Establishing automatic coating paths: empirical study for steel component production

The higher the complexity and size of H-shaped steel components, the more productivity challenges a coating factory encounters, particularly when catering to the intricate demands of customer-oriented industries. The aim of this research was to devise efficient coating paths for H-shaped steel components, replacing labour-intensive manual processes. A review of the existing literature revealed methodologies involving parameter adjustment, configuration recognition and optimisation of coating paths for H-shaped steel components. Using a comprehensive database of H-shaped steel components, an algorithm was developed to identify components accurately (>90% accuracy) and subsequently streamline the coating process. Through a comparative evaluation of 99 diverse scenarios of H-shaped steel coating, the results showed an average time reduction of 24.6% compared with manual coating methods. This finding bears significance given the industry’s challenges with a scarcity of skilled labour and elevated coating expenses, both of which hinder smooth business operations for practitioners.