As a core hub connecting production, supply and sales, logistics efficiency and safety directly determine the core competitiveness of enterprises. Traditional steel logistics is plagued by low warehouse automation, high labor dependence, delayed scheduling decisions and prominent safety risks, failing to adapt to the production rhythm of multi-variety and small-batch manufacturing as well as precise delivery requirements. Leveraging AI, machine vision, digital twin and other cutting-edge technologies, IET,USTB builds a full-chain collaborative AI-powered smart logistics system featuring perception - scheduling - execution - management, realizing the leap from manual scheduling to intelligent collaboration and supporting the intelligent upgrading of the steel logistics industry.

01 Overall Approach to AI + Smart Logistics

We reform the decentralized and experience-based operation mode of traditional logistics, and build a self-contained closed-loop intelligent logistics management architecture, achieving four major transformations:

Full-domain perception replaces manual patrol: Build a three-dimensional perception network with LiDAR, machine vision and multi-source sensors to monitor materials, equipment, vehicles and the environment around the clock, and capture real-time information on position, status and potential risks.

Automatic production planning & intelligent scheduling replace manual decision-making: Combine process mechanism and massive operational data to build a multi-objective optimization model for production planning and scheduling, realizing global collaborative decision-making for crane clusters, transport vehicles and production line connection.

Automatic execution replaces manual operation: Realize unmanned transformation of cranes and handling equipment to replace high-risk and repetitive work, ensuring operational precision and safety.

Digital management replaces on-site duty: Build a remote centralized control platform based on 5G and digital twin technologies for full-process visual monitoring and dynamic optimization. On-site operators are transformed into system supervisors.

This architecture eliminates information silos in all logistics links and creates a new logistics operation mode driven by data, featuring intelligent collaboration, safety and high efficiency.

02 Typical Application Scenarios of AI + Smart Logistics

Multi-source Perception: Full-domain Accurate Identification to Consolidate Data Foundation

Pain points: Dense material stacking, variable material shapes and complex on-site environments bring great challenges to perception in steel logistics. We develop 3D reconstruction and environmental perception technologies based on multi-source information to realize instantaneous identification and positioning of vehicles and loaded materials, and solve the recognition difficulties of stacked bars and wire rods. The system supports fully automatic identification and tracking across highway, railway and other transportation scenarios.

Results: The low efficiency, large errors and high safety risks of traditional manual identification are eliminated. The identification efficiency of key scenarios increases by over 90%, providing accurate data support for subsequent scheduling and execution.

Automatic Planning & Intelligent Scheduling: Global Collaborative Optimization to Improve Circulation Efficiency

Pain points: Tight logistics resources, strong time-space coupling and frequent dynamic disturbances pose great challenges to scheduling. Our AI-enabled logistics scheduling model comprehensively considers production plans, delivery demands and handling efficiency to minimize re-stacking rate and dynamic inventory. Driven by digital twin technology, the dynamic scheduling system responds to equipment failures and sudden order insertion within seconds to ensure stable logistics operation.

Results: Overall logistics operational efficiency is improved, and the inventory-to-account matching rate reaches 99.9%, realizing optimal allocation and efficient circulation of logistics resources.

Automatic Execution: Unmanned Precise Operation to Reduce Safety Risks

Steel logistics sites are featured with high temperature, heavy dust, high labor intensity and prominent safety hazards. The automatic execution system for logistics equipment realizes unmanned handling of various materials. Manual intervention for high-risk positions is reduced by over 80%, and the accuracy of key operations exceeds 99.5%.

Results: The drawbacks of traditional manual operation including high risks, low efficiency and operator fatigue are resolved. Automatic handling and loading/unloading of bars, billets, wire rods and other materials are realized to guarantee safe production.

Remote Centralized Control: Digital Twin-based Management to Transform Operation Modes

Based on industrial 5G and digital twin technologies, we build a remote centralized control hub for smart logistics with a full-scenario 3D visualization platform, which maps the real-time status of warehouse equipment, materials and vehicles and supports remote monitoring and operation. The AI-based equipment health monitoring system adopts fault tree analysis and fuzzy reasoning to reduce equipment failure rates and maintenance costs. The visual AI safety supervision system identifies personnel violations and equipment anomalies in real time, transforming safety management from passive disposal to active prevention.

Results: The traditional operation mode of multi-person on-site duty and decentralized operation is completely changed, greatly reducing labor intensity and improving management efficiency.

03 Implementation and Promotion of AI + Smart Logistics

The full-chain collaborative smart logistics system has been deployed in more than 20 enterprises including Nanjing Iron & Steel, Xiangtan Iron & Steel, Magang and Yueyufeng Iron & Steel, covering warehouse logistics and park logistics for bars, billets, wire rods, wide and heavy plates and other materials. A number of industry-first solutions have been launched, including the first flat unmanned warehouse for bars at Yueyufeng Iron & Steel, the first flat unmanned warehouse for wire rods at Magang, and the first flat unmanned warehouse for billets at Xiangtan Iron & Steel.

The system delivers remarkable economic benefits and creates three core values for enterprises: enhancing operational resilience by reducing labor dependence, tapping efficiency potential to balance logistics efficiency and costs, and accumulating digital assets by converting scheduling experience and process specifications into iterable intelligent models.