Operation Planning for Component Lifespan and Stock Balancing

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for creating rotation plans for machine components are labor-intensive and time-consuming, requiring extensive input of condition settings for each machine, making it difficult to predict high-temperature component demands accurately and leading to potential stock quantity imbalances.

Innovation Solution

An operation plan creation device that acquires simple settings, such as inspection intervals and patterns, and component information, including lifespan and stock quantities, to generate plans quickly, using dummy information for missing data and scenario information to adjust plans based on device operation states, thereby reducing labor and increasing accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the user creates rotation plans by individually inputting condition settings for each machine, then the accuracy of the rotation plan is improved, but the time and labor required increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of rotation planVSAvoidtime and labor for creating rotation plans

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the condition settings into two categories: common settings that apply to multiple machines and machine-specific settings. By separating these, the system allows users to input common settings once and automatically apply them to multiple machines, reducing repetitive input while maintaining plan accuracy through selective customization where needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining standard condition settings and inspection patterns that can be automatically applied to multiple machines. This preliminary configuration reduces the need for individual input for each machine while ensuring consistent and accurate rotation plans across the fleet.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the system requires complete condition settings and information for each machine, then the reliability of the operation plan is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates as users must input extensive data

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of operation planVSAvoidease of creating operation plan

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements universality by creating a standardized framework for condition settings and inspection patterns that can be applied across multiple machines with different configurations. This multi-functional approach allows the same system to handle both common and specific settings, reducing the burden of data input while ensuring reliable operation plans through consistent evaluation criteria.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses copying by allowing users to replicate proven condition settings and inspection patterns from one machine to another. This copying mechanism ensures reliability by using validated configurations while significantly reducing the effort required to create operation plans for additional machines.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If the system processes operation plans for multiple machines individually, then the precision of demand prediction is improved, but the productivity of plan creation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprecision of demand predictionVSAvoidproductivity of plan creation

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the processing of multiple machines by implementing batch processing capabilities that evaluate condition settings and generate rotation plans for multiple machines simultaneously. This combining approach maintains prediction precision through consistent evaluation methods while dramatically improving productivity by eliminating repetitive individual processing steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11550314B2Operation plan creation device, operation plan creation method, and program

Publication Date: 2023.01.10 MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND LTD

AI summary

An operation plan creation device includes: an operation information creation unit configured to receive an input of a simple setting including information with which an operation period of a device is identifiable and to create operation information including an inspection period and a replacement scheduled component in the operation period of the device; a component information acquisition unit configured to acquire component information including lifespan information and stock quantity information about each of the components, based on use history information about each of the plurality of components; a dummy information creation unit configured to create, when the acquired component information includes missing information, dummy information to be used instead of the missing information; and a plan creation unit configured to create the operation plan for the components related to the device based on the operation information and the component information or the dummy information.