Pigment determination assistance device, program, colored paint formulation and preparation method, and colored paint manufacturing method

Abstract

This pigment determination assistance device is provided with: a control unit that executes index estimation processing for, on the basis of pigment composition information indicating the composition of a pigment used in a colored paint, estimating an index indicating the possibility that a colored coating film will deteriorate after the colored paint has been applied onto a coated object; and an output unit that outputs the index estimated by means of the index estimation processing.

Description

Pigment decision support device, program, colored paint formulation creation method, and colored paint manufacturing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a pigment decision support device, a program, a colored paint formulation creation method, and a colored paint manufacturing method.This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-049031, filed on March 26, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] When developing paint colors, outdoor exposure tests are typically used to evaluate actual paint films, but this requires long-term testing. Even if accelerated weathering tests are used instead, the testing period can still take several months, and poor test results necessitate reconsideration. Therefore, predicting paint film degradation in advance is crucial for rapid paint color development. However, estimating degradation often relies on the expertise of paint color design experts, making it difficult for engineers and designers with little experience in paint color design to predict. In particular, when designing paint colors for automobiles, the designed paint color is applied to various parts (e.g., body, bumpers, spoilers, door handles, etc.). Because the materials (steel, polypropylene, ABS, etc.) and heat resistance temperatures of each part vary, the type of paint (particularly the base resin, curing agent, additive resin, etc.) often differs for each part. Therefore, it is important to design paint colors using pigment compositions that are compatible with any paint type.

[0003] JP 2015-206603 A JP 2005-337783 A

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for estimating the possibility of deterioration of a colored coating film.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a pigment decision support device that includes: a control unit that executes an index estimation process to estimate an index that indicates the likelihood of a colored coating film deteriorating after the colored coating is applied to a substrate, based on pigment composition information that indicates the composition of the pigments used in the colored coating; and an output unit that outputs the index estimated by the index estimation process.

[0006] According to the present invention, a technique for estimating the possibility of deterioration of a colored coating film can be provided.

[0007] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an overview of a pigment decision support device of an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a first index for a certain pigment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a first index for a certain pigment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a second index for a certain pigment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a pigment decision support device of an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of processing executed by the pigment decision support device of an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a display example of a discoloration index ("Color") and a peeling index ("Peeling"). FIG. 8 is a display example of a discoloration index ("Color") and a peeling index ("Peeling"). FIG. 9 is a display example of a whitening index ("Whitening"), a blistering index ("blistering"), and a gloss reduction index ("loss of gloss"). FIG. 10 is a display example of a whitening index ("Whitening"), a blistering index ("blistering"), and a gloss reduction index ("loss of gloss"). 1 is a diagram showing a paint blend preparation device and a paint manufacturing device.

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. Furthermore, in the present invention, "deterioration of a colored coating film (discoloration, peeling of a clear coating film, whitening, blistering, and loss of gloss)" can simply be referred to as "weather resistance." Furthermore, a coating film coated with a colored coating film is referred to as a "colored coating film," a coating film coated with a clear coating is referred to as a "clear coating film," and a clear coating film on a colored coating film is collectively referred to as a "multi-layer coating film." (First Embodiment) (Pigment Decision Support Device) Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an overview of a pigment decision support device 10 according to an embodiment. The pigment decision support device 10 estimates an index indicating the likelihood of colored coating film deterioration. The pigment decision support device 10 includes a control unit 11 including a processor 91, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or an NPU (Neural Network Processing Unit), and a memory 92, all connected via a bus.

[0009] The control unit 11 executes, for example, an information acquisition process and an index estimation process.

[0010] (Information Acquisition Processing) The information acquisition processing is a processing for acquiring information used in the index estimation processing. The information acquired by the information acquisition processing includes pigment composition information. The pigment composition information indicates the composition of the pigment used in the colored paint. The pigments used in the colored paint include, for example, color pigments, luster materials, and extender pigments. Color pigments are pigments that contribute to the coloring of the paint film. Luster materials are pigments made from components that impart a metallic or lustrous appearance to the paint film by reflecting or interfering with light. Luster materials include, for example, aluminum flakes. Aluminum flakes are fine particles of aluminum. Typically, the higher the concentration of aluminum flakes, the higher the reflectivity of the paint film. Extender pigments are pigments with weak coloring power that do not contribute much to coloring (for example, pigments made from transparent or translucent particles).

[0011] The information acquired by the information acquisition process includes, for example, clear coating film information. The clear coating film information indicates the film thickness of the clear coating film formed by applying a clear coating on a colored coating film that has been applied with a colored coating, and the substances blended into the clear coating film. Colored coating is a coating that forms a colored coating film. Clear coating is a coating that is formed as the top layer and forms a transparent, glossy clear coating film.

[0012] Furthermore, the thickness of the above-mentioned clear coating can be freely set to a thin or thick film based on the standard film thickness of the paint. When the thickness of a clear coating becomes thinner, from the standard thickness to a thin film, the colored coating tends to deteriorate, for example, due to the effects of ultraviolet rays. In addition to resins and pigments, clear coatings contain additives such as UVA (ultraviolet absorbers) and HALS (ultraviolet light stabilizers) to prevent deterioration due to ultraviolet rays, and the degree of deterioration of the colored coating varies depending on the amount of UVA and HALS added.

[0013] Generally, the thicker the clear coat, the less likely the colored coat formed underneath will deteriorate. Also, the more UVA and HALS the clear coat contains, the less likely the colored coat formed underneath will deteriorate.

[0014] The information acquired by the information acquisition process includes, for example, information on the solvent type of the colored paint, which is information on whether the solvent type of the colored paint is a water-based paint or a solvent-based paint.

[0015] Here, the term "water-based paint" is a term that contrasts with solvent-based paint, and generally refers to a paint in which a binder component is dispersed and / or dissolved in water or a medium containing water as the main component (aqueous medium). Specifically, the solvent used in the paint is usually a paint that contains more than 50% by mass of water, preferably 60% by mass or more, and more preferably 70% by mass or more.

[0016] Furthermore, "solvent-based paints" typically contain 50% by mass or more, preferably 70% by mass or more, and more preferably 90% by mass or more of an organic solvent as the solvent used in the paint. As the organic solvent, known solvents can be suitably used, such as aromatic solvents, ester solvents, ketone solvents, and alcohol solvents, which can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0017] Generally, water-based paints are environmentally friendly because they do not use organic solvents, but because they use binder components that disperse and / or dissolve in the water-based solvent, they are more susceptible to deterioration than solvent-based paints in terms of weather resistance, which is primarily affected by water, light, and oxygen. Therefore, it is preferable to distinguish between water-based paints based on the type of solvent as described above.

[0018] The colored paint for which the pigment determination support device 10 performs estimation processing is preferably a colored paint in a multi-layer coating film, which is formed by applying the colored paint to an object to be coated to form a colored coating film, optionally drying the colored coating film by heating or baking it to harden, and then applying a clear paint to the colored coating film to form a clear coating film, optionally drying or baking it to harden the multi-layer coating film. The object to be coated is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, metal, plastic, or any of these that have been subjected to a chemical conversion treatment or painted.

[0019] (Index Estimation Process) The index estimation process is a process for estimating an index (hereinafter referred to as a deterioration index) that indicates the possibility of deterioration of a colored coating film after the colored paint is applied to a substrate. The deterioration index estimated by the index estimation process includes, for example, a discoloration index. The discoloration index indicates the possibility of discoloration of a colored coating film after the colored paint is applied to a substrate.

[0020] (Discoloration Index) The index estimation process is a process of estimating a discoloration index using a first index based on, for example, pigment composition information. The first index is, for example, an index determined in advance for each pigment for each brightness of the colored paint. The first index is, for example, an index determined for each pigment for each "brightness value" of the colored paint. Here, the "brightness value" is, for example, the ratio of the concentration of the colored pigment other than white to the concentration of the colored pigment and aluminum flakes contained in the colored paint. Since the higher the concentration of aluminum flakes, the higher the reflectance of the paint color. Therefore, the "brightness value" indicates a smaller value as the paint color appears lighter, and a larger value as the paint color appears darker. An example of a white colored pigment is titanium dioxide. Since the higher the concentration of titanium dioxide, the higher the reflectance of the paint color. Therefore, the "brightness value" indicates a smaller value as the paint color appears lighter, and a larger value as the paint color appears darker.

[0021] The first index may be an index defined for each brightness classification of a colored paint. The brightness classification is determined by a "value indicating brightness." For example, if the "value indicating brightness" of a certain colored paint is 0.1 or less, the brightness of the colored paint is classified into the first brightness category; if the "value indicating brightness" is greater than 0.1 and less than or equal to 0.5, the brightness of the colored paint is classified into the second brightness category; if the "value indicating brightness" is greater than 0.5 and less than or equal to 0.9, the brightness of the colored paint is classified into the third brightness category; and if the brightness of the colored paint is greater than 0.9, the brightness of the colored paint is classified into the fourth brightness category. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the first index for a certain color pigment.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a first index for a certain color pigment. The first index shown in FIG. 3( a) takes discrete values ​​with respect to the "value indicating the lightness," similar to the first index shown in FIG. 2. The first index may take continuous values ​​with respect to the "value indicating the lightness," as shown in FIG. 3( b). Unlike the first index shown in FIG. 3( a), the first index shown in FIG. 3( b) takes values ​​between 0.85 and 0.9 when the "value indicating the lightness" is in the range of 0.1 to 0.5, and takes values ​​between 0.9 and 1.0 when the "value indicating the lightness" is in the range of 0.5 to 0.9.

[0023] The index estimation process is a process for estimating, for example, the average of the first indexes corresponding to the blending amounts of each pigment indicated in the pigment composition information as the discoloration index. In the index estimation process, the discoloration index is calculated as the sum of the products of the blending ratio, which is the ratio of the blending amount of each color pigment indicated in the pigment composition information to the blending amount of all color pigments, and the first index. The blending ratio may be the ratio of the blending amount of each color pigment to the blending amount of all pigments including the luster pigment and the extender pigment. Discoloration index I １ is calculated, for example, by equation (1).

[0024] In formula (1), i represents the type of pigment, and a ｉ indicates the blending ratio of color pigment i, and b ｉ denotes the first index of pigment i.

[0025] The first index or discoloration index may be corrected by the type of solvent in the clear coating film or colored paint, the hue difference of each colored pigment, the concentration of each pigment, or the coloring power of each pigment.

[0026] The thicker the clear coating film, the less likely the colored coating film formed underneath it is to deteriorate. Therefore, when the clear coating film is relatively thick, the first index or discoloration index may be corrected to a larger value by multiplying it by a value greater than 1 or adding a positive value to it. Also, when the clear coating film is relatively thin, the first index or discoloration index may be corrected to a smaller value by multiplying it by a value less than 1 or subtracting a positive value from it.

[0027] The greater the amount of UVA or HALS blended into the clear coating film, the less likely the colored coating film formed underneath the clear coating film to deteriorate. Therefore, when the amount of UVA or HALS blended into the clear coating film is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the first index or discoloration index may be corrected to a larger value by multiplying the first index or discoloration index by a value greater than 1 or adding a positive value to the first index or discoloration index.

[0028] When the solvent type of the colored paint is an aqueous paint, the colored coating film is more likely to deteriorate than when it is a solvent-based paint. Therefore, when the solvent type of the colored paint is an aqueous paint, the first index or discoloration index may be corrected to a smaller value by multiplying it by a value smaller than 1 or subtracting a positive value. Furthermore, when the solvent type of the colored paint is a solvent-based paint, the first index or discoloration index may be corrected to a larger value by multiplying it by a value greater than 1 or adding a positive value.

[0029] The "hue difference" is calculated based on the difference in hue between each color pigment contained in the colored paint, for example. The hue of each color pigment is calculated based on the hue angle h* of a paint made by mixing the pigment with a white pigment or aluminum flakes in any ratio. Here, h* is the hue angle h* of the CIE LCh color system. When a colored paint contains pigments with different hues, i.e., colored pigments with large hue differences, the colored coating film is more likely to deteriorate. Therefore, when a colored paint contains colored pigments with large hue differences (e.g., when a colored paint contains colored pigments with hues with a hue angle h* difference of greater than 45), the first index or color change index may be corrected to a smaller value by multiplying the first index or color change index by a value less than 1 or subtracting a positive value.

[0030] When the concentration of each pigment contained in the colored paint falls within a predetermined range for each pigment, deterioration of the colored coating film may be accelerated or inhibited. Therefore, when the concentration of each pigment contained in the colored paint falls within a predetermined range for each pigment, the first index or discoloration index may be corrected by multiplying the first index or discoloration index by a coefficient or by adding positive and negative values ​​to the first index or discoloration index.

[0031] The tinting strength of each color pigment contained in a colored paint affects the deterioration of the colored paint film. The tinting strength of each color pigment is calculated, for example, by the difference in lightness between a paint made by mixing each color pigment and a white pigment in a fixed ratio and a paint made with only white pigment. Here, lightness is the lightness L* of the CIE Lab color system. Since the color pigment with a higher tinting strength contributes more to the deterioration of the paint film, the blending ratio a in formula (1) for calculating the discoloration index is ｉ For example, x is calculated by equation (2). ｉ may be corrected to

[0032] In formula (2), x ｉ is the corrected blending ratio, y ｉ indicates the coloring strength, and i indicates the type of pigment.

[0033] The finally calculated discoloration index may be an index corrected based on multiple conditions. For example, the calculated discoloration index may be multiple discoloration indexes for different clear coating film thicknesses. For example, the calculated discoloration index may be two discoloration indexes, one for when the solvent type of the colored paint is a water-based paint and the other for when the solvent type is a solvent-based paint.

[0034] (Peeling index) The estimated deterioration index includes, for example, a peeling index. The peeling index indicates the possibility that the clear coating will peel off due to deterioration of the colored coating after the colored paint and clear coating have been applied to the substrate. The index estimation process is a process of estimating the peeling index using a second index based on, for example, pigment composition information. The second index is, for example, an index that is determined in advance for each pigment for each pigment concentration. The second index is, for example, an index that is determined for each pigment for each "value indicating the pigment concentration" of the colored paint.

[0035] Here, the "value indicating the pigment concentration" is, for example, the sum of the concentrations of the color pigments calculated for each color pigment with respect to a coefficient determined for each color pigment. The "value indicating the pigment concentration" is expressed, for example, by Equation (2).

[0036] In formula (3), J represents a "value indicating the pigment concentration", i represents the type of color pigment, and c ｉ indicates the concentration of color pigment i, and d ｉdenotes the coefficient assigned to color pigment i.

[0037] Since the higher the concentration of the color pigment, the more likely the coating film will peel off, the higher the "pigment concentration value" will be, and the lower the concentration, the smaller the value. This value is not simply the pigment concentration, but is a value corrected by a coefficient determined for each color pigment.

[0038] The second index may be an index determined for each concentration classification of the color pigment of the colored paint. The concentration classification of the color pigment is determined by a "value indicating the pigment concentration." For example, for a certain colored paint, if the "value indicating the pigment concentration" is less than 0.2, the pigment concentration of the colored paint is classified into the first concentration classification; if it is greater than 0.2 and equal to or less than 0.4, the pigment concentration of the colored paint is classified into the second concentration classification; if it is greater than 0.4 and equal to or less than 0.6, the pigment concentration of the colored paint is classified into the third concentration classification; if it is greater than 0.6 and equal to or less than 0.8, the pigment concentration of the colored paint is classified into the fourth concentration classification; if it is greater than 0.8 and equal to or less than 1, the pigment concentration of the colored paint is classified into the fifth concentration classification; and if it is greater than 1, the pigment concentration of the colored paint is classified into the sixth concentration classification. Figure 4 shows an example of the second index for a certain colored pigment.

[0039] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing examples of second indices for a certain color pigment. The second index shown in FIG. 5A is a discrete value with respect to the "value indicating the pigment concentration," similar to the second index shown in FIG. 4. The second index may be a continuous value with respect to the "value indicating the pigment concentration," as shown in FIG. 5B. Unlike the second index shown in FIG. 5A, the second index shown in FIG. 5B is a value between 1.1 and 1.0 when the "value indicating the pigment concentration" is in the range of 0.2 to 0.4, and a value between 1.0 and 0.9 when the "value indicating the pigment concentration" is 0.8 or greater.

[0040] The index estimation process is a process in which, for example, the average of the second indexes corresponding to the blending amounts of each color pigment indicated in the pigment composition information is estimated as the peeling index. In the index estimation process, the peeling index is calculated as the sum of the products of the blending ratio, which is the ratio of the blending amount of each color pigment indicated in the pigment composition information to the blending amount of all color pigments, and the second index. Peeling index I ２is calculated, for example, by equation (4).

[0041] In formula (4), i represents the type of pigment, and e ｉ indicates the blending ratio of pigment i, and f ｉ denotes the second index of pigment i.

[0042] The second index or peeling index may be corrected based on the type of solvent in the clear coating film or colored coating material or the concentration of each pigment.

[0043] The thicker the clear coating film, the less likely the colored coating film formed underneath it is to deteriorate. Therefore, when the clear coating film is relatively thick, the second index or peeling index may be corrected to a larger value by multiplying it by a value greater than 1 or by adding a positive value to it. Also, when the clear coating film is relatively thin, the second index or peeling index may be corrected to a smaller value by multiplying it by a value less than 1 or by subtracting a positive value from it.

[0044] The greater the amount of UVA or HALS blended into the clear coating film, the less likely the colored coating film formed underneath the clear coating film to deteriorate. Therefore, when the amount of UVA or HALS blended into the clear coating film is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the second index or peeling index may be corrected to a larger value by multiplying it by a value greater than 1 or adding a positive value to it.

[0045] When the solvent type of the colored paint is an aqueous paint, the colored coating film is more likely to deteriorate than when it is a solvent-based paint. Therefore, when the solvent type of the colored paint is an aqueous paint, the second index or peeling index may be corrected to a smaller value by multiplying it by a value smaller than 1 or subtracting a positive value. Furthermore, when the solvent type of the colored paint is a solvent-based paint, the second index or peeling index may be corrected to a larger value by multiplying it by a value greater than 1 or adding a positive value.

[0046] When the concentration of each pigment contained in the colored paint falls within a predetermined range for each pigment, deterioration of the colored coating film may be accelerated or inhibited. Therefore, when the concentration of each pigment contained in the colored paint falls within a predetermined range for each pigment, the second index or peeling index may be corrected by multiplying it by a coefficient or by adding a positive or negative value.

[0047] (Whitening index, blister index, gloss reduction index) Estimated deterioration indexes include, for example, a whitening index, a blister index, and / or a gloss reduction index. The whitening index indicates the possibility that the colored coating film will turn white after the colored paint is applied to a substrate. Whitening of the colored coating film occurs when deterioration or defects occur in the coating film and water penetrates and remains near the base surface when water load occurs due to rainfall or the like. The blister index indicates the possibility that blisters will occur in the colored coating film after the colored paint is applied to a substrate. Blisters in the colored coating film occur when deterioration or defects occur in the coating film, reducing the adhesion of the colored coating film to the substrate or reducing the adhesion at the interface between the colored coating film and the clear coating film, resulting in localized distribution of water between the colored coating film and the substrate or at the interface between the colored coating film and the clear coating film when water load occurs. The gloss reduction index indicates the possibility that the gloss of the colored coating film will decrease after the colored paint is applied to a substrate. The gloss loss of a colored coating film occurs when deterioration or defects occur in the coating film, causing a change in the morphology of the surface layer of the colored coating film or the interface between the colored coating film and the clear coating film.

[0048] The index estimation process is a process of estimating the whitening index, blister index, and / or gloss reduction index using the second index based on, for example, pigment composition information. The second index is similar to the peeling index, but is an index that is predetermined for each pigment for each pigment concentration according to the whitening index, blister index, or gloss reduction index to be estimated.

[0049] Like the peeling index, the whitening index, blister index, and gloss reduction index increase as the concentration of the color pigment in the colored paint increases, and therefore, in the process of estimating the whitening index, blister index, and / or gloss reduction index, the "value indicating the pigment concentration" increases as the pigment concentration increases and decreases as the pigment concentration decreases, just as when estimating the peeling index. Note that the peeling index is an index for a multi-layer coating film consisting of a colored coating film and a clear coating film, but whitening, blistering, and gloss reduction also occur in a single-layer coating film consisting of only a colored coating film, and therefore the whitening index, blister index, and gloss reduction index are indexes for a single-layer coating film consisting of only a colored coating film and a multi-layer coating film consisting of a colored coating film and a clear coating film.

[0050] The finally calculated deterioration index may be an index corrected based on multiple conditions. For example, the calculated deterioration index may be multiple deterioration indexes for different clear coating film thicknesses. For example, the calculated deterioration index may be two deterioration indexes, one for when the solvent type of the colored paint is a water-based paint and the other for when the solvent type is a solvent-based paint.

[0051] It is preferable that the index estimation process described above does not use techniques such as machine learning.

[0052] 6 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the pigment decision support device 10 according to an embodiment. The pigment decision support device 10 includes a control unit 11 having a processor 91 and a memory 92 connected via a bus, and executes a program. By executing the program, the pigment decision support device 10 functions as a device including the control unit 11, an interface unit 12, and a storage unit 13.

[0053] More specifically, the processor 91 reads out a program stored in the storage unit 13 and stores the read program in the memory 92. The processor 91 executes the program stored in the memory 92, causing the pigment determination support device 10 to function as a device including the control unit 11, the interface unit 12, and the storage unit 13.

[0054] The control unit 11 controls the operation of each functional unit included in the pigment determination support device 10. The control unit 11, for example, acquires information stored in the memory unit 13. Specifically, the process of acquiring information stored in the memory unit 13 is reading. The control unit 11 may, for example, output various types of information to the memory unit 13. The memory unit 13 records the information output to the memory unit 13. The control unit 11, for example, acquires information acquired by the interface unit 12. The control unit 11 controls, for example, the interface unit 12 to transmit the information to be transmitted to the destination.

[0055] The control unit 11 executes, for example, an information acquisition process and an index estimation process.

[0056] The interface unit 12 includes a communication interface for connecting the pigment determination support device 10 to an external device. The interface unit 12 communicates with the external device via wired or wireless communication. The external device is, for example, a device that transmits network information. The interface unit 12 acquires network information by communicating with the device that transmits the network information.

[0057] The interface unit 12 may be configured to include input devices such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel. The interface unit 12 may be configured as an interface that connects these input devices to the pigment decision support device 10. In this way, the input devices of the interface unit 12 accept input of various information to the pigment decision support device 10 via wired or wireless connections. Note that various information such as network information does not necessarily have to be input to the communication interface of the interface unit 12, but may also be input to the input devices of the interface unit 12.

[0058] The interface unit 12 outputs, for example, various types of information. The interface unit 12 includes a display device such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, a liquid crystal display, or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, as well as a speaker. The interface unit 12 may be configured as an interface that connects these display devices or speakers to the pigment determination support device 10. Therefore, the display device and speaker included in the interface unit 12 output, for example, information input to an input device of the interface unit 12 as an image or sound.

[0059] The control unit 11 may, for example, control the operation of a display device and / or a speaker that constitutes the interface unit 12 to output a deterioration indicator (discoloration indicator, peeling indicator).

[0060] The storage unit 13 is configured using a computer-readable storage medium (non-transitory computer-readable recording medium) such as a magnetic hard disk drive or a semiconductor storage device. The storage unit 13 stores various information related to the pigment determination support device 10. The storage unit 13 stores various information generated by the operation of the control unit 11, such as estimated color candidates. The storage unit 13 may exist on a cloud, for example.

[0061] 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the pigment determination support device 10 of the embodiment. The control unit 11 executes an information acquisition process to acquire information used to estimate a deterioration index (step S11). The control unit 11 executes an index estimation process to estimate a deterioration index (step S12). The control unit 11 outputs the deterioration index to a predetermined output destination (step S13). The predetermined output destination is, for example, a display device and / or a speaker constituting the interface unit 12. A paint color designer or the like can check the output deterioration index and compare the deterioration indexes of different pigments, thereby making the estimated deterioration index useful for pigment determination.

[0062] Figure 8 shows an example of the display of the discoloration index ("Color") and peeling index ("Peeling"). There are two types of indexes depending on the thickness of the clear coating (standard film STD or thin film THIN). Depending on the values ​​of the discoloration index and peeling index, the result is judged and displayed as OK (no problems with the initial judgment), CHECK (check required), WARN (high risk), or NG (unusable). The person designing the paint color can check each index and decide on the paint color based on the confirmed results.

[0063] FIG. 9 shows an example of the display of the discoloration index ("Color") and peeling index ("Peeling"). There are two types of indexes depending on the type of solvent used in the colored paint (solvent-based paint or water-based paint). Based on the values ​​of the discoloration index and peeling index, the result is judged and displayed as OK (no problems with the initial judgment), CHECK (check required), WARN (high risk), or NG (unusable). The person designing the paint color can check each index and decide on the paint color based on the results.

[0064] FIG. 10 shows an example of the display of the whitening index ("Whitening"), blistering index ("Blistering"), and loss of gloss index ("Loss of Gloss"). There are two types of indexes for each clear coating film thickness (standard film STD or thin film THIN). Based on the values ​​of the whitening index, blister index, and loss of gloss index, the results are judged and displayed as OK (no problems with the initial judgment), CHECK (check required), WARN (high risk), or NG (unusable). A paint color designer can check each index and decide on a paint color based on the results.

[0065] FIG. 11 shows an example of the display of the whitening index ("Whitening"), blistering index ("Blistering"), and gloss loss index ("Loss of Gloss"). There are two types of indexes for each type of solvent in the colored paint (solvent-based paint or water-based paint). Based on the values ​​of the whitening index, blister index, and gloss loss index, the result is judged and displayed as OK (no problems with primary judgment), CHECK (check required), WARN (high risk), or NG (unusable). A person designing a paint color can check each index and decide on a paint color based on the results.

[0066] (Paint formulation creation device / paint manufacturing device) Figure 12 is a diagram showing the paint formulation creation device 20 and the paint manufacturing device 30. The paint formulation creation device 20 receives pigment composition information corresponding to the deterioration index estimated from the pigment decision support device 10. The paint formulation creation device 20 creates information indicating the formulation of a colored paint based on the deterioration index. For example, the paint formulation creation device 20 creates information indicating the formulation of a colored paint including the pigment composition based on the pigment composition information of the pigment with the smallest deterioration index. The paint formulation creation device 20 outputs the information indicating the created paint formulation to the paint manufacturing device 30.

[0067] Information indicating the paint formulation is input to the paint manufacturing device 30 from the paint formulation creation device 20. The paint manufacturing device 30 manufactures paint with the formulation indicated by the information indicating the paint formulation. The paint manufacturing device 30 is equipped with predetermined paints and manufactures paint by blending the paints provided to achieve the paint formulation indicated by the input information.

[0068] Other Embodiments One embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to that described above, and various design changes and the like can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0069] Part or all of the pigment determination support device 10 in the above-described embodiment may be implemented by a computer. In this case, a program for implementing this function may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program may be loaded into a computer system and executed. Note that the term "computer system" as used herein includes the operating system and peripheral hardware. Furthermore, the term "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, as well as recording devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. Furthermore, the term "computer-readable recording medium" may also include media that dynamically store programs for a short period of time, such as communication lines used when transmitting programs via networks such as the Internet or telephone lines, and media that store programs for a fixed period of time, such as volatile memory within the computer systems that serve as the server or client in such cases. The program may be for realizing part of the above-mentioned functions, or may be capable of realizing the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in a computer system, or may be realized using a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0070] According to the present invention, it is possible to estimate the possibility of deterioration of a colored coating film.

[0071] 10... pigment determination support device, 11... control unit, 12... interface unit, 13... storage unit

Claims

1. A pigment decision support device comprising: a control unit that executes an index estimation process to estimate an index that indicates the possibility of a colored coating film deteriorating after the colored coating is applied to a substrate, based on pigment composition information that indicates the composition of the pigments used in the colored coating; and an output unit that outputs the index estimated by the index estimation process.

2. The pigment decision support device according to claim 1, wherein in the index estimation process, the index is further estimated based on clear film thickness information indicating the film thickness of the clear coating film formed by applying a clear paint on the colored coating film on which the colored paint has been applied.

3. The pigment decision support device according to claim 2, wherein the index estimation process further estimates the index using clear paint composition information indicating the composition of the clear paint.

4. The pigment decision support device according to claim 1, wherein the index is a discoloration index that indicates the possibility of discoloration of the colored coating film after the colored coating is applied to the substrate.

5. The pigment decision support device according to claim 4, wherein in the index estimation process, the discoloration index is estimated based on the pigment composition information using a first index, which is an index predetermined for each pigment for each brightness of the colored paint.

6. The pigment decision support device according to claim 5, wherein in the index estimation process, an average of the first indexes corresponding to the blending amounts of each pigment indicated by the pigment composition information is estimated as the discoloration index.

7. The pigment decision support device according to claim 2, wherein the indicator is a peeling indicator that indicates the possibility of the clear coating film peeling after the colored paint and the clear paint are applied to the substrate.

8. The pigment determination support device according to claim 7, wherein in the index estimation process, the peeling index is estimated based on the pigment composition information using a second index, which is an index predetermined for each pigment for each pigment concentration.

9. The pigment determination support device according to claim 8, wherein in the index estimation process, an average of the second indexes corresponding to the blending amounts of each pigment indicated by the pigment composition information is estimated as the peeling index.

10. The pigment decision support device according to claim 1, wherein the index estimation process calculates two indexes indicating the possibility of deterioration when the solvent type of the colored paint is a water-based paint and when it is a solvent-based paint.

11. A pigment decision support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the index is a whitening index that indicates the possibility of the colored coating film whitening after the colored paint is applied to the substrate.

12. A pigment decision support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the index is a blister index that indicates the possibility of blistering occurring in the colored coating film after the colored paint is applied to the substrate.

13. A pigment decision support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the index is a gloss reduction index that indicates the possibility of a reduction in gloss of the colored coating film after the colored paint is applied to the substrate.

14. A pigment decision support method comprising: a control step of executing an index estimation process to estimate, based on pigment composition information indicating the composition of the pigments used in the colored paint, an index indicating the possibility of the colored paint film deteriorating due to the influence of the pigment after the colored paint is applied to a substrate; and an output step of outputting the index estimated by the index estimation process.

15. A program for causing a computer to function as the pigment determination support device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

16. A method for creating a colored paint formulation, comprising: a creation step of creating a colored paint formulation containing a pigment composition determined by the pigment determination support device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

17. A method for producing a colored paint, comprising the steps of: producing a colored paint having a composition indicated by the information indicating the colored paint composition obtained by the method for producing a colored paint composition according to claim 16.

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