A multi-expert system for material cutting plan generation

摘要

Construction firms specializing in large commercial buildings must often design and build steel structural elements as a part of each project. Such firms must purchase large steel plates, cut them into pieces and then weld the pieces into H-beams and other construction components. We formalize the material ordering and cutting problem faced by this industry and propose an expert system for efficiently combining steel elements into plates to control relevant costs. This expert system is based on the procedural knowledge of multiple experts rather than on the rules of a single expert as is more common. We tested the expert system using data supplied by Lien-Kang Heavy Industrial Company, Ltd. (LK) as well as using simulated data with known optimal solutions. Comparison to LK's solutions indicates that the expert system solution is less costly in every historical project. Testing on 40 simulated projects reveals how problem parameters affect performance. The expert system has been embedded into a decision support system (DSS) that LK is currently using. The qualitative benefits of using this computerized system include a significant reduction in the time and effort required for generating a solution and increased report accuracy.