Input raw material selection device and input raw material selection method

Abstract

The device for selecting input raw materials comprises: a first registration unit, a first setting unit, an iron concentration prediction unit and a first selection unit. The first registration unit associates the identification information of the first IC tag with the iron concentration information of the new raw material for each first storage unit stored in the first warehouse, and registers it in the first inventory database. The first setting unit sets the input amount of the new raw material to the melting tank based on the demand for the glass within each specified period. The iron concentration prediction unit predicts the iron concentration of the glass to be obtained in the future based on the iron concentration of the new raw material previously input into the melting tank. The first selection unit selects the first storage unit to be shipped out from the first warehouse based on the iron concentration information of the new raw material, the set input amount of the new raw material, the predicted iron concentration of the glass, and the iron concentration threshold of the glass.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an input raw material selection device and an input raw material selection method. Background Art

[0002] Silica sand and the like are used as the main raw materials for glass (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). In addition to silica sand, at least one selected from alumina, magnesium oxide, dolomite and boric acid is sometimes used. These raw materials are also referred to as new raw materials. Each new raw material may be a natural raw material or a chemically synthesized raw material. Each new raw material contains a portion of the various elements that constitute the glass, and contains metallic elements or semi-metallic elements. A plurality of new raw materials are mixed in a predetermined mixing ratio to obtain a mixture. The molten glass obtained by melting the mixture is formed into a desired shape, and then cooled and solidified to obtain glass. It should be noted that, as the main raw material for glass, in addition to new raw materials, cullet raw materials are sometimes used. Cullet raw materials are obtained by crushing glass that cannot become a product.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2009 / 054314 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] New raw materials contain impurities. A typical impurity is iron. Iron reduces the visible light transmittance of glass. An example of glass that requires high visible light transmittance is display glass.

[0008] The iron concentration of new raw materials is measured in advance, and new raw materials with an iron concentration below the reference value are delivered to glass manufacturers along with the measured data on the iron concentration.

[0009] Conventionally, even when new raw materials having an iron concentration below the reference value were used, the visible light transmittance of glass sometimes fell below the lower limit.

[0010] The present inventors investigated the iron concentration of new raw materials used in the past and found that when new raw materials with relatively high iron concentrations were continuously used, the visible light transmittance of the glass fell below the lower limit.

[0011] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a technology for stabilizing the transmittance of glass to a value equal to or higher than a lower limit.

[0012] Means used to solve problems

[0013] One embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a device for selecting input raw materials, comprising: a first registration unit, a first setting unit, an iron concentration prediction unit, and a first selection unit. The first registration unit associates, for each first storage unit stored in a first warehouse, identification information of a first IC tag provided in the first storage unit with iron concentration information of the new raw material for glass stored in the first storage unit, and registers the information in a first inventory database. The first setting unit sets the amount of the new raw material to be fed into the melting tank based on demand for the glass within each specified period. The iron concentration prediction unit predicts the iron concentration of the glass to be obtained in the future based on the iron concentration of the new raw material previously fed into the melting tank. The first selection unit selects the first storage unit to be shipped out from the first warehouse based on the iron concentration information of the new raw material registered in the first inventory database, the amount of the new raw material fed into the first setting unit, the iron concentration of the glass predicted by the iron concentration prediction unit, and the iron concentration threshold of the glass, thereby selecting the new raw material to be fed into the melting tank.

[0014] Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a new raw material with an appropriate iron concentration can be selected based on the predicted iron concentration of the glass, the iron concentration of the glass can be stabilized below a threshold value, and the transmittance of the glass can be stabilized above a lower limit value. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing a management system for input raw materials according to one embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of components of a selection device using functional blocks.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the first inventory database.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the first actual result database.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of the result of setting the raw material input amount.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing an example of the results of selecting new raw materials. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following describes the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that in the drawings, identical or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof may be omitted. The term "to" indicating a numerical range includes the numerical values ​​described before and after it as the lower and upper limits.

[0023] Reference Figure 1 A management system 1 for inputting raw materials according to one embodiment will be described. The management system 1 manages the glass raw materials fed into the melting tank 22 by the feeder 21. Silica sand and the like are used as the main raw materials for the glass. In addition to silica sand, at least one selected from alumina, magnesium oxide, dolomite and boric acid is sometimes used. These raw materials are also referred to as new raw materials. Each new raw material may be a natural raw material or a chemically synthesized raw material. Each new raw material contains a part of the various elements constituting the glass, and contains a metal element or a semi-metal element. A plurality of new raw materials are mixed in a predetermined mixing ratio to obtain a mixture. The molten glass obtained by melting the mixture is formed into a desired shape, and then cooled and solidified to obtain glass. It should be noted that, as the main raw material for the glass, in addition to the new raw materials, cullet raw materials are sometimes used. Cullet raw materials are obtained by crushing glass that cannot become a product.

[0024] The glass production line 2 includes: a feeder 21 that feeds the raw materials selected by the management system 1 into a melting tank 22, and a melting tank 22 that melts the raw materials fed by the feeder 21. The melting tank 22 has a heater for heating the raw materials fed by the feeder 21, but this is not shown. As the heater, a gas burner, an electrode, or an electric heater is used. The gas burner forms a flame above the molten glass, heating the molten glass from above. The electrode is inserted into the molten glass and electrically heats the molten glass. The electric heater heats the molten glass from the inside or outside of the molten glass. There is no particular limitation on the type of heater. The molten glass obtained in the melting tank 22 is formed into a desired shape and then cooled and solidified to obtain glass. As a method for forming into sheet glass, a float process, a fusion down-draw process, or a spout down-draw process is used. The shape of the glass is not limited to a sheet.

[0025] Glass is used in, for example, displays, and more specifically, as substrates or protective glass for forming TFTs (thin film transistors) or color filters. Examples of displays include liquid crystal displays and organic EL (electroluminescence) displays.

[0026] Glass can also serve as a carrier substrate for bonding to semiconductor wafers or semiconductor chips, such as silicon wafers. For example, the carrier substrate is bonded to the semiconductor wafer before thinning and reinforces the semiconductor wafer during thinning. After thinning, the semiconductor wafer is separated from the carrier substrate. Alternatively, the carrier substrate can be bonded to multiple semiconductor chips and position them before they are sealed with resin. After sealing, the multiple semiconductor chips are separated from the carrier substrate.

[0027] Examples of glass include alkali-free glass, aluminosilicate glass, borosilicate glass, and soda-lime glass. Alkali-free glass is glass that is substantially free of alkali metal oxides such as Na2O and K2O. Here, "substantially free of alkali metal oxides" means that the total content of alkali metal oxides is 0.1% by mass or less.

[0028] When the glass is used as protective glass, the glass is chemically strengthened glass. Chemically strengthened glass is different from alkali-free glass in that it contains alkali metal oxide.

[0029] The chemically strengthened glass contains, for example, SiO2: 62% to 68%, Al2O3: 6% to 12%, MgO: 7% to 13%, Na2O: 9% to 17%, and K2O: 0% to 7%, calculated on a mol% basis on an oxide basis, wherein the difference between the total content of Na2O and K2O and the content of Al2O3 is less than 10%. When ZrO2 is contained, the content of ZrO2 is 0.8% or less.

[0030] Another chemically strengthened glass contains, in terms of mol% based on oxides, SiO2: 65% to 85%, Al2O3: 3% to 15%, Na2O: 5% to 15%, K2O: 0% to less than 2%, MgO: 0% to 15%, and ZrO2: 0% to 1%, with the total content of SiO2 and Al2O3 (SiO2+Al2O3) being less than 88%.

[0031] Another chemically strengthened glass contains, in terms of mol % based on oxides, SiO2: 50% to 75%, Al2O3: 9% to 20%, Na2O: 10% to 20%, K2O: 0% to 6%, MgO: 0% to 15%, the total of CaO, SrO and BaO (CaO+SrO+BaO): 0% to 10%, the total of ZrO2 and TiO2 (ZrO2+TiO2): 0% to 5%, B2O3: 0% to 10%, and Li2O: 0% to 20%.

[0032] When the glass is used to form a substrate for a TFT or a color filter, the glass is alkali-free glass. Unlike chemically strengthened glass, alkali-free glass does not substantially contain alkali metal oxides.

[0033] For example, alkali-free glass contains, in terms of mass % based on oxides, SiO2: 50% to 73%, Al2O3: 10.5% to 24%, B2O3: 0% to 12%, MgO: 0% to 10%, CaO: 0% to 14.5%, SrO: 0% to 24%, BaO: 0% to 13.5%, MgO+CaO+SrO+BaO: 8% to 29.5%, and ZrO2: 0% to 5%.

[0034] In the case of having both a high strain point and high melting properties, the alkali-free glass preferably contains, in terms of mass % based on oxides, SiO2: 58% to 66%, Al2O3: 15% to 22%, B2O3: 5% to 12%, MgO: 0% to 8%, CaO: 0% to 9%, SrO: 3% to 12.5%, BaO: 0% to 2%, and MgO+CaO+SrO+BaO: 9% to 18%.

[0035] In the case where a particularly high strain point is desired, the alkali-free glass preferably contains, in terms of mass % based on oxides, SiO2: 54% to 73%, Al2O3: 10.5% to 22.5%, B2O3: 0% to 5.5%, MgO: 0% to 10%, CaO: 0% to 9%, SrO: 0% to 16%, BaO: 0% to 2.5%, and MgO+CaO+SrO+BaO: 8% to 26%.

[0036] The thickness of the glass is selected based on its intended use. For example, if the glass is used as a cover glass for a display, the thickness is 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm. On the other hand, if the glass is used as a glass substrate for a display, the thickness is 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm. The thickness of the glass is measured at the center of the width of the glass.

[0037] Incidentally, new glass raw materials contain impurities. A representative example of such impurities is iron. Iron reduces the visible light transmittance of glass. An example of glass requiring high visible light transmittance is display glass. The visible light transmittance of display glass is, for example, 90% to 100%, preferably 95% to 100%.

[0038] The iron concentration of new raw materials is measured in advance, and new raw materials with an iron concentration below the reference value are delivered to glass manufacturers along with the measured data on the iron concentration.

[0039] Conventionally, even when new raw materials having an iron concentration below the reference value were used, the visible light transmittance of glass sometimes fell below the lower limit.

[0040] The present inventors investigated the iron concentration of new raw materials used in the past and found that when new raw materials with relatively high iron concentrations were continuously used, the visible light transmittance of the glass fell below the lower limit.

[0041] The management system 1 manages the glass raw materials fed into the melting tank 22 by the feeder 21 in order to stabilize the transmittance of the glass above the lower limit. Figure 1 The device shown has: a first IC tag 31, a first warehouse 41, a first IC tag reader 42 for entering the warehouse, a first IC tag reader 43 for leaving the warehouse, a first conveyor 44, a second IC tag 51, a second warehouse 61, a second IC tag reader 62 for entering the warehouse, a second IC tag reader 63 for leaving the warehouse, a second conveyor 64, a reader 71, and a selection device 80.

[0042] The first IC tag 31 is affixed to the first storage section 32. The first storage section 32 stores new raw materials. The new raw materials stored in the first storage section 32 are not particularly limited; for example, silica sand can be used. Silica sand is a raw material for SiO2, the main component of glass, and is used in greater quantities than other new raw materials. Therefore, it is important to manage the iron concentration in the silica sand.

[0043] The first storage section 32 is, for example, a bag or container. A raw material manufacturer of new raw materials prepares the first storage section 32. The raw material manufacturer delivers the new raw materials stored in the first storage section 32 to the glass manufacturer. The raw material manufacturer also measures the quality information of the new raw materials in advance and delivers the measured quality information to the glass manufacturer.

[0044] The quality information of the new raw material is measured for each batch of the new raw material. One batch is divided and stored in a plurality of first storage sections 32 .

[0045] The quality information of the new raw material includes, for example, composition data. The composition data includes, for example, the iron concentration. The composition data may also include the concentration of at least one selected from the group consisting of water, sulfur, chlorine, and sodium as impurities other than iron.

[0046] Quality information for new raw materials may also include particle size data. For example, this data includes the 50% particle size. The 50% particle size refers to the particle size that corresponds to 50% of the cumulative volume in the cumulative distribution of particle sizes (based on volume). In other words, the particle size at which the cumulative volume of particles, starting from the smallest particle size, accounts for 50% of the total volume of all particles. For example, the 50% particle size of silica sand is 30 to 40 μm.

[0047] When the glass manufacturer receives the first storage parts 32, a first IC tag 31 is attached to each first storage part 32. The first IC tag 31 is an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and has an IC chip and an antenna, which are not shown.

[0048] The IC chip stores identification information unique to each first IC tag 31. This identification information includes the type of new raw material, the batch number of the new raw material, and the sequential numbering assigned to each batch number. The sequential numbers are assigned because a single batch is stored in multiple first storage sections 32.

[0049] The antenna receives radio waves converted into electricity from the IC tag reader and transmits identification information stored in the IC chip to the IC tag reader.

[0050] The glass manufacturer receives the quality information of the new raw material stored in the first storage section 32 in a state printed on a paper medium, for example. The glass manufacturer uses the reader 71 to read the quality information printed on the paper.

[0051] The reader 71 is, for example, an OCR (Optical Character Recognition / Reader). The reader 71 transmits the read quality information to the selection device 80. The selection device 80 receives the quality information of the new raw material from the reader 71. It should be noted that the selection device 80 may also receive the quality information from a computer of a measuring device that measures the quality information of the new raw material via the Internet.

[0052] The first warehouse 41 stores a plurality of first storage sections 32. For each first storage section 32, the storage location of the first storage section 32 is associated with the identification information of the first IC tag 31 attached to the first storage section 32 and managed.

[0053] The first storage IC tag reader 42 is installed at the entrance of the first warehouse 41. When the first storage section 32 is stored in the first warehouse 41, the first storage IC tag reader 42 reads the identification information of the first IC tag 31 and transmits it to the selection device 80.

[0054] The first outbound IC tag reader 43 is installed at the exit of the first warehouse 41 . When the first storage section 32 is outbound from the first warehouse 41 , the first outbound IC tag reader 43 reads the identification information of the first IC tag 31 and transmits it to the selection device 80 .

[0055] The first conveyor 44 conveys the new raw material stored in the first storage section 32. The first conveyor 44 removes the first storage section 32 from the first warehouse 41. The new raw material is then mixed with other new raw materials and fed into the melting tank 22 via the feeder 21.

[0056] A second IC tag 51 is affixed to the second storage section 52. The second storage section 52 stores cullet. Cullet is obtained by crushing glass that cannot be used as a product. Using cullet as glass raw material not only helps conserve resources but also improves the quality of the glass. This is because cullet contains multiple components and melts at a lower temperature than virgin raw material.

[0057] The second storage section 52 is, for example, a bag or container. The glass manufacturer prepares the second storage section 52. The glass manufacturer measures the quality information of the cullet raw material in advance. The quality information is measured for each batch of cullet raw material. The batch of cullet raw material is determined, for example, by the date of glass production. A single batch can be divided and stored in multiple second storage sections 52.

[0058] The quality information of the cullet material includes, for example, composition data. The composition data may include, for example, iron concentration. The composition data may also include the concentration of at least one impurity selected from the group consisting of moisture, sulfur, chlorine, and sodium, as well as impurities other than iron. The quality information of the cullet material may also include particle size data. The particle size data may include, for example, the 50% particle size. The quality information of the cullet material is transmitted from the computer of the measuring device that measures the quality information to the selection device 80 via the Internet.

[0059] The glass manufacturer stores the cullet material in the second storage section 52 and affixes a second IC tag 51 to each second storage section 52. The second IC tag 51 is an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and has an IC chip and an antenna, which are not shown.

[0060] The IC chip stores identification information unique to each second IC tag 51. The identification information includes information indicating the type of cullet material and information indicating the batch number of the cullet material. If a batch is divided and stored in multiple second storage sections 52, the identification information also includes information indicating the sequential number assigned to each batch number.

[0061] The antenna receives radio waves converted into electricity from the IC tag reader and transmits identification information stored in the IC chip to the IC tag reader.

[0062] The second warehouse 61 stores a plurality of second storage sections 52. For each second storage section 52, the storage location of the second storage section 52 is associated with the identification information of the second IC tag 51 attached to the second storage section 52 and managed.

[0063] The second storage IC tag reader 62 is installed at the entrance of the second warehouse 61. When the second storage section 52 is stored in the second warehouse 61, the second storage IC tag reader 62 reads the identification information of the second IC tag 51 and transmits it to the selection device 80.

[0064] The second outgoing IC tag reader 63 is provided at the exit of the second warehouse 61 . When the second storage section 52 is outgoing from the second warehouse 61 , the second outgoing IC tag reader 63 reads the identification information of the second IC tag 51 and transmits it to the selection device 80 .

[0065] The second conveyor 64 conveys the cullet material stored in the second storage section 52. The second conveyor 64 unloads the second storage section 52 from the second warehouse 61. The cullet material is then fed into the melting tank 22 via the feeder 21. The cullet material can be fed into the melting tank 22 separately from new material or mixed with new material before being fed into the melting tank 22.

[0066] The selection device 80 is, for example, a computer. The selection device 80 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 81 and a memory 82 such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory). The memory 82 stores programs for controlling various processes executed in the management system 1. The selection device 80 controls the operation of the management system 1 by causing the CPU 81 to execute the programs stored in the memory 82.

[0067] The selection device 80 includes an input interface 83, an output interface 84, and a communication interface 85. The selection device 80 receives external signals via the input interface 83 and transmits external signals via the output interface 84. The selection device 80 transmits and receives information to and from an external computer connected via a network via the communication interface 85.

[0068] Next, refer to Figure 2 The components of the selection device 80 according to one embodiment will be described. Figure 2 The functional blocks shown in the figure are conceptual blocks and are not necessarily required to be physically configured as shown in the figure. Figure 2 All or part of the functional modules shown in the figure can be functionally or physically dispersed or unified in arbitrary units. All or part of the processing functions performed by the functional modules can be implemented by a program executed by a CPU or as hardware based on wired logic.

[0069] The selection device 80 is, for example, Figure 2The device 80 is shown as comprising a data receiving unit 101, a data transmitting unit 102, a first registering unit 103, a first setting unit 104, an iron concentration estimating unit 105, a first selecting unit 106, a second registering unit 107, a second setting unit 108, and a second selecting unit 109. Furthermore, the selecting device 80 comprises a product information database 111, a demand database 112, a first quality database 113, a first inventory database 114, a first actual result database 115, a second quality database 116, a second inventory database 117, and a second actual result database 118.

[0070] The data receiving unit 101 receives various information using the input interface 83 or the communication interface 85. This information includes, for example, identification information of the first IC tag 31, quality information of new raw materials, identification information of the second IC tag 51, quality information of cullet raw materials, information related to glass products, information related to glass demand, and information related to glass yield. Information related to glass products, for example, includes a threshold iron concentration in glass.

[0071] The data transmission unit 102 transmits various information using the output interface 84 or the communication interface 85. The transmitted information includes, for example, instructions for the first conveyor 44 and instructions for the second conveyor 64. The instruction for the first conveyor 44 includes an instruction to remove the first storage section 32 selected by the first selection unit 106 from the first warehouse 41. The instruction for the second conveyor 64 includes an instruction to remove the second storage section 52 selected by the second selection unit 109 from the second warehouse 61.

[0072] The first registration unit 103 associates the identification information of the first IC tag 31 with the quality information of the new raw material for each first storage unit 32 stored in the first warehouse 41, and registers the information in the first inventory database 114. The quality information of the new raw material includes, for example, composition data. The composition data may include, for example, iron concentration. The composition data may also include the concentration of at least one impurity selected from the group consisting of moisture, sulfur, chlorine, and sodium, which are impurities other than iron. The quality information of the new raw material may also include particle size data.

[0073] The first inventory database 114 associates the identification information of the first IC tag 31 with the quality information of the new raw material and stores the information (see Figure 3 The first inventory database 114 is updated when the first storage section 32 is loaded into the first warehouse 41 , and is also updated when the first storage section 32 is unloaded from the first warehouse 41 .

[0074] The quality information of the new raw materials before entering the first warehouse 41 is stored in the first quality database 113. On the other hand, the quality information of the new raw materials after leaving the first warehouse 41 is stored in the first actual result database 115 (refer to Figure 4) The first inventory database 114 stores only the quality information of the new raw materials stored in the first warehouse 41 .

[0075] The second registration unit 107 associates the identification information of the second IC tag 51 with the quality information of the cullet material for each second storage section 52 stored in the second warehouse 61, and registers the information in the second inventory database 117. The quality information of the cullet material includes, for example, composition data. The composition data may include, for example, iron concentration. The composition data may also include the concentration of at least one impurity selected from the group consisting of moisture, sulfur, chlorine, and sodium, which are impurities other than iron. The quality information of the cullet material may also include particle size data.

[0076] The second inventory database 117 associates and stores the identification information of the second IC tag 51 with the quality information of the cullet. The second inventory database 117 is updated when the second storage unit 52 is loaded into the second warehouse 61 and when the second storage unit 52 is unloaded from the second warehouse 61.

[0077] The quality information of the cullet before it is stored in the second warehouse 61 is stored in the second quality database 116. Meanwhile, the quality information of the cullet after it is shipped from the second warehouse 61 is stored in the second actual result database 118. The second inventory database 117 stores only the quality information of the cullet currently stored in the second warehouse 61.

[0078] The first setting unit 104 sets the amount of new raw material to be fed into the melting tank 22 within each predetermined period (e.g., one month), based on, for example, the demand for glass and the glass yield. The second setting unit 108 sets the amount of cullet raw material to be fed into the melting tank 22 within each predetermined period, based on the amount of new raw material set in the first setting unit 104 and the demand for glass. The first setting unit 104 and the second setting unit 108 set the amount of new raw material fed and the amount of cullet raw material fed, for example, so that the inventory level of the cullet raw material is within an allowable range.

[0079] Next, refer to Figure 5 An example of setting the amount of raw material input is described below. Figure 5 The values ​​in the table are relative values ​​after normalization for each item. The numerical values ​​between items are meaningless. For example, the numerical values ​​between the input amount of new raw materials and the input amount of cullet are meaningless.

[0080] For example, in January, the demand for glass is 100, the glass yield is 100, the input of new raw materials is 100, and the input of broken glass raw materials is 100. The values ​​after February are relative values ​​after standardization based on the values ​​in January.

[0081] Compared with January, the demand for glass in February was halved from 100 to 50, but the glass yield remained at 100. Therefore, the input of new raw materials in February was halved from 100 to 50, and the input of broken glass raw materials was also halved from 100 to 50.

[0082] Compared with January, the demand for glass in March remained at 100, but the glass yield increased from 100 to 110. Therefore, the input of new raw materials in March increased from 100 to 107, and the input of cullet raw materials decreased from 100 to 80.

[0083] As described above, cullet raw materials are obtained by crushing glass that cannot become a product. When the glass yield is improved, the amount of glass that cannot become a product is reduced, and thus the production amount of cullet raw materials is reduced.

[0084] Therefore, when the glass yield is improved, the input amount of new raw materials is increased to reduce the consumption of cullet raw materials. In this way, the inventory of cullet raw materials can be ensured, and glass can be manufactured using both cullet raw materials and new raw materials.

[0085] Compared with January, the demand for glass in April is still 100, but the glass yield rate decreases from 100 to 90. Therefore, the input of new raw materials in April decreases from 100 to 90, and the input of cullet raw materials increases from 100 to 130.

[0086] As described above, the first setting unit 104 sets the amount of new raw material to be fed into the melting tank 22 based on not only the demand for glass but also the glass yield. A stock of cullet raw material can be secured, and glass can be manufactured using both cullet raw material and new raw material.

[0087] It should be noted that the first setting unit 104 can also set the amount of new raw materials to be fed into the melting tank 22 based solely on glass demand. When the inventory of cullet raw materials is insufficient, the glass yield can be temporarily reduced and the production of cullet raw materials can be increased.

[0088] The iron concentration prediction unit 105 predicts the iron concentration of the glass to be obtained in the future based on, for example, the iron concentration of new raw materials previously fed into the melting tank 22 and the iron concentration of cullet raw materials previously fed into the melting tank 22. The iron concentration of new raw materials previously fed into the melting tank 22 is obtained from the first actual result database 115. The iron concentration of cullet raw materials previously fed into the melting tank 22 is obtained from the second actual result database 118.

[0089] The iron concentration prediction unit 105, for example, predicts the iron concentration of glass to be obtained from the molten glass currently stored in the melting tank 22 as the iron concentration of glass to be obtained in the future. The molten glass is formed into a desired shape and then cooled and solidified. The result is glass. The time required for the molten glass stored in the melting tank 22 to become glass may be, for example, several days.

[0090] It should be noted that the quality of the glass is stabilized by selecting new raw materials as described below by the first selection unit 106. Cullet raw materials are obtained by crushing glass and have a constant quality. Therefore, the iron concentration prediction unit 105 may use only the iron concentration of the new raw materials to predict the iron concentration of the future glass. However, using the iron concentration of the cullet raw materials in addition to the iron concentration of the new raw materials can improve the accuracy of the prediction.

[0091] The first selection unit 106 selects the first storage section 32 to be shipped out from the first warehouse 41 based on the iron concentration information of the new raw material registered in the first inventory database 114, the input amount of the new raw material set in the first setting unit 104, the iron concentration of the glass predicted in the iron concentration prediction unit 105, and the iron concentration threshold of the glass, thereby selecting the new raw material to be put into the melting tank 22.

[0092] Next, refer to Figure 6 An example of selecting a new raw material is described below. Figure 6 The numerical values ​​in are relative values ​​normalized for each item. The iron concentration of the glass predicted by the iron concentration prediction unit 105 and the iron concentration of the new raw material selected by the first selection unit 106 are values ​​when the iron concentration threshold of the glass is set to 100.

[0093] The iron concentration threshold value of the glass uses the value registered in the product information database 111. The iron concentration of the glass is the Fe2O3 concentration. The threshold value of the Fe2O3 concentration of the glass is, for example, 0.10 mass % or less, preferably 0.05 mass % or less.

[0094] The first selection unit 106 selects the new raw material to be added to the melting tank 22 next time, based on the currently predicted iron concentration of the glass and the currently set amount of new raw material to be added (i.e., the next amount to be added), so that the next predicted iron concentration of the glass is within a threshold value of 45% to 75%. The predicted iron concentration of the glass is preferably 55% to 65%.

[0095] The newly selected raw material is taken out of the first warehouse 41 and put into the melting tank 22, which will affect the iron concentration of the glass predicted next time. The higher the iron concentration of the newly selected raw material, the higher the iron concentration of the glass predicted next time.

[0096] On January 1, the amount of new raw material set in first setting unit 104 is 100, and the iron concentration of the glass predicted by iron concentration prediction unit 105 is 55. The predicted iron concentration of the glass is within the preferred range (55% to 65%). Therefore, for example, first selection unit 106 selects a new raw material with an iron concentration above the preferred range.

[0097] On January 2, the amount of new raw material set in first setting unit 104 is 100, and the iron concentration of the glass predicted by iron concentration prediction unit 105 is 65. The predicted iron concentration of the glass remains within the preferred range (55% to 65%). Therefore, for example, first selection unit 106 selects a new raw material with an iron concentration above the preferred range.

[0098] On January 3rd, the input amount of the new raw material set in first setting unit 104 is 100, and the iron concentration of the glass predicted by iron concentration prediction unit 105 is 70. The predicted iron concentration of the glass is higher than the preferred range (55% to 65%). Therefore, first selection unit 106 selects a new raw material with an iron concentration lower than the preferred range.

[0099] On January 4th, the amount of new raw material set in first setting unit 104 was 50, and the iron concentration of the glass predicted by iron concentration prediction unit 105 was 53. The predicted iron concentration of the glass was below the preferred range (55% to 65%). Furthermore, the amount of new raw material added was relatively small. Therefore, first selection unit 106 selected a new raw material with an iron concentration significantly above the preferred range. On January 4th, a new raw material was selected whose iron concentration exceeded the threshold value for iron concentration in glass.

[0100] As described above, the first selection unit 106 selects new raw materials to be added to the melting tank 22 based on the iron concentration information of the new raw materials registered in the first inventory database 114, the amount of new raw materials to be added set by the first setting unit 104, the iron concentration of the glass predicted by the iron concentration prediction unit 105, and the iron concentration threshold value of the glass. Therefore, a new raw material with an appropriate iron concentration can be selected based on the predicted iron concentration of the glass, the iron concentration of the glass can be stabilized below the threshold value, and the transmittance of the glass can be stabilized above the lower limit value. Furthermore, new raw materials with a relatively large standard deviation of iron concentration can be used, and inexpensive new raw materials can be used.

[0101] As mentioned above, the new raw material is, for example, silica sand. The iron concentration of silica sand is the Fe2O3 concentration. The standard deviation of the Fe2O3 concentration of silica sand is, for example, 0.005% by mass or greater and 0.03% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or greater and 0.03% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.02% by mass or greater and 0.03% by mass or less. Compared to the threshold value of the Fe2O3 concentration of glass, the standard deviation of the Fe2O3 concentration of silica sand is relatively large. It should be noted that the threshold value of the Fe2O3 concentration of glass, as mentioned above, is, for example, 0.10% by mass or less, preferably 0.05% by mass or less.

[0102] It should be noted that the first selection unit 106 may also select new raw materials to be fed into the melting tank 22 based on the iron concentration information of the cullet raw materials registered in the second inventory database 117 and the feed amount of the cullet raw materials set in the second setting unit 108. By considering the iron concentration of the cullet raw materials in addition to the iron concentration of the new raw materials, the iron concentration of the glass can be stabilized with high precision.

[0103] The first selection unit 106 may select the new raw material to be put into the melting tank 22 based on the moisture content information of the new raw material registered in the first inventory database 114 and the temperature of the melting tank 22. Figure 1 Thermometer 23 is shown to measure the temperature. Thermometer 23 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, a radiation thermometer. Thermometer 23 transmits the measured data to the selection device 80. The lower the temperature of the melting tank 22, the lower the moisture content of the new raw material. Water absorbs heat during vaporization, lowering the temperature of the melting tank 22. By selecting new raw materials with moisture contents that correspond to the temperature of the melting tank 22, the temperature of the melting tank 22 can be stabilized.

[0104] It should be noted that the first selection unit 106 may also select new raw materials to be added to the melting tank 22 based on the moisture content information of the cullet raw materials registered in the second inventory database 117 and the temperature of the melting tank 22. By considering the moisture content of the cullet raw materials in addition to the moisture content of the new raw materials, the temperature of the melting tank 22 can be stabilized with high precision.

[0105] The second selection unit 109 selects the second storage section 52 to be unloaded from the second warehouse 61 based on the iron concentration information of the cullet raw materials registered in the second inventory database 117, the input amount of the cullet raw materials set in the second setting unit 108, the iron concentration of the glass predicted by the iron concentration prediction unit 105, and the iron concentration threshold value of the glass. This selects the cullet raw materials to be fed into the melting tank 22. The selection of the cullet raw materials is similar to the selection of new raw materials, and therefore, description thereof will be omitted.

[0106] The second selector 109 may also select cullet material to be fed into the melting tank 22 based on the moisture content information of the cullet material registered in the second inventory database 117 and the temperature of the melting tank 22. The lower the temperature of the melting tank 22, the lower the moisture content of the cullet material. This stabilizes the temperature of the melting tank 22.

[0107] The following supplementary notes are disclosed regarding the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0108] [Note 1]

[0109] A device for selecting input raw materials, wherein the device for selecting input raw materials comprises:

[0110] a first registering unit that associates, for each first storage section stored in the first warehouse, identification information of a first IC tag provided in the first storage section with iron concentration information of the new glass raw material stored in the first storage section, and registers the association in a first inventory database;

[0111] a first setting unit configured to set an amount of the new raw material to be fed into the melting tank based on demand for the glass during each predetermined period;

[0112] an iron concentration prediction unit configured to predict the iron concentration of the glass to be obtained in the future based on the iron concentration of the new raw material previously fed into the melting tank; and

[0113] A first selection unit selects the first storage unit for shipment from the first warehouse based on the iron concentration information of the new raw material registered in the first inventory database, the input amount of the new raw material set in the first setting unit, the iron concentration of the glass predicted in the iron concentration prediction unit, and the iron concentration threshold of the glass, thereby selecting the new raw material to be put into the melting tank.

[0114] [Note 2]

[0115] The device for selecting a raw material to be fed according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the first setting unit sets the amount of the new raw material to be fed into the melting tank based on demand for the glass and a yield rate of the glass in each predetermined period.

[0116] [Note 3]

[0117] The device for selecting input raw materials according to Appendix 1 or 2, wherein the first registration unit associates, for each of the first storage sections stored in the first warehouse, identification information of the first IC tag provided in the first storage section with moisture content information of the new raw material stored in the first storage section, and registers the association in the first inventory database.

[0118] The first selection unit selects the new raw material to be put into the melting tank based on the moisture content information of the new raw material registered in the first inventory database and the temperature of the melting tank.

[0119] [Note 4]

[0120] The device for selecting an input raw material according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein the device for selecting an input raw material comprises:

[0121] a second registration unit that associates, for each second storage section stored in the second warehouse, identification information of a second IC tag provided in the second storage section with iron concentration information of the cullet stored in the second storage section, and registers the association in a second inventory database; and

[0122] a second setting unit that sets the amount of cullet raw material to be fed into the melting tank within each predetermined period based on the amount of new raw material fed set in the first setting unit and the demand for glass;

[0123] The first selection unit selects the new raw material to be charged into the melting tank based on the iron concentration information of the cullet raw material registered in the second inventory database and the charge amount of the cullet raw material set in the second setting unit.

[0124] [Note 5]

[0125] The device for selecting input raw materials according to Supplementary Note 4, wherein:

[0126] The second registration unit associates identification information of a second IC tag provided in each second storage section stored in the second warehouse with moisture content information of the cullet stored in the second storage section, and registers the association in the second inventory database.

[0127] The first selection unit selects the new raw material to be put into the melting tank based on the moisture content information of the cullet raw material registered in the second inventory database and the temperature of the melting tank.

[0128] [Note 6]

[0129] The device for selecting an input raw material according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 5, wherein the glass contains SiO 2 as a main component, and the new raw material is silica sand.

[0130] [Note 7]

[0131] The device for selecting input raw materials according to Supplementary Note 6, wherein the iron concentration of the silica sand is the Fe2O3 concentration, and the standard deviation of the Fe2O3 concentration of the silica sand is 0.005 mass % or more and 0.03 mass % or less.

[0132] [Note 8]

[0133] The device for selecting an input raw material according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 7, wherein the iron concentration of the glass is a Fe 2 O 3 concentration, and a threshold value of the Fe 2 O 3 concentration of the glass is 0.10 mass % or less.

[0134] [Note 9]

[0135] The device for selecting an input raw material according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 8, wherein the glass is display glass.

[0136] [Note 10]

[0137] A method for selecting input raw materials, wherein the method for selecting input raw materials comprises:

[0138] (A) for each first storage section stored in a first warehouse, associating identification information of a first IC tag provided in the first storage section with iron concentration information of the new raw material for glass stored in the first storage section, and registering the information in a first inventory database;

[0139] (B) setting the amount of the new raw material to be fed into the melting tank based on the demand for the glass during each predetermined period;

[0140] (C) predicting the iron concentration of the glass to be obtained in the future based on the iron concentration of the new raw material previously fed into the melting tank; and

[0141] (D) Based on the iron concentration information of the new raw material registered in (A), the input amount of the new raw material set in (B), the iron concentration of the glass predicted in (C), and the iron concentration threshold of the glass, the first storage section to be shipped out from the first warehouse is selected, thereby selecting the new raw material to be put into the melting tank.

[0142] [Note 11]

[0143] The method for selecting input raw materials according to Supplementary Note 10, wherein:

[0144] The (B) includes setting the amount of the new raw material to be fed into the melting tank based on the demand for the glass and the yield of the glass during each predetermined period.

[0145] [Note 12]

[0146] The method for selecting input raw materials according to Supplementary Note 10 or 11, wherein:

[0147] The (A) includes: for each of the first storage sections stored in the first warehouse, associating identification information of a first IC tag provided in the first storage section with moisture content information of the new raw material stored in the first storage section, and registering the information in a first inventory database;

[0148] The (D) includes selecting the new raw material to be put into the melting tank based on the moisture content information of the new raw material registered in the (A) and the temperature of the melting tank.

[0149] [Note 13]

[0150] The method for selecting input raw materials according to any one of Supplementary Notes 10 to 12, wherein the method for selecting input raw materials comprises:

[0151] (E) for each second storage section stored in the second warehouse, associating identification information of a second IC tag provided in the second storage section with iron concentration information of the cullet stored in the second storage section, and registering the information in a second inventory database; and

[0152] (F) setting the amount of cullet raw material to be fed into the melting tank within each of the predetermined periods based on the amount of new raw material fed set in (B) and the demand for glass;

[0153] The (D) includes selecting the new raw material to be fed into the melting tank based on the iron concentration information of the cullet raw material registered in the (E) and the feeding amount of the cullet raw material set in the (F).

[0154] [Note 14]

[0155] The method for selecting input raw materials according to Supplementary Note 13, wherein:

[0156] The (E) includes: for each second storage section stored in the second warehouse, associating identification information of a second IC tag provided in the second storage section with moisture content information of the cullet stored in the second storage section, and registering the information in the second inventory database;

[0157] The (D) includes selecting the new raw material to be put into the melting tank based on the moisture content information of the cullet raw material registered in the (E) and the temperature of the melting tank.

[0158] [Note 15]

[0159] The method for selecting an input raw material according to any one of Supplementary Notes 10 to 14, wherein the glass contains SiO 2 as a main component, and the new raw material is silica sand.

[0160] [Note 16]

[0161] The method for selecting an input raw material according to Supplementary Note 15, wherein the iron concentration of the silica sand is the Fe2O3 concentration, and the standard deviation of the Fe2O3 concentration of the silica sand is greater than or equal to 0.005 mass % and less than or equal to 0.03 mass %.

[0162] [Note 17]

[0163] The method for selecting a raw material according to any one of Supplementary Notes 10 to 16, wherein the iron concentration of the glass is a Fe 2 O 3 concentration, and the threshold value of the Fe 2 O 3 concentration of the glass is 0.10 mass % or less.

[0164] [Note 18]

[0165] The method for selecting an input raw material according to any one of Supplementary Notes 10 to 17, wherein the glass is display glass.

[0166] While the apparatus and method for selecting input raw materials disclosed herein have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments. Various changes, modifications, substitutions, additions, deletions, and combinations are possible within the scope of the claims. Such changes are naturally within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0167] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-113050 filed with the Japan Patent Office on July 7, 2021, and incorporates the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-113050 into this application.

[0168] Label Description

[0169] 22 Melting Tank

[0170] 31 First IC Tag

[0171] 32 First Storage Department

[0172] 41 First Warehouse

[0173] 80 Select device

[0174] 103 First Registration Department

[0175] 104 First Setting Section

[0176] 105 Iron Concentration Prediction Department

[0177] 106 First Selection Department

[0178] 114 First Inventory Database

Claims

1. A device for selecting input raw materials, wherein: The device for selecting input raw materials comprises: a first registering unit that associates, for each first storage section stored in the first warehouse, identification information of a first IC tag provided in the first storage section with iron concentration information of the new glass raw material stored in the first storage section, and registers the association in a first inventory database; a first setting unit configured to set an amount of the new raw material to be fed into the melting tank based on demand for the glass during each predetermined period; an iron concentration prediction unit configured to predict the iron concentration of the glass to be obtained in the future based on the iron concentration of the new raw material previously fed into the melting tank; and A first selection unit selects the first storage unit for shipment from the first warehouse based on the iron concentration information of the new raw material registered in the first inventory database, the input amount of the new raw material set in the first setting unit, the iron concentration of the glass predicted in the iron concentration prediction unit, and the iron concentration threshold of the glass, thereby selecting the new raw material to be put into the melting tank.

2. The device for selecting input raw materials according to claim 1, wherein: The first setting unit sets the amount of the new raw material to be fed into the melting tank based on the demand for the glass and the yield of the glass in each predetermined period.

3. The device for selecting input raw materials according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first registration unit associates identification information of a first IC tag provided in each first storage unit stored in the first warehouse with moisture content information of the new raw material stored in the first storage unit, and registers the association in the first inventory database. The first selection unit selects the new raw material to be put into the melting tank based on the moisture content information of the new raw material registered in the first inventory database and the temperature of the melting tank.

4. The device for selecting input raw materials according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The device for selecting input raw materials comprises: a second registration unit that associates, for each second storage section stored in the second warehouse, identification information of a second IC tag provided in the second storage section with iron concentration information of the cullet stored in the second storage section, and registers the information in a second inventory database; and a second setting unit, which sets the amount of cullet raw material to be fed into the melting tank based on the amount of new raw material fed and the demand for glass set in the first setting unit during each predetermined period; The first selection unit selects the new raw material to be fed into the melting tank based on the iron concentration information of the cullet raw material registered in the second inventory database and the feeding amount of the cullet raw material set in the second setting unit.

5. The device for selecting input raw materials according to claim 4, wherein: The second registration unit associates identification information of a second IC tag provided in each second storage section stored in the second warehouse with moisture content information of the cullet stored in the second storage section, and registers the association in the second inventory database. The first selection unit selects the new raw material to be put into the melting tank based on the moisture content information of the cullet raw material registered in the second inventory database and the temperature of the melting tank.

6. The device for selecting input raw materials according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The glass contains SiO2 as a main component, and the new raw material is silica sand.

7. The device for selecting input raw materials according to claim 6, wherein: The iron concentration of the silica sand is Fe2O3 concentration, and the standard deviation of the Fe2O3 concentration of the silica sand is greater than or equal to 0.005 mass % and less than or equal to 0.03 mass %.

8. The device for selecting input raw materials according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The iron concentration of the glass is Fe2O3 concentration, and the threshold value of the Fe2O3 concentration of the glass is 0.10 mass % or less.

9. The device for selecting input raw materials according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The glass is glass for displays.

10. A method for selecting input raw materials, wherein: The method for selecting the input raw materials includes: (A) for each first storage section stored in a first warehouse, associating identification information of a first IC tag provided in the first storage section with iron concentration information of the new raw material for glass stored in the first storage section, and registering the information in a first inventory database; (B) setting the amount of the new raw material to be fed into the melting tank based on the demand for the glass during each predetermined period; (C) predicting the iron concentration of the glass to be obtained in the future based on the iron concentration of the new raw material previously fed into the melting tank; (D) Based on the iron concentration information of the new raw material registered in (A), the input amount of the new raw material set in (B), the iron concentration of the glass predicted in (C), and the iron concentration threshold of the glass, the first storage section to be shipped out from the first warehouse is selected, thereby selecting the new raw material to be put into the melting tank.

11. The method for selecting input raw materials according to claim 10, wherein: The (B) includes setting the amount of the new raw material to be fed into the melting tank based on the demand for the glass and the yield of the glass during each predetermined period.

12. The method for selecting input raw materials according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: The (A) includes: for each of the first storage sections stored in the first warehouse, associating identification information of a first IC tag provided in the first storage section with moisture content information of the new raw material stored in the first storage section, and registering the information in a first inventory database; The (D) includes selecting the new raw material to be put into the melting tank based on the moisture content information of the new raw material registered in the (A) and the temperature of the melting tank.

13. The method for selecting input raw materials according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: The method for selecting the input raw materials includes: (E) for each second storage section stored in the second warehouse, associating identification information of a second IC tag provided in the second storage section with iron concentration information of the cullet stored in the second storage section, and registering the information in a second inventory database; (F) setting the amount of cullet raw material to be fed into the melting tank within each of the predetermined periods based on the amount of new raw material fed set in (B) and the demand for glass; The (D) includes selecting the new raw material to be fed into the melting tank based on the iron concentration information of the cullet raw material registered in the (E) and the feeding amount of the cullet raw material set in the (F).

14. The method for selecting input raw materials according to claim 13, wherein: The (E) includes: for each second storage section stored in the second warehouse, associating identification information of a second IC tag provided in the second storage section with moisture content information of the cullet stored in the second storage section, and registering the information in the second inventory database; The (D) includes selecting the new raw material to be put into the melting tank based on the moisture content information of the cullet raw material registered in the (E) and the temperature of the melting tank.

15. The method for selecting input raw materials according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: The glass contains SiO2 as a main component, and the new raw material is silica sand.

16. The method for selecting input raw materials according to claim 15, wherein: The iron concentration of the silica sand is Fe2O3 concentration, and the standard deviation of the Fe2O3 concentration of the silica sand is greater than or equal to 0.005 mass % and less than or equal to 0.03 mass %.

17. The method for selecting input raw materials according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: The iron concentration of the glass is Fe2O3 concentration, and the threshold value of the Fe2O3 concentration of the glass is 0.10 mass % or less.

18. The method for selecting input raw materials according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: The glass is glass for displays.

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