Planning device, planning program, and planning method

Abstract

To improve the accuracy of a manufacturing plan when one or more types of shape steel are cut out from a plurality of billets.SOLUTION: A planning device (100) comprises: an information acquisition unit (31) configured to acquire order information of a steel material; a condition setting unit (33) configured to set a constraint condition indicating a constraint on manufacturing a billet and the steel material; a planning unit (34) configured to make, based on the order information and the constraint condition, a manufacturing plan including an arrangement pattern in which a type and a quantity of a steel material to be cut out from each billet are defined and a quantity for each arrangement pattern; and an output unit (2) configured to output the manufacturing plan thus made. The constraint condition includes a billet shape condition that defines a relation between a state of a roller used for rolling and a shape of a billet to be manufactured using the roller.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] The manufacturing process for steel materials such as structural steel generally includes a rolling process and a cutting process. The rolling process involves using rollers to stretch a heated slab longitudinally to form a semi-finished product (hereinafter referred to as a billet). The cutting process involves cutting out multiple short, plate-shaped final products (hereinafter referred to as structural steel) from the billet formed in the rolling process. Steel is manufactured using a made-to-order production method, with different orders for each customer. Meanwhile, to reduce manufacturing costs, it is necessary to increase the number of structural steel pieces manufactured at one time. For this reason, it is important to properly prepare a plan (hereinafter referred to as a manufacturing plan) that determines how many of each type of structural steel will be cut out from each billet.

[0003] When the number of types of steel sections to be manufactured becomes large (for example, about 10 types), it becomes difficult for a human planner to manually create this manufacturing plan. Therefore, various technologies have been proposed to allow machines to create manufacturing plans instead of planners. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a cutting method that includes a cutting re-creation process in which, when a first cutting plan created based on order information for steel plate products is applied to a base steel plate, if the base steel plate has an insufficient effective length and the length of the lightest steel plate product in the first cutting plan is equal to or greater than the insufficient effective length, the lightest steel plate product is excluded and a second cutting plan is created. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-101590 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the conventional method described in Patent Document 1 is intended only to minimize the amount of scrap in the cutting process. Therefore, even if a production plan is made using the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1, it may still occur that the planned number of shaped steel pieces cannot be cut out from a billet in the cutting process. The main cause of this is, for example, that the rollers that roll the billet wear with each rolling cycle, causing the pressure applied to the billet to decrease, and the billet that is formed last among multiple billets does not elongate to the planned length. If some shaped steel pieces cannot be cut out as planned, it becomes necessary to produce an extra billet, which increases production costs. An aspect of the present invention aims to improve the accuracy of manufacturing planning when cutting out one or more types of shaped steel from a plurality of steel billets. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one embodiment of the present invention provides a plan creation device that creates a manufacturing plan for cutting one or more types of steel products from a plurality of steel billets, and includes: an information acquisition unit that acquires order information for the steel products; a condition setting unit that sets constraint conditions that indicate constraints for manufacturing the steel billets and the steel products; a plan creation unit that creates the manufacturing plan, based on the acquired order information and the set constraint conditions, including combination patterns that specify the types and quantities of the steel products to be cut from each steel billet, and the quantities for each combination pattern; and an output unit that outputs the created manufacturing plan, wherein the constraint conditions set by the condition setting unit include billet shape conditions that specify the relationship between the condition of rollers used for rolling and the shape of the billets produced using the rollers having the said condition.

[0007] The planning device according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the planning program of the planning device that realizes the planning device by making the computer operate as each part (software element) of the planning device, and the computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded, also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention provides a planning method for creating a manufacturing plan for cutting one or more types of steel products from a plurality of steel billets, the planning method comprising the steps of: acquiring order information for the steel products; setting constraint conditions indicating constraints for manufacturing the steel billets and the steel products; creating the manufacturing plan, based on the acquired order information and the set constraint conditions, including combination patterns that specify the types and quantities of the steel products to be cut from each steel billet and the quantities for each combination pattern; and outputting the created manufacturing plan, wherein the constraint conditions set in the step of setting constraint conditions include billet shape conditions that specify the relationship between the condition of rollers used for rolling and the shape of the billets manufactured using the rollers having the said condition. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve the accuracy of a manufacturing plan when cutting out one or more types of shaped steel from a plurality of steel billets. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a part of the manufacturing process of structural steel. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a manufacturing plan created by a plan creation device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the plan creation device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a graph showing past production results acquired by the plan creation device according to the embodiment, and a graph showing the relationship between the cumulative number and the length of a billet calculated by the plan creation device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a partial operation of the plan creation device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing a manufacturing plan created by a conventional planning device, a manufacturing plan created by a person taking constraints into consideration, and an example of a manufacturing plan created by the planning device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a planning method according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0012] [Planning device] First, an embodiment of the plan creation device 100, which is one aspect of the present invention, will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a portion of the manufacturing process for sectional steel. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of a manufacturing plan created by the plan creation device 100. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the plan creation device 100. FIG. 4 is a graph showing past manufacturing results acquired by the plan creation device 100, and a graph showing the relationship between the cumulative number and the length of a billet calculated by the plan creation device 100. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a portion of the operation of the plan creation device 100. Note that, although the case of manufacturing sectional steel will be described here as an example, the present invention may also be applied to the case of manufacturing steel materials other than sectional steel.

[0013] The planning device 100 is used to create a manufacturing plan for cutting one or more types of structural steel from multiple billets. The planning device 100 according to this embodiment is used to create a manufacturing plan for cutting multiple types of structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc., of different lengths from multiple billets. A billet is a rolled product of a rolling target, such as a cast piece such as a slab. When cutting steel materials other than structural steel, the cast piece may be a bloom or a billet. As shown in FIG. 1 , the manufacturing process for structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. includes a rolling process, a cutting process, and a sorting process. The rolling process is a process in which a heated cast piece such as a slab S0 is stretched longitudinally using rollers R to form a long plate-shaped billet S. The cutting process is a process in which multiple short plate-shaped structural steel pieces Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. are cut from the billet S formed in the rolling process. The sorting process involves sorting the steel sections Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. that have been cut out in the cutting process into storage areas P1, P2, P MThe types of shaped steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. include differences in at least one of length and cross-sectional shape (at least one of width and height).

[0014] The manufacturing plan determines the number (total number) of billets S required to cut out all ordered structural steel pieces Sa, Sb, Sc... that are the subject of the plan. In this manufacturing plan, as shown in Figure 2, a first number of imaginary structural steel pieces corresponding to a first number (e.g., hundreds to thousands) of structural steel pieces Sa, Sb, Sc... are aggregated into a second number (e.g., tens to hundreds) of combination patterns (combination pattern 1 × number of adopted pieces + combination pattern 2 × number of adopted pieces · combination pattern m × number of adopted pieces) that is smaller than the first number. This determines the number of billets S required, which is the sum of the numbers of adopted pieces determined for each combination pattern. The combination pattern specifies the types (lengths) of structural steel pieces Sa, Sb, Sc... to be cut from one billet, the order of these types, and the number of each type of structural steel piece Sa, Sb, Sc... to be cut out. In creating this manufacturing plan, the combination of assortment patterns of each shaped steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. and the number (quantity) of each assortment pattern to be adopted are determined so that all ordered shaped steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. can be cut out while satisfying various constraints during manufacturing. As shown in Figure 3, the plan creation device 100 includes an input unit 1, an output unit 2, and a calculation unit 3.

[0015] [Input section] The input unit 1 is composed of at least one of a communication module that receives data and signals from other devices, a terminal that connects to other devices, a drive that reads information from a recording medium, and an operating device that can be operated by a user. The operating device includes at least one of a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel.

[0016] [Output section] The output unit 2 is composed of at least one of a communication module that transmits data and signals to other devices (such as display devices), a terminal that connects to other devices, a drive that writes information to a recording medium, and a display device such as a display that displays images.

[0017] [Calculation section] The calculation unit 3 includes an information acquisition unit 31, a calculation unit 32, a condition setting unit 33, a plan creation unit 34, and an output control unit 35.

[0018] (Information acquisition department) The information acquisition unit 31 acquires order information for structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. The information acquisition unit 31 according to this embodiment acquires multiple pieces of order information via the input unit 1. Each piece of order information includes the length of the structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. to be manufactured and the number of structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. to be manufactured, as shown in Table 1 below. The order IDs "1", "2", etc. in Table 1 correspond to the codes "Sa", "Sb", etc. of different types of structural steel (however, this applies when multiple structural steels of the same type are aggregated into one group and the IDs correspond to each group, or when orders for the same type of structural steel are allowed to be received from multiple customers). Furthermore, each piece of order information can be identified by the ID.

[0019] [Table 1]

[0020] The information acquisition unit 31 according to this embodiment also acquires past production results. The condition of the roller R changes with use, such as wear due to repeated rolling. The past production results acquired by the information acquisition unit 31 are performance data indicating the relationship between the state of the roller R at each rolling (use) and the shape of the billet S produced under that state of the roller R. Specifically, the condition of the roller R may be determined by a rolling accumulation index, such as the cumulative number N of billets S produced, which can indicate the cumulative effect of rolling on the roller R from the initial state, and the shape of the billet S may be determined by a shape index of the billet S, such as the length or thickness of the billet S. The initial state of the roller R is, for example, a state in which the roller R is not worn, or if there is any wear, the effect is so small that it can be ignored, such as when the roller R is new or has been used a predetermined number of times or less since replacement. The predetermined number of times may be, for example, Na in FIG. 4, which will be described later.

[0021] In this embodiment, the information acquisition unit 31 acquires, as past production results, multiple pairs of the cumulative number N of billets S produced using the rollers R from the initial state and the length of the billet S corresponding to the cumulative number N (hereinafter referred to as the billet length L). Note that the information acquisition unit 31 may be configured to acquire, as past production results, multiple pairs of the cumulative number N of billets S and the difference (shape index) between the length or thickness of the billet S when rolling the cumulative number of billets S and the length or thickness expected for the rollers R in the initial state.

[0022] (Calculation section) The calculation unit 32 calculates the relationship between the state of the roller R and the shape of the billet S based on the above-mentioned past production results. More specifically, the above relationship may be the relationship between the cumulative number N and the billet length L of the billet S, as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 4. By plotting the past production results on a graph with the cumulative number N on the horizontal axis and the billet length L on the vertical axis, a graph (relationship) such as that shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 4 can be obtained. Note that the graph in the upper diagram of FIG. 4 is an approximation of multiple plots of the production results with straight lines, and the overall approximation is a broken line. From this graph, it can be seen that the billet length L tends to decrease once the cumulative number N exceeds a certain number Na. It can also be seen from the graph that the tendency for the billet length L to decrease is generally constant (can be represented by a straight line with a certain slope) after the certain number Na. Note that the approximation line showing the above-mentioned relationship may be a curved line.

[0023] Alternatively, as shown in the lower part of Figure 4, the above relationship may be approximated by a step function that produces a stepped graph. The lower part of Figure 4 was created by dividing the range of possible cumulative numbers N in the upper part of Figure 4 into multiple ranges and specifying the length of billets for each divided range. In other words, when the boundaries of multiple ranges of cumulative numbers N are cumulative numbers Ni (i = 0, 1, 2, ...), and this cumulative number Ni and the billet length Li corresponding to each cumulative number Ni are defined, the cumulative number N is set to 0 so that the length of the assumed billet S is not longer than the length of the actual billet S. i When the first number is N0 or less, the billet length L iThe calculation unit 32 according to this embodiment calculates the length discretely so that the cumulative number N i The billet length L is set so that when the second number N1 is greater than the first number N0, the third length L2 is shorter than the second length L1, and when the third number N2 is greater than the second number N1, the fourth length L3 is shorter than the third length L2. i is calculated discretely.

[0024] Cumulative number N i and billet length L i By making the relationship between the cumulative number of items N and the cumulative number of items N stepwise as shown in the lower diagram of Figure 4, it is possible to make it simpler and easier for users to understand intuitively. i and billet length L i It is easy to manage (including manual setting and change) the billet lengths L0 to L3. Here, the calculation unit 32 calculates four billet lengths L0 to L3, but the calculation unit 32 may also calculate two or three billet lengths L0 to L3, or may calculate five or more billet lengths. The information acquisition unit 31 receives the cumulative number N from another device. i and billet length L i In this case, the calculation unit 3 does not need to include the calculation unit 32.

[0025] The calculation unit 32 then outputs the relationship between the state of the roller R and the shape of the steel billet S calculated as described above to the condition setting unit 33, which will be described next, so that a manufacturing plan can be created that takes this relationship into consideration.

[0026] In other embodiments, if the calculation unit 32 does not perform calculations based on past production results, the information acquisition unit 31 does not need to acquire past production results. In this case, the information acquisition unit 31 may be configured to acquire, from another device, calculation results based on the past production results performed by the other device (the relationship between the state of the rollers R and the shape of the billet S), or may be configured to acquire a relationship between the cumulative number N and the billet length L created based on experience, etc. In such cases, the plan creation device 100 does not need to include the calculation unit 32.

[0027] Here, the reason for determining the relationship between the state of the roller R and the shape of the billet S as described above will be explained. The condition of the roller R changes with use, for example, as it wears with repeated rolling. For example, as the roller R wears, the rolling force for the same pressure setting decreases accordingly, so the length of the slab obtained after rolling may be shorter than the length (expected length) that would be expected if the roller R in its initial state were used, and the thickness may be thicker than expected. In other words, if the condition of the roller R changes, the shape of the slab S produced by rolling with the roller R may not be as expected, and may deviate from the tolerance range.

[0028] Meanwhile, when creating a production plan, the shape, such as the length, of the billet S produced by rolling a base material such as a cast slab (the shape of the base material after rolling) is assumed, and the type and quantity of the assortment pattern are determined based on this assumed shape of the billet S. However, if the actual shape of the billet S produced by rolling with rollers R falls outside the tolerance range as described above, the actual billet S may not be long enough, resulting in a shaped steel that cannot be produced. In other words, if the production plan is created based on the shape, such as the length, of the billet obtained by production with rollers R in the initial state, if the actual billet S, for example, does not have the expected length, it may not be possible to cut out the shaped steel according to the assortment pattern defined in the created production plan.

[0029] Therefore, the inventors came up with the idea of ​​determining in advance the relationship between the state of the rollers R and the shape of the billet S from production results, and using this relationship as a constraint when creating a production plan. In this way, the shape of the billet S can be determined depending on the number of billets S used when creating a production plan, making it possible to create a production plan that takes into account changes in the shape of the billet S due to changes in the state of the rollers. This makes it possible to prevent the occurrence of a situation such as that described above in which shaped steel cannot be cut out when following a production plan. The creation of a manufacturing plan will be explained below.

[0030] (Condition setting section) The condition setting unit 33 sets constraint conditions that indicate constraints when producing the billet S and shaped steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. The constraint conditions set by the condition setting unit 33 include conditions (hereinafter referred to as billet shape conditions) that define the relationship between the state of the rollers R used in producing (rolling) the billet S described above and the shape of the billet S produced using rollers in this state. The billet shape conditions according to this embodiment are conditions that define the relationship between the cumulative rolling index (described above) of the billet S from its initial state by the rollers R and the shape index (described above) of the billet S. More specifically, the billet shape conditions are the relationship between the cumulative number N of billets rolled by the rollers R and the length L of the billet to be rolled (see FIG. 4).

[0031] Furthermore, the constraints set by the condition setting unit 33 according to this embodiment include a storage yard condition regarding the number of storage yard(s) in which, when multiple types of structural steel are cut out from a billet S, the structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. are temporarily stored by type. As shown in FIG. 1, each storage yard P1, P2, etc. can store only structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. of the same length. In other words, the condition setting unit 33 sets a storage yard condition such that the number of types of structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. that can be sorted simultaneously (cut out from one billet S) is limited to n.

[0032] The condition setting unit 33 may be configured to further set the capacity of each of the storage yard P1, P2, etc. (the number of structural steel pieces Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. that can be placed) as a storage yard condition. The condition setting unit 33 may also be configured to set other conditions as constraint conditions in addition to the billet shape conditions and the storage yard conditions. The other conditions include at least one of conditions related to rolling (e.g., reduction ratio) and conditions related to operations other than rolling and sorting (e.g., cutting). The condition setting unit 33 may also be configured to modify the constraint conditions (at least one of the billet shape conditions, storage yard conditions, and other conditions) once set, in response to, for example, a user's operation on the input unit 1, etc. In this embodiment, the billet shape conditions and storage yard conditions are used as described above, but the storage yard conditions may also be used without using the billet shape conditions.

[0033] (Planning Department) The plan creation unit 34 creates a manufacturing plan based on the acquired order information and the set constraints. Specifically, the plan creation unit 34 creates the manufacturing plan including combination patterns that specify the type and quantity of steel materials to be cut from each steel billet S, and the quantities for each combination pattern. The plan creation unit 34 may create a manufacturing plan that includes the total number of steel billets S required, in addition to the combination patterns and their quantities. The plan creation unit 34 according to this embodiment creates a manufacturing plan using mathematical optimization. When using mathematical optimization, it is necessary to describe a real-world problem as a mathematical model. The plan creation unit 34 according to this embodiment uses a mathematical model that lists multiple combination pattern candidates (hereinafter referred to as candidate patterns) and selects the optimal candidate pattern to be adopted in the manufacturing plan from the listed candidate patterns. For this reason, the plan creation unit 34 according to this embodiment includes an enumeration unit 341 and a selection unit 342, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0034] Enumeration section The enumeration unit 341 enumerates a plurality of candidate patterns as shown on the left side of FIG. 5. The enumeration unit 341 according to this embodiment enumerates all candidate patterns that satisfy the constraint conditions set by the condition setting unit 33. As described above, the constraint conditions include the billet shape conditions. For this reason, the enumeration unit 341 according to this embodiment enumerates candidate patterns for the billet S with the maximum length (the expected length when rolled by the rollers R in the initial state), as well as candidate patterns for the billet S with a length of L i Candidate patterns for (i=1, 2, . . .) are also listed. In the matrix on the left side of FIG. 5, each row represents one candidate pattern. Furthermore, for example, when a storage location condition is set in which the number M of storage locations P1, P2, . . . is three (up to three types can be sorted simultaneously), the listing unit 341 lists a candidate pattern (pattern m) such as that shown in the third framed row from the top. This candidate pattern includes three L1m shaped steel pieces, five L3m shaped steel pieces, and one L n This indicates that one shaped steel piece of length L0 m is included. The candidate pattern shown here corresponds to a billet S of maximum length L0 m. Therefore, the total length of the shaped steel piece to be cut out is L1 × 3 + L3 × 5 + L n ×1=L0m (maximum length).

[0035] Selection section 5, the selection unit 342 determines, as a production plan, combination patterns and the number of each combination pattern to be adopted that can extract all of the ordered structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc., from the plurality of candidate patterns enumerated by the enumeration unit 341. The selection unit 342 according to this embodiment determines the total number of billets S from which the structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. are extracted, and the total number of combination patterns included in the production plan, so as to minimize the total number of billets S that will be used to extract the structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc., while satisfying the constraint conditions set by the condition setting unit 33.

[0036] When rolling a billet S, portions of the billet S at its leading and trailing ends inevitably become scrap and cannot be used as structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. Furthermore, it is known that the time required for a billet S to be placed in the storage areas P1, P2, etc. after being rolled is generally constant regardless of the length of the billet S. Therefore, the selection unit 342 performs selection to reduce the total number of billets S. Specifically, the selection unit 342 performs selection so that the length of each billet S is as close to or as close to the maximum length as possible. This reduces the total number of billets required, and the number of leading and trailing portions is reduced. As a result, the amount of scrap is reduced, and the yield can be improved. Furthermore, the time required to cut out all the structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. is reduced, and the freed up time can be used to manufacture other structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc., thereby improving throughput.

[0037] Furthermore, the multiple structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc... cut out in the cutting process are continuously transported to storage locations P1, P2.... At each storage location P1, P2..., structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc... of the same length must be stored together. However, the number of storage locations M is limited. If the number of types (lengths) of structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc... exceeds M+1, the removal of structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc... from storage locations P1, P2... (emptying storage locations) will not be able to keep up, and the cutting process and, ultimately, the rolling process will have to be stopped (reducing throughput before the cutting process). Therefore, the selection unit 342 selects the minimum number of combination patterns to be adopted. Specifically, it selects the maximum number of identical combination patterns to be adopted. This allows smooth removal from storage locations P1, P2..., preventing a decrease in throughput before the cutting process.

[0038] The plan creation unit 34 may be configured to create a manufacturing plan using a method other than mathematical optimization. For example, the plan creation unit 34 may be configured to create a manufacturing plan by inputting information obtained when new order information is input into a trained model that has learned the relationship between past order information and past manufacturing plans. The plan creation unit 34 may also be configured to create a manufacturing plan using an IF statement or the like.

[0039] (Output control section) The output control unit 35 controls the output unit 2 to output the created manufacturing plan. As a result, the output unit 2 outputs the created manufacturing plan. The output control unit 35 according to this embodiment outputs the manufacturing plan in a format such as that shown in Table 2 below. The manufacturing plan according to this embodiment indicates the details of the combination pattern to be adopted (the types (cutting order) of structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. and the number of cuts of each type) for each combination pattern. The manufacturing plan according to this embodiment also indicates the total length (total length) of the multiple structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. cut in each combination pattern and the number of each combination pattern adopted (the number of billets S). The sum of the number of each combination pattern adopted is the total number of billets S. If the output unit 2 is configured with a communication module and terminal for communication and connection with a liquid crystal panel or a display device, the output control unit 35 may control the liquid crystal panel or display device to display the manufacturing plan in the form of a diagram, for example, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0040] [Table 2]

[0041] [Planning devices and others] The functions of the plan creation device 100 (hereinafter referred to as the device) can be realized by a plan creation program (hereinafter referred to as the program) for causing a computer to function as the device, and the program for causing a computer to function as each control block of the device (particularly each unit included in the calculation unit 3). In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., the calculation unit 3) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the program. The functions described in each of the above embodiments are realized by executing the program using this control device and storage device. The program may be recorded on one or more computer-readable storage media rather than being temporary. The storage media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the program may be supplied to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0042] Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the control blocks can be realized by logic circuits. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the functions of the control blocks can also be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0043] [Action and effect] When the rolling of the billet S is repeated, the rollers R begin to wear (pressure reduction during rolling), and the billets S produced later do not stretch to the planned length. Therefore, as shown in the top part of Figure 6, if a production plan is created assuming that the length of all billets S is equal to or greater than the maximum length (L0 m) of the combination pattern, if the actual length of the billet S is not as expected, it will not be possible to cut out the shaped steel according to the combination pattern. In this case, an extra billet S will need to be prepared to produce all the shaped steel included in that combination pattern, which will increase production costs.

[0044] However, the plan creation device 100 according to this embodiment can create a production plan that takes roller R wear into account by including billet shape conditions in the constraints. That is, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 6 , the type and number of shaped steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. that can be cut out from the shortened billet S are determined on the assumption that the billet S being rolled will become shorter toward the end of the rolling process. Therefore, by proceeding with the production of shaped steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. according to the production plan created by this plan creation device 100, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the actual billet S is not long enough. This increases the likelihood that all ordered shaped steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. can be cut out as planned without adding billets S. As a result, yield and throughput can be improved compared to when a production plan is created using a conventional plan creation device.

[0045] Furthermore, the plan creation device 100 according to this embodiment can create a manufacturing plan that takes into account the number of storage locations P1, P2, etc. (the types of structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. that can be sorted simultaneously) by including storage location conditions as constraints. That is, if the number of storage locations P1, P2, etc. is only M, a plan including an assortment pattern (pattern 4) containing M+1 types of structural steel will not be created, as shown in the area enclosed by the dashed line in the upper part of FIG. 6 . If storage location conditions were not included as constraints, the removal of structural steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. from storage locations P1, P2, etc. would not be able to keep up, which could result in the need to stop the cutting process and, ultimately, the rolling process. However, if a manufacturing plan is created that takes the number of storage locations P1, P2, etc. into account in advance, the number of types of steel included in all of the assortment patterns to be adopted will be equal to or less than the number of storage locations P1, P2, etc., as shown in the lower part of FIG. 6 . As a result, the delivery from the storage areas P1, P2, etc. can be carried out smoothly, and a decrease in throughput before the cutting process can be prevented.

[0046] In this way, according to the planning creation device 100 of this embodiment, by including at least one of the billet shape conditions and the storage site conditions in the constraint conditions, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the manufacturing plan when cutting out one or more types of structural steel from multiple billets.

[0047] Furthermore, with this configuration, the simulation accuracy of the simulator S is improved, which improves the operating efficiency of each device in the steel production line and reduces energy consumption, thereby contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[0048] [Information prediction method] Next, the information prediction method will be explained. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the plan creation method.

[0049] The planning method is for using a processor to create a manufacturing plan for producing a plurality of steel billets S and cutting out a plurality of types of shaped steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc., having different lengths, from the steel billets S. The information prediction method according to this embodiment is performed using the planning device 100. As shown in FIG. 7 , the planning method includes an information acquisition step S1, a calculation step S2, a condition setting step S3, a planning step S4, and an output step S5.

[0050] (Information acquisition step) In the first information acquisition step S1, order information for structural steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. is acquired. In the information acquisition step S1 according to this embodiment, the information is acquired by the information acquisition unit 31 of the plan creation device 100. Note that in the information acquisition step S1, information such as past manufacturing results and the cumulative number N calculated by another device is acquired. i and billet length L i may be obtained.

[0051] (Calculation step) In the calculation step S2, the cumulative number N i and billet length L i is calculated based on past production results. In the calculation step S2 according to this embodiment, the calculation is performed by the calculation unit 32 of the plan creation device 100. Note that the cumulative number N calculated by another device in the information acquisition step S1 is i and billet length L i If the calculation step S2 is performed, the calculation step S2 may be skipped.

[0052] (Condition setting step) After acquiring the order information, the process proceeds to condition setting step S3. In condition setting step S3, constraint conditions are set that indicate constraints for manufacturing the billet S and the shaped steel Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. In condition setting step S3 according to this embodiment, the condition setting unit 33 of the plan creation device 100 sets the constraint conditions. The constraint conditions set in condition setting step S3 include billet shape conditions that arise when the billet S is rolled by rollers R. In condition setting step S3, the above-mentioned storage yard conditions may also be set, or storage yard conditions may be set without setting billet shape conditions. In condition setting step S3, the constraint conditions may also be set manually using the input unit 1 of the plan creation device 100.

[0053] (Planning step) After the constraints are set, the process proceeds to plan creation step S4. In plan creation step S4, a manufacturing plan is created based on the acquired order information and the set constraints. Specifically, a manufacturing plan is created that includes combination patterns that specify the type and quantity of steel material to be cut from each steel billet, and the quantity for each combination pattern. The manufacturing plan may also include the number (total number) of steel billets S required. In plan creation step S4 according to this embodiment, the plan creation unit 34 of the above-mentioned plan creation device 100 creates the manufacturing plan. Note that the manufacturing plan may also be created by another device. Create a.

[0054] (output step) After the manufacturing plan is created, the process proceeds to output step S5. In output step S5, the created manufacturing plan is output. In output step S5 according to this embodiment, the output unit 2 of the plan creation device 100 outputs the plan.

[0055] [Action and effect] The above-described planning method provides the same effects as the planning device 100. That is, this planning method increases the possibility that all ordered shaped steels Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. can be cut out as planned without adding additional steel billets S.

[0056] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 100 Planning device 1 Input section 2 Output section 3 Arithmetic section 31 Information Acquisition Department 32 Calculation section 33 Condition setting section 34 Planning Department 341 Enumeration Section 342 Selection Section 35 Output control section

Claims

1. A planning device that creates a manufacturing plan for cutting out one or more types of steel materials from a plurality of steel billets, an information acquisition unit that acquires order information for the steel material; a condition setting unit that sets constraint conditions that indicate constraints when producing the steel billet and the steel material; a plan creation unit that creates the manufacturing plan including combination patterns that define the types and quantities of the steel materials to be cut out from each steel billet, and the quantities for each combination pattern, based on the acquired order information and the set constraint conditions; an output unit that outputs the created manufacturing plan; Equipped with the constraint conditions set by the condition setting unit include a billet shape condition that defines a relationship between a state of a roller used for rolling and a shape of the billet produced using the roller having the state. Planning device.

2. 2. The plan creation device according to claim 1, wherein the billet shape condition is a relationship between a cumulative rolling index of the billet from an initial state by the rollers and a shape index of the billet.

3. the rolling cumulative index is the cumulative number of the steel billets produced using the rollers, The planning device according to claim 2 , wherein the shape indicator is a length of the billet.

4. The plan creation device according to claim 3 , further comprising a calculation unit that calculates the relationship between the cumulative number and the length based on past production results.

5. the calculation unit discretely calculates the length so that the length is a first length when the cumulative number is equal to or less than a first number, and so that the length is a second length shorter than the first length when the cumulative number is greater than the first number. The plan creation device according to claim 4.

6. The plan creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the constraint conditions set by the condition setting unit include a storage location condition regarding the number of storage locations in which the steel materials cut out from the billet are placed for each type when multiple types of steel materials are cut out from the billet.

7. A planning program for causing a computer to function as the planning device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, a planning program for causing a computer to function as the information acquisition unit, the condition setting unit, the planning unit, and the output unit;

8. A planning method for creating a manufacturing plan for cutting one or more types of steel materials from a plurality of steel billets, comprising: obtaining order information for the steel material; setting constraint conditions that indicate constraints when producing the steel billet and the steel product; creating the manufacturing plan including combination patterns that define the types and quantities of the steel materials to be cut out from each steel billet, and the quantities for each combination pattern, based on the acquired order information and the set constraint conditions; outputting the created manufacturing plan; and the constraint conditions set in the step of setting the constraint conditions include a billet shape condition that defines a relationship between a state of a roller used for rolling and a shape of the billet produced using the roller having the state. How to create a plan.

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