Environmental load information cooperation system and method

Abstract

To provide a technique which supports effective reduction in environmental load generated when a product is reformed.SOLUTION: An environmental load information cooperation system for supporting management of an environmental load which is generated when a reproduced product is reformed using a reproduced component, is configured to: stores processing information in which information acquired when reforming a reproduced product and indicating reproduction process executed in each step for reforming the reproduced component, information indicating a process purpose to which the reproduction process corresponds, and information indicating an environmental load generated by the reproduction process, are accumulated associated with a reproduction identifier of reforming of the reproduced product and a kind of component of the reproduced component; extract from the process information, for each process purpose, an order of one or more reproduction processes executed continuously to the reproduced component corresponding to a kind of an object component, in reforming of the reproduced product, as a process pattern; apply priority on the basis of a representative value of the environmental load to the process pattern, for each process purpose; then, present analysis result information based on the priority to the process pattern.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technique for managing the environmental load generated when remanufacturing products. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, consumers' environmental awareness has changed due to worsening environmental problems, concerns about resource depletion, and the promotion of Industrial Revolution 4.0. Against this backdrop, there is a growing demand for an environmentally friendly circular economy system, rather than the traditional linear economy. Companies are accelerating their efforts to collect primary data on the environmental impact of their business activities, such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or resource consumption. In addition, as part of Scope 3 of the GHG Protocol, companies are being asked to reduce the environmental impact of their entire supply chain, not just their own emissions.

[0003] In the GHG Protocol, discussions are also underway on the avoided emissions as Scope 4. The avoided emissions is an indicator of how much one has contributed to reducing environmental impact. There is a high possibility that the avoided emissions from circular economy activities such as reuse, which involves regenerating and reusing parts, and remanufacturing, which involves collecting and reusing used products, will be related to Scope 4. In that case, it will also be necessary to calculate the environmental impact of circular economy activities.

[0004] However, it is not easy to calculate the environmental impact of circular economy activities because the process leading to reuse differs depending on the recycled parts or materials used in remanufacturing the product. In addition, even if the process is the same, the environmental impact differs depending on the entity and location that carries it out, which makes the calculation of the environmental impact even more complicated.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for evaluating the environmental load of reuse when evaluating the environmental load related to resource circulation. The method of Patent Document 1 inputs and stores recycling process data, stores a recycling process coefficient, and calculates the recycling load of reused items using the recycling process data and the recycling process coefficient. This makes it possible to calculate the environmental load related to part reuse without actually measuring the recycling process data individually, calculate the recycling load at multiple recycling factories, select the factory with the smallest recycling load, calculate the recycling load at each recycling factory for multiple reused parts, and select the factory that will recycle each reused part so that the total recycling load is the smallest. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-160504 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the method of Patent Document 1 predetermines the recycling load generated in the process at each factory, and selects the optimal combination of factories that minimizes the recycling load based on that premise. Therefore, the method of Patent Document 1 does not intend to review the process itself. Therefore, in a supply chain in which a final product is completed through multiple processes performed by multiple different businesses, the overall load reduction amount is the simple sum of the results of the reduction in environmental load performed individually by each business, so there is a possibility that the overall load reduction amount may not be sufficient.

[0008] One objective of the present disclosure is to provide a technique that assists in effectively reducing the environmental impact caused when remanufacturing products. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An environmental load information linking system according to one aspect included in the present disclosure is an environmental load information linking system that supports management of the environmental load generated when remanufacturing a remanufactured product using remanufactured parts that are remanufactured through one or more processes, and has a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores processing information accumulated by correlating the information indicating the remanufacturing process performed at each of the processes to remanufacture the remanufactured parts, information indicating the processing purpose to which the remanufacturing process corresponds, and information indicating the environmental load generated by the remanufacturing process, with a remanufacturing identifier that enables individual identification of the remanufacturing of the remanufactured product and the part type of the remanufactured parts, and the processor accepts designation of a target part type that is the part type to be analyzed, and extracts from the processing information, for each processing purpose, a permutation of one or more remanufacturing processes that were performed in succession on remanufactured parts that correspond to the target part type in the remanufacturing of the remanufactured product as a processing pattern, assigns a priority to the processing pattern based on a representative value of the environmental load for each processing purpose, and presents analysis result information based on the priority for the processing pattern. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a suitable processing pattern is presented in terms of the environmental impact that occurs when remanufacturing recycled products using recycled parts, thereby helping to effectively reduce the environmental impact. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of how environmental load information is shared between companies. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an environmental load information inter-company collaboration system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of processing information. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of maintenance history information. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of processing code information. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of object code information. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of part attribute information. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an information processing device that realizes the environmental load information inter-company collaboration system. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart of the overall process. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart of an improvement possibility determination process. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a result display screen. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing the authority to register and view processing information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] In this embodiment, a system is disclosed that supports effective reduction of environmental load in the entire supply chain by managing information on the environmental load generated when remanufacturing recycled products from used products using parts that are remanufactured through processes carried out by multiple companies and by linking companies. The environmental load here refers to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or resource efficiency associated with corporate activities, and in this embodiment, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are exemplified as the environmental load.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of the sharing of environmental load information between companies.

[0015] Referring to FIG. 1, a supply chain is shown in which remanufactured parts B, which are remanufactured through processes carried out by companies P and Q, remanufactured parts C, which are remanufactured through processes carried out by company R, and new parts provided by company S are provided to company T, and company T manufactures remanufactured products using remanufactured parts B and C and the new parts. Company P performs heat treatment and cutting on remanufactured part B, and provides the remanufactured part B after the processing to company Q. Company Q performs coating on the provided remanufactured part B, and provides the remanufactured part B after the processing to company T. Company R cleans remanufactured part B, and provides the remanufactured part B after the processing to company T as a reused part. Hereinafter, the processing carried out in the processes of each company is also referred to as "remanufacturing processing". Company T assembles the provided remanufactured parts B and C and the new parts to finish them as a remanufactured product, which is the final product.

[0016] The environmental load information inter-company collaboration system 100 is a system that manages information on environmental loads generated throughout the supply chain and collaborates among companies to support effective reduction of environmental loads throughout the supply chain. For example, the environmental load information inter-company collaboration system 100 may be a system that manages environmental loads generated in manufacturing processes carried out by multiple companies for all products, including new and recycled products, and may provide a function for supporting effective reduction of environmental loads for the remanufacturing of recycled products, as described below. Each of the companies P, Q, R, and S sends information on the actual environmental loads generated when recycling processes were carried out in each process (hereinafter also referred to as "processing information") to the environmental load information inter-company collaboration system 100. For example, a company belonging to the supply chain accesses the environmental load information inter-company collaboration system 100 and uploads processing information on the process carried out by the company. The processing information includes information indicating the content of recycling processes such as heat treatment, cutting, grinding, cleaning, and coating, as well as CO2 emissions, and information indicating the processing purpose to which the recycling process applies. For example, the processing purpose of heat treatment at company P is to improve strength, and the processing purpose of grinding is to finish. The purpose of coating at Company Q is to prevent deterioration and to provide a finishing touch. The purpose of cleaning at Company R is to clean.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the environmental load information inter-company collaboration system.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 2, the environmental load information inter-business collaboration system 100 includes a storage unit 101 and a data processing unit 102 .

[0019] The storage unit 101 stores various types of information used for processing as the environmental load information inter-company collaboration system 100. The data processing unit 102 executes processing for realizing the functions of the environmental load information inter-company collaboration system 100 by using the various types of information stored in the storage unit 101.

[0020] The storage unit 101 stores processing information 103, maintenance history information 104, code information 105, and part attribute information 106.

[0021] The processing information 103 is information on the actual results regarding the environmental load generated when the parts are subjected to regeneration processing in each process.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the processing information.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 3, the processing information 103 registers the part ID, part type, processing part, processing ID, purpose ID, CO2 emission amount, processing department, remanufacturing ID, processing date, and registration date for each remanufacturing process. The part ID is an identifier for identifying the part that has been subjected to the remanufacturing process. The part type is information indicating the type of the part that has been subjected to the remanufacturing process. The processing part is information indicating the part that has been subjected to the remanufacturing process. The processing ID is an identifier for identifying the remanufacturing process. The purpose ID is an identifier for identifying the purpose of the remanufacturing process. The CO2 emission amount is the amount of CO2 generated by carrying out the remanufacturing process. The processing department is information indicating the entity that carried out the remanufacturing process. The remanufacturing ID is an identifier for identifying the remanufacturing process of the remanufacturing product. A common identifier is assigned to the remanufacturing process of parts related to the remanufacturing of a particular remanufacturing product. The processing date is date information on the day that the remanufacturing process was carried out. The registration date is date information on the day that the processing information was registered.

[0024] For example, the first record in Figure 3 indicates that on processing date "20XX / 5 / 17", processing department "Company P" carried out a regeneration process with processing ID "S0001" and purpose ID "P004" on the processing part "Shuttle" of a part with part ID "1001" and part type "Motor", resulting in CO2 emissions of "15 kg", and that the processing information was registered on registration date "20XX / 5 / 18".

[0025] The maintenance history information 104 is information on the results of maintenance of the parts incorporated in the product.

[0026] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the maintenance history information.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 4, the maintenance history information 104 registers the maintenance ID, part ID, target part, maintenance process, CO2 emissions, cost, maintenance company, and maintenance date for each maintenance. The maintenance ID is an identifier for identifying each maintenance. The part ID is an identifier for identifying the part for which maintenance was performed. The target part is information indicating the part of the part for which maintenance was performed. The maintenance process is information indicating the process performed in the maintenance. The CO2 emissions is the amount of CO2 generated by performing the maintenance. The cost is information indicating the cost required to perform the maintenance. The maintenance company is information indicating the entity that performed the maintenance. The maintenance date is information on the date on which the maintenance was performed.

[0028] For example, the record in the first line of Figure 4 shows that on the maintenance date "200X / 10 / 11", the maintenance company "Company U" performed the maintenance process "cutting" with the maintenance ID "M2233" on the target part "shuttle" of the part with the part ID "1055", resulting in CO2 emissions of "4 kg" and a cost of "10,000 yen".

[0029] The code information 105 is information that defines an identifier used in processing. The code information 105 includes processing code information 105A and object code information 105B. The processing code information 105A is information that defines a processing ID. The object code information 105B is information that defines an object ID.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the processing code information.

[0031] 5, the processing code information 105A defines a processing ID, a processing name, and a related purpose ID for each playback process. The processing ID is an identifier for identifying the playback process. The processing name is information indicating the name of the playback process. The related purpose ID is an identifier for identifying a processing purpose to which the playback process may apply.

[0032] The processing purpose is the purpose for which the regeneration process is performed. The processing purpose may be different even for the same regeneration process. For example, the record in the first line of FIG. 5 indicates that the regeneration process with the processing name "heat treatment" has a processing ID of "S0001" and may correspond to the processing purpose of the related purpose ID "P004" and the processing purpose of the related purpose ID "P005". As will be described later with reference to FIG. 6, the processing purpose of the related purpose ID "P004" is "strength improvement", and the processing purpose of the related purpose ID "P005" is "structure homogenization". In other words, the regeneration process called heat treatment may be performed for the purpose of strength improvement or for the purpose of structure homogenization.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the object code information.

[0034] 6, the objective code information 105B defines an objective ID and an objective name for each processing objective. The objective ID is an identifier for identifying the processing objective. The objective name is information indicating the name of the processing objective.

[0035] For example, the record in the first line of FIG. 6 indicates that the purpose ID of the process purpose with the purpose name "cleaning" is "P001."

[0036] The part attribute information 106 is information indicating the attributes of the part.

[0037] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of part attribute information.

[0038] 7, the part attribute information 106 registers the manufacturer, production date, and lot number for each part. The manufacturer is information that indicates the entity that produced the part. The production date is information on the date on which the part was produced. The lot number is a number that indicates the lot to which the part belongs.

[0039] For example, the record on the first line in Figure 7 indicates that the part with part ID "1001" was manufactured by manufacturer "Company Y" on the manufacturing date "2004 / 10", and that the part belongs to the lot with lot number "12345".

[0040] Returning to FIG. 2, the data processing unit 102 includes an input receiving unit 107 , a registration unit 108 , an environmental load analysis unit 109 , a processing pattern extraction unit 110 , an improvement possibility determination unit 111 , and a result display unit 112 .

[0041] The input receiving unit 107 receives operational inputs by a user regarding various processes.

[0042] The registration unit 108 registers various types of data input in advance, including code information 105 and part attribute information 106, in the storage unit 101. The registration unit 108 also receives processing information from each company performing regeneration processing and registers it as processing information 103, and receives maintenance history information from each company performing maintenance and registers it as maintenance history information 104. The registration unit 108 also allows each company to view its own processing information 103.

[0043] The environmental load analysis unit 109 evaluates the environmental load generated from the supply chain based on the processing information 103 obtained from past recycling processes, and presents a pattern of processes that are expected to reduce the environmental load. The processing pattern extraction unit 110 executes a processing pattern extraction process included in the overall processing by the environmental load analysis unit 109. The processing pattern extraction process is a process of extracting one or more consecutive processes related to each other as a processing pattern from a proven route in the supply chain for which processing information has been obtained in the past. The improvement possibility determination unit 111 executes an improvement possibility determination process included in the overall processing by the environmental load analysis unit 109. The improvement possibility determination process is a process of prioritizing processing patterns from the viewpoint of the environmental load generated by the recycling process. The environmental load analysis unit 109, the processing pattern extraction unit 110, and the improvement possibility determination unit 111 execute the overall processing in cooperation with each other. The overall processing and the processes included therein will be described in detail later.

[0044] The result display unit 112 presents the user with analysis result information based on the results of a series of processes performed by the environmental load analysis unit 109, the processing pattern extraction unit 110, and the improvement possibility determination unit 111.

[0045] 8 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of an information processing device that realizes the environmental load information inter-company collaboration system. In this embodiment, the environmental load information inter-company collaboration system 100 is realized by an information processing device 200, which is a computer such as a server. However, the configuration of this embodiment is just an example, and the environmental load information inter-company collaboration system 100 may be configured on a virtual machine or on the cloud.

[0046] 8, an information processing device 200 includes one or more processors (CPUs) 201, a main memory device 202, an auxiliary memory device 203, an input device 204, an output device 205, and a communication device 206.

[0047] The processor 201 realizes the functions of each unit by reading out various software programs and data stored in the main memory device 202 or the auxiliary memory device 203 and executing the software programs using the data. The data processing unit 102 shown in Fig. 2, and further the input receiving unit 107, registration unit 108, environmental load analysis unit 109, processing pattern extraction unit 110, improvement possibility determination unit 111, and result display unit 112 therein, are realized by the processor 201 executing programs using data stored in the memory (the main memory device 202 or the auxiliary memory device 203).

[0048] The auxiliary storage device 203 may be, but is not limited to, a hard disk drive (HDD) and / or a solid state drive (SSD). The auxiliary storage device 203 stores software programs and execution records used by the environmental load information inter-enterprise collaboration system 100. However, the software programs and execution records may be stored in an external storage device connected to the information processing device 200 via a network, rather than in the information processing device 200.

[0049] The input device 204 is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a barcode reader, etc., and acquires information input by a user's operation. The input information is used for processing by a software program.

[0050] The output device 205 is, for example, a display, and displays the GUI (Graphical User Interface) of the software program and the processing results.

[0051] The communication device 206 connects the environmental load information inter-business collaboration system 100 and external devices so that they can communicate with each other via a network such as the Internet.

[0052] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the overall process.

[0053] 9, first, in step 301, input receiving unit 107 receives an input of a selection of an environmental load to be improved from a user. For example, CO2 emissions may be selected. Furthermore, in step 302, input receiving unit 107 receives a selection of a part type to be analyzed from a user. For example, a motor may be selected. The part type selected here is hereinafter also referred to as a specified part type.

[0054] Next, in step 303, the environmental load analysis unit 109 extracts records corresponding to the specified target parts from the processing information 103, and in step 304, groups the extracted records by reproduction ID. For example, records whose part type is a motor may be extracted from the processing information 103. Furthermore, in step 305, the environmental load analysis unit 109 calculates the total value of the environmental load caused by the reproduction process of the records grouped into each reproduction ID, and determines whether the total value for all reproduction IDs is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. Hereinafter, this threshold will be referred to as the total environmental load threshold.

[0055] If the total environmental load value for all recycling IDs is below the total environmental load threshold, this means that the environmental load generated in the remanufacturing of all recycled products recorded in the processing information 103 is below the target value, so the environmental load analysis unit 109 terminates the environmental load analysis process, and in step 306, the result display unit 112 presents the analysis result information to the user by displaying it on the screen.

[0056] On the other hand, if the total environmental load value for any of the playback IDs exceeds the total environmental load threshold, the processing pattern extraction unit 110 and the improvement possibility determination unit 111 cooperate to execute an improvement possibility determination process in step 307, and the result display unit 112 presents the user with analysis result information based on the processing result of the improvement possibility determination process by displaying it on a screen in step 306. The improvement possibility determination process will be described below.

[0057] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the improvement possibility determination process.

[0058] First, in step 401, the processing pattern extraction unit 110 identifies, for each processing purpose, from the processing information 103, a sequence of one or more regeneration processes performed consecutively on regenerated parts corresponding to the target part type in the remanufacturing of regenerated products as a processing pattern, and extracts a portion corresponding to each processing pattern in the processing information 103. When records having the same part ID and the same regeneration ID are arranged in ascending order of processing date, it can be seen that consecutive records having a common purpose ID of the selected processing purpose form a sequence of regeneration processes constituting a processing pattern. For example, in the processing information 103 of FIG. 3, when records having a part ID of "1001" and a regeneration ID of "R100012" are arranged in ascending order of processing date, there are two consecutive records having a common record with a purpose ID of "P002 (finishing)", and having process IDs of "S0003 (grinding)" and "S0005 (coating)". The two records form a sequence of regeneration processes constituting a processing pattern.

[0059] Next, the improvement possibility determination unit 111 determines in step 402 whether or not the calculation process has been performed for all the processing objectives, and executes the calculation process in steps 403-408 for each of the processing objectives.

[0060] In step 403, the improvement possibility determination unit 111 calculates the median and variance of the environmental load for each processing pattern of the selected processing objective. The parts corresponding to each processing pattern are collected from the records having the objective ID of the selected processing objective in the processing information 103, and grouped by processing pattern, and the median and variance of the environmental load for each group can be calculated. Note that the median here is an example of a representative value, and other representative values ​​such as the average value or the mode may also be used. Next, in step 404, the improvement possibility determination unit 111 determines whether there is a processing pattern whose variance of the environmental load is greater than a predetermined threshold value. Hereinafter, this threshold value will also be referred to as the variance threshold value.

[0061] If there is no processing pattern in which the variance of the environmental load is greater than the variance threshold, the improvement possibility determination unit 111 ends the calculation process for the currently selected processing objective and moves on to the calculation process for the next processing objective. On the other hand, if there is a processing pattern in which the variance of the environmental load is greater than the variance threshold, that processing pattern may not be suitable for evaluating the environmental load, so the following process is executed.

[0062] In step 405, the improvement possibility determination unit 111 estimates the strength of association between the processing pattern and the processing patterns of the processing objectives adjacent to the processing objective of the processing pattern. The processing patterns adjacent to the processing pattern are hereinafter also referred to as adjacent processing patterns. If the association between the processing pattern and the adjacent processing patterns is stronger than a certain level, it can be estimated that they are suitable for handling as a series of regeneration processes. In this embodiment, if the variance of the environmental load when the processing pattern is combined with the disjunction processing pattern is equal to or less than the variance threshold, it is determined that the association between the processing pattern and the adjacent processing pattern is stronger than a certain level. However, this method may use a method that expresses the strength of association between processing patterns with other indices.

[0063] If an adjacent processing pattern having a correlation with the processing pattern is not found that is stronger than a certain level (NO in step 406), the improvement possibility determination unit 111 ends the calculation processing for the currently selected processing objective and moves on to the calculation processing for the next processing objective.

[0064] On the other hand, if an adjacent processing pattern that is more strongly related to the processing pattern in question is found (YES in step 406), in step 407, the improvement possibility determination unit 111 combines the processing pattern in question with the adjacent processing pattern to create a new processing pattern. In step 408, the improvement possibility determination unit 111 calculates the median and variance of the environmental load of the newly created processing pattern. When the two processing patterns are combined, the processing objectives of those processing patterns are also treated as a set of combinations.

[0065] Then, when the improvement possibility determination unit 111 determines in step 402 that arithmetic processing has been performed for all processing patterns, in step 409, it prioritizes the processing patterns for each processing purpose from the perspective of reducing environmental load. The improvement possibility determination unit 111 prioritizes the processing patterns so that the smaller the environmental load generated, the higher the priority. For example, the improvement possibility determination unit 111 assigns a higher priority to the smaller the median environmental load. The prioritization information here becomes analysis result information. In step 306 of FIG. 9, the result display unit 112 presents this analysis result information to the user by displaying it on a screen.

[0066] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the result display screen.

[0067] 11 shows a result display screen 500 that visualizes how much the environmental load will be improved by adopting the processing pattern with the highest priority from a plan for remanufacturing recycled products that is being considered for execution. Hereinafter, the plan for remanufacturing recycled products that is being considered for execution is also referred to as a processing plan.

[0068] The result display screen 500 includes a target part selection object 501, an environmental load selection object 502, a display method selection object 503, a detailed settings button 504, a processing plan selection object 505, an add button 506, an execute button 507, a comparison result display area 508, and a download button 509.

[0069] The target part selection object 501 is a user interface for accepting the selection of the designated part type from the user. In the example of FIG. 11, "motor" is selected as the designated part type. The environmental load selection object 502 is a user interface for accepting the selection of the environmental load to be improved from the user. In the example of FIG. 11, "CO2 emission amount" is selected as the environmental load to be improved. The display method selection object 503 is a user interface for accepting the selection of the display method of the analysis result from the user. In the example of FIG. 11, "vertical bar graph" is selected. The detailed setting button 504 is a button for displaying a screen for detailed setting of the display method. By pressing this button, a screen for detailed setting of the display method may be popped up. In addition, in the detailed setting screen, for example, the display format of the vertical bar graph may be set in further detail. The processing plan selection object 505 is a user interface for accepting the selection of the processing plan file from the user. In the example of FIG. 11, an example in which a file can be searched is shown. The add button 506 is a button for executing the addition of the processing plan file. The execute button 507 is a button for accepting the start of environmental load analysis from the user. When the execute button 507 is pressed after the specified part type, the environmental load to be improved, and the display method of the analysis results have been selected, and the processing plan file has been added, the analysis of the environmental load is executed under those conditions. The comparison result display area 508 is an area for displaying the results of the analysis. In the example of FIG. 11, the CO2 emission amount in the current processing plan and the CO2 emission amount after improvement are displayed in a vertical bar graph so that they can be compared. Also, a prediction that the CO2 emission amount will be improved by 20 kg is displayed. The download button 509 is a button for starting the download of the analysis result data.

[0070] As described above, the registration unit 108 allows each company to view its own processing information 103, but also allows each company that is the entity carrying out each reproduction process included in the same processing pattern to mutually view the processing information 103 of other reproduction processes included in that processing pattern.

[0071] FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram showing the authority to register and view processing information.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 12, companies are arranged horizontally and portions of information processing are arranged vertically. Graphic symbols indicating the authority of each company are shown at the intersections between the companies and portions of processing information. A white circle indicates that the processing information in question has been registered by the company in question. For that company, the processing information in question is viewable because it is information that the company registered itself. A black circle indicates that the processing information in question has not been registered by the company in question, but is viewable by the company in question.

[0073] In the example of Figure 12, the information on CO2 emissions can be viewed by all of companies P, Q, R, S, and T. Meanwhile, the information on the heat treatment and cutting process of part B was registered by company P. Not only company P but also company Q can view the information on the heat treatment and cutting process of part B. Furthermore, the information on the coating of part B was registered by company Q. Not only company Q but also company P can view the information on the coating of part B.

[0074] Furthermore, when calculating the median and variance of the environmental load for each processing pattern, the improvement possibility determination unit 111 may refer to the part attribute information 106 and correct the value of the environmental load generated by the recycle process based on the part attribute information 106 for use. For example, if the amount of processing in the recycle process differs depending on the number of years since the date of manufacture, it can be assumed that the generation of the environmental load will also differ accordingly. Furthermore, size information such as the weight and dimensions of the part may be further registered in the part attribute information 106, and the value of the environmental load may be corrected according to the size information for use. It can be assumed that the larger the size, the larger the area of ​​the target part processed in the recycle process will be, and the greater the generation of the environmental load.

[0075] In the above-described embodiment, the environmental load is analyzed for all processing purposes as shown in Fig. 10, but as another example, combinations of selected specified part types and processing purposes with the largest total environmental load may be preferentially analyzed. For example, a predetermined number of combinations of specified part types and processing purposes with the largest total environmental load may be analyzed.

[0076] In the above-described embodiment, the priority is assigned to the processing pattern from the viewpoint of reducing the environmental load, but as another example, the priority may be assigned by further considering the cost. In that case, the processing information 103 may further register information indicating the cost required for performing the regeneration process on the regenerated parts, and the improvement possibility determination unit 111 may assign a priority to the processing pattern for each processing purpose or combination of processing purposes according to an index value based on the median environmental load and the median cost required for the regeneration process. For example, the environmental load may be multiplied by a predetermined coefficient to convert it into a cost, and the sum of the cost required for the regeneration process and the cost converted from the environmental load may be used as an index value, and the priority may be assigned so that the smaller the index value, the higher the priority of the processing pattern.

[0077] In the above-described embodiment, the environmental load generated in the regeneration process of each process is analyzed, but as another example, the environmental load generated by transporting regenerated parts between the geographical locations where each process is performed may be included in the analysis. In that case, the environmental load registered in the processing information 103 may include the environmental load generated by transporting regenerated parts between the locations where each process is performed, and the improvement possibility determination unit 111 may assign a priority to the processing pattern based on the processing information 103 including the environmental load generated by the transport. Furthermore, the priority of the processing pattern may be determined based on an index value that takes into account the environmental load generated in each process and the cost required for each process, and the environmental load generated by transporting regenerated parts between the locations where the regeneration process of each process is performed and the cost required for the transport.

[0078] In the above-described embodiment, the environmental impact analysis is performed without considering the history of the used product that has been subjected to remanufacturing, but this may be taken into consideration. There are cases where maintenance of parts has been performed before the product is used. The environmental impact information inter-company collaboration system 100 acquires information on the environmental impact caused by the maintenance and the costs required for the maintenance from the company that performed the maintenance, and accumulates it as maintenance history information 104. In the example of FIG. 4, the maintenance history information 104 is acquired from maintenance company U.

[0079] When calculating the median and variance of the environmental load for each processing pattern, if the same processing as the regeneration processing in the regeneration process is performed in the maintenance, the improvement possibility determination unit 111 may add the value of the environmental load caused by the maintenance to the environmental load of the regeneration processing. For example, if cutting processing is performed on the shuttle of the motor in the maintenance, the value of the environmental load caused by the cutting processing performed in the maintenance may be added to the environmental load caused in the process of performing cutting processing as a regeneration processing on the shuttle when the motor is made into a regenerated part. Alternatively, the environmental load caused in the process of performing cutting processing as a regeneration processing on the shuttle when the motor is made into a regenerated part may be corrected based on the value of the environmental load caused by the cutting processing performed in the maintenance.

[0080] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and these embodiments may be used in combination or some configurations may be changed within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention.

[0081] This embodiment also includes the following items. However, the items included in this embodiment are not limited to those listed below.

[0082] (Item 1) An environmental load information linkage system that supports management of the environmental load generated when remanufacturing remanufactured products using remanufactured parts that are remanufactured through one or more processes has a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores processing information obtained when the remanufactured product is remanufactured, the processing information indicating the remanufacturing process performed at each of the processes to remanufacture the remanufactured parts, information indicating the processing purpose to which the remanufacturing process corresponds, and information indicating the environmental load generated by the remanufacturing process, which are accumulated in association with a remanufacturing identifier that enables individual identification of the remanufacturing of the remanufactured product and the part type of the remanufactured parts, and the processor accepts designation of a target part type that is the part type to be analyzed, and extracts from the processing information, for each processing purpose, a permutation of one or more remanufacturing processes that were performed in succession on remanufactured parts that correspond to the target part type in the remanufacturing of the remanufactured product as a processing pattern, assigns a priority to the processing pattern for each processing purpose based on a representative value of the environmental load, and presents analysis result information based on the priority for the processing pattern. This allows for the presentation of suitable processing patterns in terms of the environmental impact that occurs when remanufacturing remanufactured products using remanufactured parts, thereby supporting effective reduction of the environmental impact.

[0083] (Item 2) In the environmental load information linkage system described in item 1, when the processor finds a processing pattern among the extracted processing patterns in which the variance of the environmental load generated when the regeneration processing of the permutation is performed is greater than a predetermined variance threshold, if the correlation between the processing pattern and an adjacent processing pattern that is an adjacent processing pattern before or after the processing pattern is greater than a certain strength, the processor creates a new processing pattern by combining the processing pattern and the adjacent processing pattern. In this way, processing patterns that are suitable for being treated as a series of regeneration processing are combined, making it possible to support effective reduction of environmental loads with processing patterns in appropriate units.

[0084] (Item 3) In the environmental load information linkage system described in item 2, the processor, for a processing pattern in which the variance of the environmental load generated when the regeneration process of the permutation is performed is greater than the variance threshold, combines the processing pattern with the adjacent processing pattern, assuming that the strength of the association is equal to or greater than a certain level, if the variance of the environmental load when the processing pattern is combined with the adjacent processing pattern is equal to or less than the variance threshold. In this way, since the strength of the association between the processing pattern and the adjacent processing pattern is measured by the variance of the environmental load, it becomes possible to combine processing patterns that are suitable for handling together from the viewpoint of evaluating the environmental load.

[0085] (Item 4) In the environmental load information linkage system described in item 1, the processing information further includes information indicating the entity that performed the recycling process of the process, and the processor allows each of the entities to view the portion of the processing information related to the recycling process performed by that entity, and when the processing pattern is extracted or created, the processor allows each entity of the recycling process included in the processing pattern to view the portion of the processing information related to the recycling process of other entities included in the processing pattern. This allows the entities of each recycling process included in the processing pattern to mutually view information on the recycling processes of other entities, thereby supporting effective reduction of environmental load across recycling processes of different entities.

[0086] (Item 5) In the environmental load information linkage system described in item 1, the processor assigns a higher priority to the processing pattern when the representative value of the environmental load is smaller, and presents the processing pattern with the highest priority within a predetermined range as the analysis result information. This makes it possible to support effective reduction of the environmental load by using a processing pattern that reduces the environmental load.

[0087] (Item 6) In the environmental load information linkage system described in item 1, the processing information further includes information indicating the cost required to perform the regeneration process on the regenerated parts, and the processor assigns a priority to the processing pattern using an index value based on the representative value of the environmental load and the representative value of the cost required for the regeneration process. This makes it possible to support the improvement of the environmental load taking costs into consideration.

[0088] (Item 7) In the environmental load information sharing system described in item 1, the environmental load registered in the processing information includes the environmental load caused by transporting the remanufactured parts between the geographical locations where the processes are carried out. This makes it possible to support effective reduction of the environmental load, taking into account the load caused by transporting the remanufactured parts.

[0089] (Item 8) In the environmental load information linkage system described in item 1, the processor calculates, for each remanufacturing identifier, a total value of the environmental load caused by the remanufacturing process for the remanufactured parts of the target part type, and starts an analysis of the environmental load for each processing pattern when the total value for any remanufacturing identifier exceeds a predetermined total environmental load threshold. This allows the analysis of the environmental load when the environmental load caused by the remanufacturing of the remanufactured products is relatively high, thereby helping to reduce the high environmental load.

[0090] (Item 9) In the environmental load information linkage system according to item 1, the representative value is a median value.

[0091] (Item 10) An environmental load information linking method for supporting management of the environmental load generated when a remanufactured product is remanufactured using remanufactured parts that are remanufactured through one or more processes, using a computer having a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores processing information obtained when the remanufactured product is remanufactured, the processing information indicating the remanufacturing process performed at each of the processes to remanufacture the remanufactured parts, information indicating the processing purpose to which the remanufacturing process corresponds, and information indicating the environmental load generated by the remanufacturing process, in association with a remanufacturing identifier that enables individual identification of the remanufacturing of the remanufactured product and the part type of the remanufactured parts, the processor accepts designation of a target part type that is the part type to be analyzed, and extracts from the processing information, for each processing purpose, a permutation of one or more remanufacturing processes performed in succession on remanufactured parts that correspond to the target part type in the remanufacturing of the remanufactured product as a processing pattern, assigns a priority to the processing pattern for each processing purpose based on a representative value of the environmental load, and presents analysis result information based on the priority for the processing pattern. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 100...Environmental load information inter-company collaboration system, 101...Memory unit, 102...Data processing unit, 103...Processing information, 104...Maintenance history information, 105...Code information, 105A...Processing code information, 105B...Objective code information, 106...Part attribute information, 107...Input reception unit, 108...Registration unit, 109...Environmental load analysis unit, 110...Processing pattern extraction unit, 111...Improvement possibility determination unit, 112...Result display unit, 200...Information processing device, 201 ...processor, 202...main storage device, 203...auxiliary storage device, 204...input device, 205...output device, 206...communication device, 500...result display screen, 501...target part selection object, 502...environmental load selection object, 503...display method selection object, 504...detailed setting button, 505...processing plan selection object, 506...add button, 507...execute button, 508...comparison result display area, 509...download button

Claims

1. An environmental load information linkage system that supports management of environmental loads generated when remanufacturing a remanufactured product using remanufactured parts that are remanufactured through one or more processes, comprising: A memory and a processor are included. The memory includes: storing processing information that is obtained when the remanufactured product is remanufactured, and that indicates the remanufacturing process carried out in each of the steps to remanufacture the remanufactured parts, information indicating the processing purpose to which the remanufacturing process corresponds, and information indicating the environmental load caused by the remanufacturing process, in association with a remanufacturing identifier that enables individual identification of the remanufacturing of the remanufactured product and the part type of the remanufactured parts; The processor, accepts a designation of a target part type, which is a part type to be analyzed, and extracts, from the processing information, for each processing purpose, a sequence of one or more regeneration processes that have been consecutively performed on remanufactured parts corresponding to the target part type in the remanufacturing of the remanufactured product, as a processing pattern; assigning a priority to the processing patterns for each processing purpose based on the representative value of the environmental load; presenting analysis result information based on the priority for the processing pattern; Environmental impact information sharing system.

2. The processor, When there is a processing pattern among the extracted processing patterns in which the variance of the environmental load generated when the regeneration processing of the permutation is performed is larger than a predetermined variance threshold, if the correlation between the processing pattern and an adjacent processing pattern that is an adjacent processing pattern before or after the processing pattern is equal to or greater than a certain strength, a new processing pattern is created by combining the processing pattern and the adjacent processing pattern. The environmental load information linking system according to claim 1 .

3. the processor, for a processing pattern in which the variance of the environmental load generated when the reproduction process of the permutation is performed is greater than the variance threshold, combines the processing pattern with the adjacent processing pattern, determining that the correlation is at least a certain strength, if the variance of the environmental load when the processing pattern is combined with the adjacent processing pattern is equal to or less than the variance threshold; The environmental load information linking system according to claim 2 .

4. The processing information further includes information indicating an entity that performed the recycling process in the step, The processor, Making each of the subjects viewable a portion of the processing information relating to the reproduction processing performed by that subject; When the processing pattern is extracted or created, each subject of a reproduction process included in the processing pattern is allowed to view a portion of the processing information related to the reproduction process of the other subjects included in the processing pattern. The environmental load information linking system according to claim 1 .

5. The processor, A higher priority is given to the processing pattern when the representative value of the environmental load is smaller; presenting a processing pattern having a priority within a predetermined number of top priorities as the analysis result information; The environmental load information linking system according to claim 1 .

6. The processing information further includes information indicating a cost required to perform a remanufacturing process on the remanufactured part, The processor, assigning a priority to the processing patterns based on an index value based on the representative value of the environmental load and the representative value of the cost required for the recycling processing; The environmental load information linking system according to claim 1 .

7. The environmental impact registered in the processing information includes an environmental impact caused by transporting the remanufactured parts between the geographic locations where the processes are carried out. The environmental load information linking system according to claim 1 .

8. The processor, calculating a total value of an environmental load caused by the remanufacturing process for the remanufactured parts of the target part type for each of the remanufacturing identifiers; when the total value for any of the reproduction identifiers exceeds a predetermined total environmental load threshold, an analysis of the environmental load for each of the processing patterns is started; The environmental load information linking system according to claim 1 .

9. The representative value is a median value. The environmental load information linking system according to claim 1 .

10. 1. An environmental load information linking method for supporting management of environmental loads generated when remanufacturing a remanufactured product using remanufactured parts that are remanufactured through one or more processes, the method being carried out by a computer having a memory and a processor, comprising: the memory stores processing information obtained when the remanufactured product is remanufactured, the information indicating the remanufacturing process carried out in each of the steps to remanufacture the remanufactured parts, the information indicating the processing purpose to which the remanufacturing process corresponds, and the information indicating the environmental load caused by the remanufacturing process, the information being stored in association with a remanufacturing identifier that enables individual identification of the remanufacturing of the remanufactured product and a part type of the remanufactured parts; The processor, accepts a designation of a target part type, which is a part type to be analyzed, and extracts, from the processing information, for each processing purpose, a sequence of one or more regeneration processes that have been consecutively performed on regenerated parts corresponding to the target part type in the remanufacturing of the regenerated product, as a processing pattern; assigning a priority to the processing patterns for each processing purpose based on the representative value of the environmental load; presenting analysis result information based on the priority for the processing pattern; Methods for sharing environmental impact information.

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