Drum type magnetic separator and method for classifying crushing unsuitable matter

Abstract

To enable crushing unsuitable matters having a possibility of breaking shredder equipment from in an individual old waste scrap with high accuracy in a preliminary step of inputting the old waste scrap into a shredder.SOLUTION: A crushing unsuitable matter removal system for removing a crushing unsuitable matter having a possibility of damaging shedder equipment in a preliminary step for inputting a scrap into the shedder equipment for breaking the scrap includes a drum type magnetic separator for removing magnetic matters equal to or more than prescribed weight in the scrap, an imaging device for photographing the scrap from which the magnetic matters equal to or more than the prescribed weight are removed by the drum type magnetic separator, and an information processing device for acquiring and analyzing a photographed image from the imaging device, and the information processing device specifies the crushing unsuitable matters from a picked-up image by using a learning model for specifying the crushing unsuitable matters, and outputs the effect that the crushing unsuitable matters included in the scrap when the crushing unsuitable matters are specified.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique suitable for use in removing scrap that may damage shredder equipment. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-186360 filed in Japan on November 22, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been an increasing need to reduce CO2 emissions to curb global warming, and in the steel industry, the electric furnace process has been attracting attention as an alternative to the blast furnace process, which emits CO2 gas. In the electric furnace process, scrap iron, which is mainly used iron products such as discarded cars, discarded home appliances, buildings, and other used iron products, is used as the main raw material. However, scrap cars, discarded home appliances, buildings, and other used iron products contain various metals and nonmetals other than iron, and when scrap generated from waste materials such as used iron products (hereinafter referred to as waste scrap) is shredded in a shredder facility, it is common to separate iron from other metals and nonmetals.

[0003] When feeding obsolete scrap into the shredder equipment, if any items that are not suitable for shredding, such as pressure vessels like gas cylinders that pose a risk of explosion, or large iron blocks like motors or steel beams, are fed in, there is a risk of damaging the shredder equipment, so it is necessary to remove these items before feeding the scrap into the shredder equipment.

[0004] Conventionally, when removing materials unsuitable for shredding before feeding them into the shredder facility, workers would operate heavy machinery and visually select and remove the materials. However, since workers must select and process the materials from a huge amount of obsolete scrap, the removal work is inefficient due to oversights and misselection, and explosions and other problems frequently occur inside the shredder facility. Therefore, various technologies have been proposed to remove materials unsuitable for shredding.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a method in which a discharge section is provided at the inlet side of a crusher to detect unsuitable objects for crushing using a surveillance camera, drop them, and discharge them outside the crushing system. Patent Document 2 discloses a method in which unsuitable objects for crushing are automatically detected using X-ray fluoroscopic images, and the garbage input device is automatically stopped and the objects are removed using an unsuitable object removal device.

[0006] However, the method described in Patent Document 1 is a technology in which a monitor visually checks the image from a surveillance camera, and if an object unsuitable for crushing is included in the image, the object is removed from the crushing system, so there is still a possibility of overlooking or erroneous sorting, etc. Furthermore, the method described in Patent Document 2 is a system in which an object is determined to be unsuitable for crushing if pixels with a density equal to or higher than a predetermined level are consecutively located in an X-ray fluoroscopy image and occupy a predetermined area or more, so the detection accuracy is insufficient and there is still a possibility of overlooking or erroneous sorting, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-92902 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-309277 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-144390 [Non-patent literature]

[0008] [Non-Patent Document 1] Joseph Redmon, 3 others, "You Only Look Once: Unified, Real-Time Object Detection" [Retrieved May 18, 2021], Internet <https: / / arxiv.org / abs / 1506.02640> [Non-Patent Document 2] Olaf Ronneberger and 2 others, "U-Net: Convolutional Networks for Biomedical Image Segmentation" (Retrieved May 18, 2021), Internet <URL: https: / / arxiv.org / abs / 1505.04597> [Non-Patent Document 3] Samet Akcay, 2 others, "GANomaly: Semi-Supervised Anomaly Detection via Adversarial Training" [Retrieved May 18, 2021], Internet <https: / / arxiv.org / abs / 1805.06725> [Non-Patent Document 4] Paul Bergmann, 3 others, "Improving Unsupervised Defect Segmentation by Applying Structural Similarity to Autoencoders", [Retrieved May 18, 2021], Internet <https: / / arxiv.org / abs / 1807.02011> [Non-Patent Document 5] Paolo Napoletano, 2 others, "Anomaly Detection in Nanofibrous Materials by CNN-Based Self-Similarity", [Retrieved May 18, 2021], Internet <https: / / www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov / pmc / articles / PMC5795842 / > Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] In consideration of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has an object to accurately remove materials unsuitable for shredding that may damage the shredder equipment from each piece of obsolete scrap before the obsolete scrap is fed into the shredder equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The drum-type magnetic separator of the present invention is a drum-type magnetic separator that constitutes a system for removing materials unsuitable for shredding, which removes materials unsuitable for shredding that may cause damage to shredder equipment before the scrap is fed into the shredder equipment that shreds the scrap, and is characterized in that its magnetic force is set to attract magnetic materials in the scrap that are less than a predetermined weight, and the distance from the vibrating feeder that transports the scrap is adjustable. Another feature of the drum-type magnetic separator of the present invention is that it is a drum-type magnetic separator that constitutes a system for removing materials unsuitable for shredding that removes materials unsuitable for shredding that may cause damage to shredder equipment before scrap is fed into the shredder equipment that shreds the scrap, and is characterized in that the magnetic force of the magnets of the drum-type magnetic separator is set so that magnetic materials of the scrap that are equal to or greater than a predetermined weight fall so as to pass through the gap between the drum-type magnetic separator and a vibrating feeder that transports the scrap, and that magnetic materials of less than the predetermined weight are attracted and adsorbed to the rotating drum so as not to fall into the gap, and the magnetic materials attracted by the magnetic force of the magnets are separated from the rotating drum by moving out of the area of ​​the magnetic force of the magnet as the rotating drum rotates. Another feature of the drum-type magnetic separator of the present invention is that it is a drum-type magnetic separator that constitutes a system for removing materials unsuitable for shredding that may cause damage to shredder equipment before scrap is fed into the shredder equipment that shreds the scrap, and is characterized in that the magnetic force of the magnet of the drum-type magnetic separator is set so that magnetic materials of the scrap that are less than a predetermined weight are attracted to a rotating drum, the magnetic materials attracted by the magnetic force of the magnet are separated from the rotating drum by leaving the magnetic force range of the magnet as the rotating drum rotates, and magnetic materials of the predetermined weight or more are placed on the rotating drum, and the magnetic materials of the predetermined weight or more are allowed to fall by gravity before they leave the magnetic force range of the magnet as the rotating drum rotates.

[0011] The method for separating materials unsuitable for shredding according to the present invention is a method for separating materials unsuitable for shredding using a drum-type magnetic separator that constitutes a system for removing materials unsuitable for shredding, which removes materials unsuitable for shredding that may cause damage to shredder equipment before scrap is fed into the shredder equipment that shreds the scrap, and is characterized by comprising a step of adjusting the distance from a vibrating feeder that transports the scrap so as to attract and separate magnetic materials of less than a predetermined weight from the scrap. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, before the obsolete scrap is fed into the shredder equipment, objects unsuitable for shredding that may damage the shredder equipment can be removed with high accuracy from each obsolete scrap. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of a system for removing objects unsuitable for crushing for removing objects unsuitable for crushing in an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of an information processing device for detecting objects unsuitable for crushing in an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device for detecting objects unsuitable for crushing in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for detecting objects unsuitable for crushing using a learning model by an information processing device in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an outline of a drum-type magnetic separator that discharges materials unsuitable for shredding to the outside of the system in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a diagram showing an example of an image captured by a surveillance camera and a learning image clearly showing objects unsuitable for crushing. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a diagram showing another example of an image captured by a surveillance camera and a learning image clearly indicating objects unsuitable for crushing. [Figure 6C] FIG. 6C is a diagram showing another example of an image captured by a surveillance camera and a learning image clearly indicating objects unsuitable for crushing. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a diagram showing an example of a display screen when an object unsuitable for crushing is detected. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a diagram showing another example of the display screen when an object unsuitable for crushing is detected. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an overfeed type drum-type magnetic separator that discharges materials unsuitable for shredding outside the system in a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an outline of removing objects unsuitable for crushing that are transported onto the second vibrating feeder in the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10A is a diagram showing a specific example of basic shape information. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is a diagram showing a specific example of an image in which edges extracted from a two-dimensional image are shown. [Figure 10C] FIG. 10C is a diagram showing a specific example of an image in which a surface extracted from a two-dimensional image is shown. [Figure 11A] FIG. 11A is a diagram showing a specific example of point cloud data. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a diagram showing a specific example of an edge extracted from point cloud data. [Figure 11C] FIG. 11C is a diagram showing a specific example of a surface extracted from point cloud data. [Figure 12A] FIG. 12A is a diagram for explaining a method for identifying a face to be noted in a shape such as a partially broken steel pipe. [Figure 12B] FIG. 12B is a diagram for explaining another method for identifying a face to be noted in a shape such as a partially broken steel pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The following embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, objects unsuitable for shredding are objects that may damage shredder equipment, such as pressure vessels such as gas cylinders that pose a risk of explosion, and large iron blocks such as motors and steel beams.

[0015] (First embodiment) [System Configuration] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a crushing-unsuitable object removal system 100 for removing objects unsuitable for crushing in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, in the shredding unsuitable material removal system 100 according to this embodiment, first, an operator uses heavy machinery to feed obsolete scrap into a pre-shredder 1, where it is roughly shredded. Then, the roughly shredded obsolete scrap is transported onto a first vibrating feeder 2. The roughly shredded obsolete scrap may contain materials unsuitable for shredding, but at least a part of the materials unsuitable for shredding is discharged outside the system by a drum-type magnetic separator 3. Meanwhile, the obsolete scrap collected by the drum-type magnetic separator 3 is transported onto a second vibrating feeder 4, and is photographed by a monitoring camera 5 located midway along the second vibrating feeder 4. When materials unsuitable for shredding that were not discharged by the drum-type magnetic separator 3 are detected from the image of the monitoring camera 5, the materials unsuitable for shredding are removed using a robot arm (not shown) or the like. Each piece of equipment will be described in detail below.

[0016] The pre-shredder 1 has a two-shaft or three-shaft rotor, and the bladed rotor rotates at a low speed to roughly shred the waste scrap that is fed into the pre-shredder 1 in a pressed, compressed state. When the waste scrap is fed into the pre-shredder 1, the pre-shredder 1 processes the waste scrap into a shape that can be crushed. Since the pre-shredder 1 is a rough crushing facility, the gaps between the rotors are larger than those of a normal shredder, making it easier for materials that are not suitable for shredding to slip through. Materials that are larger than the gaps between the rotors cannot be roughly shredded, and the rotors will stop due to an overload trip. The roughly shredded waste scrap is dropped onto the first vibrating feeder 2.

[0017] The first vibrating feeder 2 is a vibrating feeder for supplying waste scrap to the drum-type magnetic separator 3, and vibrates the waste scrap 6, which is piled up when placed on the conveyor, to spread it over the entire conveyor while transporting it, thereby improving the accuracy of magnetic separation by the drum-type magnetic separator 3.

[0018] The drum type magnetic separator 3 has a magnet mounted inside the drum, and collects iron attracted to the magnet by rotating the outside of the drum. Here, the details of the drum type magnetic separator 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 5, the drum-type magnetic separator 3 rotates a rotary drum 33 equipped with an electromagnet 32 ​​around a drum shaft 31, and collects crushed materials 6a (magnetic materials) such as thin and light materials from the waste scrap 6 by adsorbing them to the rotary drum 33. On the other hand, non-magnetic materials 6c (non-ferrous, plastic, rubber, dust, etc.) that cannot be attracted by the magnetic force of the electromagnet 32 ​​are discharged outside the system. In addition, since the waste scrap 6 transported by the first vibrating feeder 2 is roughly crushed, unlike a normal magnetic separator, the drum-type magnetic separator 3 also transports materials 6b that are not suitable for crushing, such as thick and heavy materials. In this embodiment, the crushed materials 6a and the materials not suitable for crushing 6b are separated by appropriately adjusting at least one of the distance between the tip of the first vibrating feeder 2 and the drum-type magnetic separator 3, the magnetic force of the electromagnet 32, and the rotation speed of the rotary drum 33, so that the materials not suitable for crushing 6b can be discharged.

[0020] The electromagnet 32 ​​does not rotate. The crushed material 6a attracted to the rotating drum 33 by the electromagnet 32 ​​moves according to the rotation of the rotating drum 33, and moves forward by inertial force when it is out of the magnetic field of the electromagnet 32. The crushed material 6a then falls onto the second vibrating feeder 4 by gravity, and is separated from the drum-type magnetic separator 3. However, this is not limited to the present embodiment, and the crushed material 6a that has left the electromagnet 32 ​​may be collected, transported to the second vibrating feeder 4 by hand or a carrier, and placed on the second vibrating feeder 4. A plurality of plate-shaped members standing in the radial direction may be provided in the circumferential direction on the surface of the rotating drum 33, so that the magnetic material that slides during rotation can be supported and forcibly transported in the direction of rotation even when it is out of the magnetic field of the electromagnet 32. The electromagnet 32 ​​may have any specific shape and any position on the rotating drum 33 as long as it can attract and separate the crushed material 6a as described above.

[0021] Increasing the distance between the tip of the first vibrating feeder 2 and the drum-type magnetic separator 3 can reduce the effect of the magnetic force, and increasing the rotation speed of the rotating drum 33 can increase the amount of material conveyed. In addition, if the magnetic force of the electromagnet 32 ​​is too large, even thick or heavy objects that are not suitable for shredding will be attracted to the rotating drum 33, so the magnetic force of the electromagnet 32 ​​is adjusted according to the weight and size that may damage the shredder equipment. In this way, by adjusting the distance between the tip of the first vibrating feeder 2 and the drum-type magnetic separator 3, the rotation speed of the rotating drum 33, and the magnetic force of the electromagnet 32, objects that are not suitable for shredding above a certain weight cannot be collected by the magnetic force, so that objects that are not suitable for shredding above a certain weight, such as thick or heavy objects, can be discharged outside the system. When adjusting the rotation speed of the rotating drum 33, it is preferable to also adjust the conveying speed of the first vibrating feeder 2. On the other hand, scrap containing cavities such as gas cylinders and scrap containing light metals such as Al in addition to iron has a small weight relative to its volume, and therefore may be collected as crushed material despite its large volume. The scrap collected by the drum-type magnetic separator 3 is dropped into the second vibrating feeder 4. Thus, in this embodiment, magnetic materials having a predetermined weight or more are considered to be difficult to attract to the rotating drum 33 by the magnetic force of the electromagnet 32, and magnetic materials having a weight less than the predetermined weight are considered to be easily attracted to the rotating drum 33 by the magnetic force of the electromagnet 32.

[0022] More specifically, for example, the magnetic force of the drum type magnetic separator 3 may be set so as to attract magnetic objects of less than a predetermined weight, taking into consideration the distance from the drum type magnetic separator 3 and the rotation speed of the rotating drum 33. For example, the magnetic force may be adjusted by adjusting the value of the current flowing through the electromagnet. After determining the magnetic force of the drum type magnetic separator 3, at least one of the distance from the drum type magnetic separator 3 and the rotation speed of the rotating drum 33 may be adjusted so that magnetic objects of less than a predetermined weight are attracted to the electromagnet 32 ​​of the drum type magnetic separator 3. When the magnetic force of the drum type magnetic separator 3 is fixed, a permanent magnet may be used as the magnet. This point is also the same for the overfeed type drum type magnetic separator 80 described later.

[0023] The second vibrating feeder 4, like the first vibrating feeder 2, conveys the piled obsolete scrap 7 while spreading it over the entire conveyor by vibration. In a part of the area on the way of the second vibrating feeder 4, the obsolete scrap being conveyed is photographed from above by the monitoring camera 5. At this time, if vibrations caused by the second vibrating feeder 4 occur in the area photographed by the monitoring camera 5, the photographed image will be blurred. Therefore, it is preferable to spread the piled obsolete scrap 7 over the entire conveyor before it reaches the area photographed by the monitoring camera 5, so that vibrations caused by the second vibrating feeder 4 are not generated in the area photographed by the monitoring camera 5. From this point of view, a general separate belt conveyor that does not vibrate may be provided downstream of the second vibrating feeder 4, and the obsolete scrap 7 on the belt conveyor may be photographed by the monitoring camera 5.

[0024] The surveillance camera 5 photographs the waste scrap being transported from above, either directly below or at an angle, and transfers the photographed images sequentially in real time to the information processing device 10. The information processing device 10 detects objects unsuitable for crushing from the photographed images, and notifies a supervisor when objects unsuitable for crushing are detected. The method of detecting objects unsuitable for crushing will be described later. In addition, in order to supplement the height information of the waste scrap within the photographing range of the surveillance camera 5, the shape of the waste scrap is also measured in parallel by the three-dimensional shape measuring device 8. The shape measurement results are also transferred to the information processing device 10 and used to determine whether or not objects unsuitable for crushing are present. As the three-dimensional shape measuring device 8, for example, a device such as a ToF (Time of Flight) camera or a laser scanner is used.

[0025] 1, there is only one monitoring camera 5, but in order to further improve the detection accuracy of objects unsuitable for crushing, multiple cameras may be arranged in the width direction or conveyance direction. In addition, since height information can be predicted to some extent, such as for gas cylinders, shape measurement by the three-dimensional shape measuring device 8 may be omitted in order to simplify the unsuitable for crushing object removal system 100.

[0026] When the materials unsuitable for shredding are removed from the second vibrating feeder 4, the shredded materials are collected and transported to a shredder facility (not shown). The shredder facility is a known facility (see, for example, Patent Document 1), and in the shredder facility, the materials are further pulverized by a shredder, and then separated into magnetic materials such as iron and non-magnetic metals by a magnetic separator.

[0027] [Configuration of information processing device] Next, there will be described a detailed procedure for detecting objects unsuitable for crushing using the monitoring camera 5. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 10 that detects objects unsuitable for crushing in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the information processing device 10 includes a CPU 301, a ROM 302, a RAM 303, a storage device 304, an input / output I / F 305, and a communication I / F 306, which are connected by a bus 307.

[0028] The CPU 301 reads out a control program stored in the ROM 302 or the storage device 304 and executes various processes. The RAM 303 is used as a temporary storage area such as the main memory or work area of ​​the CPU 301. The storage device 304 stores various data, various programs, etc. The input / output I / F 305 is an interface for accepting various operations by the user from a keyboard or mouse and displaying calculation results on a display device (not shown).

[0029] The communication I / F 306 is an interface for acquiring information from an external device via a network or the like. Images of obsolete scrap captured by the surveillance camera 5 are received by the information processing device 10 of this embodiment via the communication I / F 306 by wired or wireless communication. In addition, the measurement results of the three-dimensional shape measuring device 8 are also received by the information processing device 10 of this embodiment via the communication I / F 306 by wired or wireless communication.

[0030] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment. Each component shown in Fig. 2 is realized by the CPU 301 reading and executing a control program stored in the ROM 302 or the storage device 304. Each component will be described below.

[0031] The image acquisition unit 201 acquires the images captured by the surveillance camera 5 as a video or one or more still images. The captured images are images of the obsolete scrap being transported by the second vibrating feeder 4 as described above, and the angle of view of the surveillance camera 5 is set to match the length in the width direction on the second vibrating feeder 4. Therefore, the surveillance camera 5 can capture images such that the obsolete scrap is included in the entire captured image.

[0032] The unsuitable object identifying unit 202 inputs the captured image acquired by the image acquiring unit 201 into a learning model (a learning model trained by machine learning) to identify candidates for unsuitable objects for crushing and their positions in the captured image. Here, the learning model is a model trained to identify unsuitable objects for crushing from an image, and details will be described later. Note that the unsuitable objects for crushing include magnetic objects equivalent to thin and light objects (for example, gas cylinders with many cavities), as well as thick or heavy objects that have failed to be separated by the drum-type magnetic separator 3.

[0033] The volume calculation unit 206 inputs the measurement results from the three-dimensional shape measuring device 8, and calculates the volume of each obsolete scrap based on the measurement results. In this embodiment, since the purpose is to identify objects unsuitable for crushing, the calculation of the volume may be omitted for obsolete scrap that is clearly not unsuitable for crushing based on the measurement results of the three-dimensional shape. For example, the volume may be calculated only for obsolete scrap whose height direction is equal to or greater than a predetermined value or whose surface area is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Furthermore, since the measurement of the three-dimensional shape is intended to complement the information on the height direction of the candidates for objects unsuitable for crushing identified by the learning model, the volume may not be calculated, and only the height direction of each obsolete scrap may be calculated. Compared to the case where the volume is calculated, when only the height is calculated, the accuracy of identifying whether or not an object is unsuitable for crushing may be lower, but the amount of calculation is reduced, so that the time required to identify whether or not an object is unsuitable for crushing can be shortened.

[0034] The determination unit 207 determines whether the candidate for an object unsuitable for crushing is actually an object unsuitable for crushing based on the candidate for an object unsuitable for crushing identified by the unsuitable object identification unit 202 and the volume of the obsolete scrap calculated by the volume calculation unit 206. Note that it is possible that an object is not a candidate for an object unsuitable for crushing when viewed vertically based on the learning model, but has a height equal to or greater than a predetermined value and a volume equivalent to an object unsuitable for crushing. However, since the pile of obsolete scrap is transported so as to be flat by the vibration of the second vibrating feeder 4, it is considered that such a case will not occur.

[0035] When the determination unit 207 determines that the object is not suitable for crushing, the result output unit 208 notifies the user of the fact. The notification method is not particularly limited, but any method may be used as long as the worker can visually identify the object not suitable for crushing and remove the object not suitable for crushing. For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, an image in which the area of ​​the object not suitable for crushing 701 in the captured image is surrounded by a rectangle 702 may be displayed on a display device (not shown), and a warning content 703 may also be displayed. As shown in FIG. 7B, a superimposed image in which the object not suitable for crushing 701 is marked may be generated, and the superimposed image and the warning content 703 may be displayed on a display device (not shown). As another method, the position of the object not suitable for crushing may be notified from an audio speaker (not shown). In this way, the worker who operates the robot arm or the like described above can identify the position of the object not suitable for crushing and remove the object not suitable for crushing. Note that the robot arm or the like does not need to be operated by a worker, and may be automatically operated. In this case, the determination result that an object unsuitable for crushing is contained in the robot arm or the like and information related to the location of the object may be output directly to the robot arm or the like.

[0036] Next, the learning model will be described in detail. The learning model is, for example, a trained model generated by deep learning such as a neural network. As a deep learning method, a multi-layer neural network such as a convolutional neural network (CNN) can be applied, but is not limited thereto.

[0037] The model generation unit 203 generates one or more learning models that identify the location of the object unsuitable for crushing from the image captured by the surveillance camera 5 and the probability that the object is unsuitable for crushing. Specifically, a model is generated by machine learning to identify the type, location, and probability that the object is unsuitable for crushing in the image, using a captured image containing obsolete scrap as shown in FIG. 6A and a plurality of data items associated with information indicating the type and location of the object unsuitable for crushing (gas cylinder in the case of FIGS. 6A to 6C) 601 contained in the image as learning data. For example, a learning model is generated that outputs the type, location, and probability that the object is an object in the image as shown in Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2. The type of the object unsuitable for crushing may be classified into a plurality of types, such as "gas cylinder" and "shaped steel", and output, or may simply be output as one type, "object unsuitable for crushing".

[0038] The learning data is stored in advance in the data storage unit 205, and in this embodiment, a set of learning data is used consisting of past images captured by the surveillance camera 5 and label data capable of identifying the correct area in the image where objects unsuitable for crushing exist. For example, an image in which an area in a past captured image where objects unsuitable for crushing exist is manually determined in advance and all of the objects unsuitable for crushing are labeled (marked) is used as the set of learning data.

[0039] The past captured images used as learning data are preferably images captured by the same camera as the captured images used to detect objects unsuitable for shredding by the unsuitable object identifying unit 202, but may be images captured by a different camera. In addition, the images used as learning data are preferably images obtained by capturing actual objects unsuitable for shredding mixed in with obsolete scrap, but may be images of objects unsuitable for shredding (such as images of gas cylinders) obtainable from the Internet, etc. During learning, an optimization objective function is set and learning is performed so that the probability that the object is unsuitable for shredding for the manually created correct label data is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference value (for example, 100%).

[0040] The label data used here may be marking image data in which the position of the object 601 unsuitable for crushing in the captured image is marked as shown in FIG. 6C. In this case, the luminance value previously allocated to each object unsuitable for crushing can be used as information representing the type of the marked object unsuitable for crushing. For example, when a grayscale image expressed by a luminance value of 0 to 255 is used as the marking image, the type of the object unsuitable for crushing may be distinguished by the luminance value of each pixel, for example, by marking a gas cylinder with a luminance of 100 and a steel beam with a luminance of 50. Of course, the coordinates of a plurality of pixels having the luminance value allocated as the object unsuitable for crushing may be used as information representing the position of the marked object unsuitable for crushing.

[0041] 6B, the label data may be text data including rectangle information 602 created to surround the object unsuitable for crushing in the captured image. For example, the text data may use rectangular coordinate data as the position of the object unsuitable for crushing, and information that can identify the object unsuitable for crushing within the rectangle as the type of the object unsuitable for crushing. The captured image data used above may be in a format such as jpg, bmp, or png, and the text data may be in a format such as txt, json, or xml.

[0042] On the other hand, the model generation unit 203 may generate a learning model that learns normal images and detects deviations from normal as abnormal, as in Non-Patent Documents 3 to 5. In this method, a plurality of images of normal obsolete scrap that do not contain objects unsuitable for crushing are used to make the learning model learn features for expressing normal obsolete scrap. When an image containing objects unsuitable for crushing is input to a trained model generated by learning normal obsolete scrap in this way, the abnormal part and the degree of abnormality are output as an abnormality. When this model is adopted, a value based on the degree of abnormality is used as the probability of the object being unsuitable for crushing output to the operator. For example, the value of the degree of abnormality is normalized to be within the range of 0.0 to 1.0, and the degree of abnormality is regarded as the probability of the object being unsuitable for crushing. The learning model using this method outputs whether or not there is an abnormality, that is, whether or not there is an object unsuitable for crushing, and does not output the type such as "gas cylinder" or "shaped steel".

[0043] The learning model is not limited to the above. For example, it may be a two-class classification model that classifies the captured images into two classes: normal images that do not show objects unsuitable for crushing, and abnormal images that show objects unsuitable for crushing. Alternatively, the learning model may be a multi-class classification model that classifies the captured images by the type of objects unsuitable for crushing. The multi-class classification model differs from the learning models in accordance with the above-mentioned Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2 in that it does not output position information of objects unsuitable for crushing in the captured images.

[0044] In the above explanation, it has been assumed that one captured image at a certain time point is input to the learning model, but multiple captured images may be input in the time direction. For example, an algorithm that considers the time series of captured images, such as a recurrent neural network (RNN), may be used. For example, by adding past judgment results to the current input, it is possible to improve the judgment accuracy of the current captured image to be judged.

[0045] The model generation unit 203 starts the learning model generation process based on an instruction from a user before removing the objects unsuitable for shredding as a preliminary step before feeding the objects into a shredder facility using the unsuitable objects for shredding removal system 100. Alternatively, the model generation unit 203 may periodically execute the learning model generation process.

[0046] The learning conditions of the learning model of this embodiment include model conditions, data set conditions, and learning setting conditions. The model conditions are conditions related to the structure of the neural network. The data set conditions include selection conditions for learning data to be input to the neural network during learning, pre-processing of the data, and image enhancement method conditions. The learning setting conditions include initialization conditions for neural network parameters such as weights and biases, optimization method conditions, and loss function conditions. Here, the loss function conditions also include regularization function conditions.

[0047] When the learning model generation process is started, first, the model generation unit 203 acquires, from the data storage unit 205, learning data necessary for generating a learning model capable of detecting objects unsuitable for crushing contained in obsolete scrap from images captured by the surveillance camera 5. Then, the model generation unit 203 uses the acquired learning data to generate a learning model capable of detecting objects unsuitable for crushing through machine learning.

[0048] When generating a learning model that learns the characteristics of objects unsuitable for crushing in an image and calculates the type, position, and probability of being an object unsuitable for crushing when detected, the model generation unit 203 inputs the captured image containing objects unsuitable for crushing acquired from the data storage unit 205 into the learning model, and optimizes the learning model so that the position (area) of the object unsuitable for crushing output by the learning model approaches the correct position where the object unsuitable for crushing exists, and so that the type of object unsuitable for crushing and the probability that it is an object unsuitable for crushing are equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value (for example, 100%). When using this type of learning model to detect objects unsuitable for crushing, the type of object unsuitable for crushing, coordinate data indicating the position (area) of the object unsuitable for crushing, and a probability value indicating the degree of certainty are output from the learning model (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1).

[0049] On the other hand, when generating a learning model that learns the characteristics of normal obsolete scrap as a whole using photographed images of normal obsolete scrap that do not contain objects unsuitable for crushing as learning data, and that calculates the abnormal part and the degree of abnormality only when the obsolete scrap contains objects unsuitable for crushing at the time of detection, the model generation unit 203 inputs photographed images of normal obsolete scrap that do not contain objects unsuitable for crushing acquired from the data storage unit 205 into the learning model, and learns the characteristics of normal obsolete scrap as a whole. At this time, the learning model is optimized so that the generated learning model can express (output) that the obsolete scrap does not contain objects unsuitable for crushing. In this case, when a photographed image containing objects unsuitable for crushing is input to the learning model, the position of the objects unsuitable for crushing and the probability that the objects are unsuitable for crushing are calculated using a difference image or anomaly degree between the photographed image input to the learning model and the photographed image output from the learning model (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 3).

[0050] When the model generation unit 203 generates a learning model by machine learning, the model generation unit 203 outputs the learning model to the model output unit 204.

[0051] The model output unit 204 outputs the learning model generated by the model generation unit 203. For example, the model output unit 204 outputs the learning model generated by the model generation unit 203 to the unsuitable object identification unit 202 so that the learning model can be used when the unsuitable object identification unit 202 identifies the type, position, and probability that the object is unsuitable for crushing.

[0052] Next, a process for detecting objects unsuitable for crushing using the learning model generated by the above-mentioned process will be described. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for detecting objects unsuitable for crushing using the learning model by the information processing device 10 in this embodiment. The process in Fig. 4 is executed by the CPU 301 reading out a control program stored in the ROM 302.

[0053] First, in step S401, the image acquisition unit 201 acquires captured images in real time from the surveillance camera 5. The acquired images may be moving images or still images. In addition, when multiple surveillance cameras 5 are installed, the captured images are acquired from these surveillance cameras 5 in real time.

[0054] Next, in step S402, the unsuitable object identifying unit 202 inputs the photographed image acquired by the image acquiring unit 201 into the learning model generated by the model generating unit 203 in the above-mentioned learning model generating process, and identifies the type, position, and probability of being an unsuitable object for crushing. If the probability of being an unsuitable object for crushing is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the unsuitable object is identified as a candidate for an unsuitable object for crushing.

[0055] Next, in step S403, the volume calculation unit 206 inputs the measurement results of the three-dimensional shape from the three-dimensional shape measuring device 8, and calculates the volume or height of each obsolete scrap from the measurement results. At this time, information on the position and time when the three-dimensional shape was measured is also input, so that the photographing time of the photographed image can be consistent. Note that the process of step S403 may be performed before step S401 or S402.

[0056] Next, in step S404, the determination unit 207 acquires information on the volume or height calculated by the volume calculation unit 206 for the candidate for the object unsuitable for crushing identified in step S402. Then, taking into consideration the length, width, and height of the candidate for the object unsuitable for crushing identified in step S402, it determines whether the candidate for the object unsuitable for crushing identified in step S402 is an object unsuitable for crushing that should be removed.

[0057] Next, in step S405, the result output unit 208 outputs information according to the judgment result in step S404. For example, when it is judged in step S404 that the object is unsuitable for crushing to be removed, and when the information is output to a display device (not shown), the result output unit 208 generates a display screen including an image in which the object unsuitable for crushing 701 is surrounded by a rectangle 702 in the photographed image acquired by the image acquisition unit 201 as shown in FIG. 7A, or a display screen including an image in which the position of the object unsuitable for crushing 701 is marked as shown in FIG. 7B, and notifies the operator by displaying it on the display device. At this time, if the type of the object unsuitable for crushing can also be identified, the information on the type of the object unsuitable for crushing is also displayed, so that the operator can more easily find and remove the object unsuitable for crushing when removing the object unsuitable for crushing.

[0058] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S404 that the object is unsuitable for crushing and should be removed, and audio data is to be output to a speaker (not shown), the result output unit 208 generates audio data for notifying the type and location of the object unsuitable for crushing and outputs it to the speaker. Also, if it is not determined in step S404 that the object is unsuitable for crushing and should be removed, nothing needs to be output, and the captured image acquired by the image acquisition unit 201 may be displayed directly on the display device.

[0059] In step S406, the image acquisition unit 201 judges whether or not to end the process of detecting objects unsuitable for crushing. This judgment is made, for example, by whether or not the operator operates a keyboard or the like to input an instruction to end the detection of objects unsuitable for crushing. If the result of this judgment is to continue the process, the process returns to step S401 and continues the process of detecting objects unsuitable for crushing. On the other hand, if the process is to end, the process of FIG. 4 ends as it is.

[0060] As described above, according to this embodiment, in the first step, heavy obsolete scrap is discharged by the drum-type magnetic separator 3, so that obsolete scrap such as iron blocks with few cavities and heavy weight can be prevented from being input into the shredder facility. On the other hand, gas cylinders with large cavities and alloys with low specific gravity may not be discharged by the drum-type magnetic separator 3, but since it is possible to identify them later using a learning model from images captured by the surveillance camera 5, it is possible to more reliably prevent such obsolete scrap from being input into the shredder facility.

[0061] Conventionally, magnetic materials and non-magnetic materials have been separated, such as in the drum-type magnetic separator described in Patent Document 3, but the drum-type magnetic separator 3 of this embodiment is different from conventional ones in that it separates heavy waste scrap from light waste scrap among magnetic materials. Note that, although an example of generating a learning model in the information processing device 10 has been described in this embodiment, a configuration may be adopted in which the learning function is omitted, a learning model generated by another external device is stored, and only inference is performed using the learning model.

[0062] Second embodiment In the first embodiment, an example was described in which not only non-magnetic objects that cannot be attracted by the magnetic force of an electromagnet, but also magnetic objects unsuitable for crushing, such as thick objects and heavy objects, are discharged from the system by the drum-type magnetic separator 3. The drum-type magnetic separator shown in FIG. 5 is a pickup-type drum-type magnetic separator, and in order to successfully drop and discharge large objects unsuitable for crushing, such as thick objects and heavy objects, 6b from the system, it is necessary to increase the clearance, which is the distance between the tip of the first vibrating feeder 2 and the rotating drum 33. On the other hand, if the clearance is made too large, objects 6a to be crushed, such as thin objects and light objects, cannot be attracted to the rotating drum 33.

[0063] Therefore, in the unsuitable for crushing removal system 100 shown in Fig. 1, an overfeed type drum type magnetic separator may be used instead of the pickup type drum type magnetic separator shown in Fig. 5. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, only the points different from the first embodiment will be described.

[0064] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the outline of an overfeed type drum-type magnetic separator that discharges unsuitable materials to the outside of the system. As shown in FIG. 8, the drum-type magnetic separator 80 is similar to the pickup type drum-type magnetic separator shown in FIG. 5 in that it rotates a rotating drum 83 equipped with an electromagnet 82 around a drum shaft 81 to collect crushed materials 6a such as thin and light materials from the waste scrap 6 by adsorbing them to the rotating drum 83. However, in this embodiment, the crushed materials 6a such as thin and light materials, the large unsuitable materials 6b such as thick and heavy materials, and the non-magnetic materials 6c transported by the first vibrating feeder 2 are temporarily placed on the rotating drum 83. Then, the crushed materials 6a, the unsuitable materials 6b, and the non-magnetic materials 6c are separated by utilizing the fact that the falling point changes depending on the balance between the magnetic force and gravity. Note that the electromagnet 82 does not rotate, as in the example shown in FIG. 5. As described above, the electromagnet 82 may have any shape or be located at any position on the rotating drum 33, as long as it can separate the crushed objects 6a from the objects unsuitable for crushing 6b and the non-magnetic objects 6c. The crushed objects 6a attracted to the rotating drum 83 by the electromagnet 32 ​​move according to the rotation of the rotating drum 83, and remain attracted until they reach the magnetic field of the electromagnet 82. When the crushed objects 6a leave the magnetic field of the electromagnet 82, they fall by gravity and are separated from the drum-type magnetic separator 80. On the other hand, among the objects unsuitable for crushing 6b, thick objects and heavy objects having a weight equal to or greater than a predetermined weight cannot maintain their attracted state until they leave the magnetic field of the electromagnet 82 according to the rotation of the rotating drum 83, and will fall when the balance between the magnetic force and gravity is lost along the way.

[0065] In the case of non-magnetic objects 6c, since they are not attracted to the rotating drum 83 by the electromagnet 82, the non-magnetic objects 6c placed on the rotating drum 83 fall as they are by gravity as the rotating drum 83 rotates. Large objects unsuitable for crushing 6b are magnetic objects and are attracted to the rotating drum 83 by the magnetic force of the electromagnet 82, but as the rotating drum 83 rotates, the force of gravity of the objects unsuitable for crushing 6b pulling them away from the rotating drum 83 becomes greater, so the objects unsuitable for crushing 6b fall as they are. In this embodiment, in order to temporarily place all transported objects including the objects to be crushed 6a, the objects unsuitable for crushing 6b, and the non-magnetic objects 6c, such as thin and light objects, on the rotating drum 83, the height of the first vibrating feeder 2 is set to the same height as or slightly lower than the height of the rotating drum 83, but it may also be set to a position higher than the rotating drum 83 so that the waste scrap falls onto the rotating drum 83.

[0066] As described above, in the case of an overfeed type drum magnetic separator, there is almost no need to provide a distance (clearance) between the tip of the first vibrating feeder 2 and the rotating drum 33. Therefore, thin and light objects 6a to be crushed and thick and heavy objects 6b that are large and unsuitable for crushing can be appropriately separated by simply adjusting the magnetic force of the electromagnet 82. When a pickup type drum magnetic separator is used, the clearance needs to be adjusted every time the size of the representative waste scrap transported to the drum magnetic separator changes. In contrast, an overfeed type drum magnetic separator does not need to adjust the clearance even when the size of the representative waste scrap changes significantly, and is therefore particularly effective in such cases.

[0067] (Third embodiment) In the first embodiment, when an object unsuitable for crushing is detected by the information processing device 10, it is assumed that an operator checks the screen shown in FIG. 7A or 7B and either directly removes the object unsuitable for crushing or operates a robot arm or the like to remove the object unsuitable for crushing. In this embodiment, an example is described in which a suspended magnetic separator is provided above the second vibrating feeder 4 and the object unsuitable for crushing detected by the information processing device 10 is removed by magnetic force. Hereinafter, only the differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment will be described.

[0068] Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the removal of the unsuitable materials for crushing transported onto the second vibrating feeder 4 in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 9, this embodiment is configured such that a suspended magnetic separator 91 is further provided as a removal device behind the monitoring camera 5 in the unsuitable materials for crushing removal system 100 shown in Fig. 1.

[0069] The suspended magnetic separator 91 is installed above the second vibrating feeder 4, and the magnetic force is OFF in normal times when the information processing device 10 does not detect any unsuitable objects for shredding. The magnetic force of the suspended magnetic separator 91 can be switched ON / OFF by a control device (not shown). When the information processing device 10 detects any unsuitable objects for shredding, the control device receives the detection information and switches the magnetic force of the suspended magnetic separator 91 ON. Specifically, when the information processing device 10 detects any unsuitable objects for shredding, the result output unit 208 notifies the control device that controls the suspended magnetic separator 91 that any unsuitable objects for shredding are included. At this time, the result output unit 208 also notifies the timing of turning on the magnetic force, which is set in accordance with the state in which the detected unsuitable objects for shredding are within the range of the magnetic force of the suspended magnetic separator 91. For example, the result output unit 208 also notifies the timing to turn on the magnetic force depending on the feeding speed of the second vibrating feeder 4 and the distance between the position on the second vibrating feeder 4 photographed by the monitoring camera 5 and the position directly below the hanging type magnetic separator 91. In the above, the case has been described in which the calculation of the timing to turn on the magnetic force is performed by the result output unit 208, but the calculation of the timing to turn on the magnetic force may be performed by a separate device.

[0070] When the control device receives a notification from the information processing device 10 that the materials unsuitable for shredding are included, the control device turns on the magnetic force of the hanging type magnetic separator 91 after a predetermined time, and causes the materials unsuitable for shredding 93 being transported on the second vibrating feeder 4 to be attracted to the hanging type magnetic separator 91. As the hanging type magnetic separator 91, for example, a known one such as that described in the microfilm of Japanese Utility Model Application No. 61-110324 (Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 63-16850) can be used.

[0071] The underside of the hanging magnetic separator 91 is provided with a conveyor that moves in the direction of the box 94 that stores the unsuitable materials to be crushed (in a direction perpendicular to the second vibrating feeder 4), and the unsuitable materials to be crushed 93 move toward directly above the box 94 that stores the unsuitable materials to be crushed while being attracted to the conveyor, and when the unsuitable materials to be crushed 93 reach a position where they can fall into the box 94, such as a position directly above the box 94, the magnetic force of the hanging magnetic separator 91 does not reach that position, so the unsuitable materials to be crushed 93 fall into the box 94 that stores the unsuitable materials to be crushed. Then, after all the unsuitable materials to be crushed have fallen, the control device turns the magnetic force of the hanging magnetic separator 91 back to OFF. On the other hand, crushed materials 92 to be fed into the shredder facility are not attracted to the hanging type magnetic separator 91, but are transported directly on the second vibrating feeder 4 to the vicinity of the end where they drop and are collected in a box 95 that stores waste scrap. The magnetic force of the hanging type magnetic separator 91 is adjusted in advance so that when the magnetic force of the hanging type magnetic separator 91 is turned ON, it can attract only materials unsuitable for shredding.

[0072] As described above, in this embodiment, even after the detection of the unsuitable objects for shredding, the waste scrap that can be input to the shredder facility and the unsuitable objects for shredding can be separated by simply switching the magnetic force ON / OFF in the hanging magnetic separator 91. In addition, since the magnetic force of the hanging magnetic separator 91 is switched ON at the stage where the unsuitable objects for shredding are detected, the display of the screen as shown in FIG. 7A or FIG. 7B may be unnecessary. In other words, when the unsuitable objects for shredding are detected, the destination to output the fact that the unsuitable objects are included may not be a display device that generates a screen (for example, FIG. 7A or FIG. 7B) for the purpose of encouraging the worker to remove the unsuitable objects, but may be a removal device that automatically removes the unsuitable objects for shredding. Furthermore, in the above, an example has been described in which the unsuitable objects for shredding 93 are collected into the box 94 and the other waste scraps are collected into the box 95, respectively, but conversely, the unsuitable objects for shredding 93 may be collected into the box 95 and the other waste scraps may be collected into the box 94, respectively. In this case, the ON / OFF timing of the hanging magnetic separator is also reversed. In other words, it is turned OFF only when materials unsuitable for crushing are detected, and is ON at other times.

[0073] (Fourth embodiment) In the first embodiment, information on the volume or height of each obsolete scrap is obtained based on the measurement results of the three-dimensional shape, and it is determined whether the candidate for the unsuitable object to be crushed is an unsuitable object to be removed. On the other hand, for obsolete scrap that may cause damage to the shredder equipment, strictly speaking, the thickness is more important than the height. In addition, the obsolete scrap being transported by the second vibrating feeder 4 may be transported in a pile, in which case the thickness of each piled obsolete scrap cannot be accurately measured only by the height of the obsolete scrap. Therefore, in this embodiment, information on the thickness of each obsolete scrap is also obtained, so that the unsuitable object to be crushed can be more appropriately identified. In the following, in this embodiment, only the differences from the first embodiment will be described.

[0074] Furthermore, in step S403, the volume calculation unit 206 calculates the thickness of each obsolete scrap based on the measurement results input from the three-dimensional shape measuring device 8. As in the first embodiment, the calculation of the thickness may be omitted for obsolete scrap that is clearly not unsuitable for crushing based on the three-dimensional shape measurement results. A specific procedure for calculating the thickness of each obsolete scrap will be described below.

[0075] FIG. 10A is a diagram showing a specific example of basic shape information. Basic shape information is a two-dimensional image of an object used to obtain three-dimensional shape information. The volume calculation unit 206 acquires a two-dimensional image of an object as basic shape information, for example, as shown in FIG. 10A. The two-dimensional image of the object is a partial image obtained by filtering a part of an area including the object from a photographed image acquired by the image acquisition unit 201. Such filtering may be, for example, a process of extracting a fixedly set area (for example, an area in which the object is always reflected), a process of extracting an area having specific color information (color information possessed by the object), or a process of extracting an area having a specific shape such as the shape of a representative object unsuitable for crushing.

[0076] Next, the volume calculation unit 206 performs image processing for extracting edges (line segments corresponding to the contour of the object) from the two-dimensional image, for example, to generate an image of the object showing edges. Fig. 10B is a diagram showing a specific example of an image showing edges extracted from the two-dimensional image of Fig. 10A. The process of extracting such edges may be performed, for example, by applying a high-pass filter to the two-dimensional image.

[0077] Furthermore, the volume calculation unit 206 generates an image showing the surface by performing image processing for extracting a surface from the two-dimensional image, for example. Fig. 10C is a diagram showing a specific example of an image showing the surface extracted from the two-dimensional image of Fig. 10A. The processing for extracting such a surface may be performed, for example, by detecting edges in the two-dimensional image, detecting areas surrounded by the edges, and labeling each detected area (associating each detected area with identification information of each area). Each labeled area may be detected as one surface.

[0078] In addition, when point cloud data, which is information representing the shape of each obsolete scrap, is included as the measurement result of the three-dimensional shape measuring device 8, the surface of each obsolete scrap may be identified from the point cloud data.

[0079] FIG. 11A is a diagram showing a specific example of point cloud data. For example, when point cloud data of an object is obtained from a three-dimensional shape measuring device 8 as shown in FIG. 11A, the volume calculation unit 206 generates information showing edges by performing processing for extracting edges on the point cloud data, for example. FIG. 11B is a diagram showing a specific example of edges extracted from the point cloud data of FIG. 11A. Such processing for extracting edges may be performed as follows. First, a normal vector is obtained based on data of a predetermined number of points located in the vicinity of each other in the point cloud data. For example, a normal vector for a plane including three adjacent points may be obtained based on data of the three adjacent points. Areas adjacent to each other and having normal vector directions within a predetermined threshold value are determined as the same surface, and surfaces are determined for all point cloud data of the object. A line segment showing a boundary where the surfaces meet is extracted as an edge. Such processing is merely one example of processing for acquiring information about edges from shape information (for example, point cloud data). Information about edges may be acquired from point cloud data by other processing.

[0080] Furthermore, the volume calculation unit 206 generates information for identifying the surface by, for example, performing a process of extracting a surface from the point cloud data. FIG. 11C is a diagram showing a specific example of a surface extracted from the point cloud data of FIG. 11A. As described above, the process of extracting such a surface may involve obtaining a normal vector based on data of a predetermined number of points located in the vicinity of the point cloud data, and extracting each surface based on the normal vector. By performing one or more of the processes described above, the volume calculation unit 206 obtains shape information related to edges and surfaces. Note that the volume calculation unit 206 may obtain shape information by a process different from the above-mentioned process.

[0081] With respect to the edges or faces extracted by the above-mentioned processing, the volume calculation unit 206 may perform further processing to obtain other shape information as well.

[0082] Once edge and face information has been acquired as shape information in the manner described above, the volume calculation unit 206 acquires information indicating the length between parallel edges (line segments) for each face, finds the minimum value of the multiple lengths that appear within each rectangular prism (each individual), and sets this value as the thickness of each individual piece of waste scrap.

[0083] In the above-mentioned procedure, the thickness of each obsolete scrap is calculated on the assumption that the obsolete scrap is a rectangular parallelepiped. However, obsolete scrap has various shapes, and may include a shape such as a half-broken steel pipe. In this case, it is not obvious which face thickness should be noted when determining the possibility of causing damage to the shredder equipment. Therefore, after identifying the faces in the same manner as in the above-mentioned procedure, the information may be further input to a deep learning model or the like, so that the faces to be noted when determining the thickness of the obsolete scrap are output. In the example of FIG. 12A, the volume calculation unit 206 first identifies faces A to E using two-dimensional images or point cloud data. Then, using a deep learning model or the like, it identifies faces A, C, and D (shaded areas on the right side of FIG. 12) as the faces to be noted. When a deep learning model is used, all faces identified in the obsolete scrap are input to the deep learning model, and from among them, the faces to be noted in consideration of the possibility of causing damage to the shredder equipment are output as the identification result. Also, as shown in the example of Fig. 12B, two-dimensional image or point cloud data may be input, and noteworthy surfaces may be directly output by another deep learning model. When using this deep learning model, two-dimensional image or point cloud data of the obsolete scrap is input to the deep learning model, and surfaces that should be noted in terms of the possibility of causing damage to the shredder equipment are output as identified results. Then, for the noteworthy surfaces, information indicating the length between parallel edges (line segments) is similarly obtained, and the minimum value thereof is used as the thickness of the obsolete scrap, for example.

[0084] After calculating the thickness of each obsolete scrap as described above, in step S404, the determination unit 207 determines whether the candidate for the object unsuitable for crushing is an object unsuitable for crushing that should be removed, based on the information on the thickness of each obsolete scrap. For example, when multiple obsolete scraps are piled up and determined to be a single object, the volume or height of the object is greater than that of each individual object, but the thickness of the object does not increase even when the object is piled up. Thus, according to this embodiment, even when obsolete scrap is transported in a pile on the second vibrating feeder 4, the thickness information of each obsolete scrap can be obtained, and the object unsuitable for crushing can be more appropriately identified.

[0085] In addition, when the shape information of the obsolete scrap is obtained using the point cloud data shown in FIG. 11A, at least one of the volume, height, and thickness of the obsolete scrap can be obtained without using a captured image. Therefore, when determining whether a candidate for an obsolete scrap is an obsolete scrap that should be removed from only the volume, height, or thickness information of each obsolete scrap, the identification of the candidate for an obsolete scrap by the unsuitable scrap identifying unit 202 may be omitted, and the obsolete scrap may be identified as an obsolete scrap if its volume, height, or thickness is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. This makes it possible to eliminate the need for the monitoring camera 5 and identify an obsolete scrap as an obsolete scrap based only on the measurement results of the three-dimensional shape measuring device 8. In addition, a plurality of three-dimensional shape measuring devices may be installed, and the measurement results of these devices may be integrated to more accurately obtain thickness information of the obsolete scrap.

[0086] (Other embodiments) The information processing device of each of the above-mentioned embodiments is specifically configured by a computer system or device. Therefore, it goes without saying that the above-mentioned functions can also be achieved by supplying a storage medium storing the program code of the software for realizing the functions to the system or device, and having the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or device read and execute the program code stored in the storage medium.

[0087] In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-mentioned embodiment, and the program code itself and the storage medium storing the program code constitute the present invention. Examples of storage media for supplying the program code include flexible disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, ROMs, etc.

[0088] The above-described embodiments of the present invention are merely examples of the implementation of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by these. In other words, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from its technical concept or main characteristics.

[0089] Specifically, in the shredded unsuitable material removal system 100 shown in Fig. 1, materials unsuitable for shredding are removed via a pre-shredder 1, a first vibrating feeder 2, a drum-type magnetic separator 3, a second vibrating feeder 4, and a surveillance camera 5 (and a three-dimensional shape measuring device 8), but the shredded unsuitable material removal system 100 may omit some of these. For example, if there is no large obsolete scrap, the pre-shredder 1 may be omitted. Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the three-dimensional shape measuring device 8 may also be omitted.

[0090] Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 1, the crushing unsuitable material removal system 100 includes a drum-type magnetic separator 3 and a monitoring camera 5 (and an information processing device 10) in order to identify and discharge the unsuitable material for crushing, but either one of them may be omitted. As an example, the crushing unsuitable material removal system 100 may be configured only with the drum-type magnetic separator 3, or may be configured only with the first vibrating feeder 2 and the drum-type magnetic separator 3. In this case, the first vibrating feeder 2 may be replaced with a general belt conveyor that does not vibrate, or may be replaced with a combination of the first vibrating feeder 2 and a general belt conveyor that does not vibrate. In addition, when the drum-type magnetic separator 3 is omitted, the crushing unsuitable material removal system 100 may be configured only with the second vibrating feeder 4 and the monitoring camera 5 (and an information processing device 10). In this case, the second vibrating feeder 4 may be replaced with a general belt conveyor that does not vibrate, or may be replaced with a combination of the second vibrating feeder 4 and a general belt conveyor that does not vibrate. On the other hand, when both the drum type magnetic separator 3 and the monitoring camera 5 are provided, the order may be reversed. In other words, after identifying and removing objects unsuitable for crushing using the monitoring camera 5 (and the information processing device 10), magnetic objects of a predetermined weight or more that could not be identified as objects unsuitable for crushing may be removed using the drum type magnetic separator 3. In addition, in each of the configurations described above, the monitoring camera 5 may be replaced with a three-dimensional shape measuring device 8, or may be replaced with a combination of the monitoring camera 5 and the three-dimensional shape measuring device 8. In addition, two or more of the above-described embodiments may be appropriately combined, for example, by combining the first, third, and fourth embodiments, or by combining the second to fourth embodiments. [Industrial Applicability]

[0091] According to the present invention, materials unsuitable for shredding that may damage the shredder equipment can be accurately removed from each obsolete scrap before the obsolete scrap is fed into the shredder equipment, and this has great industrial value.

Claims

1. A drum-type magnetic separator constituting a system for removing unsuitable materials for shredding, which removes unsuitable materials for shredding that may cause damage to a shredder facility before the scrap is fed into the shredder facility, A drum-type magnetic separator characterized in that its magnetic force is set so as to attract magnetic material of the scrap that is less than a predetermined weight, and that its distance from a vibrating feeder that transports the scrap is adjustable.

2. 2. The drum type magnetic separator according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the magnetic force of the magnets and the rotation speed of the drum of the drum type magnetic separator is further adjustable.

3. A drum-type magnetic separator constituting a system for removing unsuitable materials for shredding, which removes unsuitable materials for shredding that may cause damage to a shredder facility before the scrap is fed into the shredder facility, the magnetic force of the magnet of the drum-type magnetic separator is set so that magnetic objects of a predetermined weight or more among the scrap are dropped to pass through a gap between the drum-type magnetic separator and a vibrating feeder that transports the scrap, and magnetic objects of less than the predetermined weight are attracted to and adsorbed onto the rotating drum so as not to drop into the gap; A drum-type magnetic separator, characterized in that the magnetic objects attracted by the magnetic force of the magnet are separated from the rotating drum by being removed from the area of ​​the magnetic force of the magnet as the rotating drum rotates.

4. A drum-type magnetic separator constituting a system for removing unsuitable materials for shredding, which removes unsuitable materials for shredding that may cause damage to a shredder facility before the scrap is fed into the shredder facility, a magnetic force of a magnet of the drum-type magnetic separator is set so that magnetic objects of less than a predetermined weight among the scrap are attracted to a rotating drum, the magnetic objects attracted by the magnetic force of the magnet are removed from the magnetic force area of ​​the magnet by the rotation of the rotating drum, thereby separating the attracted magnetic objects from the rotating drum, and magnetic objects of the predetermined weight or more are placed on the rotating drum, and the magnetic objects of the predetermined weight or more are allowed to fall by gravity before they are removed from the magnetic force area of ​​the magnet by the rotation of the rotating drum.

5. 5. The drum type magnetic separator according to claim 1, wherein the scrap includes scrap roughly crushed by a pre-shredder.

6. A method for separating materials unsuitable for shredding using a drum-type magnetic separator constituting a system for removing materials unsuitable for shredding that may cause damage to a shredder facility before the scrap is fed into the shredder facility, the method comprising: A method for separating materials unsuitable for crushing, comprising a step of adjusting a distance from a vibrating feeder that transports the scrap so as to attract and separate magnetic materials of less than a predetermined weight from the scrap.

Images