Slab Matching Optimization for Multiple Hot Rolling Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Steel plants face challenges in efficiently matching and re-matching slabs with orders due to diversified market demands, leading to mis-order slabs, high resource consumption, and increased production costs, with existing methods failing to optimize across multiple hot rolling lines and considering storage and logistics effectively.
Innovation Solution
A slab matching method that groups slabs and orders by steel grade, determines matching conditions based on specification criteria, and uses decision variables to optimize mis-order slab matching and re-matching across multiple hot rolling lines, employing heuristic algorithms and local search to minimize costs and maximize priority profits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If slabs are matched separately for each hot rolling line, then the planning process is simpler, but the material resource utilization is lower and production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the planning processes of multiple hot rolling lines into a unified system. The method establishes a global optimization model that simultaneously considers slabs and orders across all hot rolling lines, breaking down the siloed planning approach. By integrating data and decision-making for multiple lines, the system achieves better overall slab utilization while managing complexity through structured optimization algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal planning system that serves multiple hot rolling lines simultaneously. The optimization model and matching algorithms are designed to handle diverse line requirements and specifications through a single integrated platform, enabling the system to adapt to different product types, orders, and line capabilities while maintaining centralized control and optimization.
2Device complexity
If manual slab matching methods are used, then implementation is simpler, but matching accuracy and timeliness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical matching processes with an automated computer-based optimization system. The system uses algorithms including heuristic methods and local search techniques to automatically generate optimal matching schemes, eliminating human error and subjectivity. This substitution enables precise, consistent, and rapid matching decisions that cannot be achieved through manual methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual model of the slab matching problem that replicates the complex relationships between slabs, orders, and hot rolling lines. By copying the physical matching process into a computational environment, the system can evaluate numerous scenarios and optimize matching decisions without affecting actual production, allowing for precise analysis and optimization before implementation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If mis-order slabs are not fully utilized, then production flexibility is maintained, but resource waste and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a recovery mechanism for mis-order slabs by systematically re-matching them to suitable orders through the optimization system. Instead of discarding or idle-storing mis-order slabs, the system recovers their value by finding appropriate matching opportunities across multiple hot rolling lines, reducing waste and the need for repeated steelmaking operations while maintaining production flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Slab matching method for multiple hot rolling lines comprises grouping the slabs and orders to obtain slab-order groups; based on a criterion of slab-order specification matching, determining a matching condition between the slab and the order within each of slab-order groups; quantitatively describing a mis-order slab matching problem; matching the mis-order slabs to the orders; quantitatively describing a slab re-matching problem; adjusting the matching relationships of all the slabs and the orders to form a final scheme of slab matching to be distributed to the multiple hot rolling lines to execute, and the slab matching method is completed. The present invention improves the utilization of the mis-order slabs while reducing the waste of energy caused by repeated steelmaking, reducing the consumption of the material and lowers the amount of left material and stored material and saves production cost and storage cost for the plant.