1. A cold rolling planning system (200) comprising an information processing device (210) configured to: obtain steel sheet specification data (TB1) including a plurality of information indicating specifications of steel sheet products to be manufactured from coil materials through a continuous cold rolling process; and formulate, based on the steel sheet specification data (TB1), order in which the coil materials corresponding to a plurality of steel sheet product specifications included in the steel sheet specification data (TB1) are processed through the continuous cold rolling process, the information processing device (210) including a storage section (202) that stores a plurality of constraint condition templates to which specific information for generating constraint conditions is input, wherein, the information processing device (210) is configured to: generate the constraint conditions based on the constraint condition templates to which the specific information has been input; set a calculation condition including the generated constraint conditions; and perform optimization calculation under the set calculation condition to formulate the order in which the coil materials are processed through the continuous cold rolling process, the coil materials corresponding to the steel sheet product specifications included in the steel sheet specification data (TB1).

2. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 1, wherein, the storage section (202) stores a combination of the predetermined constraint condition templates as a recommended constraint condition combination template.

3. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 2, wherein, each of the constraint condition templates is configured to be populated with flag information indicating whether or not to include the constraint condition generated based on the constraint condition template in the calculation condition; and the information processing device (210) is configured to include whether or not to set the constraint condition generated based on the constraint condition template in the calculation condition, based on the constraint condition template in which the flag information has been entered.

4. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 2, wherein, each of the constraint condition templates is configured so that a priority to comply with the constraint condition is further input, the constraint condition corresponding to the constraint condition generated based on the constraint condition template; and the information processing device (210) is configured to include the priory corresponding to each of the constraint conditions in the calculation condition based on the constraint condition template to which the priority has been input.

5. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 1, wherein, each of the constraint condition templates is configured so that a unique parameter is input as the specific information, the unique parameter being a unique parameter of the constraint condition generated based on the constraint condition template.

6. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 5, wherein, the constraint conditions include welding process constraint conditions, the welding process constraint conditions being the constraint conditions related to the welding process of the continuous cold rolling process.

7. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 6, wherein, the welding process constraint condition includes a thickness constraint condition, the thickness constraint condition being the constraint condition for the difference in a thickness between a preceding coil material and a succeeding coil material; and the constraint condition template corresponding to the thickness constraint condition is configured to be populated with a parameter corresponding to the difference in the thickness between the preceding coil material and the succeeding coil material as the unique parameter.

8. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 6, wherein, the welding process constraint condition includes a width constraint condition, the width constraint condition being a constraint condition for the difference in a width between a preceding coil material and a succeeding coil material; and the constraint condition template corresponding to the width constraint condition is configured to be populated with a parameter corresponding to the difference in the width between the preceding material and succeeding coil material is input as the unique parameter.

9. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 6, wherein, the welding process constraint condition is a recommendation constraint condition, the recommendation constraint condition being the constraint condition regarding a recommended degree of a combination of a preceding coil material grade and a succeeding coil material grade; and the constraint condition template corresponding to the recommendation degree constraint is configured to be populated with the recommendation degree of the combination of the steel grade of the preceding coil material and the steel grade of the succeeding coil material as the unique parameter.

10. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 1, wherein, the information processing device (210) is configured to: obtain production control information from a manufacturing execution system; and obtain the steel sheet specification data (TB1) from the production control information.

11. A cold rolling planning method, the cold rolling planning method being performed by an information processing device (210) configured to: obtain steel sheet specification data (TB1) including a plurality of information indicating specifications of steel sheet products to be manufactured from coil materials through a continuous cold rolling process; and formulate, based on the steel sheet specification data (TB1), order in which the coil materials corresponding to a plurality of steel sheet product specifications included in the steel sheet specification data (TB1) are processed through the continuous cold rolling process, the information processing device (210) including a storage section (202) that stores a plurality of constraint condition templates to which specific information for generating constraint conditions is input, the cold rolling planning method comprising: generating the constraint conditions based on the constraint condition templates to which the specific information has been input; setting a calculation condition including the generated constraint conditions; and performing optimization calculation under the set calculation condition to formulate the order in which the coil materials are processed through the continuous cold rolling process, the coil materials corresponding to the steel sheet product specifications included in the steel sheet specification data (TB1). , Description:BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present disclosure relates to a cold rolling planning system and a cold rolling planning method. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a cold rolling planning system and a cold rolling planning method for planning feeding order/sequence of steel plates into a continuous cold rolling process for further thinning steel plates produced by hot rolling.

Claims:WE CLAIM:

1. A cold rolling planning system (200) comprising an information processing device (210) configured to:
obtain steel sheet specification data (TB1) including a plurality of information indicating specifications of steel sheet products to be manufactured from coil materials through a continuous cold rolling process; and
formulate, based on the steel sheet specification data (TB1), order in which the coil materials corresponding to a plurality of steel sheet product specifications included in the steel sheet specification data (TB1) are processed through the continuous cold rolling process, the information processing device (210) including a storage section (202) that stores a plurality of constraint condition templates to which specific information for generating constraint conditions is input,
wherein,
the information processing device (210) is configured to:
generate the constraint conditions based on the constraint condition templates to which the specific information has been input;
set a calculation condition including the generated constraint conditions; and
perform optimization calculation under the set calculation condition to formulate the order in which the coil materials are processed through the continuous cold rolling process, the coil materials corresponding to the steel sheet product specifications included in the steel sheet specification data (TB1).

2. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 1,
wherein,
the storage section (202) stores a combination of the predetermined constraint condition templates as a recommended constraint condition combination template.

3. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 2,
wherein,
each of the constraint condition templates is configured to be populated with flag information indicating whether or not to include the constraint condition generated based on the constraint condition template in the calculation condition; and
the information processing device (210) is configured to include whether or not to set the constraint condition generated based on the constraint condition template in the calculation condition, based on the constraint condition template in which the flag information has been entered.

4. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 2,
wherein,
each of the constraint condition templates is configured so that a priority to comply with the constraint condition is further input, the constraint condition corresponding to the constraint condition generated based on the constraint condition template; and
the information processing device (210) is configured to include the priory corresponding to each of the constraint conditions in the calculation condition based on the constraint condition template to which the priority has been input.

5. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 1,
wherein,
each of the constraint condition templates is configured so that a unique parameter is input as the specific information, the unique parameter being a unique parameter of the constraint condition generated based on the constraint condition template.

6. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 5,
wherein,
the constraint conditions include welding process constraint conditions, the welding process constraint conditions being the constraint conditions related to the welding process of the continuous cold rolling process.

7. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 6,
wherein,
the welding process constraint condition includes a thickness constraint condition, the thickness constraint condition being the constraint condition for the difference in a thickness between a preceding coil material and a succeeding coil material; and
the constraint condition template corresponding to the thickness constraint condition is configured to be populated with a parameter corresponding to the difference in the thickness between the preceding coil material and the succeeding coil material as the unique parameter.

8. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 6,
wherein,
the welding process constraint condition includes a width constraint condition, the width constraint condition being a constraint condition for the difference in a width between a preceding coil material and a succeeding coil material; and
the constraint condition template corresponding to the width constraint condition is configured to be populated with a parameter corresponding to the difference in the width between the preceding material and succeeding coil material is input as the unique parameter.

9. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 6,
wherein,
the welding process constraint condition is a recommendation constraint condition, the recommendation constraint condition being the constraint condition regarding a recommended degree of a combination of a preceding coil material grade and a succeeding coil material grade; and
the constraint condition template corresponding to the recommendation degree constraint is configured to be populated with the recommendation degree of the combination of the steel grade of the preceding coil material and the steel grade of the succeeding coil material as the unique parameter.

10. The cold rolling planning system (200) according to claim 1,
wherein,
the information processing device (210) is configured to:
obtain production control information from a manufacturing execution system; and
obtain the steel sheet specification data (TB1) from the production control information.

11. A cold rolling planning method, the cold rolling planning method being performed by an information processing device (210) configured to:
obtain steel sheet specification data (TB1) including a plurality of information indicating specifications of steel sheet products to be manufactured from coil materials through a continuous cold rolling process; and
formulate, based on the steel sheet specification data (TB1), order in which the coil materials corresponding to a plurality of steel sheet product specifications included in the steel sheet specification data (TB1) are processed through the continuous cold rolling process, the information processing device (210) including a storage section (202) that stores a plurality of constraint condition templates to which specific information for generating constraint conditions is input,
the cold rolling planning method comprising:
generating the constraint conditions based on the constraint condition templates to which the specific information has been input;
setting a calculation condition including the generated constraint conditions; and
performing optimization calculation under the set calculation condition to formulate the order in which the coil materials are processed through the continuous cold rolling process, the coil materials corresponding to the steel sheet product specifications included in the steel sheet specification data (TB1). , Description:BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0001]
The present disclosure relates to a cold rolling planning system and a cold rolling planning method. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a cold rolling planning system and a cold rolling planning method for planning feeding order/sequence of steel plates into a continuous cold rolling process for further thinning steel plates produced by hot rolling.

2. Description of the Related Art
[0002]
In the steel industry, PL-TCM (Pickling Line - Tandem Cold Mill) is used. The PL-TCM performs a welding process, a pickling process, a trimming process, and a rolling process on steel strips (steel plates) discharged from multiple coils.
[0003]
In the welding process, the preceding and succeeding coil materials, which are processed in the order of precedence, are joined by welding each time the preceding coil material is discharged. Therefore, the PL-TCM is capable of welding multiple coils of material in continuous 24-hour operation. Each of them can continue to efficiently produce rolled products of various steel grades.
[0004]
However, in the PL-TCM, if the combination of the width, thickness, etc. of the preceding coil material and the width, thickness, etc. of the succeeding coil material is inappropriate, the steel strip may break in the PL-TCM as a result of rolling. In this case, the broken material is removed from the PL-TCM and the PL-TCM stops a production line until the TCM is ready for operation, which can reduce production efficiency.
[0005]
Therefore, it is preferable that the order of rolling multiple coils of material (i.e., the order in which they are fed into the PL-TCM) is planned in such a way that constraint conditions are met under the constraint conditions based on the user's experience.
[0006]
Examples of the constraint conditions based on the user's experience are known, such as those disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 3248476). As a technology that enables production planning, an example disclosed in Patent Document 2 (also referred to as "MLCP") is known. The example disclosed in Patent Document 2 (WO2018/220885) can reproduce the production plan of a skilled person considering multiple constraint conditions.
[0007]
In continuous cold rolling using PL-TCM, based on the characteristics of the production equipment described above, production plans are developed/formulated daily to determine when and which (in what order) products to produce. However, final adjustments are made at the site where the PL-TCM is operated, which is complicated and time-consuming, because the planning process requires various considerations. In addition, complicated operations can lead to unnecessary trimmer adjustments, roll changes, and use of crossing materials due to insufficient consideration of the production order, as well as to troublesome plate/sheet rupture due to unreasonable welding caused by emergency additional orders on site. Therefore, to correct these problems in a short period of time without compromising the quality of the plan, experienced judgment is required.
[0008]
By the way, when systemizing planning work, including the example disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to clarify constraints and organize them as system requirements. However, if the requirements (conditions necessary for systemization of planning work (planning)) are incorporated into the system as the constraint conditions from scratch each time the system is built, it will take a long time before the system is introduced. Furthermore, when requirements are interviewed from skilled personnel, the know-how is often not clearly defined, and in such cases, the process tends to take more time. Furthermore, since different users have different know-how, the constraint conditions are not determined uniformly, and it is very time-consuming to interview each user in order to incorporate the necessary constraint conditions into the system for planning purposes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009]
The present disclosure is made to address the above problem. That is, one of the purposes of the present disclosure is to provide a cold rolling planning system and a cold rolling planning method that can easily and quickly set constraint conditions necessary for cold rolling planning.
[0010]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present disclosed cold rolling planning system comprises an information processing device configured to:
obtain steel sheet specification data including a plurality of information indicating specifications of steel sheet products to be manufactured from coil materials through a continuous cold rolling process; and
formulate, based on the steel sheet specification data, order in which the coil materials corresponding to a plurality of steel sheet product specifications included in the steel sheet specification data are processed through the continuous cold rolling process, the information processing device including a storage section that stores a plurality of constraint condition templates to which specific information for generating constraint conditions is input.
The information processing device is configured to:
generate the constraint conditions based on the constraint condition templates to which the specific information has been input;
set a calculation condition including the generated constraint conditions; and
perform optimization calculation under the set calculation condition to formulate the order in which the coil materials are processed through the continuous cold rolling process, the coil materials corresponding to the steel sheet product specifications included in the steel sheet specification data.
[0011]
The present disclosed cold rolling planning method is performed by an information processing device configured to:
obtain steel sheet specification data including a plurality of information indicating specifications of steel sheet products to be manufactured from coil materials through a continuous cold rolling process; and
formulate, based on the steel sheet specification data, order in which the coil materials corresponding to a plurality of steel sheet product specifications included in the steel sheet specification data are processed through the continuous cold rolling process, the information processing device including a storage section that stores a plurality of constraint condition templates to which specific information for generating constraint conditions is input.
The cold rolling planning method comprises:
generating the constraint conditions based on the constraint condition templates to which the specific information has been input;
setting a calculation condition including the generated constraint conditions; and
performing optimization calculation under the set calculation condition to formulate the order in which the coil materials are processed through the continuous cold rolling process, the coil materials corresponding to the steel sheet product specifications included in the steel sheet specification data.
[0012]
The present disclosure can easily and quickly set the constraint conditions necessary for cold rolling planning.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013]
Fig. 1 illustrates a cold rolling process covered by a cold rolling planning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a configuration of the cold rolling planning system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an example hardware configuration of the cold rolling planning system.
Fig. 4 shows a sequence diagram of formulating a process of a continuous cold rolling plan by the cold rolling planning system
Fig. 5 illustrates steel sheet specification data.
Fig. 6 shows an example of a constraint setting screen.
Fig. 7 shows an example of a steel grade combination setting screen.
Fig. 8 illustrates an example of data created using constraint condition templates.
Fig. 9 illustrates an example of data created using the constraint condition templates.
Fig. 10A shows sequence of sheet widths, sheet thicknesses, and steel grades corresponding to feeding order of the subject multiple coil materials before the feeding order is formulated.
Fig. 10B shows the sheet widths, sheet thicknesses, and steel grades corresponding to the feeding order of the subject multiple coil materials when the feeding order of the subject multiple coil materials is formulated manually.
Fig. 10C shows the sheet widths, sheet thicknesses, and steel grades corresponding to the feeding order of the subject multiple coil materials when the feeding order of the subject multiple coil materials is formulated/established by a planning optimization calculation section 204.
Fig. 11 illustrates an example of calculation result data represented in a table.
Fig. 12 illustrates an example of calculation result data displayed in an image.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014]
The cold rolling planning system 200 (see Fig. 2) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below, referring to the drawings. The cold rolling planning system 200 is referred to as the "planning system 200, hereinafter. In the following description, various types of information may be described using expressions such as "table" and "record," but various types of information may be expressed in data structures other than these.
[0015]

First, in order to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, a continuous cold rolling process (more precisely, a continuous pickling cold rolling process) covered by the planning system 200 is briefly described. Fig. 1 illustrates the continuous cold rolling process covered by the planning system 200 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0016]
In the continuous cold rolling process, multiple coil materials can be continuously rolled by joining the preceding coil material and the succeeding coil material, which are processed back to back in the same order, by welding each time the preceding coil material has been discharged. Therefore, the continuous cold rolling process can continuously produce steel sheet products of various steel grades. Since the continuous cold rolling process can operate continuously 24 hours a day, the productivity of steel sheet products can be improved. The continuous cold rolling process is well known and will be briefly described below.
[0017]
In the continuous cold rolling process, coil/coiled materials (coiled steel strips) are first discharged by an uncoiler (not shown), and then are fed into a PL-TCM (Pickling Line - Tandem Cold Mill) 100. In the PL-TCM 100, a welding process 101, a pickling process 102, a trimming process 103, and a rolling process 104, which are described below, are executed in sequence.
[0018]
In the welding process 101, each time the preceding coil material is discharged, the beginning of the winding of the succeeding coil material is joined by welding the end of the winding of the preceding coil material using a welding machine (not shown).
[0019]
In the pickling process 102, steel strip (steel plate) discharged from coiled material is pickled in pickling equipment (not shown) to remove oxide film and rust on the surface of the strip. The trimming process 103 trims the steel strip using a trimmer (not shown) to shape the strip. In the rolling process 104, the strip is rolled to the target thickness by a tandem rolling mill (not shown). The strip steel rolled to the target thickness is then wound by a winder not shown. As described above, steel sheet products of various steel grades rolled to various target thicknesses from multiple coiled materials are continuously produced.
[0020]

Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the planning system 200. The planning system 200 is a system for formulating a cold rolling plan. A cold rolling plan is a production plan that determines when (in which order) and which products are to be produced with respect to multiple steel sheet products (rolled products). In other words, the cold rolling plan refers to the formulation of a plan for the order in which the multiple coils of material used to make the steel sheet products are fed into the PL-TCM. The planning system 200 determine/formulate automatically the order in which the plurality of coils of material for steel sheet products are fed into the PL-TCM.
[0021]
The planning system 200 includes a target input section 201, a constraint condition storage section 202, a constraint condition setting input section 203, a planning optimization calculation section 204, and a plan output section 205.
[0022]
The target input section 201 obtains steel sheet specification data representing the specifications of the target steel sheet product required for formulation, and inputs the obtained steel sheet specification data into the planning optimization calculation section 204. For example, the target input section 201 acquires steel sheet specification data by importing CSV format files corresponding to the steel sheet product specifications. It should be noted that the target input section 201 may acquire the steel sheet specification data by importing steel sheet specification data from other systems (for instance, a MES (Manufacturing Execution System: MES)) in interfaces other than file format. The steel sheet specification data will be described in detail later.
[0023]
The constraint condition storage section 202 holds (stores and saves) multiple constraint condition templates. The constraint condition storage section 202 is also referred to as the "storage section" for convenience. The constraint condition templates are used to generate constraint conditions for optimization calculation when developing/formulating a cold rolling plan.
[0024]
Furthermore, the constraint condition storing section 202 holds (stores/saves) one or a plurality of combinations of a plurality of predetermined constraint condition templates recommended from among a plurality of constraint condition templates as a recommended constraint condition combination template.
[0025]
The constraint condition template is configured so that information can be entered (added, modified, deleted, etc.). The constraint condition template includes identification information (e.g., name) to identify the corresponding constraint condition. The identification information may be an identification other than the name (e.g., an identification number). The constraint condition template is configured so that the unique parameters of the corresponding constraint condition are input. The constraint condition template is configured to be populated with information indicating whether or not the corresponding constraint condition is to be included in a calculation condition when performing the optimization calculation. The constraint condition template is configured to be populated with the priority with which the corresponding constraint is to be adhered to when performing the optimization calculation.
[0026]
The constraint condition setting input section 203 inputs (adds, changes, etc.) information to the constraint condition template. For example, the constraint condition setting input section 203 adds information corresponding to the unique parameters of the constraint condition template to the constraint condition template. For example, the constraint condition setting input section 203 inputs (sets) information (e.g., a setting flag) to the constraint condition template indicating whether or not the corresponding constraint condition is included in the calculation condition when performing the optimization calculation.
[0027]
When the value of the setting flag is "1", it indicates that the constraint conditions corresponding to the constraint condition template should be included in the calculation condition when the optimization calculation is performed. When the value of the setting flag is "0", it indicates that the constraint condition corresponding to the constraint condition template are not included in the calculation condition when the optimization calculation is performed. In the following, the fact that the constraint condition corresponding to the constraint condition template is included in the calculation condition when performing the optimization calculation is indicated by "the constraint condition (setting flag) is ON (set to)." This is also referred to as "the constraint condition (setting flag) is ON (is set to "ON"). The fact that the constraint condition corresponding to the constraint condition template is not included in the calculation condition when the optimization calculation is performed is referred to as "the constraint condition (setting flag) is OFF (is set to)". This is also referred to as "the constraint condition (setting flag) is OFF (set to "OFF").
[0028]
For example, the constraint condition setting input section 203 provides (inputs) information into the constraint condition template, the information indicating the priority with which the corresponding constraint condition will be complied with during optimization calculation (e.g., a number that increases as the priority increases (e.g., from 0 to (any number from 1 to 1)).
[0029]
The planning optimization calculation section 204 generates calculation condition including the constraint conditions based on the constraint condition templates with information entered, and formulates the input order of multiple coil materials for the PL-TCM based on the generated calculation condition.
[0030]
For example, the planning optimization calculation section 204 generates constraint condition(s) based on the constraint condition template(s) with the unique parameters input, and the constraint condition whose setting flag is ON and the priority corresponding to that constraint condition(s) are included in the calculation condition. Furthermore, the planning optimization calculation section 204 sets the calculation condition by including information such as evaluation indices necessary for the optimization calculation in the calculation condition. The planning optimization calculation section 204 performs optimization calculation under the set calculation condition to thereby calculate/acquire the order of feeding into the PL-TCM for a plurality of coil materials corresponding to the specifications of the plurality of steel sheets included in the steel sheet specification data.
[0031]
The planning optimization calculation section 204 has the necessary programs to execute the process for performing these calculations. The planning optimization calculation section 204 executes the program(s) to thereby solve an optimization problem that optimizes the processing order of multiple target coil materials under the calculation conditions set based on the information such as the steel plate specification data and the constraint condition templates in which the information has been input. Thereby, the planning optimization calculation section 204 determines/calculates the order in which the target multiple coil materials are fed into the PL-TCM.
[0032]
The plan output section 205 outputs the results calculated by the planning optimization calculation section 204.
[0033]
The planning system 200 can be composed of, for example, a computer (information processing equipment). The planning system 200 does not necessarily need to be composed of a single piece of hardware, but may be composed of multiple pieces of hardware. In that case, for example, each of the multiple pieces of hardware may be able to send and receive data to and from each other via a network. For example, each of the plurality of hardware may be able to send and receive data to and from each other over a network by exchanging files between the plurality of hardware. A fifth generation mobile communication system (5G (5th Generation)) may be used to send and receive data (communication) between the plurality of hardware.
[0034]
Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the planning system 200. As shown in Fig. 3, the planning system 200 includes a server device 210 and a terminal 220. The server device 210 and the terminal 220 are connected via the network NW1.
[0035]
The server device 210 includes a CPU 211, a ROM 212, RAM 213, a non-volatile storage device (HDD) 214 capable of reading and writing data, network interface 215, and input/output interface 216. These are communicatively connected to each other via bus 217. The server device 210 is also referred to as an "information processing device/unit" for convenience.
[0036]
The CPU 211 loads various programs (not shown) stored in a ROM 212 and/or HDD 214 into the RAM 213 and executes the programs loaded in RAM 213, so as to realize various functions. As described above, various programs executed by the CPU 211 are loaded in the RAM 213, and data used when the CPU 211 executes the various programs is temporarily stored in the RAM 213. The ROM 212 and/or HDD 214 is a non-volatile storage medium. The various programs are stored in the ROM 212 and/or HDD 214. The network interface 215 is an interface that allows the planning system 200 to access the network NW1. The input/output interface 216 is an interface for connection to a keyboard and display, etc.
[0037]
The terminal 220 includes a CPU 221, a ROM222, a RAM 223, a non-volatile storage device (HDD) capable of reading and writing data 224, network interface 225, and input/output interface 226. These are connected to each other communicatively via bus 227. Furthermore, the terminal 220 are connected to a display device 230 and an input device 240. The terminal 220 may include a display device 230 and an input device 240.
[0038]
The CPU 221 loads various programs (not shown) stored in a ROM 222 and/or HDD 224 into the RAM 223 and executes the programs loaded in RAM 213, so as to realize various functions. As described above, various programs executed by the CPU 221 are loaded in the RAM 223, and data used when the CPU 221 executes the various programs is temporarily stored in the RAM 223. The ROM 222 and/or HDD 224 is a non-volatile storage medium. The various programs are stored in the ROM 222 and/or HDD 224. The network interface 225 is an interface that allows the planning system 200 to access the network NW1. The input/output interface 226 is an interface for connection to the display device 230 and the input device 240, etc.
[0039]
The target input section 201 is composed of “the various programs that are stored in the ROM 212 and/or HDD 214 and are executed by the CPU 211 of the server device 210” and “the input/output interface 216 and/or the network interface 215”. The constraint condition storage section 202 is composed of the HDD 214 of the server device 210.
[0040]
For example, the constraint condition setting input section 203 is composed of “the various programs that are stored in the ROM 222 and/or HDD 224 and are executed by the CPU 221 of the terminal 220”, “the input/output interface 226 and/or the network interface 225”, and “the display device 230 and the input device 240 that are connected to the input/output interface 226”.
[0041]
For example, the planning optimization calculation section 204 is composed of “the various programs that are stored in the ROM 212 and/or HDD 214 and are executed by the CPU 211 of the server device 210”
[0042]
For example, the plan output section 205 is composed of “the various programs that are stored in the ROM 212 and/or HDD 214 and are executed by the CPU 211 of the terminal”, “the input/output interface 216 and/or the network interface 215”, and “the display device 230 that are connected to the input/output interface 216”.
[0043]

When systemizing planning operations, it is necessary to clarify constraints and organize them as system requirements. However, if the requirements are incorporated into the system as constraints from scratch each time the system is built, it will take a long time before the system is implemented. When requirements are interviewed from skilled personnel, know-how is often not clearly defined, and this tends to take even longer.
[0044]
Among other things, when building a system that automatically formulates a continuous cold rolling plan, the following points need to be considered in each process, and it takes a great deal of time and cost to set up the constraint conditions.
[0045]
That is, unlike hot rolling, cold rolling is characterized by processing input steel plates (i.e., steel strips (steel plates) discharged from coil materials) that are welded together and connected. Therefore, not only is it necessary to consider the width and thickness of the steel plate in the input order of the steel plate to the rolling process 104, which is also common to hot rolling, but in cold rolling, the welding process 101 must also be considered.
[0046]
The welding process 101 welds steel plates that are input continuously, but the thickness, width, and steel grade of the input steel plates are not necessarily the same. The possibility of rupture increases if the difference between at least one of the thickness and width of two steel plates to be welded exceeds a certain value, so differences in thickness, width, and steel grade of consecutive steel plates must be considered in order to properly weld. Furthermore, the combination of steel grades that can be welded without problems is determined in accordance with the facility. Furthermore, the input order of steel plates to the cold rolling process should be planned considering not only the constraints of the rolling process but also those of the welding process mentioned above. Even for the same parameters (e.g., thickness difference), the constraint conditions of the welding process may be more severe than those of the rolling process, and in such cases, optimization calculation must be performed based on the constraint conditions of the welding process. Not only the welding process 101, but also the pickling process 102 and the trimming process 103, it may be necessary to set different constraint conditions for each.
[0047]
Thus, when building a system that automatically formulates the continuous cold rolling plan, it is not easy to set appropriate constraint conditions, since numerous factors must be taken into account. Furthermore, when building the system that automatically formulates the continuous cold rolling plan, it takes a lot of time and costs to set appropriate constraint conditions.
[0048]
In contrast, the planning system 200 performs constrained optimization calculation (optimization calculation under multiple constrain conditions) based on the steel sheet specification data and the constraint conditions that are acquired by the target input section 201, so as to automatically formulate the input order (rolling order) of multiple coil materials corresponding to multiple steel plate specifications included in the steel sheet specification data to the cold rolling process. In order to generate constraint conditions easily and quickly, the planning system 200 holds (stores and saves) the constraint condition templates.
[0049]
For example, the planning system 200 provides the constraint condition templates to the terminal 220 used by the user. The user can easily generate the appropriate constraint conditions by entering information into the constraint condition templates via the terminal 220. Furthermore, the user can set, via the terminal 220, whether or not to use the constraint conditions generated using the constraint condition templates for optimization calculation. Furthermore, the user can set, via the terminal 220, a priority for adhering to the constraint conditions generated using the constraint condition templates. This allows the planning system 200 to easily set (generate) appropriate constraint conditions in a short time. Thus, the planning system 200 can reduce the possibility that setting appropriate constraint conditions (the calculation condition including the appropriate constraint conditions) may take a great deal of time and cost.
[0050]

The specific operation of the planning system 200 is described below. Fig. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the cold rolling plan formulation process/procedure of the planning system 200. As shown in Fig. 4, the planning system 200 performs the following processes S301 to S310 in sequence to execute the cold rolling plan formulation process.
[0051]
S301: the target input section 201 acquires/imports a CSV file in CSV format that corresponds to the steel sheet specification data shown in Fig. 5 to acquire the steel sheet specification data. In Fig. 5, the steel sheet specification data is represented by a table TB1.
[0052]
The table TB1 has the following columns (columns) for storing information (values): a No. 501, an input steel plate length 502, an input steel plate width 503, an input steel plate thickness 504, an output target steel sheet width 505, an output target steel sheet thickness 506, an steel grade 507, and an delivery date 508, etc.
[0053]
The table TB1 stores the information corresponding to each column of a steel sheet product specification as a single row unit of information (record), which is associated with each other. The No. 501 is an identification number assigned to each steel sheet product specification, and the numbers are assigned in order from "1". The input steel plate length 502 contains the length of coil material (input steel plate) used for manufacturing steel sheet products. The input steel plate width 503 contains the plate width (width) of the coil material used to manufacture the steel sheet product. The input steel plate thickness 504 contains the plate thickness (thickness) of the coil material used in the manufacture of the steel sheet product. The output target steel sheet width 505 stores the sheet width of the steel sheet product (target value of the sheet width of the steel sheet product after rolling). The output target steel sheet thickness 506 contains the sheet thickness of the steel sheet product (target value of the sheet thickness of the steel sheet product after rolling). The steel grade 507 stores the steel grade identification information indicating the steel grade of the coil material. The delivery date 508 stores the delivery date of the steel sheet product.
[0054]
S302: the target input section 201 sends the steel sheet specification data to the planning optimization calculation section 204.
[0055]
S303: the planning optimization calculation section 204 receives the steel sheet specification data. The plan optimization calculation section 204 requests the constraint condition template(s) in which the information has been input (the constraint condition template(s) in the state where the information has been input) from the constraint condition setting input section 203, in order to set the calculation condition to be used in the optimization calculation.
[0056]
S304: the constraint condition setting input section 203 requests the constraint condition storage section 202 for a recommended constraint condition combination template corresponding to the steel sheet specification data. It should be noted that the constraint condition setting input section 203 may select multiple constraint condition templates based on user operation and request the selected multiple constraint condition templates.
[0057]
S305: the constraint condition storing section 202 identifies the recommended constraint condition combination template and sends the information including the identified recommended constraint condition combination template to the constraint condition setting input section 203. It should be noted that if the multiple constraint condition templates selected based on the user operation are requested, the constraint condition storing section 202 identifies the requested multiple constraint condition templates and sends the information including the requested multiple constraint condition templates and necessary for displaying the constraint condition setting screen 600 (to be described below) to the constraint condition setting input section 203.
[0058]
S306: the constraint condition setting input section 203 displays the constraint condition setting screen 600 as a GUI screen that constitutes a GUI (Graphical User Interface) on the display device 230. Fig. 6 shows an example of the constraint condition setting screen 600, for example.
[0059]
As shown in Fig. 6, the constraint condition setting screen 600 has a first column 601, a second column 602 where the first checkbox CB1 for setting each constraint condition to either ON or OFF is displayed, a third column 603 where the first input box IB1 is displayed in order to specify the priority by a numerical value in the range of 0 to 1, a second input box IB11 for setting the unique parameters corresponding to each constraint condition (constraint condition template), a fourth column 604 where the steel grade combination setting screen button Bt1 is displayed, a template save button 605, and a template call button 606.
[0060]
The user can also use the input device 240, such as a mouse, keyboard, etc., which constitutes the constraint condition setting input section 203, to operate the GUI (enter information into the GUI.). The constraint condition setting input section 203 inputs information to the constraint condition template based on the information entered in the GUI.
[0061]
The first checkbox CB1 displayed in the second column 602 is operated by the user in order to set the constraint condition generated based on the corresponding condition template to either ON or OFF. In other words, when the user operates the first check box CB1 in a case where the check mark (a "check point") is not displayed in the first check box CB1, the constraint condition setting input section 203 sets a value of the setting flag of the constraint condition template corresponding to the check box CB1 to “1” and displays the check mark (the "check point") on the first check box CB1.
[0062]
When the user operates the first check box CB1 in a case where the check mark (the "check point") is displayed in the first check box CB1, the constraint condition setting input section 203 sets the value of the setting flag of the constraint condition template corresponding to the check box CB1 to “0” and hides the check mark (the "check point") displayed on the first check box CB1.
[0063]
The first input box IB1 displayed in the third column 603 is operated by the user in order to set the priority in the optimization calculation of the corresponding constrain condition template. That is, when the user enters any numerical value within the range of 0 to 1 for the first input box IB1, the constraint condition setting input section 203 sets “the priority in the optimization calculation” of the constraint condition that is generated from the constraint condition template corresponding to the first input box IB1 to the value entered in the first input box IB1.
[0064]
The second input box IB11 displayed in the second row of the fourth column 604 is operated by the user in order to set the limit value for the plate width difference between the preceding plate (preceding coil material) and the succeeding plate (succeeding coil material), which is an intrinsic/unique parameter of the corresponding constraint condition template. That is, when the user enters a numerical value in the second input box IB11, the constraint condition setting input section 203 sets the limit value of the plate width difference between the preceding and succeeding plates, which is the unique parameter of the constraint condition template corresponding to the second input box IB11, to the value entered in the second input box IB11.
[0065]
The second input box IB11, which appears in the third row of the fourth column 604 is operated by the user in order to set the limit value for the plate thickness difference between the preceding and succeeding plates, which is an intrinsic/unique parameter of the corresponding constraint condition template. That is, when the user enters a numerical value in the second input box IB11, the constraint condition setting input section 203 sets the limit value of the plate thickness difference between the preceding and succeeding plates, which is the unique parameter of the constraint condition template corresponding to the second input box IB11, to the value entered in the second input box IB11.
[0066]
The steel grade combination setting screen button Bt1, which appears in the fourth row of the fourth column 604, is operated by user in order to display the steel grade combination setting screen 700 (refer to Fig. 7 described later) that is another GUI screen (to shift from the constraint condition setting screen to the steel grade combination setting screen 700 shown in Fig.7). That is, when the user operates the steel grade combination setting screen button Bt1, the constraint condition setting input section 203 displays the steel grade combination setting screen 700 instead of the constraint condition setting screen 600.
[0067]
The save template button 605 is operated by the user in order to save what has been entered into the constraint condition template(s) via the constraint condition setting screen 600. When the save button 605 is operated by the user, the constraint condition setting input section 203 saves/stores in the constraint condition storage section 202 the recommended constraint condition combination template where the unique parameters, priority, and setting flag have been entered. The call template button 606 is operated by the user in order to redisplay the recommended constraint condition combination template including the saved contents. When the call template button 606 is operated by the user, the constraint condition setting input section 203 calls the recommended constraint condition combination template including the saved contents from the constraint condition storage section 202 to display the called recommended constraint condition combination template on the constraint condition setting screen 600.
[0068]
Fig. 7 shows an example of a steel grade combination setting screen. As shown in Fig. 7, the steel grade combination setting screen 700 has a first column 701 where a third input box for entering the steel grade identification name is displayed, a second column 702 where the steel grade identification number of the preceding plate is displayed, a third column 703 where a fourth input box IB31 for inputting the recommended degree of combination of the succeeding plate of the steel grade of the steel grade identification number 1 and the preceding plate of the steel grade of each steel grade identification number is displayed, a fourth column 704 where a fifth input box IB41 for inputting the recommended degree of combination of the succeeding plate of the steel grade of the steel grade identification number 2 and the succeeding plate of the steel grade of each steel grade identification number is displayed, a fifth column 705 where a sixth input box IB51 for inputting the recommended degree of combination of the succeeding plate of the steel grade of the steel grade identification number 3 and the preceding plate of the steel grade of each steel grade identification number is displayed, a sixth column 706 where a seventh input box IB71 for inputting the recommended degree of combination of the succeeding plate of the steel grade of the steel grade identification number 4 and the preceding plate of the steel grade of each steel grade identification number is displayed, and a return button 707.
[0069]
Each of the third input boxes IB21 displayed in the first column 701 is operated by the user in order to input the identification name (steel grade identification name) of the steel grade for which the recommendation level/degree of the steel grade combination is to be set. Each of the fourth input boxes IB31 displayed in the third column 703 is operated by the user to input the recommendation level/degree of the combination of the succeeding plate of the steel grade of identification number 1 and the preceding plate of the steel grade of each identification number. Each of the fifth input boxes IB41 displayed in the fourth column 704 is operated by the user to input the recommendation level/degree of the combination of the succeeding plate of the steel grade of identification number 2 and the preceding plate of the steel grade of each identification number. Each of the four sixth input boxes IB51 displayed in the fifth column 705 is operated by the user to input the recommendation level/degree of the combination of the succeeding plate of the steel grade of identification number 3 and the preceding plate of the steel grade of each identification number. Each of the four seventh input boxes IB61 displayed in the sixth column 706 is operated by the user to input the recommendation level/degree of the combination of the succeeding plate of the steel grade of identification number 4 and the preceding plate of the steel grade of each identification number. The return button 707 is operated by the user in order to return from the steel grade combination setting screen 700 to the constraint setting screen 600.
[0070]
When the user enters a numerical value (recommendation) in each of the third to seventh boxes IB21 to IB61, the constraint condition setting input section 203 sets the recommendation for the combination of the steel grade of the preceding plate and the steel grade of the succeeding plate to the corresponding value entered in each of the third to seventh boxes IB21 to IB61. In this way, the constraint condition setting input section 203 generates a recommendation for the combination of the steel grade of the preceding plate and the steel grade of the succeeding plate as an intrinsic parameter of the constraint condition template. The constraint condition setting input section 203 inputs (sets) the recommendation degree of the combination of the steel grade of the preceding plate and the steel grade of the succeeding plate generated into the constraint condition setting template.
[0071]
As explained above, the constraint condition setting input section 203 sets (inputs) information in the constraint condition template based on the information entered on the GUI screen. Figs 8 and 9 illustrate an example of the constraint condition templates in which information has been entered, represented by a table TB2. The information (unique parameters) corresponding to "3" in constraint condition No. 801 is represented by a table TB3 in Fig 9 that is associated with TB2 in FIG. 9.
[0072]
As shown in Fig. 8, the table TB2 has a constraint condition No. 801, a setting flag 802, a priority 803, a first unique parameter 804, and a second unique parameter 805, etc, as the column (column) that stores the information (value).
[0073]
The table TB2 stores the information corresponding to each column of one constraint condition as a single row unit of information (record), which is associated with each other.
[0074]
The constraint condition No. 801 contains the identification number of the constraint condition. The setting flag (ON/OFF flag) 802 contains the value of the setting flag indicating the setting status of the constraint condition. The priority 803 stores the priority of the constraint condition. The first unique parameter 804 stores the unique parameter corresponding to each constraint condition. If there is a unique parameter corresponding to each constraint condition different from the unique parameter stored in the first unique parameter 804, the second unique parameter 805 stores the unique parameter. In Fig. 8, an example is displayed when there is no parameter corresponding to the second unique parameter 805.
[0075]
As shown in Fig. 9, the table TB3 has, as columns (columns) for storing information (values), a steel grade No. 901, a steel grade identification name 902, a steel grade identification number "1" 903, a steel grade identification number "2" 904, a steel grade identification number "3", and a steel grade identification number "4".
[0076]
The table TB3 stores the information corresponding to each column of one steel grade identification number as the preceding plate as a single row unit of information (record), which is associated with each other.
[0077]
The steel grade No. 901 contains the steel grade identification number. The steel grade identification name is stored in 902. The steel grade identification number "1" 903 stores a recommendation degree of the combination of the steel grade of the steel grade identification name as the preceding plate and the steel grade corresponding to the steel grade identification number "1" as the succeeding plate. The steel grade identification number "2" 904 stores a recommendation degree of the combination of the steel grade of the steel grade identification name as the preceding plate and the steel grade corresponding to the steel grade identification number "2" as the succeeding plate. The steel grade identification number "3" 905 stores a recommendation degree of the combination of the steel grade of the steel grade identification name as the preceding plate and the steel grade corresponding to the steel grade identification number "3" as the succeeding plate. The steel grade identification number "4" 906 stores a recommendation degree of the combination of the steel grade of the steel grade identification name as the preceding plate and the steel grade corresponding to the steel grade identification number "3" as the succeeding plate.
[0078]
S307: the constraint condition setting input section 203 transmits the constraint condition template(s) in which the information has been entered to the planning optimization calculation section 204.
[0079]
S308: the planning optimization calculation section 204 sets the calculation condition including constraint conditions used for calculation based on the steel sheet specification data and the constraint condition template(s) in which the information has been input that are received at S302. The planning optimization calculation section 204 executes the optimization calculation (planning optimization calculation) for optimizing the input order of the coil materials based on the evaluation index set appropriately to perform the optimization calculation under the set calculation condition. Thereby, the planning optimization calculation section 204 determines/formulates the input/feeding order of the target (a plurality of target coil materials) into the PL-TCM 100 based on the set constraint conditions. The planning optimization calculation section 204 generates calculation result data representing the formulation results. Here, examples of the results of the planning optimization calculation and the calculation result data are described using Figs. 10A to 10C. Fig. 10A shows the sequence of sheet widths, sheet thicknesses, and steel grades corresponding to the feeding order of the subject multiple coil materials before the feeding order is formulated. Fig. 10B shows the sheet widths, sheet thicknesses, and steel grades corresponding to the feeding order of the subject multiple coil materials when the feeding order of the subject multiple coil materials is formulated manually. Fig. 10C shows the sheet widths, sheet thicknesses, and steel grades corresponding to the feeding order of the subject multiple coil materials when the feeding order of the subject multiple coil materials is formulated/established by the planning optimization calculation section 204.
[0080]
In this example, the three parameters related to the constraint conditions of the rolling and welding processes are shown, but in Fig. 10B, although the sheet width and thickness are organized, the sequence of the steel grades is not suitable for the welding process. In addition, it takes time because the feeding order is formulated manually. Fig. 10C shows the order of sheet width, thickness, and steel grades corresponding to the feeding order of multiple coils of the target material as a result of the optimization. In the example of FIG. 10C, for optimization in the welding process, the priority of the constraint condition is assigned to the steel grade in particular, so that the input order plan in which it works (reflected) is formulated. In Fig. 10C, the sheet width and thickness are organized, and the steel grades are also organized in suitable sequence/order. Furthermore, the feeding order can be formulated in a short time because the feeding order is formulated by the planning optimization calculation section 204.
[0081]
Fig. 11 illustrates an example of calculation result data represented in a table TB4. As shown in Fig. 11, the table TB4 has an input order 1001, a No. 501, an input steel plate length 502, an input steel plate width 503, an input steel plate thickness 504, an output target steel sheet width 505, an output target steel sheet thickness 506, a steel grade 507 and a delivery time 508, as columns (columns) for storing information (values).
[0082]
The table TB4 stores the information corresponding to each column of the input order and the steel sheet specification corresponding to the input order as a single row unit of information (record), which is associated with each other.
[0083]
The input order 1001 contains a number indicating the order of input to the cold rolling process. The information stored in the No. 501, the input steel plate length 502, the input steel plate width 503, the input steel plate thickness 504, the output target steel sheet width 505, the output target steel sheet thickness 506, the steel grade 507, and the delivery date 508 are the same as the steel sheet specification data described previously.
[0084]
S309: the planning optimization calculation section 204 transmits the calculation result data to the plan output section 205.
[0085]
S310: the plan output section 205 outputs the calculation result data (formulation results).
[0086]
For example, the plan output section 205 outputs the calculation result data represented by the table TB4 shown in Fig. 11, which is in CSV file format, for example, to the terminal 220 of the cold rolling planning system 200.
[0087]
The plan output section 205 may output the four first bar graph Gr1 to the fourth bar graph Gr4 shown in Fig. 12 created based on the calculation result data to the screen GM1 side by side. The screen GM1 includes the first bar graph Gr1, the second bar graph Gr2, the third bar graph Gr3 and the fourth bar Gr4. The first bar graph Gr1 has the input order of the target multiple coil materials as the horizontal axis and the output target steel sheet width of the coil materials as the vertical axis. The first bar graph Gr1 shows the transition of an output target steel sheet width of the coil material according to the input order of the plurality of target coil materials. The second bar graph Gr2 has the input order of the target multiple coil materials as the horizontal axis and the output target steel sheet thickness of the coil materials as the vertical axis. The second bar graph Gr2 shows the transition of an output target steel sheet thickness of the coil material according to the input order of the plurality of target coil materials. The third bar graph Gr3 has the input order of the target multiple coil materials as the horizontal axis and the output target steel sheet width of the coil materials as the vertical axis. The third bar graph Gr3 shows the transition of an output target steel sheet width of the coil material according to the input order of the plurality of target coil materials. The fourth bar graph Gr4 has the input order of the target multiple coil materials as the horizontal axis and the output target steel sheet thickness of the coil materials as the vertical axis. The fourth bar graph Gr4 shows the transition of an input target steel plate thickness of the coil material according to the input order of the plurality of target coil materials.
For example, a user such as a skilled person can visually confirm the adequacy of the formulated plan by viewing the first to fourth bar graphs output on a single screen.
[0088]

As explained above, the cold rolling planning system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can easily and quickly set up the constraint conditions necessary for cold rolling planning. That is, the cold rolling planning system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can generate the complex constraint conditions of the cold rolling planning system easily and quickly by using the constraint condition templates. Furthermore, according to the cold rolling planning system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the constraint conditions can be generated easily and in a short time even by unskilled persons. Therefore, the cold rolling planning system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure makes it possible to eliminate the lack of human resources in setting the constraint conditions, which has become a social issue (shortage of skilled workers).
[0089]
<>
The present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and various modified examples may be employed within the scope of its gist.
[0090]
For example, in the above embodiment, the target input section 201 may acquire the steel sheet specification data from another system such as a MES (Manufacturing Execution System: MES).
[0091]
For example, in the above embodiment, the constraint condition setting input section 203 may be provided in another system such as a MES (Manufacturing Execution System). In this case, the other system, such as an MES, may be provided with a display section that displays a graphical user interface similar to the setting screens shown in Figs 6 and 7.
[0092]
In the above embodiment, the setting of the recommended steel grade combination is performed by numerical input to the steel grade combination setting screen, but the data showing the planning results of past users (e.g., skilled persons) is taken in, the steel grade combination of the preceding and succeeding coil materials used in the plan is analyzed, and the optimal recommendation may be set automatically based on the analysis results.
[0093]
In the above embodiment, a check box may be displayed in place of the input box on the steel grade combination setting screen. In this case, based on the user's operation of the check box, it may be set whether or not the combination of the preceding plate and the succeeding plate is possible. In the above embodiment, the coil material discharging device may be controlled so that the coil material discharging device automatically discharges coil material sequentially according to the formulated feeding order of coil materials.
[0094]
In the above embodiment, instead of the check box, an ON/OFF setting tool such as radio buttons, pull-downs, etc. is displayed, and the ON and OFF settings of the condition constraints may be executed based on the operations on the radio button and the pull-downs, etc.
[0095]
In the above embodiment, instead of the input box, a pull-down, slider, or other numerical input tool may be displayed, and numerical values may be input based on the user operation of the pull-down, slider, or other tool. In the above embodiment, instead of the setting flag, the constraint condition may be set to either ON or OFF depending on the priority (by setting the priority to either "0" or "a numerical value larger than 0").