cast members C11 to C14 are arranged in the schedule SC. In addition, multiple incorporation instruction materials are distributed to cast members C11 to C14 with a margin of error. Since it is unknown how many incorporation instruction materials can be arranged on each cast member without actually performing the cast formation of each cast member, the cast frame design device provides a margin of error for each cast member as shown in Fig. 2.

[0032] (Cast Organization Device) The cast organization device 13 determines the manufacturing order of the slabs in each of the multiple casts to which the incorporation instruction material is distributed. More specifically, the cast organization device 13 determines the manufacturing order of the incorporation instruction material in the cast based on the information on the slab stored in the slab information file 101, the information on the cast stored in the cast information file 102, and the constraint conditions stored in the constraint condition file 103. As an example, the cast organization device 13 generates an intermediate organization plan of the cast based on the information on the slab and the information on the cast, and performs cast organization by correcting the generated intermediate organization plan so as to satisfy the constraint conditions. As an example of the intermediate organization plan of the cast, there is a plan in which the slabs are arranged in an order that does not greatly change the width of the slab, but is not limited to this.

[0033] Furthermore, the cast forming device 13 performs a process of incorporating the incorporation instruction material allocated to the cast in the order after the cast in the margin of the cast. In other words, when the cast in the production order determined has free space, and other slabs can be arranged in the cast in the production order determined, the cast forming device 13 corrects the determined production order by incorporating the incorporation instruction material distributed by the cast frame design device 11 to the cast in the order after the cast in question. As an example, the cast forming device 13 selects the incorporation instruction material to be incorporated in the cast based on the information on the slab stored in the slab information file 101, the information on the cast stored in the cast information file 102, and the constraints stored in the constraints file 103. In addition, at this time, when there are multiple candidates for the incorporation instruction material to be incorporated in the cast, the cast forming device 13 may select the incorporation instruction material to be incorporated in the cast based on the information indicating the delivery date of the incorporation instruction material. More specifically, for example, when there are multiple incorporation instruction materials that can be incorporated into a cast, the cast formation device 13 may select the incorporation instruction material with the closest delivery date.

[0034] (Manufacturing schedule determination method) Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the manufacturing schedule determination method according to the present embodiment. The manufacturing schedule determination method shown in Fig. 3 may be performed, for example, once a week, once a day, etc., but is not limited to these. The manufacturing schedule determination method shown in Fig. 3 may be performed, for example, when a partially empty cast (cast including a margin) or an empty cast is included in the schedule SC.

[0035] In addition, some steps included in the manufacturing schedule determination method shown in Fig. 3 may be executed in parallel or in a different order. For example, step S13 (schedule allocation step) in Fig. 3 may be executed before step S12 (distribution step). In addition, for example, step S21 (determination step) in Fig. 4 described later may be executed before step S13 (schedule allocation step) in Fig. 3.

[0036] (Steps S11 and S12) In step S11, the cast frame design device 11 acquires information on the slabs to be manufactured from the slab information file 101. In step S12 (an example of a distribution step), the cast frame design device 11 determines the number and combination of casts, designates slabs to be candidates for placement in each cast as assembly instruction materials, and performs a distribution process of distributing the assembly instruction materials to the casts.

[0037] (Steps S13 and S14) In step S13 (an example of a schedule arrangement step), the schedule determination device 12 performs a schedule arrangement process to determine the timing of steel tapping (production order) of each cast. In step S14, the cast organization device 13 performs a cast organization process to determine the production order of slabs in each cast. Details of cast organization will be described later.

[0038] (Step S15) In step S15, the cast organization device 13 determines whether there are any casts remaining to be organized, i.e., whether there are any casts remaining that have not yet been organized. If there are any casts remaining to be organized (YES in step S15), the cast organization device 13 returns to the process of step S13 and executes the cast organization process for the next cast. On the other hand, if cast organization for all casts placed in the schedule SC has been completed (NO in step S15), the cast organization device 13 ends the process.

[0039] In steps S14 to S15, the cast organization device 13 performs cast organization for the casts assigned to the schedule SC in the order of their order in the schedule SC. That is, the cast organization device 13 repeats steps S14 to S15 to determine the production order of each cast in the order of their order in the schedule SC. At this time, the cast organization device 13 may perform the organization process for one cast in one step S14 and perform the organization process for multiple casts by repeating this, or may perform the organization process for multiple casts collectively in one step S14.

[0040] (Cast composition method) Fig. 4 is a flow diagram showing an example of the flow of the cast formation method (step S14 in Fig. 3) performed by the cast formation device 13. Some steps included in the cast formation method shown in Fig. 4 may be performed in parallel or in a different order.

[0041] (Step S21) In step S21 (an example of a determination step), the cast organization device 13 performs a determination process for determining the manufacturing order of the built-in instruction materials specified for the cast to be organized. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a cast for which the cast organization device 13 has determined the manufacturing order in step S21. In the example of Fig. 5, the cast organization device 13 determines the manufacturing order of the built-in instruction materials P11 to P15 distributed to the cast C21. In addition, the cast organization device 13 determines the manufacturing order of the built-in instruction materials P21 to P23 distributed to the cast C22.

[0042] In the example of Fig. 5, casts C21 and C22 respectively include margins C211 and C221 to which no incorporation instruction material is assigned. The cast frame design device 11 distributes incorporation instruction materials to each cast, but at this time, the cast is actually organized by the cast organization device 13 at a later stage. It is unclear to what extent incorporation instruction materials can be incorporated into the cast unless the cast is actually organized. Therefore, the cast frame design device 11 designs the cast frame by giving the cast a certain amount of margin.

[0043] (Step S22) In step S22 (an example of a determination step and a correction step) in FIG. 4, the cast forming device 13 places the mounting instruction material distributed to other casts in the margin included in the cast frame. In other words, the cast forming device 13 performs a determination process to determine a cast in which a slab can be placed among a plurality of casts in which the manufacturing order of the mounting instruction material in each cast is determined and the manufacturing order of the mounting instruction material in the target period is determined, and performs a correction process to correct the manufacturing order in the target period by incorporating the mounting instruction material distributed to a cast whose manufacturing order is later than that of the cast in question for the cast determined to be capable of placing the slab. At this time, the cast forming device 13 corrects the manufacturing order of the slabs in the plurality of casts to the order of the manufacturing priority of the slabs included in the cast.

[0044] The cast organization process in Fig. 4 is the process of step S14 in Fig. 3, and the cast organization device 13 executes steps S14 to S15 for the casts in the order of the earliest casts, as shown in Fig. 3. In other words, the cast organization device 13 can also correct the production order of each of the multiple casts in the order of the earliest casts by repeating steps S14 to S15.

[0045] In step S22, the cast forming device 13 selects an incorporation instruction material of the same steel type as the incorporation instruction material already distributed to the cast from a cast in a later order. In other words, when a slab can be further arranged in the cast whose production order has been determined in step S21, the cast forming device 13 corrects the production order determined in step S21 by incorporating an incorporation instruction material of the same steel type as the incorporation instruction material distributed to the cast into the cast.

[0046] Also, if there are multiple cast members after the cast member to be organized, the cast organization device 13 may check whether there are any built-in instruction materials that can be moved, starting with the cast member with the earliest schedule among the multiple cast members, and move those that can be moved. In this case, the cast organization device 13 ends the processing of step S22 when the cast member to be organized has no slack. However, the processing of step S22 by the cast organization device 13 is not limited to the above example. As another example, the cast organization device 13 may check whether there are any built-in instruction materials that can be moved, regardless of the order of the cast members in the schedule SC, and execute the processing of moving those that can be moved. In this case, too, the cast organization device 13 ends the processing of step S22 when the cast member to be organized has no slack.

[0047] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a cast formation corrected by the cast formation device 13 in step S22. In the example of Fig. 6, the order of cast C22 determined by the schedule determination device 12 is later than the order of cast C21. The cast formation device 13 updates the cast formation of cast C21 by incorporating the incorporation instruction materials P21 to P23 that were allocated to cast C22 instead of cast C21 into the surplus space C211 of cast C21.

[0048] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a cast in which the manufacturing order of slabs is adjusted in the conventional technology. In the example of Fig. 7, a cast is established by placing slabs other than the incorporation instruction materials (slabs with low priority) or surplus materials in the margin D11 of the cast D1. At this time, slabs with high priority (for example, incorporation instruction materials P21 to P23, etc., allocated to the cast D2) have already been allocated as incorporation instruction materials to other casts, so they cannot be placed in casts at other times.

[0049] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, when executing cast formation from a casting frame arranged earlier in the schedule SC, the incorporation instruction material of another cast is incorporated into the cast. This allows the incorporation instruction material of each steel type (high priority slab) to be arranged up to the fullest extent of each casting frame. This creates vacancies in the casting frames in the latter half of the schedule SC, making it possible to distribute other incorporation instruction materials to the vacant spaces.

[0050] In Fig. 6, by incorporating cast C22 into the incorporation instruction materials P21 to P23, cast C22 becomes an empty cast, that is, a cast to which no incorporation instruction material is allocated. In this case, the production schedule determination method shown in Fig. 3 is performed again before the timing of tapping of the empty cast C22. This allows the casting frames to be filled with incorporation instruction materials in order of the casts with the earliest timing, and prevents the occurrence of vacancies in the casting frames included in the production schedule.

[0051] (Step S23) In step S23 of Fig. 4, the cast forming device 13 determines whether or not there is a margin remaining in the cast that is the target of the manufacturing sequence correction process. If there is a margin remaining (YES in step S23), the cast forming device 13 proceeds to the process of step S24. On the other hand, if there is no margin remaining (NO in step S23), the cast forming device 13 does not perform the processes of steps S24 to S26 and ends the process of Fig. 4.

[0052] (Step S24) If the cast still contains a margin even after the process of step S22 is performed (YES in step S23), the cast forming device 13 places a slab with a low priority (i.e., a slab that is not an incorporation instruction material) in the margin of the cast in step S24. In other words, if a slab can be further placed in the cast into which the incorporation instruction material has been incorporated in step S22 (YES in step S23), the cast forming device 13 further corrects the above-mentioned production sequence by incorporating a slab other than the incorporation instruction material into the cast.

[0053] (Step S25) In step S25, the cast forming device 13 determines whether or not there is any slack remaining in the cast that is the target of the manufacturing sequence correction process. If there is any slack remaining (YES in step S25), the cast forming device 13 proceeds to the process of step S26. On the other hand, if there is no slack remaining (NO in step S25), the cast forming device 13 does not perform the process of step S26 and ends the process of FIG. 4.

[0054] (Step S26) If the cast still contains a margin even after the processes of steps S22 to S24 are performed (YES in step S25), the cast forming device 13 arranges a surplus material in the margin of the cast in step S26. Here, the surplus material is a slab that is not linked to an order from a customer.

[0055] (Effects of manufacturing schedule decision device) As described above, according to this embodiment, after the manufacturing order of the incorporation instruction materials in the cast is determined by cast formation, the incorporation instruction materials distributed to other casts are preferentially incorporated into the slack of the cast frame, thereby correcting the cast formation. In this way, intermediate products (incorporation instruction materials) with high priority can be manufactured at an earlier timing. In other words, according to this embodiment, the manufacturing efficiency of multiple intermediate products can be improved.

[0056] In addition, in the production schedule determination device 1 according to the present embodiment, when a slab can be arranged in a cast in which an incorporation instruction material is incorporated, the cast formation device 13 further corrects the production sequence in the target period by incorporating a slab other than the incorporation instruction material in the cast. This makes it possible to increase the production efficiency not only of the incorporation instruction material but also of intermediate products other than the incorporation instruction material.

[0057] In addition, the production schedule determination device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a schedule determination device 12 that determines the production sequence of a plurality of casts in the target period. This allows the user to determine the production sequence of intermediate products with high production efficiency without performing a cumbersome task of determining the production sequence of a plurality of casts.

[0058] Moreover, the production schedule determination device 1 according to this embodiment includes a cast frame design device 11 that distributes assembly instruction materials to a plurality of casts. This makes it possible to determine the production sequence of intermediate products with high production efficiency without the user having to perform the cumbersome task of distributing assembly instruction materials to a plurality of casts.

[0059] In addition, in the production schedule determination device 1 according to the present embodiment, the cast editing device 13 determines the production order of the incorporation instruction materials in each of the multiple casts to which the incorporation instruction materials are distributed. This makes it possible to determine the production order of intermediate products with high production efficiency without the user having to perform a cumbersome task of determining the production order of the incorporation instruction materials in each cast.

[0060] In addition, in the production schedule determination device 1 according to the present embodiment, the cast editing device 13 corrects the production order of intermediate products in a plurality of casts in descending order of production priority of intermediate products included in the casts. This allows the incorporation instruction materials with high priority to be produced at an earlier timing.

[0061] In addition, in the production schedule determination device 1 according to the present embodiment, when an intermediate product can be further arranged in a cast whose production sequence has been determined, the cast formation device 13 corrects the production sequence of the cast by incorporating an incorporation instruction material of the same steel type as the incorporation instruction material distributed to the cast into the cast. This allows cast formation that can more efficiently produce intermediate products.

[0062] In addition, in the production schedule determination device 1 according to the present embodiment, the cast formation device 13 selects the incorporation instruction material to be incorporated into each cast by using information indicating the size of the incorporation instruction material. This allows cast formation that can more efficiently manufacture intermediate products.

[0063] In addition, in the production schedule determination device 1 according to the present embodiment, the cast formation device 13 selects the incorporation instruction material to be incorporated into each cast by using information indicating the delivery date of the incorporation instruction material. This allows cast formation that can be produced more efficiently by taking into account the delivery date of the intermediate product.

[0064] [Modifications] In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the production schedule determination device 1 executes the production schedule determination method shown in Fig. 3 and the cast organization method shown in Fig. 4. At least some of the steps included in the production schedule determination method shown in Fig. 3 and the cast organization method shown in Fig. 4 may be performed by a user of the production schedule determination device 1, etc. For example, the schedule arrangement step related to step S13 in Fig. 3 may be performed not by the schedule determination device 12 but by, for example, a user of the production schedule determination device 1.

[0065] Furthermore, at least some of the steps included in the production schedule determination method shown in Fig. 3 and the cast organization method shown in Fig. 4 may be executed by the production schedule determination device 1 based on information input by a user via an HMI (Human Machine Interface). For example, the cast organization device 13 may execute the cast organization process related to step S14 in Fig. 3 (the process of steps S21 to S26 in Fig. 4) based on information input by a user via the HMI. More specifically, for example, the cast organization device 13 may execute the process of moving the incorporation instruction material between casts in step S22 in Fig. 4 based on a user operation.

[0066] [Software implementation example] The functions of the production schedule determination device 1 (hereinafter referred to as the "device") are a production schedule determination program for causing a computer to function as the device, and can be realized by a program for causing a computer to function as each control block of the device (cast frame design device 11, schedule determination device 12, cast organization device 13).

[0067] In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the program. The control device and storage device execute the program to realize each function described in each of the above embodiments.

[0068] The program may be non-transitory and may be recorded in one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the program may be provided to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0069] In addition, some or all of the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by a logic circuit. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0070] Furthermore, each process described in each of the above embodiments may be executed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). In this case, the AI ​​may be executed by the control device or another device (for example, an edge computer or a cloud server).

[0071] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0072] 〔summary〕 The production schedule determination device of aspect 1 is a production schedule determination device that determines a production order of a plurality of intermediate products produced by continuous casting, and includes a discrimination unit that discriminates a cast in which an intermediate product can be placed among a plurality of casts in which a production order for a target period is determined and which include an incorporation instruction product selected from among the plurality of intermediate products, and in which the production order of the incorporation instruction product within each cast has been determined, and a correction unit that corrects the production order for the target period by incorporating, into the cast determined by the discrimination unit, the incorporation instruction product that has been allocated to a cast whose production order is later than that of the cast in question.

[0073] In the production schedule determination device of aspect 2, in the production schedule determination device of aspect 1, when the correction unit is able to place an intermediate product in the cast into which the instructed product has been incorporated, the correction unit further corrects the production sequence for the target period by incorporating an intermediate product other than the instructed product into the cast.

[0074] The production schedule determination device according to a third aspect is the production schedule determination device according to the first or second aspect, further comprising a production schedule determination unit that determines a production sequence of the plurality of casts in the target period.

[0075] The production schedule determination device according to a fourth aspect is the production schedule determination device according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising a distribution unit that distributes the incorporation instructed products to the multiple cast members.

[0076] The production schedule determination device of aspect 5 is a production schedule determination device of any one of aspects 1 to 4, further comprising a determination unit that determines the production order of the incorporation instruction products within each of a plurality of casts to which the incorporation instruction products are distributed.

[0077] A production schedule determination device according to a sixth aspect is a production schedule determination device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the correction unit corrects the production order of intermediate products in the multiple casts to the order of the production priorities of the intermediate products included in the casts.

[0078] A production schedule determination device according to a seventh aspect is a production schedule determination device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein, when an intermediate product can be further placed in a cast for which the determination unit has determined the production order, the correction unit corrects the production order determined by the determination unit by incorporating into the cast an incorporation instruction material of the same steel type as the incorporation instruction material distributed to the cast.

[0079] A production schedule determination device according to an eighth aspect is a production schedule determination device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, in which the correction unit selects an incorporation instruction material to be incorporated into the cast based on information relating to the intermediate product, information relating to the cast, and constraint conditions.

[0080] A ninth aspect of the production schedule determination device is the production schedule determination device of the eighth aspect, in which the correction unit selects an incorporation instruction material to be incorporated into the cast based on information indicating a delivery date of the incorporation instruction material.

[0081] The production schedule determination method of aspect 10 is a production schedule determination method for determining a production order of a plurality of intermediate products produced by continuous casting, and includes a determination step of determining a cast in which an intermediate product can be placed among a plurality of casts in which a production order for a target period is determined and which include an incorporation instruction product selected from among the plurality of intermediate products, and in which the production order of the incorporation instruction product within each cast has been determined, and a correction step of correcting the production order for the target period by incorporating, into the cast determined in the determination step, the incorporation instruction product allocated to a cast whose production order is later than that of the cast in question.

[0082] The production schedule determination program of embodiment 11 is a production schedule determination program that determines the production order of a plurality of intermediate products produced by continuous casting, and causes a computer to execute a discrimination process that discriminates a cast in which an intermediate product can be placed among a plurality of casts whose production order in a target period is determined and which include an incorporation instruction product selected from among the plurality of intermediate products, and in which the production order of the incorporation instruction product within each cast has been determined, and a correction process that corrects the production order in the target period by incorporating, into the cast determined in the discrimination process, the incorporation instruction product that has been allocated to a cast whose production order is later than that of the cast in question.

[0083] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1. Manufacturing schedule determination device 11 Casting frame design device 12 Schedule Determination Device 13 Casting equipment 101 Slab Information File 102 Cast Information File 103 Constraint File 104 Cast composition result file SC Schedule C11~C14, C21, C22, D1, D2 Cast C221, D11 allowance

Claims

1. A production schedule determination device that determines a production sequence of a plurality of intermediate products produced by continuous casting, comprising: a determination unit that determines a cast in which an intermediate product can be placed among a plurality of casts in which a manufacturing sequence for a target period is determined and which includes an incorporation instruction product selected from the plurality of intermediate products, the incorporation instruction product being selected from the plurality of casts in which a manufacturing sequence for the incorporation instruction product in each cast is determined; a correction unit that corrects the production order for the target period by incorporating, into the cast determined by the discrimination unit, an incorporation instruction product that has been distributed to a cast that has a later production order than the cast determined by the discrimination unit.

2. When an intermediate product can be further arranged in the cast into which the incorporation instructed product is incorporated by the correction unit, the correction unit further corrects the production sequence for the target period by incorporating an intermediate product other than the incorporation instructed product into the cast. The production schedule determination device according to claim 1 .

3. The manufacturing schedule determination unit determines a manufacturing sequence of the plurality of casts during the target period. The production schedule determination device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The method further includes a distribution unit that distributes the incorporation instruction product to the plurality of cast members. The production schedule determination device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The manufacturing method further includes a determination unit that determines a manufacturing order of the incorporation instruction products in each of the plurality of casts to which the incorporation instruction products are distributed. The production schedule determination device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The correction unit corrects the manufacturing order of the intermediate products in the plurality of casts in order of manufacturing priority of the intermediate products included in the casts. The production schedule determination device according to claim 1 or 2.

7. When an intermediate product can be further arranged in the cast for which the production sequence has been determined, the correction unit corrects the production sequence by incorporating an incorporation instruction product of the same steel type as the incorporation instruction product allocated to the cast into the cast. The production schedule determination device according to claim 1 or 2.

8. the correction unit selects an incorporation instruction product to be incorporated into the cast based on information on the intermediate product, information on the cast, and constraint conditions; The production schedule determination device according to claim 1 or 2.

9. The correction unit selects an incorporation instruction product to be incorporated into the cast based on information indicating a delivery date of the incorporation instruction product. The production schedule determination device according to claim 8.

10. A production schedule determination method for determining a production sequence of a plurality of intermediate products produced by continuous casting, comprising the steps of: a determining step of determining a cast in which an intermediate product can be placed among a plurality of casts in which a manufacturing sequence in a target period is determined and which includes an incorporation instruction product selected from the plurality of intermediate products, the incorporation instruction product being selected from the plurality of casts in which a manufacturing sequence in each cast is determined; and a correction step of correcting the production order for the target period by incorporating, into the cast determined in the determination step, an incorporation instruction product that has been allocated to a cast that has a later production order than the cast determined in the determination step.

11. A production schedule determination program for determining a production sequence of a plurality of intermediate products produced by continuous casting, comprising: On the computer, a determination process for determining a cast in which an intermediate product can be placed among a plurality of casts in which a manufacturing sequence for a target period is determined and which includes an incorporation instruction product selected from the plurality of intermediate products, the incorporation instruction product being selected from the plurality of casts in which a manufacturing sequence for the incorporation instruction product in each cast has been determined; and a production schedule determination program for executing a correction process for correcting the production order for the target period by incorporating, into the cast determined in the determination process, an incorporation instruction product that has been allocated to a cast that has a later production order than the cast determined in the determination process.

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