Collation device and collation system

Abstract

To check whether or not a plurality of steel ingots are normally charged into a heating furnace.SOLUTION: A database (14) of a collation device (10) stores charging instruction information for instructing a charging state of a plurality of steel ingots (P) relative to a heating furnace (100). A collation unit (13) of the collation device (10) collates charging results information indicating the charging state of the plurality of steel ingots (P) charged into the heating furnace (100) with the charging instruction information stored in the database (14). When the charging results information does not match the charging instruction information, collation results indicating abnormality can be transmitted to an operator terminal (30). When the charging results information coincides with the charging instruction information, the collation results indicating normality can be transmitted to a results collecting device (20) for collecting the charging results of the steel ingot (P).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a verification device for verifying whether a plurality of steel blocks are loaded into a heating furnace in accordance with specified content, and a verification system including this verification device.

Background Art

[0002] When loading a plurality of steel blocks into a heating furnace, if a steel block different from the one that should originally be loaded is loaded, there is a risk of using the wrong steel block in the processes after the heating furnace. Therefore, after loading a plurality of steel blocks into the heating furnace, an operator visually checks whether each steel block is loaded properly.

[0003] On the other hand, in Patent Document 1, in order to prevent different materials from being accidentally bundled when bundling a plurality of bundled steel materials again after unbundling, a barcode seal indicating a sequential number showing the work order is attached to the steel materials.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When an operator visually checks whether each steel block is loaded properly, there is a risk of a checking error. Note that the invention described in Patent Document 1 does not attempt to solve the problem of misloading of steel blocks into the heating furnace.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The collation device, which is the first invention of the present application, has a database and a collation unit. The database stores loading instruction information indicating the loading states of a plurality of steel ingots into a heating furnace. The collation unit collates the loading actual result information indicating the loading states of the plurality of steel ingots loaded into the heating furnace with the loading instruction information stored in the database.

[0007] When the loading actual result information does not match the loading instruction information, the collation unit can generate a collation result indicating an abnormality, and the transmission unit provided in the collation device can transmit the collation result indicating the abnormality to the operator terminal. On the other hand, when the loading actual result information matches the loading instruction information, the collation unit can generate a collation result indicating normality, and the transmission unit provided in the collation device can transmit the collation result indicating normality to the actual result collection device that collects the loading actual results of the steel ingots.

[0008] Each of the loading instruction information and the loading actual result information can include information for specifying the heating furnace and information regarding the loading positions of the respective steel ingots.

[0009] The collation system, which is the second invention of the present application, includes the collation device that is the first invention of the present application, an actual result collection device that transmits the loading instruction information to the collation device, and an operator terminal that transmits the loading actual result information to the collation device. Here, an information label for specifying the individual information of the steel ingot can be attached to the steel ingot. The photographing unit provided in the operator terminal photographs the labels of the plurality of steel ingots loaded into the heating furnace, and the information generation unit provided in the operator terminal can generate the loading actual result information based on the photographing information obtained by the photographing unit.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, by collating the loading actual result information with the loading instruction information, it is possible to confirm whether a plurality of steel ingots are normally loaded into the heating furnace.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0012] This embodiment is a verification device and a verification system for verifying whether a plurality of steel ingots are properly charged as instructed when the plurality of steel ingots are charged into a heating furnace. Examples of the types of steel ingots include ingot materials and bloom materials. Usually, a plurality of heating furnaces are installed, and a plurality of steel ingots P are charged into a designated heating furnace.

[0013] (Charging of steel ingots) First, with reference to FIG. 1, the charging state of a plurality of steel ingots P into the heating furnace 100 will be described. The heating furnace 100 has an inlet 110 for charging a plurality of steel ingots P, and the plurality of steel ingots P can be charged into both the inlet side and the back side of the heating furnace 100. On each of the inlet side and the back side of the heating furnace 100, the plurality of steel ingots P are arranged in the width direction (the left - right direction in FIG. 1) and the height direction (the up - down direction in FIG. 1) of the heating furnace 100.

[0014] The heating furnace 100 can charge one type of steel ingot P, or can charge a plurality of types of steel ingots P together. Also, a plurality of steel ingots P with different lengths can be charged into the heating furnace 100. In FIG. 1, a plurality of steel ingots P with the same length (hereinafter referred to as short - length steel ingots P) are charged into both the inlet side and the back side, but it is also possible to charge a steel ingot P extending from the inlet side to the back side (hereinafter referred to as a long - length steel ingot P).

[0015] For one heating furnace 100, short steel ingots P are loaded on both the inlet side and the back side, and when loading long steel ingots P, the long steel ingots P remain in the loaded position. After loading the short steel ingots P on the back side, the short steel ingots P are loaded on the inlet side. In this case, the short steel ingots P loaded on the inlet side and the back side are placed on the long steel ingots P, or the long steel ingots P are placed on the short steel ingots P loaded on the inlet side and the back side.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 2, before loading the steel ingot P into the heating furnace 100, a label L is attached to the end face of the steel ingot P. Information for identifying the individual information of the steel ingot P is printed on the label L, and as this information, for example, a two-dimensional code can be used. When loading the steel ingot P into the heating furnace 100, the steel ingot P is loaded so that the end face of the steel ingot P with the label L attached faces the inlet side of the heating furnace 100. Note that the label L only needs to be attached to the end face of the steel ingot P, and the attachment position can be arbitrarily determined.

[0017] (Configuration of the verification system) Next, the configuration of the verification system will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The verification system includes a verification device 10, a performance collection device 20, and an operator terminal 30.

[0018] The verification device 10 includes a transmission unit 11, a reception unit 12, a verification unit 13, and a database 14. The verification device 10 can communicate (wirelessly or wired) with each of the performance collection device 20 and the operator terminal 30. Information for instructing the loading states of a plurality of steel ingots P in the heating furnace 100 (hereinafter referred to as "loading instruction information") is stored in the database 14. The loading instruction information includes the individual information of each steel ingot P, information regarding the loading position of each steel ingot P, and information for identifying the heating furnace 100 in which these steel ingots P are loaded.

[0019] The verification unit 13 verifies whether or not a plurality of steel ingots P actually charged into the heating furnace 100 are charged in accordance with the charging instruction information. Specifically, the verification unit 13 determines whether or not a plurality of steel ingots P are normally charged in accordance with the charging instruction information by verifying the charging performance information described later with the charging instruction information.

[0020] The performance collection device 20 includes a transmission unit 21, a reception unit 22, and a database 23, and collects information regarding the charging performance of the steel ingots P. The database 23 stores the above-described charging instruction information and information (hereinafter referred to as "verification performance information") based on the verification result of the verification device 10. Here, as the input of the charging instruction information, an input terminal 40 capable of communicating with the performance collection device 20 can be used. The charging instruction information can be input to the input terminal 40 and transmitted from the input terminal 40 to the performance collection device 20. In the present embodiment, the performance collection device 20 and the input terminal 40 are separately configured, but they may be integrally configured.

[0021] The operator terminal 30 includes a photographing unit 31, a display unit 32, an operation unit 33, an information generation unit 34, a transmission unit 35, and a reception unit 36. The photographing unit 31 is used to photograph a plurality of steel ingots P charged into the heating furnace 100. The display unit 32 displays predetermined information, and the operation unit 33 is operated to input predetermined information. The display unit 32 and the operation unit 33 may be configured by separate modules or may be configured by one module (for example, a touch panel).

[0022] The information generation unit 34 generates information (hereinafter referred to as "charging performance information") indicating the charging state of a plurality of steel ingots P charged into the heating furnace 100. The charging performance information includes information on items common to the charging instruction information, and is verified with the charging instruction information regarding the information on these common items. Examples of the information on the common items include the individual information of each steel ingot P, the information regarding the charging position of each steel ingot P, and the information specifying the heating furnace 100 into which these steel ingots P are charged.

[0023] (Processing of the verification system) Next, the processing content of the above-described collation system will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. 4.

[0024] In step S101, the performance collection device 20 acquires loading instruction information. Specifically, after the loading instruction information is input at the input terminal 40, the loading instruction information is transmitted from the input terminal 40 to the performance collection device 20. The receiving unit 22 of the performance collection device 20 receives the loading instruction information transmitted from the input terminal 40. In step S102, the transmitting unit 21 of the performance collection device 20 transmits the loading instruction information acquired in the process of step S101 to the collation device 10.

[0025] In step S103, the receiving unit 12 of the collation device 10 receives the loading instruction information transmitted from the performance collection device 20. In step S104, the collation device 10 stores the loading instruction information received in the process of step S103 in the database 14.

[0026] On the other hand, while the operator confirms the same information as the loading instruction information, the operator loads a plurality of steel blocks P into the heating furnace 100. After loading the plurality of steel blocks P into the heating furnace 100, in step S105, the operator uses the photographing unit 31 of the operator terminal 30 to photograph the loading state of the plurality of steel blocks P. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, among the plurality of steel blocks P arranged in the width direction and the height direction of the heating furnace 100, the plurality of steel blocks P arranged in the uppermost row are photographed together. FIG. 5 shows a photographing area SA when photographing the uppermost steel block P. Note that if illumination light is irradiated on the steel block P when photographing the steel block P, a clear photographed image can be obtained.

[0027] As described above, since the plurality of steel blocks P are loaded so that the end face with the label L attached faces the inlet side of the heating furnace 100, the label L of each steel block P is included in the photographing area SA. Therefore, the individual information of each steel block P can be specified from the information (such as a two-dimensional code) printed on the label L included in the photographed image of the photographing area SA. Further, based on the photographed image of the photographing area SA, the arrangement state of the plurality of steel blocks P in the uppermost row can be specified.

[0028] After photographing a plurality of steel blocks P located at the uppermost stage, the plurality of steel blocks P arranged in the stage immediately below the uppermost stage (the third stage from the bottom in FIG. 5) are collectively photographed. That is, the photographing area SA shown in FIG. 5 is moved to the stage located immediately below the uppermost stage for photographing. As shown by the arrow D in FIG. 5, by performing photographing while moving the photographing area SA from the uppermost stage toward the lowermost stage, all the steel blocks P arranged in the width direction and height direction of the heating furnace 100 can be photographed. By photographing all the steel blocks P, the individual information of each steel block P and the loading positions of each steel block P in the width direction and height direction of the heating furnace 100 can be specified.

[0029] Note that the above-described photographing method is an example, and it is only necessary to be able to photograph all the steel blocks P loaded in the heating furnace 100. For example, by collectively photographing a plurality of steel blocks P arranged in the height direction of the heating furnace 100 and performing photographing while moving this photographing area from one end to the other end in the width direction of the heating furnace 100, all the steel blocks P loaded in the heating furnace 100 can be photographed. On the other hand, when the photographing area of the photographing unit 31 includes all the steel blocks P loaded in the heating furnace 100, all the steel blocks P can be photographed by one-time photographing.

[0030] As described with reference to FIG. 1, when loading a plurality of steel blocks P on the back side and the inlet side of the heating furnace 100, first, the steel blocks P to be loaded on the back side of the heating furnace 100 are loaded on the inlet side of the heating furnace 100, and then the photographing unit 31 photographs the plurality of steel blocks P loaded on the inlet side. Next, after moving the steel blocks P loaded on the inlet side of the heating furnace 100 to the back side, a new plurality of steel blocks P are loaded on the inlet side of the heating furnace 100, and the photographing unit 31 photographs the plurality of steel blocks P loaded on the inlet side. Thereby, for all the steel blocks P loaded on the back side and the inlet side of the heating furnace 100, the individual information and loading positions of each steel block P can be specified.

[0031] In step S106 shown in FIG. 4, the information generation unit 34 of the operator terminal 30 generates loading result information based on the shooting information of the shooting unit 31. As described above, by shooting all the steel blocks P loaded into the heating furnace 100, the individual information and loading positions of the respective steel blocks P can be specified. Further, by the operator operating the operation unit 33 of the operator terminal 30, information for specifying the heating furnace 100 into which the photographed steel block P is loaded can be input. Thereby, loading result information indicating the loading states of the plurality of steel blocks P loaded into a specific heating furnace 100 can be generated.

[0032] In step S107, the transmission unit 35 of the operator terminal 30 transmits the generated loading result information to the collation device 10. Here, before transmitting the loading result information to the collation device 10, by displaying the loading result information on the display unit 32 of the operator terminal 30, the operator can confirm the content of the loading result information.

[0033] In step S108, the reception unit 12 of the collation device 10 receives the loading result information transmitted from the operator terminal 30. In step S109, the collation unit 13 of the collation device 10 collates the received loading result information with the loading instruction information stored in the database 14. As described above, since the loading result information and the loading instruction information have information on common items, the collation unit 13 determines whether the information matches in each common item. Then, when the loading result information and the loading instruction information match in all the common items, the collation unit 13 determines that the collation result is normal. On the other hand, when the loading result information and the loading instruction information do not match in at least one common item, the collation unit 13 determines that the collation result is abnormal.

[0034] In step S110, the collation unit 13 determines whether the collation result is normal. Here, when the collation result is abnormal, in step S111, the transmission unit 11 of the collation device 10 transmits a collation result indicating an abnormality to the operator terminal 30. In step S112, the reception unit 36 of the operator terminal 30 receives the collation result (abnormality) transmitted from the collation device 10.

[0035] As a result, the collation result (abnormality) can be displayed on the display unit 32 of the operator terminal 30, and the operator can grasp that the loading state of the steel ingot P is not the loading state according to the loading instruction information by checking the display content of the display unit 32. Here, when transmitting the collation result (abnormality) from the collation device 10 to the operator terminal 30, information indicating the cause of the abnormality can be included in the collation result. Examples of the cause of the abnormality include that the steel ingot P included is different from the steel ingot P specified by the loading instruction information, and that the loading position of a specific steel ingot P is different from the loading position specified by the loading instruction information. Thereby, the operator can easily grasp the cause of the abnormality.

[0036] When the collation result is abnormal, in step S113, the operator can change the loading state of the steel ingot P to the loading state according to the loading instruction information by performing the operation of reloading the steel ingot P into the heating furnace 100. After changing the loading state of the steel ingot P, the operator performs the processes of steps S105 to S107 again using the operator terminal 30. In this case, in the collation device 10, it is determined that the collation result is normal.

[0037] In step S110, when it is determined that the collation result is normal, in step S114, the transmission unit 11 of the collation device 10 transmits a collation result indicating normality to the operator terminal 30. In step S115, the reception unit 36 of the operator terminal 30 receives the collation result (normality) transmitted from the collation device 10. As a result, the collation result (normality) can be displayed on the display unit 32 of the operator terminal 30, and the operator can grasp that the loading state of the steel ingot P is the loading state according to the loading instruction information by checking the display content of the display unit 32. As described above, even when the operator changes the loading state of the steel ingot P to the loading state according to the loading instruction information, the processes of steps S114 and S115 described above are performed.

[0038] In step S116, when the collation result is normal, the transmission unit 11 of the collation device 10 transmits the collation result information to the result collection device 20. The collation result information is information indicating the loading state of the steel ingot P when the collation result is normal. The collation result information can include, for example, the collation result (normal), the captured image obtained by the imaging unit 31, and the loading result information.

[0039] In step S117, the receiving unit 22 of the result collection device 20 receives the collation result information transmitted from the collation device 10. In step S118, the result collection device 20 stores the received collation result information in the database 23. By accumulating the collation result information in the database 23 of the result collection device 20, the loading status of the steel ingot P into the heating furnace 100 can be managed.

[0040] When loading a plurality of steel ingots P on each of the inlet side and the back side of the heating furnace 100, the process shown in FIG. 4 is performed for each of the plurality of steel ingots P loaded on each of the inlet side and the back side. That is, when the steel ingot P to be loaded on the back side of the heating furnace 100 is loaded on the inlet side of the heating furnace 100, and when a new plurality of steel ingots P are loaded on the inlet side of the heating furnace 100 after moving the steel ingot P to the back side of the heating furnace 100, the process shown in FIG. 4 is performed.

[0041] Also, when loading long and short steel ingots P into the heating furnace 100, when the short steel ingot P to be loaded on the back side of the heating furnace 100 is loaded on the inlet side of the heating furnace 100, and when a new short steel ingot P is loaded on the inlet side of the heating furnace 100 after moving the short steel ingot P to the back side of the heating furnace 100, the process shown in FIG. 4 is performed. Here, since the long steel ingot P is not moved, the captured image when photographing the short steel ingot P loaded on the back side and the captured image when photographing the short steel ingot P loaded on the inlet side will include the common long steel ingot P.

[0042] (Modification Example 1) In this embodiment, when the worker terminal 30 receives the verification result (abnormal), the worker is supposed to change the loading state of the steel ingot P, but it is not limited to this. For example, the worker who has confirmed the verification result (abnormal) can visually check the loading state of the steel ingot P loaded into the heating furnace 100. When the worker determines that the current loading state is the loading state according to the loading instruction information as a result of the visual check, the worker can send visual check information from the worker terminal 30 to the verification device 10.

[0043] The visual check information is information indicating that the current loading state is the loading state according to the loading instruction information by visual check. When the verification device 10 receives the visual check information from the worker terminal 30, it changes the verification result from abnormal to normal and sends the verification result information to the result collection device 20. Here, the visual check information can be included in the verification result information.

[0044] (Modification 2) In this embodiment, the loading result information is generated in the worker terminal 30, but it is not limited to this. As long as the loading result information can be generated using the shooting information indicating the loading state of the steel ingot P. For example, the shooting information indicating the loading state of the steel ingot P generated by the worker terminal 30 can be sent to the verification device 10, and the verification device 10 can generate the loading result information.

[0045] The loading result information includes information for identifying the heating furnace 100. The verification device 10 can identify the heating furnace 100 into which the steel ingot P is loaded by using the identification information assigned to the worker terminal 30. Here, when the worker terminal 30 is assigned to each heating furnace 100, the heating furnace 100 can be identified based on the identification information of the worker terminal 30. On the other hand, if the position information of the worker terminal 30 is obtained using a GPS (Global Positioning System) or the like, the heating furnace 100 photographed by the worker terminal 30 can be identified.

[0046] (Modification 3) When the steel ingot P is heated in the heating furnace 100, some of the steel ingots P may not be heated sufficiently. In this case, after taking out the sufficiently heated steel ingots P from the heating furnace 100, while leaving the insufficiently heated steel ingots P in the heating furnace 100, new steel ingots P are charged into the heating furnace 100.

[0047] In this case, in step S101 shown in FIG. 4, an accumulation flag is set for the charging instruction information. The accumulation flag is a flag indicating that the heating furnace 100 contains insufficiently heated steel ingots P, and is linked to the charging position of the insufficiently heated steel ingots P. In step S109, the collating unit 13 of the collating device 10 excludes the steel ingots P linked to the accumulation flag and collates the other steel ingots P.

[0048] In step S111 or S114, when transmitting the collation result (abnormal or normal) from the collation device 10 to the operator terminal 30, information indicating that the heating furnace 100 contains insufficiently heated steel ingots P can be transmitted. Thereby, the operator can check the display unit 32 of the operator terminal 30 and grasp that the heating furnace 100 contains insufficiently heated steel ingots P, and can visually check this steel ingot P.

[0049] When the operator visually checks the insufficiently heated steel ingot P, visual confirmation information is transmitted from the operator terminal 30 to the collation device 10. The collation device 10 transmits the collation result information including the visual confirmation information to the result collection device 20.

Explanation of Signs

[0050] 10: Collation device, 11: Transmission unit, 12: Reception unit, 13: Collation unit, 14: Database, 20: Result collection device, 21: Transmission unit, 22: Reception unit, 23: Database, 30: Operator terminal, 31: Photographing unit, 32: Display unit, 33: Operation unit, 34: Information generation unit, 35: Transmission unit, 36: Reception unit, 40: Input terminal, 100: Heating furnace, 110: Entrance, P: Steel ingot, L: Label, SA: Photographing area

Claims

1. A database that stores loading instruction information for instructing the loading states of a plurality of steel blocks into a heating furnace, A verification unit that verifies loading achievement information indicating the loading states of the plurality of steel blocks loaded into the heating furnace against the loading instruction information stored in the database, A verification device characterized by comprising the above.

2. When the loading achievement information does not match the loading instruction information, the verification unit generates a verification result indicating an abnormality, The verification device according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a transmission unit that transmits the verification result indicating the abnormality to an operator terminal.

3. When the loading achievement information matches the loading instruction information, the verification unit generates a verification result indicating normality, The verification device according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a transmission unit that transmits the verification result indicating normality to a performance collection device that collects the loading achievements of steel blocks.

4. Each of the loading instruction information and the loading achievement information includes information for specifying the heating furnace and information regarding the loading positions of the respective steel blocks. The verification device according to claim 1 is characterized by this.

5. A verification device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A performance collection device that transmits the loading instruction information to the verification device, An operator terminal that transmits the loading achievement information to the verification device, A verification system characterized by comprising the above.

6. A label displaying information for specifying the individual information of the steel block is attached to the steel block, The operator terminal, A photographing unit that photographs the labels of the plurality of steel blocks loaded into the heating furnace, The verification system according to claim 5, characterized by comprising an information generation unit that generates the loading achievement information based on the photographing information obtained by the photographing unit.

Images