Apparatus and method for determining the sequence of loading base materials, the arrangement of products in the base materials, the number of temporary racks, and the number of packages

Abstract

A base material charging sequence for packing products 14 discharged from a processing machine 12 to make a plurality of packages is determined.SOLUTION: The arrangement of a product 14 to a base material 10 is determined, the product 14 is distributed so as to form two or more packages, and package data 46 showing which package 17 the product 14 belongs to is generated for each package. When the products 14 arranged in the same base material 10 belong to different packing data 46, the different packing data 46 to which the products 14 belong are classified into the same classification. For each classification, a permutation of the packaging data 46 in the classification is created. The base materials 10 in which the corresponding products 14 in the packing data 46 are collected for each classification are allocated, and the input sequence of the base materials 10 to the working machine 12 is prepared.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for determining the sequence of workpiece feeding into a processing machine, the combination of products with workpieces, and the number of temporary product placement racks and packages before packaging, and an apparatus for carrying out this method. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to improve the efficiency of on-site work, it is desirable to include desired products in the packaging of products processed by a processing machine. Alternatively, there is a demand to stack and pack products in order of ease of removal. In response to this, a technique is known in which, when packaging products discharged from a processing machine, restrictions are imposed on the arrangement of products with base materials (Patent Document 1). Another technique is known in which products are discharged from the processing machine in the order in which they are stacked (Patent Document 2). Other known techniques include providing temporary storage areas and devising arrangements for products within the package (Patent Documents 3 to 6). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-36094 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5294240 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-74705 [Patent Document 4] Patent No. 6456543 [Patent Document 5] Patent No. 6291123 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-11649 [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] Yanagiura Mutsunori and Ibaraki Toshihide, Combinatorial Optimization - Focusing on Meta-Strategies - Asakura Publishing, 2001 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Even for products that are packaged separately, cutting them from a single base material can sometimes allow for effective and economical use of the base material. Strict constraints placed on the assortment of such products, prioritizing ease of packaging, can easily result in lower yields. Poor product placement within a package can cause inconvenience when unpacking and removing the products. Packing all products temporarily requires multiple temporary storage areas, and products must be searched for in these temporary storage areas before being packed. Furthermore, implementing a device or method for determining assortments, etc., to obtain useful results is problematic in that as the number of products and base materials increases, the search space expands, resulting in significant computational time.

[0006] Given a desired packaging shape (the products contained in the package, their arrangement positions, and stacking order), it is desirable to discharge the products in a single package so that they are concentrated in a small area, so that the products discharged can be efficiently packaged in a high-yield assortment without changing the packaging shape. In operations using temporary storage racks, it is desirable to minimize the number of temporary storage racks (temporary storage locations) required. It is also desirable to minimize the number of times products are transported to the temporary storage racks and reduce time. It is also desirable to rationally narrow the search space and reduce calculation time. The present invention provides a device for determining the permutation of base material input, a device for determining the assortment of products to base materials, and a device and method for determining the number of temporary storage racks and number of packages for products before packaging, which solve these problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The following configurations are means for solving the above problems. <Configuration 1> A matching determination means 26 for determining the matching of the product 14 to the base material 10; a package allocation means (27) for allocating the products (14) to form two or more packages and generating packaging data (46) for each package indicating which package (17) the product (14) belongs to; a classification means for classifying, when the products are assembled in the same base material, the different packing data to which the products belong, into the same classification; a packing permutation generating means 31 for generating a permutation of the packing data 46 in the classification for each of the above classifications; and a base material input permutation generating means (32) for allocating base materials (10) that are combined with the corresponding products (14) in the packaging data (46) for each of the above classifications in accordance with the permutation of the packaging data (46), and creating a permutation of the base materials (10) to be input to the processing machine (12). A device for determining a base material input sequence for inputting a base material 10 into a processing machine 12, processing the base material 10 in the processing machine 12 based on processing data 44, discharging a product 14 from the processing machine 12, and packaging the product 14 to create a plurality of packages.

[0008] <Configuration 2> The packaging data 46 generated by the packaging distribution means 27 is regarded as the point 34, If the products 14 assembled to the same base material 10 belong to different points 34, i.e., different packaging data 46, a side 36 is created connecting the corresponding points 34. a graph determination means 38 for determining whether a graph consisting of the points 34 and edges 36 is a connected graph or a disconnected graph; The classification means 30 When the graph determination means 38 determines that the graph is an unconnected graph, Points 34 in the same component of the disconnected graph, i.e., packaged data 46, are classified into the same category. When it is determined that the graph is connected, 2. The device for determining a base material input sequence according to configuration 1, wherein all points 34 included in the connection graph, i.e., all packaging data 46, are grouped together into one.

[0009] <Configuration 3> The device for determining a base material input permutation described in configuration 2 is characterized in that when the point 34 indicating the packing data 46 of a component of the graph in the case of an unconnected graph, or of any of the packing data 46 of the connected graph in the case of a connected graph, is an end point 34, the packing permutation generation means 31 sets the end point 34 as the first in the permutation of the packing data 46.

[0010] <Configuration 4> a discharge order determining means 40 for determining the order in which products are discharged from the processing machine 12; A device for determining a base material input permutation as described in configuration 1 or configuration 2, characterized in that it includes a local search means 42 that uses the judgment result of this discharge order judgment means 40 to perform a local search for each classification to determine the base material 10 input permutation to the processing machine 12, with the base material 10 input permutation as an initial solution.

[0011] <Configuration 5> A matching determination means 26 for determining the matching of the product 14 to the base material 10; a package allocation means (27) for allocating the products (14) to form two or more packages and generating packaging data (46) for each package indicating which package the product (14) belongs to; a classification means for classifying, when the products are assembled in the same base material, the different packing data to which the products belong, into the same classification; a packing permutation generating means 31 for generating a permutation of the packing data 46 in the classification for each of the above classifications; a base material input permutation generating means 32 for allocating base materials 10 that are combined with the corresponding products 14 in the packaging data 46 for each of the above classifications in accordance with the permutation of the packaging data 46, and creating a permutation of the base materials 10 to be input to the processing machine 12; a discharge order determining means 40 for determining the order in which products are discharged from the processing machine 12; The device for determining the combination of products 14 to base material 10 is characterized by comprising a local search means 42 that uses the judgment results of this discharge order judgment means 40 to perform a local search for each of the classifications to determine the combination of products 14 to base material 10 to be processed by a processing machine 12 that has the combination of the products 14 to base material 10 as an initial solution.

[0012] <Configuration 6> a stacking order determination means 48 for determining the stacking order of the products 14 inside the package using the packaging data 46; The base material input permutation determination device according to configuration 4 is characterized in that it comprises a base material input permutation generation means 32 that allocates base materials 10 that are combined with the corresponding products 14 according to the permutation of the packing data 46 for each classification and the stacking order of the products 14 in the packing data 46, and creates a permutation of the base materials 10 that are input to the processing machine 12.

[0013] <Configuration 7> a stacking order determination means 48 for determining the stacking order of the products 14 inside the package using the packaging data 46; The device for determining the assortment of products 14 to base materials 10 according to configuration 5 is characterized by comprising a base material input permutation generation means 32 that allocates base materials 10 to be combined with the corresponding products 14 according to the permutation of packaging data 46 for each classification and the stacking order of the products 14 in the packaging data 46, and creates a permutation of the base materials 10 to be input to the processing machine 12.

[0014] <Configuration 8> A matching determination means 26 for determining the matching of the product 14 to the base material 10; a package allocation means (27) for allocating the products (14) to form two or more packages and generating packaging data (46) for each package indicating which package the product (14) belongs to; stacking order determination means for determining the stacking order of the products 14 inside the package using the packaging data 46; a classification means for classifying, when the products are assembled in the same base material, the different packing data to which the products belong, into the same classification; a packing permutation generating means 31 for generating a permutation of the packing data 46 in the classification for each of the above classifications; a base material input permutation generating means 32 for allocating base materials 10 including the corresponding products 14 according to the permutation of the packing data 46 for each classification and the stacking order of the products 14 in the packing data 46, and creating a base material input permutation for the processing machine 12; a discharge order determining means (40) for determining the order in which the products (14) are discharged from the processing machine (12) at every moment; a local search means 42 for determining the permutation of the base materials 10 to be fed into the processing machine 12 by performing a local search for each of the above classifications using the determination result of the discharge order determination means 40; and a local search means 42 for locally searching and determining the combination of the products 14 to be processed by the processing machine 12 with the base material 10 for each of the above classifications using the determination result of the discharge order determination means 40. A device for determining a base material input sequence and an assortment of products 14 to the base material 10, for producing a plurality of packages by inputting base material 10 into a processing machine 12, processing the base material 10 in the processing machine 12 based on processing data 44, discharging products 14 from the processing machine 12, and packaging the products 14.

[0015] <Configuration 9> a destination determining means (50) for determining whether the product (14) discharged from the processing machine (12) should be transported to the packing table (16) or the temporary storage rack (24); A base material input permutation determination device according to configuration 4 or 6, characterized in that it comprises a local search means 42 that uses the determination result of this transport destination determination means 50 to perform a local search for the input permutation of base materials 10 into the processing machine 12 for each classification so as to minimize the required number of temporary storage racks 24 for waiting products 14.

[0016] <Configuration 10> a destination determining means (50) for determining whether the product (14) discharged from the processing machine (12) should be transported to the packing table (16) or the temporary storage rack (24); Using the determination result of this destination determination means 50, A device for determining the combination of products 14 to base material 10 as described in configuration 5 or configuration 7, characterized in that it includes a local search means 42 that performs a local search for each classification to determine the combination of products 14 to be processed by the processing machine 12 to the base material 10 so that the required number of temporary storage racks 24 for waiting the products 14 is minimized.

[0017] <Configuration 11> a destination determining means (50) for determining whether the product (14) discharged from the processing machine (12) should be transported to the packing table (16) or the temporary storage rack (24); A base material input permutation determination device according to configuration 4 or 6, characterized in that it comprises a local search means 42 that uses the determination result of this transport destination determination means 50 to perform a local search to determine the input permutation of base materials 10 into the processing machine 12 for each classification so as to minimize the number of times the products 14 are transported to the temporary storage rack 24.

[0018] <Configuration 12> A base material input permutation determination device as described in configuration 9, characterized in that when there are multiple types of combinations of the products 14 contained in all of the above-mentioned packages to the base material 10, the yield is calculated, and the number of temporary storage racks 24 to be used is calculated, and the combination with the best yield is selected within the allowable number of temporary storage racks 24.

[0019] <Configuration 13> A matching determination means 26 for determining the matching of the product 14 to the base material 10; a package allocation means (27) for allocating the products (14) to form two or more packages and generating packaging data (46) for each package indicating which package the product (14) belongs to; a stacking order determination means 48 for determining the stacking order of the products 14 inside the package using the packaging data 46; a classification means for classifying, when the products are assembled in the same base material, the different packing data to which the products belong, into the same classification; a packing permutation generating means 31 for generating a permutation of the packing data 46 in the classification for each of the above classifications; a base material input permutation generating means 32 for allocating base materials 10 including the corresponding products 14 according to the permutation of the packing data 46 for each classification and the stacking order of the products 14 in the packing data 46, and creating a permutation of the base materials 10 to be input to the processing machine 12; a destination determining means (50) for determining whether the product (14) discharged from the processing machine (12) should be transported to the packing table (16) or the temporary storage rack (24); and a local search means (42) for determining, by local search for each classification, the order in which the base materials (10) are input to the processing machine (12) so as to minimize the required number of temporary storage racks (24) for waiting the products (14), using the determination result of the transport destination determination means (50). A method for determining the number of temporary storage racks and the number of packing units, characterized in that the required number of temporary storage racks (24) is minimized by changing the number of packing tables (16).

[0020] <Configuration 14> A device for determining a base material input permutation according to configuration 4 or 6, characterized in that the relative position of the combined product 14 number = 1 in the base material 10 input permutation is left unchanged. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] The packaging data is classified and the base material input permutation is calculated for each classification, which reduces calculation time. Graphs can also be used for classification. The best solution can be obtained by performing a local search with the base material input permutation and product combination with base material as the solution space. Furthermore, by narrowing the search space of the base material input permutation and product combination with base material when performing this local search, the accuracy of the best solution can be improved for the same calculation time. If all possibilities are searched, the calculation time can be significantly reduced. In other words, classification can improve the accuracy of the best solution and significantly reduce calculation time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a line for processing and packaging products and its control data determination device. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the lines used in Examples 1 and 3 to 10. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a data structure diagram showing examples of combinations of products and base materials of products in Examples 1, 5, 6, and 8. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams of examples of packing data A, packing data B, and packing data C in Examples 1, 5, 6, and 8, and the stacking order in Examples 5, 6, and 8. [Figure 5] 1 is an explanatory diagram of examples of classification in Examples 1, 5, 6, and 8, and examples of permutations of packaging data and base material input permutations for each classification. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a graph according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the end points of the graph in the second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 shows data (partial excerpt) relating the combination of the product to the base material and packaging data in Example 3. [Figure 9] 10 is a main flowchart of a search process according to a third embodiment. [Figure 10] 11 is a main flowchart (continued) of the search process in the third embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart of a local search for the base material input order in Example 3. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart of a local search for matching a product to a base material in Example 3. [Figure 13] 10 is a data structure diagram (partial excerpt) showing the results of determining the discharge order of the base material input sequence immediately after the arrangement in Example 3. FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a data structure diagram (partially excerpted) showing the best solution obtained in Example 3. FIG. 11 is data (partially excerpted) relating the combination of the product to the base material in Example 3 with packaging data. [Figure 15] 10 is a data structure diagram (partial excerpt) showing the discharge order determination result of the best solution (base material input permutation) of Example 3. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart of a local search for the base material input order in Examples 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. [Figure 17] 13 is a flowchart of a local search for matching a product to a base material in Example 6. [Figure 18] 10 is a main flowchart of the 7 and 8 search processes in the fourth, fifth and sixth embodiments. [Figure 19] 10 is a data structure diagram (partial excerpt) showing the combination of the base material of the products of Examples 4 and 7. [Figure 20] 10 is a data structure diagram (partial excerpt) showing packing data and stacking order in Examples 4 and 7. FIG. [Figure 21] 10 is a data structure diagram (partial excerpt) showing the base material input permutation of the best solution in Example 4. [Figure 22] 13 is a data structure diagram (partial excerpt) showing the output result of the best solution destination determination means of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 23]FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a graph of Example 4. [Figure 24] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an example of packaging data and a permutation of the packaging data according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 25] 10 is an initial solution for the base material input sequence in Example 4. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is a comparative explanatory diagram of Example 4 before and after improvement. [Figure 27] 10 shows the initial solution, the best solution, and a simulation of the fitting of the product to the base material in Example 6. [Figure 28] 13 is a main flowchart of a search process according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 29] 13 is a main flowchart (continued) of the search process in the sixth embodiment. [Figure 30] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the relationship between the number of packages and the required number of temporary storage racks (best solution) in Example 7. [Figure 31] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the base material input permutation (best solution) obtained in Example 5. [Figure 32] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the base material input sequence (initial solution) obtained in Example 5. [Figure 33] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between the required number of temporary storage racks and the yield in Example 9. [Figure 34] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the relationship between the required number of temporary storage racks and the yield in Example 10. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail for each example. [Example]

[0024] The invention of Configuration 1 will be described using Figures 1 to 5. Example 1 is an embodiment of the invention of Configuration 1. In the present invention, for example, products are processed and packaged on a line as shown in Figure 1. In this line, a base material 10 is fed into a processing machine 12, which processes the base material 10 based on processing data 44. The products 14 discharged from the processing machine 12 are placed on a packing table 16, and several packages 17 are created. A temporary storage rack 24 is a place where the products 14 are temporarily stored during the packaging process. The processing data 44 is given data including the type of base material, the building number of the product's delivery destination, the product number, the product dimensions, the processing type, etc.

[0025] This line is controlled by a computer 25. The computer 25 is provided with, for example, as shown in Fig. 1, an assortment determination means 26, a package allocation means 27, a classification means 30, a packing sequence generation means 31, a base material input sequence generation means 32, a graph determination means 38, a discharge sequence determination means 40, a local search means 42, a stacking sequence determination means 48, a transport destination determination means 50, and the like.

[0026] This computer 25 determines control data 47, such as the assortment of products to base materials, classification, base material input sequence, packaging data 46, and the sequence of packaging data 46 for each classification. This computer may directly control the line as shown in FIG. 1, or may supply control data to a computer dedicated to control. The specific functions of each of the above means will be explained in the following embodiments. The graph determination means 38 will be used in embodiment 2 and onwards, the discharge order determination means 40 and local search means 42 will be used in embodiment 3 and onwards, and the stacking order determination means 48 and destination determination means 50 will be used in embodiment 4 and onwards.

[0027] Example 1 is a specific example of Configuration 1. For example, the line shown in FIG. 2(a) is used. FIG. 2(b) will be used in the explanation of the following examples. Products 14 discharged from the processing machine 12 are arranged in order on a packing table (also serving as a temporary storage area) 16. In Example 1, as shown in FIG. 3(a), A products 14 (A1, A2, A3, ... A8), B products 14 (B1, B2, ... B8), and C products 14 (C1, C2, ... C7) are processed by the processing machine 12. The combination determination means 26 uses the processing data 44 to combine products with the base material 10 in order to make effective use of the base material 10. The combination is performed using, for example, the technology described in Japanese Patent No. 6860886.

[0028] The results of this assortment are shown in Figure 3(b). For example, A4-B5, A5-B2, A7-B1, and C1-C3-C4 represent multiple products 14 cut out from a single base material 10. Examples are shown in Figure 3(c). The others represent single products 14 cut out from a single base material 10. It is desirable that the above products A, B, and C contain 6 to 8 products per package for transportation. Therefore, the package allocation means 27 allocates the products to form two or more packages 17. In this example, these products are allocated to form, for example, three packages, and packaging data 46 is obtained.

[0029] That is, the package allocation means 27 generates packaging data 46 for each package, which indicates which package the product 14 belongs to. This is packaging data A, packaging data B, and packaging data C in FIG. 4(a).

[0030] Next, the classification means 30 refers to Figures 3(b) and 4(a), and since products assembled on the same base material belong to packaging data A and packaging data B, classifies these packaging data 46 into the same category 1. Since the product belonging to packaging data C is not assembled on the same base material as products belonging to other packages, the classification means 30 classifies the packaging data 46 into category 2. The results are shown in Figure 5(a).

[0031] The packing permutation generation means 31 created a permutation of the packing data in each classification, as shown in Figure 5(b). Classification 1 is the permutation AB (representing packing data A and packing data B), and Classification 2 is the permutation C (packing data C). Next, the base material input permutation generation means 32 sequentially allocated the base materials that combined the corresponding products in the packing data for each classification of the packing data, and created a base material input permutation as shown in Figure 5(c) (the base materials are represented by the combination of the products with the base materials). That is, since the permutation of the packing data for Classification 1 is AB, the base materials that combined product A in this package were sequentially allocated, then the base materials that combined AB were allocated, and finally the base materials that combined B were allocated.

[0032] Since the permutation of the packaging data for category 2 is C, C was selected and the base material was allocated. The stacking order within the package is free, so the permutation of A1 and A2 is arbitrary. A2 A1 is also acceptable. The base material input permutation, as shown in Figure 5(c), ensures that the products to be packed are mostly grouped together. Products AB and C are never mixed. In other words, the products to be packed are concentrated in a small range, allowing for efficient packing. This classification is extremely effective when searching for the solution space of base material input permutations and product combinations with base materials, which will be explained later.

[0033] In other words, if we create separate permutations of the three pieces of packaging data, there are 3!=6 possible permutations of ABC, such as ABC, ACB, BAC, BCA, CAB, and CBA. However, if we classify them as above, there are only two possible permutations: AB-C and BA-C. In other words, there are 2!=2 possible permutations of AB. AB-C and C-AB, and BA-C and C-BA will produce the same result, so they do not need to be considered.

[0034] This difference becomes significant as the number of packages increases. For example, as shown in Figure 24(a), which will be explained in an example later, even if there are 12 packages, if they can be classified into two categories, such as Category 1 (6) and Category 2 (6), the number of permutations is 6! + 6! = 1440. Without classification, the number of permutations would be 12! ≒ 4 × 10^8. If the number of neighbors generated in local search to improve the base material input permutation and assortment is the same, the search space is narrowed to 1440 / 12!, thereby improving the accuracy of the best solution. If all possible combinations were searched, the calculation time would be 1440 / 12!. In fact, it is possible to search all possible combinations. In other words, classification can significantly reduce calculation time. [Example]

[0035] The inventions of configurations 2 and 3 will be explained using Figures 6 and 7. Example 2 is an embodiment of the inventions of configurations 2 and 3. A graph is used to standardize the processing of the classification means. Each of the packaging data 46 generated by the packaging allocation means 27 is regarded as a point. That is, as shown in Figure 6, the graph determination means sets the three points 34 that make up the graph as packaging data A, packaging data B, and packaging data C, respectively. Then, if products assembled into the same base material belong to different points, an edge 36 connecting the corresponding points is created. Then, the graph determination means determines whether the graph consisting of the points 34 and edges 36 is a connected graph or a disconnected graph.

[0036] When the graph determination means 38 determines that the graph is an unconnected graph, the classification means 30 classifies the packaging data in the same component of the unconnected graph into the same category. When the graph determination means 38 determines that the graph is a connected graph, the classification means 30 classifies all packaging data included in the connected graph into one category. The same processing can be performed even when the number of packages increases. By adding such graph determination means 38 and using an adjacency matrix, it becomes easier to determine whether a graph is a connected or unconnected graph and to calculate the components and number of components in the case of an unconnected graph.

[0037] For example, it is possible to determine how to handle a component of an unconnected graph or a connected graph that has an end point. That is, as shown in Figures 7(a) and (b), when a component of an unconnected graph indicating any packing data or a point in a connected graph is an end point, the packing permutation generation means 31 sets that end point as the first in the packing data permutation. Since an end point has a degree of 1 and is connected to any other point by a single edge, only one type of product from other packing data will be mixed in and discharged. Therefore, it is reasonable to make it the first in the permutation, as it has the fewest possible combinations. It is also reasonable to use this as the initial solution when performing the search described later. [Example]

[0038] The inventions of configurations 4 and 5 will be explained using Figure 2(a) and Figures 8 to 15. Example 3 is an embodiment of the inventions of configurations 4 and 5. This is an example in which the base material input sequence and the combination of products to the base material are determined so that products to be bundled are gathered close together to make the packing work efficient when the products to be discharged are lined up on the packing table / temporary storage area 16 in the order of discharge and packed. This is an example in which the line shown in Figure 2(a) is used.

[0039] The data structure used in Example 3 will be described with reference to Figure 8. Figure 8 shows data that associates the combination of products 14 and base materials 10 determined by the combination determination means 26 with the packaging data 46 generated by the package allocation means 27. The base material input permutation in this data is the permutation before being determined by the base material input permutation determination device. In other words, it is the order of the base materials immediately after the combination of products 14 and base materials 10.

[0040] For example, if the base material is cedar, the lumber type number is 1, and if the base material is laminated wood, the lumber type number is 2. The numbers in the product number column represent the products [1 2 3 4 5 ... 2021 2022 2023], and this is the number of products that will be processed. Up to the 19th base material, one product is assembled per piece of base material. The 20th base material is assembled with products numbered 20 and 24.

[0041] That is, the combination is 1 2 3 4 5 ... 19 20-24 21-25 ... 2023. Products with the same numbers in the packing number column belong to the same package. For example, the package in packing data 12001 packs products with product numbers {1, 4, 5}. The package in packing data 10021 packs products with product numbers {2, 3, 97, 98, 99, 103, 104} (not shown). Similarly, this data contains 95 pieces of packing data.

[0042] By associating products, packaging numbers, and combinations as shown in Figure 8, the input section of the program becomes easier to read, and the format is also easier for programmers to understand. Here, the base material input sequence and the combination of products to the base material are determined by local search for each classification. For this purpose, a discharge order determination means 40 is provided that constantly determines the order in which products are discharged from the processing machine 12.

[0043] This is a process in which the operation of an actual line is simulated by a computer 25 to find out how products will be arranged on the packing table / temporary storage area 16. The local search uses the technology described in Non-Patent Document 1. That is, a local search is performed in which the solution space is the permutation of base material input, and a local search is performed in which the solution space is the combination of products with base materials. Figures 9 and 10 show the main routine of the processing operation flowchart, and Figures 11 and 12 are flowcharts of the local search process.

[0044] In Fig. 11, in step S101, a discharge order determination process is performed to determine the order in which products will be discharged for a given base material input permutation and combination. The determination result is stored. In step S102, it is determined whether the search has been performed a predetermined number of times, and if so, the process returns. If not, in step S103, a neighborhood of the given base material input permutation is generated and used as the base material input permutation to be considered, and the discharge order determination process is performed for the base material input permutation to be considered and the given combination.

[0045] In step S104, the stored judgment result is compared with the base material input permutation under consideration and the judgment result of the given combination, and if there is an improvement, in step S105 the base material input permutation under consideration is set to the given base material input permutation, the provisional solution is updated, the judgment result is stored and updated, and the process returns to step S102. If there is no improvement, the process returns to step S102.

[0046] In Fig. 12, in step S201, a discharge order determination process is performed to determine the order in which products will be discharged for a given base material input permutation and combination. The determination result is stored. In step S202, it is determined whether the search has been performed a predetermined number of times, and if so, the process returns. If not, in step S203, a neighborhood of the given combination is generated and set as the combination to be considered, and the discharge order determination process is performed for the combination to be considered and the given base material input permutation.

[0047] In step S204, the stored judgment result is compared with the combination under consideration and the judgment result of the given base material input permutation, and if there is an improvement, in step S205 the combination under consideration is set to the given combination, the provisional solution is updated, the judgment result is stored and updated, and the process returns to step S202. If there is no improvement, the process returns to step S202.

[0048] As described in Non-Patent Document 1, "neighborhood" refers to, for example, the neighborhood of a permutation, which means that the permutations are similar, such as the permutation obtained by swapping two base materials. The same applies to assortments.

[0049] The above search process is controlled by the flowcharts in Figures 9 and 10. First, in step S11, a package allocation process is performed. In this process, the number of packages is determined. In step S12, the combination of each product with the base material is determined (initial solution). In step S13, the packages are classified. This allows, for example, N classifications to be made.

[0050] In step S14, a loop is set up to repeat the following processing from step S15 to step S23 for i = 1 to N. In step S15, a packing permutation for category i is generated. In step S16, a base material input permutation (initial solution) is generated according to the packing permutation for category i. In step S17, a local search for the base material input permutation is performed. The processing details are as shown in Figure 11.

[0051] In step S18, a local search for assortments is performed. The details of this process are shown in Figure 12. In step S19, it is determined whether to generate another packing permutation for category i. If the process is to be completed, the process proceeds to step S22; if not, the process proceeds to step S20.

[0052] That is, in steps S15 to S18, a best solution (tentative solution) is obtained for one particular packing permutation. Furthermore, it is determined whether or not there are solutions for other packing permutations that improve on this best solution. For example, when the number of packing permutations is small, other packing permutations can be generated until all possible solutions are found, and when the number becomes enormous, an appropriate upper limit can be set and a determination made. Furthermore, although not shown, a process of local search can be included in which the packing permutations are treated as a solution space.

[0053] In step S20, another packing permutation for category i is generated. In step S21, a base material input permutation is generated according to the other packing permutation for category i, and the process returns to step S17. In step S23, it is determined whether the process has been repeated from category 1 to N. If not, the process returns to step S14. If repeated, the process proceeds to step S24, where classification processing is performed on the provisional solution for the base material input permutation and the provisional solution for the assortment of products to the base material.

[0054] This is because the number of classifications may change (increase) depending on the combination of the product and the base material. In other words, if step S25 remains unchanged, the best solution has been obtained and the process ends, but if it has increased, M is substituted for N, i = 1 is set, and the process returns to step S14 and is repeated. Eventually, the process will converge and end. If there is a limit to the calculation time, the number of times to return to step S14 may be limited.

[0055] FIG. 13 shows the results of the discharge order determination means determining the order in which products are fed into the processing machine, processed by the processing machine, and discharged from the processing machine based on the base material input sequence shown in FIG. 8 and the combination of the products with the base material.

[0056] As mentioned above, this base material input permutation is the arrangement order of the base materials immediately after the products are matched to the base materials, and is the permutation before processing by the determination device of the present invention. In this example, the packing numbers of the products discharged from the first to fifth are 12001 10021 10021 12001 12001. When the fifth product is discharged, the products of packing data 12001 described with reference to Figure 8 (three products with product numbers 1, 4, and 5) are complete, so these are packed and transported to the warehouse. The same applies below. Products are packed at the timing displayed as (R-number) and transported to the warehouse one after another.

[0057] R-1, 12001 indicates that the first complete packing data is packing data 12001. Ri, "packing data number", indicates that the ith complete packing data is packing data "packing data number".

[0058] In Example 3, the data shown in FIG. 8 was classified into 22 categories in the classification process in step S13 of FIG. 9 (not shown). The total number of packing permutations to be searched for, β, is β = number of packing data in category 1! + number of packing data in category 2! + ... + number of packing data in category 22!. In other words, β is the sum of the factorials of the number of packing data for each of the 22 categories. The number of times another packing permutation generation process for category i in S20 of FIG. 9 is performed can be determined depending on the size of β. That is, it is as explained in FIG. 9.

[0059] Since the number of packaged data in category 1 + the number of packaged data in category 2 + ... + the number of packaged data in category 22 = 95 (number of packages), β is a much smaller number than the factorial of the number of packages = 95!. This is the same as narrowing down the candidates for the best solution from 95! to β due to the classification method. In other words, the solution space to be searched is β / 95!.

[0060] As will be explained later, the final number of categories is 42, and the number of search combinations decreases as the search process progresses. The number β of all packing permutations searched for above decreases as the number of categories increases.

[0061] Figure 14 shows the base material input permutation determined by the determination device and the arrangement of products to the base material. The format of Figure 14 is the same as Figure 8. Figure 15 shows the results of the determination by the discharge order determination means of the order in which products are input to the processing machine, processed by the processing machine, and discharged from the processing machine based on the base material input permutation and the arrangement of products to the base material shown in Figure 14. The format of Figure 15 is the same as Figure 13.

[0062] When the first to fifth products are discharged, the packing numbers indicate that they are products 6, 7, 8, 12, and 13, which belong to packing data 11001. When the fifth product is discharged, all of the products of packing data 11001 are complete, so they are packed and transported to the warehouse. Here, the base materials that combine the above five products are numbers 6, 7, 8, 12, and 13 in Figure 8. In Figure 15, this is changed to the base material input sequence of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and it can be seen that they are grouped into a narrow range.

[0063] "rest5" and "selc5" indicate that when all products belonging to packing data 11001 are collected at the packing table / temporary storage area when the fifth product is discharged, five products are present at the packing table / temporary storage area (rest5), and five of them are selected to be packed (selc5). In other words, "restR" and "selcS" indicate that S products are selected and packed from the R products at the packing table / temporary storage area.

[0064] Comparing Figure 13 with Figure 15, that is, comparing the restR and selcS solutions, we can see that this solution discharges products so that they are grouped together by package within a very narrow range.

[0065] In other words, when products are lined up in the order they are discharged, if the number of products belonging to a certain package that are between the first and last products in the order of products belonging to other packages is compared, the maximum number of products is reduced from approximately 90 (92 rest products and 8 selc products in Figure 13) to approximately 20 (21 rest products and 14 selc products in Figure 15). This reduces the space required for the packing table and temporary storage area.

[0066] The determination of "Is the result of the determination an improvement?" in S104 of FIG. 11 and S204 of FIG. 12 is, for example, that an improvement has been made if the number of products belonging to other packages between the first product and the last product has decreased.

[0067] From the original data structure (not shown) in Figure 15, we can see that the number of categories is 42. This is because the boundary between categories is where R = S when looking at restR and selcS. We can also see the number of packaged data in the 42 categories. The number of packaged data in category 1:R-1 in Figure 15 is 1. The number of packaged data in the 17th category (category 17 R-17) is 5 (not shown). In other words, (category 17 = {package 10008, 10015, 10025, 10020, 10030}).

[0068] By doing this, we can set 1!+...+5!+... (the sum of the factorials of the number of packed data in the 42 classifications) as the search space (a portion can be selected), which means that we only need to search a much smaller space than the total number of packed data, 95!, which contributes to a significant reduction in calculation time. [Example]

[0069] The invention of configuration 9 will be explained using Figure 2(b), Figure 16, and Figures 18 to 26. Example 4 is an embodiment of the invention of configuration 9. This is an example in which three buildings' worth of products are combined and processed and packed. To improve yield, products may be matched to base materials in multiple buildings. Processing and packaging are carried out on a line such as that shown in Figure 2(b). In this line, the base material is fed into a processing machine, which processes the base material based on processing data, and the product discharged from the processing machine is transported to a packing table or a temporary storage rack. Furthermore, the product is transported from the temporary storage rack to the packing table as appropriate.

[0070] The destination is selected based on the stacking order. When the package is completed, it is transported to the warehouse and the packing table is emptied. This operation is repeated until all packages have been transported to the warehouse. Example 4 is an example of determining the base material input sequence to minimize the number of temporary storage racks required for the products to be discharged.

[0071] Using the same technique as in Example 1, 238 products were combined with base materials. In Figure 19, each row (record) shows the combination of base materials and products. The reason there is no base material type is because all the base materials are the same. In other words, the first row shows that one product with building number = 1 and product number = 2 has been combined. The fifth row shows that two products with building number = 1 and product numbers = 10 and 7 have been combined. 238 products have been combined with 196 base materials.

[0072] Since each building has a different delivery destination for this product, the products in the package must be from the same building. Furthermore, it is desirable that the products packed together be products with attachment points as close as possible. Furthermore, it is desirable that these products be stacked to a height of about 20 layers. Therefore, in this example, after the package allocation means allocates the products to form 12 packages and obtains the packaging data, the stacking order determination means determines the stacking order based on the stability of the packages and the order of removal.

[0073] Figure 20 shows this packing data and stacking order. It indicates which package, which layer, and which building each product will be stacked in. In other words, the first line indicates that the first layer of packing number 1 will contain product number 36 from building number 1. The tenth line indicates that the tenth layer of packing number 1 will contain two products, product numbers 28 and 27 from building number 1.

[0074] A product is represented by building number-product number, and the packaging data is the number in the packaging number column. Since products with the same packaging number are in the same package, packaging data 1 = {1-36, 1-37, ..., 1-20}. Similarly, there are packaging data 2, ..., packaging data 12. The graph determination means generated a graph as shown in Figure 23 and determined that it was an unconnected graph.

[0075] Next, the classification means classified the data into two categories as shown in Figure 24(a) because the judgment was a disconnected graph. Next, the packing permutation generation means 31 created a permutation of the packing data in each category. The results are shown in Figure 24(b).

[0076] For each classification of packaging data, the base material made up of products in the stacking order according to the permutation of the packaging data was allocated in order, and the base material input sequence was created as shown in Figure 25. In Figure 25, the combination represents the base material. In other words, for classification 1, referring to Figure 20, the first row of packaging number 1 is building number 1, product number 36, so the base material input sequence was created such that building number 1, product number 36 (the base material to be combined with) was the first, building number 1, product number 37 (the base material to be combined with) was the second, and so on. The last base material in classification 1 is the base material made up of building number 3, product number 2, which is the top row (17th row, not shown) of packaging number 10.

[0077] In order to determine the base material input permutation by performing a local search for each classification, a destination determination means 50 is provided that determines every moment whether the products discharged from the processing machine should be transported to the packing table or the temporary storage rack. This is to simulate the operation of the actual line using a computer to know the status of the products on the packing table and the products on the temporary storage rack. The local search means 42 uses the technology described in Non-Patent Document 1 to perform a local search with the base material input permutation as the solution space.

[0078] A local search is performed using the base material input permutation shown in Figure 25 as the initial solution. Specifically, a flowchart of the processing operation is shown in Figure 16. This performs processing operations similar to those in Figure 11. In other words, in step S304, it is determined whether the judgment result has improved, and if the number of required temporary storage racks has decreased, it is considered to have improved. Figure 18 shows the main steps of the search processing. This performs operations similar to those in Figures 9 and 10. In other words, the process of performing a local search for assortments and its related processes (steps S24, S25, S26) have been removed from Figures 9 and 10, and a process of determining the stacking order has been added.

[0079] As a result of carrying out the steps in Figure 18, the base material input order obtained was [Building No. 1 Product No. 36 ~Omitted~ Building No. 3 Product No. 20] for base material in Category 1, and [Building No. 1 Product No. 239 ~Omitted~ Building No. 2 Product No. 201] for base material in Category 2. This base material input permutation is the best solution, and is shown in Figure 21. Note that the left column in Figure 21 represents the rows (records) in Figure 19. The middle column represents the building number, and the right column represents the product number. Product numbers are expressed as building number - product number, and as noted above, building number = 1 and product number = 36 would be 1-36, but it can also be written as 100036, with the building number at the hundred thousandth digit.

[0080] In other words, the first base material to be fed is a base material that combines 1-36 on the 27th line of Figure 19, and the second base material to be fed is a base material that combines 1-37 and 1-31 on the 23rd line of Figure 19. The same applies. When the base materials are fed into the processing machine in this base material feeding sequence, the processing machine processes the base materials based on the processing data to produce products, and the products are removed from the processing machine and packed on a single packing table, the number of temporary storage racks required is 4, and the number of times the products are transported to the temporary storage racks is 38. A comparison with the comparative example before the improvement is shown in Figure 26.

[0081] The comparative example is a method that does not classify the packaging data into the number of components using the components of the unconnected graph. In other words, since packaging number 3 of category 2 may be selected next to packaging number 1 of category 1, meaningless neighborhoods are generated, which requires a long calculation time. The above difference occurs when the calculation time is the same. Figure 22 shows the movement of products. A product with building number 1 and product number 36 is discharged from the base material with packaging base material input order = 1, transported to the packing table, and placed on the first shelf of packaging number 1. It is transported to the packing table or temporary storage rack according to the determination result of the destination determination means. [Example]

[0082] The invention of configuration 11 will be explained using Figures 2 to 5, 16 and 18. Example 5 is an embodiment of the invention of configuration 11. Example 5 is an example of a base material input permutation determination device, and is an example of reducing the number of conveyances on a line in which the product stacking order is determined as shown in Figure 2(b). The data used here is the same as the data used in Example 1; that is, Figure 3(a) and processing data.

[0083] The conveyance destination determining means 50 determines every moment whether the product 14 discharged from the processing machine 12 is to be conveyed to the packing table 16 or to the temporary storage rack 24, and is therefore provided with a function to count the number of conveyances to the temporary storage rack.

[0084] That is, if the process of "Is the judgment result an improvement (reduced number of temporary storage racks required)?" in S304 of Fig. 16 is reinterpreted as "Is the judgment result an improvement (reduced number of transports to the temporary storage rack)?", a local search can be performed to find the base material input permutation that minimizes the number of transports to the temporary storage rack. In other words, in step S304 of Fig. 16, if the purpose of the local search is to minimize the number of temporary storage racks required, the process becomes "Is the judgment result an improvement (reduced number of temporary storage racks required)?", and if the purpose is to minimize the number of transports to the temporary storage rack, the process becomes "Is the judgment result an improvement (reduced number of transports to the temporary storage rack)?" In the main procedure of Figure 18, the number of transports was minimized by local search using the base material input permutation in Figure 16 as the solution space. As a result, from the initial solution in Figure 5(c), the best solution obtained for the base material input permutation in category 1 was [A1 A2 A3 A4-B5 A5-B2 A6 A7-B1 A8 B3 B4 B6 B7 B8], and the best solution for the base material input permutation in category 2 was [C2 C1-C3-C4 C5 C6 C7].

[0085] A local search was performed on the base material input permutation as a solution space, so the base material input permutation for Category 2 has changed (Category 1 remained unchanged). In other words, as a result of the local search, C1-C3-C4 C2 has changed to C2 C1-C3-C4. In the former, C3 and C4 are transported to the temporary storage rack, so this transport occurs twice. In the latter, C2 is transported to the temporary storage rack, so this transport occurs once. This is due to an improvement in the base material input permutation for Category 2. Figures 31 and 32 show a comparison of the number of transports due to differences in base material input permutations for Category 2. [Example]

[0086] An invention combining configurations 9 and 10 will be explained using Figures 2 to 5, 16, 17, 18, and 27 to 29. Example 6 is an embodiment of the invention combining configurations 9 and 10. Example 6 is an example that combines a device for determining the base material input sequence and a device for determining the product to base material combination, and is an example that targets a line such as that shown in Figure 2(b). In this example, the number of required temporary storage racks is reduced on a line with a predetermined stacking order. The data used here is the same as that used in Example 1; that is, Figure 3(a) and processing data.

[0087] Fig. 17 is a flowchart of a local search for matching products to base materials, in which "Is the judgment result an improvement?" in step S204 of Fig. 12 has been changed to "Is the judgment result an improvement (reduced number of temporary storage racks required)?" in step S404. Also, similar to the description in the fifth embodiment, if the purpose of the local search is to minimize the number of temporary storage racks required, step S404 in Fig. 17 reads "Is the judgment result an improvement (reduced number of temporary storage racks required)?", and if the purpose is to minimize the number of transports to the temporary storage racks, it reads "Is the judgment result an improvement (reduced number of transports to the temporary storage racks)?"

[0088] The main procedure is shown in Figures 28 and 29. This operates similarly to Figures 9 and 10. In other words, the process of locally searching for the base material input permutation has been removed from Figures 9 and 10, and the process of determining the stacking order has been added. The main procedure in Figure 18 performed a local search with the base material input permutation in Figure 16 as the solution space, and the main procedures in Figures 28 and 29 performed a local search with the combination of products to base materials in Figure 17 as the solution space, thereby minimizing the number of required temporary storage racks. As a result, the best solution shown in Figure 27(b) was obtained from the initial solution in Figure 27(a). Because a local search was performed with the base material input permutation and the combination of products to base materials as the solution space, the base material input permutation and the combination of products to base materials were changed in Category 1, and the base material input permutation was changed in Category 2. Although an embodiment using the main procedure of Figure 18 and the main procedures of Figures 28 and 29 has been shown, it is also possible to add a stacking order determination process to the main procedures of Figures 9 and 10, and to change the local search for the base material input permutation in step S17 to the local search for the base material input permutation in Figure 16, and the local search for the assortment in step S18 to the local search for the assortment to the base material in Figure 17.

[0089] Using this base material input permutation and product matching to the base material, the base material is input into the processing machine, the processing machine processes the base material based on the processing data to produce the product, and the product is removed from the processing machine and packed on a single packing table.As a result, the best solution improves on the initial solution, with the number of required temporary storage racks reduced by one. Figure 27(c) shows a comparison of the number of required temporary storage racks due to improvements in the base material input permutation and product matching to the base material. That is, the number of required temporary storage racks for the initial solution is 3, while the number of required temporary storage racks for the best solution is 2. [Example]

[0090] The invention of Configuration 13 will be explained using Figures 2(b), 16, 18, 19, and 20. Example 7 is an embodiment of the invention of Configuration 13. Example 7 is an example of a method for determining the number of temporary storage racks and the number of packing units, and is an example in which the number of temporary storage racks and the number of packing units are determined on a line with a predetermined product stacking order as shown in Figure 2(b). The data used here is the same as the data used in Example 4, shown in Figures 19 and 20. In the main procedure of Figure 18, solutions were obtained for minimizing the required number of temporary storage racks by local search, with the base material input permutation of Figure 16 as the solution space, when the number of packing tables was changed. In other words, rather than setting up and executing the system, the required number of temporary storage racks can be calculated by setting the number of packing tables 16 to 1, 2, 3, .... The results are shown in Figure 30.

[0091] Since the solution will differ for each property, it is best to find a solution for an appropriate number of properties and then decide on the number of temporary racks and packages, taking into consideration the equipment costs and layout. For example, if you are deciding based on the results in Figure 30, you should decide on either (number of temporary racks = 2, number of packages = 3), (number of temporary racks = 3, number of packages = 2), or (number of temporary racks = 4, number of packages = 1). You can also increase the quantities to allow for some leeway. [Example]

[0092] The invention of Configuration 14 will be explained using Figures 5, 16, and 18. Example 8 is an embodiment of the invention of Configuration 14. Example 8 is an example of a device for determining base material input permutations, and shows an example of narrowing the solution space and shortening the calculation time using the data shown in Example 1. This will be explained using Classification 2 in Figure 5(c).

[0093] The search uses the base material input permutation as the solution space, and the base material input permutation for Classification 2 = [C1-C3-C4 C2 C5 C6 C7] as the initial solution. When performing a local search by swapping, for example, two base materials as neighbors, two base materials are arbitrarily selected and swapped. There is something to be aware of here. It is obvious that base materials (C2 C5 C6 C7) that are combined into a single product will not be transported to the temporary storage rack if they are loaded, processed, and removed when requested by the packing table. It is also obvious that if the order is C5 C2, C2 will be transported to the temporary storage rack. Therefore, there is no need to change this relative order for C2 C5 C6 C7. In other words, when it comes to swapping, it is only necessary to consider multiple-combined base materials and multiple-combined base materials, or multiple-combined base materials and single-combined base materials.

[0094] If the base material input permutation in Figure 5(c) is the initial solution, the relative order of C2, C5, C6, and C7 is unchanged, so the total number of permutations (solution space) is 5. In other words, the total number of permutations is 5, where C1, C3, and C4 are combined with any of the following ○C2○ C5○ C6○ C7○. In contrast, if the relative order is not invariant, then 5!=120. In other words, the neighborhood generated in step S303 of FIG. 16 can use the above five permutations as neighborhood candidates. In the main procedure of FIG. 18, the number of transports was minimized by local search using the base material input permutation of FIG. 16 as the solution space. By narrowing the solution space in this way, the calculation time was reduced compared to Example 5. The solution obtained was the same as in Example 5. That is, the best solution for the base material input permutation of Class 2 was [C2 C1-C3-C4 C5 C6 C7]. [Example]

[0095] The invention of Configuration 12 will be explained using Figure 33. Example 9 is an embodiment of the invention of Configuration 12. An example in which equipment with seven temporary storage racks is used in an operation of processing and packaging on a line such as that shown in Figure 2(b) will be explained using the data used in Example 4. In Example 4, the number of temporary storage racks required is four. In this case, three temporary storage racks will be unused.

[0096] Utilizing these three items may improve yield. The combination of several products with the base material is determined using the combination determination means, and the yield is calculated. The number of temporary storage racks required for the combination of each product with the base material is calculated in the same manner as in Example 4. Figure 33 is a plot of the relationship between yield and the required number of temporary storage racks for each combination. When the required number of temporary storage racks is 4, the yield is α-0.2 (%). Since the required number of temporary storage racks is 7, the upper limit of allowable range, operation was performed with a yield of α+0.2 (%). In other words, a base material input permutation was determined that selected a combination with a high yield while keeping the number of temporary storage racks used within the allowable range. [Example]

[0097] Example 10 is another embodiment of the invention of Configuration 12. An example will be described using the data used in Example 4, in which equipment with three temporary storage racks is used in an operation of processing and packaging on a line such as that shown in Figure 2(b). In Example 4, the required number of temporary storage racks is four. In this case, the number of temporary storage racks is one short, making the operation impossible. To resolve this, the assortment determination means determines the assortment of several products with the base material, and calculates the yield. The required number of temporary storage racks for each of the above-mentioned assortments with the base material is calculated in the same manner as in Example 4. Figure 34 is a plot of the relationship between the yield and the required number of temporary storage racks for each assortment. When the required number of temporary storage racks = 4, the yield is γ + 0.2 (%). Since the required number of temporary storage racks = 3 is the upper limit of tolerance, the operation was performed with a yield of γ (%). In other words, a base material input permutation was determined that selected an assortment with a high yield while keeping the number of temporary storage racks used within the tolerance. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 10 Base material 12 Processing machine 14 products 16 Packing table 17 Packaging 18 Processing Unit 20 Storage device 24 Temporary storage rack 25 Computer 26 Arrangement determining means 27 Package Allocation Method 30 Classification tools 31 Packing sequence generation means 32 Base material input permutation generation means 34 points 36 sides 38 Graph Judgment Method 40 Discharge order determination means 42 Local Search Methods 44 Processing Data 46 Packaging Data 47 Control Data 48 Stacking order determination method 50 Means for determining destination

Claims

1. A matching determination means for determining a matching of the product to the base material; a package allocation means for allocating products to form two or more packages and generating, for each package, packaging data indicating which package the product belongs to; a classification means for classifying the different packaging data to which the products attached to the same base material belong into the same classification when the different packaging data belong to the products; a packing permutation generating means for generating a permutation of packing data in each of the classifications; and a base material input permutation generating means for allocating base materials that combine corresponding products in the packaging data according to the permutation of the packaging data for each of the above classifications, and creating a base material input permutation for the processing machine. A device for determining the permutation of base material input, which inputs base material into a processing machine, processes the base material in the processing machine based on processing data, discharges products from the processing machine, and packages the products to create multiple packages.

2. The packaging data generated by the packaging distribution means is regarded as a point, If the products assembled to the same base material belong to different points, i.e., packaging data, create an edge connecting the corresponding points, a graph determination means for determining whether the graph consisting of the points and edges is a connected graph or a disconnected graph; The classification means is When the graph determination means determines that the graph is an unconnected graph, Points in the same component of the disconnected graph, i.e., the packed data, are classified into the same category. When it is determined that the graph is connected, 2. The device for determining a base material input permutation according to claim 1, wherein all points included in the connection graph, i.e., all packaging data, are grouped together and classified into one.

3. 3. The device for determining a base material input permutation as described in claim 2, wherein, when the graph is an unconnected graph and a point indicating packing data of one of its components is an end point, or when the graph is a connected graph and a point indicating packing data of one of its connected graphs is an end point, the packing permutation generation means sets the end point as the first in the permutation of the packing data.

4. a discharge order determining means for determining the order in which products are discharged from the processing machine; A device for determining a base material input permutation as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a local search means that uses the judgment result of this discharge order judgment means to perform a local search for each classification to determine a base material input permutation to a processing machine with the base material input permutation as an initial solution.

5. A matching determination means for determining a matching of the product to the base material; a package allocation means for allocating products to form two or more packages and generating, for each package, packaging data indicating which package the product belongs to; a classification means for classifying the different packaging data to which the products attached to the same base material belong into the same classification when the different packaging data belong to the products; a packing permutation generating means for generating a permutation of packing data in each of the classifications; a raw material input permutation generating means for allocating raw materials that combine corresponding products in the packaging data according to the permutation of the packaging data for each of the above classifications, and creating a raw material input permutation for the processing machine; a discharge order determining means for determining the order in which products are discharged from the processing machine; and a local search means for determining, by using the determination result of the discharge order determination means, the combination of products to base materials by performing a local search for each of the above classifications to determine the combination of products to base materials to be processed by a processing machine having the combination of the above products to base materials as an initial solution.

6. stacking order determination means for determining the stacking order of the products inside the package using the packaging data; 5. The device for determining a base material input permutation according to claim 4, further comprising a base material input permutation generation means for allocating base materials that match the corresponding products according to the permutation of the packaging data for each classification and the stacking order of the products in the packaging data, thereby creating a base material input permutation for the processing machine.

7. a stacking order determination means 48 for determining the stacking order of the products inside the package using the packaging data; 6. The device for determining the combination of products with base materials according to claim 5, further comprising a base material input permutation generating means for allocating base materials to be combined with the corresponding products according to the permutation of the packaging data for each classification and the stacking order of the products in the packaging data, and creating a base material input permutation for the processing machine.

8. A matching determination means for determining a matching of the product to the base material; a package allocation means for allocating products to form two or more packages and generating, for each package, packaging data indicating which package the product belongs to; stacking order determination means for determining the stacking order of the products inside the package using the packaging data; a classification means for classifying the different packaging data to which the products attached to the same base material belong into the same classification when the different packaging data belong to the products; a packing permutation generating means for generating a permutation of packing data in each of the classifications; a base material input permutation generating means for allocating base materials for the corresponding products according to the permutation of the packing data for each classification and the stacking order of the products in the packing data, and creating a base material input permutation for the processing machine; a discharge order determining means for determining the order in which products are discharged from the processing machine; a local search means for determining the permutation of the base materials to be fed into the processing machine by performing a local search for each of the classifications using the determination result of the discharge order determination means; and a local search means for locally searching and determining, for each classification, a combination of a product to be processed by the processing machine with a base material using the determination result of the discharge order determination means. A device for determining the permutation of base material input and the combination of products with base materials, for inputting base materials into a processing machine, processing the base materials in the processing machine based on processing data, discharging products from the processing machine, and packaging the products to create a plurality of packages.

9. a destination determining means for determining whether a product discharged from a processing machine should be transported to a packing table or a temporary storage rack; A base material input permutation determination device as described in claim 4 or claim 6, characterized in that it is equipped with a local search means that uses the determination results of this transport destination determination means to perform a local search for the base material input permutation to the processing machine for each classification so as to minimize the number of temporary storage racks required for waiting the products.

10. a destination determining means for determining whether the product discharged from the processing machine should be transported to a packing table or a temporary storage rack; Using the determination result of this destination determination means, 8. The device for determining the assortment of products to base materials according to claim 5 or claim 7, further comprising a local search means for determining the assortment of products to be processed by the processing machine to the base material by performing a local search for each of the classifications so as to minimize the required number of temporary storage racks for waiting the products.

11. a destination determining means for determining whether the product discharged from the processing machine should be transported to a packing table or a temporary storage rack; A base material input permutation determination device as described in claim 4 or claim 6, characterized in that it is equipped with a local search means that uses the judgment results of this transport destination judgment means to perform a local search for the base material input permutation to the processing machine for each classification so as to minimize the number of times the product is transported to the temporary storage rack.

12. 10. The base material input permutation determination device according to claim 9, wherein when there are multiple combinations of the products contained in all of the packages with the base material, the yield is calculated, and the number of temporary storage racks to be used is calculated, and the combination with the best yield that is within the allowable number of temporary storage racks is selected.

13. a matching determination means 26 for determining the matching of the product to the base material; a package allocation means for allocating products to form two or more packages and generating, for each package, packaging data indicating which package the product belongs to; stacking order determination means for determining the stacking order of the products inside the package using the packaging data; a classification means for classifying the different packaging data to which the products attached to the same base material belong into the same classification when the different packaging data belong to the products; a packing permutation generating means for generating a permutation of packing data in each of the classifications; a base material input permutation generating means for allocating base materials for the corresponding products according to the permutation of the packing data for each classification and the stacking order of the products in the packing data, and creating a base material input permutation for the processing machine; a destination determining means for determining whether a product discharged from a processing machine should be transported to a packing table or a temporary storage rack; a local search means for determining, by local search for each classification, the permutation of the base materials to be input to the processing machine, using the determination result of the destination determination means, so as to minimize the required number of temporary storage racks for waiting the products; A method for determining the number of temporary storage racks and the number of packing units, characterized in that the required number of temporary storage racks is minimized by changing the number of packing units.

14. 7. The device for determining a base material input permutation according to claim 4 or 6, wherein the relative positions in the base material input permutation when the number of combined products is 1 are left unchanged.

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