Maintenance Planning Optimization via Segmented Sub-Models

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current maintenance planning systems fail to effectively balance technical, environmental, and human-centric objectives, leading to increased complexity and inefficiency in machinery maintenance scheduling, particularly in industrial settings where multiple variables such as cost, emissions, worker skills, and training needs must be considered.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that decompose complex maintenance optimization problems into sub-models, allowing for multi-objective and multi-weighted decision-making, incorporating sustainability and human-centric factors, to optimize maintenance planning, task allocation, and resource utilization, while adjusting computational complexity for fast convergence and alignment with strategic goals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If maintenance planning considers multiple objectives (cost, emissions, worker skills, training needs), then decision-making comprehensiveness is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedecision-making comprehensivenessVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the complex maintenance planning problem into multiple independent sub-models, each handling a specific objective (cost optimization, emissions reduction, worker skill development, training allocation). This modular approach allows comprehensive multi-objective decision-making while managing system complexity through decomposition into manageable components that can be solved separately and integrated.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If optimization includes sustainability and human-centric factors, then environmental and social performance is improved, but computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironmental and social performanceVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the optimization problem into distinct sub-models, with dedicated models for sustainability objectives (emissions reduction) and human-centric factors (worker skill development, training needs). This segmentation enables the system to address environmental and social performance requirements without overwhelming computational complexity, as each sub-model focuses on specific objectives with appropriate constraints and parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Measurement precision

If multiple sub-models are used for multi-objective optimization, then solution quality is improved, but computation time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesolution qualityVSAvoidcomputation time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the optimization into independent sub-models that can be executed separately, the system achieves high solution quality through comprehensive multi-objective optimization while managing computation time through parallel processing potential and focused search spaces in each sub-model.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a hierarchical approach where essential maintenance tasks are identified and optimized first through critical sub-models, then additional objectives are layered in. This partial action approach ensures core optimization needs are met with acceptable computation time, while allowing for enhanced solution quality when additional time is available for more comprehensive optimization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4167155A1Planning optimisation for human-machine interactive tasks considering machine emission goal and human competence growth
Publication Date: 2023.04.19 HITACHI LTD
  • EP4167155A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4167155A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4167155A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This invention refers to a method for maintaining machinery, comprising the steps of: a) determining, by a computer, when the machinery will need to be maintained, b) acquiring, by a computer, tasks to be executed by workers, c) generating, by a computer, a list of tasks for at least one of the workers, the list is generated including a task for maintaining the machinery as determined in step a) and including the tasks acquired in step b), d) maintaining the machinery based on the list of tasks for the one of the workers, wherein steps a) to c) are executed independently from each other.