Mechanical property inspection system and injection molding system

Abstract

To provide a mechanical characteristic inspection device and an injection molding system that accurately inspects the mechanical characteristics of molded products formed by injection molding in a simple configuration.SOLUTION: The mechanical property inspection device is a mechanical property inspection device for inspecting the mechanical properties of a molded product made by injection molding resin material. The mechanical property inspection device includes: a spectral image acquisition unit that acquires spectral images of the molded products at multiple spectral wavelengths; the spectral calculation unit that calculates a spectral spectrum of a plurality of measurement points of the molded article from the spectral images for the plurality of spectral wavelengths; the feature value calculation unit that calculates a spectral feature value at a predetermined spectral wavelength in the spectral spectrum of the plurality of measurement points; and the mechanical property estimation unit that estimates the mechanical property of the article based on the spectral feature value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a mechanical property inspection device and an injection molding system including the mechanical property inspection device.

Background Art

[0002] Devices for inspecting the properties of injection-molded resin molded products are known. The device described in Patent Document 1 irradiates light from a first light irradiation unit provided in a mold device or a mold clamping device onto the molded product after mold opening, and guides the light transmitted through the molded product to a first light intensity detection unit by a light guide member constituted by an optical fiber or the like for light reception. Further, light is irradiated from a second light irradiation unit provided at the nozzle of the injection device onto the molten molding material, and the light transmitted through the molding material is received by the second light intensity detection unit. Then, based on the light intensities detected by the first light intensity detection unit and the second light intensity detection unit, the deterioration state of the molded product W is determined.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the device described in Patent Document 1, the light transmitted through one point of the molded product is guided to the first light intensity detection unit by a light guide member such as an optical fiber. In this case, the overall mechanical properties of the molded product cannot be inspected. For example, unevenness in mechanical strength may occur, such as when only a part of the molded product is deteriorated. In this case, if the deterioration state of the entire molded product is not detected, the quality of the mechanical properties of the molded product cannot be correctly determined. Further, in Patent Document 1, the light intensity transmitted through the molding material is detected by the second light intensity detection unit. However, since the overall deterioration state of the molded product after injection molding is not inspected, partial deterioration cannot be detected as described above, and the mechanical properties of the molded product cannot be correctly determined.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] A mechanical property inspection apparatus according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a mechanical property inspection apparatus for inspecting the mechanical properties of a molded product obtained by injection molding a resin material, including a spectral image acquisition unit that acquires spectral images for a plurality of spectral wavelengths with respect to the molded product, a spectrum calculation unit that calculates spectral spectra of a plurality of measurement points of the molded product from the spectral images for the plurality of spectral wavelengths, a characteristic value calculation unit that calculates spectral characteristic values at a predetermined spectral wavelength in the spectral spectra of the plurality of measurement points, and a mechanical property estimation unit that estimates the mechanical properties of the molded product based on the spectral characteristic values.

[0006] An injection molding system according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is an injection molding system including the mechanical property inspection apparatus according to the first aspect described above and an injection molding machine that forms the molded product by injection molding, wherein the injection molding machine adjusts injection molding conditions based on an estimation result of the mechanical properties by the mechanical property inspection apparatus.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

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Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an injection molding system 1 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 1, the injection molding system 1 includes a mechanical property inspection device 10 that inspects the mechanical properties of a molded product W manufactured by injection molding, and an injection molding machine 20 that manufactures the molded product W by injection molding.

[0009] [Configuration of Mechanical Property Inspection Device 10] The mechanical property inspection device 10 includes a stage 11, a reference body 12, an illumination unit 13, an imaging unit 14, and an inspection processing unit 15. The stage 11 is a mounting table for mounting the molded product W to be inspected. The molded product W to be inspected may be all the molded products W manufactured by the injection molding machine 20, or may be the molded products W picked up at a predetermined cycle. In this embodiment, by performing a mechanical property inspection based on a spectral image, a rapid inspection can be performed, and even when all the molded products W are the inspection targets, it is possible to avoid a long-term increase in the time related to the mechanical property inspection.

[0010] The reference body 12 has a reference spectrum. The reference spectrum is a reflectance spectrum of the reference body 12, and for example, reflects light of each wavelength irradiated from the illumination unit 13 with a reflectance of 100% or approximately 100%. Note that the stage 11 may be coated with a reference color without a spectral mura, and in this case, the stage 11 can function as the reference body 12.

[0011] The lighting unit 13 irradiates illumination light onto the molded product W and the reference body 12. As the illumination light, a broadband light source such as a halogen lamp is preferable. If the spectrum (emission spectrum) of the illumination light is known, the gradation value of each pixel of the spectral image can be corrected by the emission spectrum.

[0012] The imaging unit 14 is a spectral camera that captures a spectral image. Specifically, it is a hyperspectral camera capable of capturing spectral images for a plurality of spectral wavelengths in the near-infrared region. The imaging unit 14 captures a spectral image so that the entire molded product W placed on the stage 11 is within the image. The spectral image may be captured so that both the molded product W and the reference body 12 are within the image, or the molded product W and the reference body 12 may be captured separately.

[0013] The inspection processing unit 15 can use, for example, a general computer such as a personal computer, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal. The inspection processing unit 15 controls the lighting unit 13 and the imaging unit 14, and performs inspection processing on the mechanical characteristics of the molded product W based on a plurality of spectral images of the molded product W captured by the imaging unit 14. For example, the inspection processing unit 15 has a basic configuration of a general computer, such as a storage unit 151 composed of a memory or the like, and a processor 152 composed of a CPU or the like. Then, by reading and executing the program recorded in the storage unit 151, the processor 152 functions as a spectral image acquisition unit 152A, a range specification unit 152B, a spectrum calculation unit 152C, a feature value calculation unit 152D, a mechanical characteristic estimation unit 152E, a pass / fail determination unit 152F, and a shape inspection unit 152G as shown in FIG. 1.

[0014] The spectral image acquisition unit 152A controls the illumination unit 13 and the imaging unit 14 to irradiate the molded product W and the reference body 12 with illumination light, capture spectral images of a plurality of spectral wavelengths for the molded product W and the reference body 12, and acquire (receive) the spectral images from the imaging unit 14. Here, an example is shown in which the spectral image acquisition unit 152A controls the illumination unit 13 and the imaging unit 14 to capture spectral images. However, the illumination unit 13 and the imaging unit 14 provided independently of the inspection processing unit 15 may be configured. For example, the spectral images of the molded product W and the reference body 12 may be captured by another spectral image capturing device and stored in a data server on the Internet, and the spectral image acquisition unit 152A may acquire the spectral images by downloading them from the data server. Also, various image processes such as noise reduction processing and pattern recognition may be applied to the acquired spectral images using various digital filters.

[0015] The range specifying unit 152B specifies, from the spectral image, the inspection range in the molded product W. For the specification of the inspection range, the contour of the molded product W may be automatically detected from the spectral image by an edge detection filter, and the inside of the contour may be specified as the inspection range, or the inspection range within the spectral image may be specified by the user.

[0016] The spectral calculation unit 152C calculates the spectral spectrum of each measurement point using a plurality of pixels included in the inspection range as the measurement points. That is, the spectral calculation unit 152C calculates the spectral spectrum of each pixel using each pixel value of the same pixel in the spectral image for a plurality of spectral wavelengths. As the spectral spectrum, for example, the light reflectance at each measurement point can be exemplified, but it is not limited thereto. In the present embodiment, the light reflected by the molded product W is imaged by the imaging unit 14. However, when the molded product W has translucency, the light transmitted through the molded product W may be imaged. In this case, the spectral calculation unit 152C may calculate the transmittance spectrum as the spectral spectrum. The reflectance spectrum and the transmittance spectrum are calculated using the pixel value of each measurement point and the pixel value of the image obtained by imaging the reference body 12. As the pixel value when imaging the reference body 12, the pixel value of one point in the image of the reference body 12 may be used in the spectral image for each spectral wavelength including the reference body 12, or the average of the pixel values of a plurality of points in the image of the reference body 12 may be used. Here, although an example of calculating the reflectance spectrum of each measurement point using the measurement value of the reference body 12 is shown, the pixel value of each measurement point may be used as the spectral spectrum as it is.

[0017] The characteristic value calculation unit 152D calculates a spectral characteristic value at a predetermined characteristic wavelength at each measurement point based on the spectral spectrum. As the spectral characteristic value, for example, in the present embodiment, the second derivative value of the spectral spectrum at the absorption peak wavelength corresponding to the resin material of the molded product W is used.

[0018] Here, the relationship between the deterioration state of the molded product W and the spectral characteristic value will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the measurement results of the spectral spectra of a plurality of molded products W with different degrees of deterioration progress. As shown in FIG. 2, as the deterioration of the molded product W progresses, the spectral spectrum changes. That is, due to the degree of deterioration, the functional groups contained in the resin structure of the molded product W change, and the amount of light absorption at the absorption peak wavelength in the original (non-deteriorated) molded product W changes. Therefore, by comparing the reflectance with respect to a predetermined characteristic wavelength in the spectral spectrum, the deterioration tendency of the resin material can be understood.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a second derivative spectrum obtained by second differentiating the spectral spectrum of FIG. 2. By second differentiating the spectral spectrum, the minimum value (i.e., the absorption peak wavelength) in the spectral spectrum can be accurately detected. When the absorption peak wavelength of the resin material is unknown, the absorption peak wavelength may be specified from the zero-crossing point of the first derivative spectrum. The examples shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 are examples of the molded product W using recycled ABS resin, and absorption peak wavelengths appear at 875 nm and 925 nm, and it can be seen that the reflectances at these 875 nm and 925 nm change depending on the degree of deterioration of the resin material. Therefore, the eigenvalue calculation unit 152D calculates the second derivative value at either or both of 875 nm and 925 nm as the spectral eigenvalue.

[0020] The mechanical property estimation unit 152E inspects the mechanical properties of the molded product W based on the spectral eigenvalue. As described above, there is a relationship between the deterioration state of the molded product W and the spectral eigenvalue, and based on the spectral eigenvalue, the deterioration tendency of the molded product W can be estimated. More specifically, in the present embodiment, characteristic detection data (detection calibration curve) for characteristic detection indicating the mechanical properties of the molded product W with respect to the spectral eigenvalue is stored in the storage unit 151 in advance, and the mechanical property value with respect to the spectral eigenvalue calculated by the mechanical property estimation unit is read. Examples of the mechanical property value include known mechanical properties such as Charpy impact strength.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the detection calibration curve. The detection calibration curve is obtained, for example, by preparing molded products W in a plurality of deterioration states, and measuring in advance the spectral eigenvalue and the mechanical property value for each of these molded products W. Then, the spectral eigenvalue and the mechanical property value of each molded product W are plotted on a graph with the spectral eigenvalue (e.g., second derivative value) on the horizontal axis and the mechanical property value (e.g., Charpy impact strength) on the vertical axis, and a first-order regression line is derived as the detection calibration curve. Note that this example is an example in which the detection calibration curve is derived by a regression line, but the detection calibration curve may be a curve or a higher-order function of the second order or higher. Also, as an example of data for characteristic detection, a calibration curve for detection is used. However, for example, it may be table data in which a plurality of spectral characteristic values and corresponding mechanical characteristic values are recorded. In this case, the mechanical characteristic estimation unit 152E may read out from the characteristic detection data the mechanical characteristic value closest to the calculated spectral characteristic value, or may calculate the mechanical characteristic value by an interpolation method.

[0022] Also, as described above, after calculating the mechanical characteristic value at each measurement point, the mechanical characteristic estimation unit 152E further calculates the overall average mechanical characteristic value of the molded product W and a characteristic variation value indicating the variation in the mechanical characteristics. For example, the mechanical characteristic estimation unit 152E calculates the arithmetic mean of the mechanical characteristic values of all the measurement points included in the inspection range as the average mechanical characteristic value. Also, the mechanical characteristic estimation unit 152E calculates the characteristic variation value based on the variance or standard deviation at the measurement points included in the inspection range.

[0023] The mechanical characteristic estimation unit 152E may further display on a display (not shown) a characteristic distribution image in which the mechanical characteristic values at each measurement point in the molded product W are superimposed on the molded product W. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the characteristic distribution image. For example, a characteristic distribution image in which the outer shape image of the molded product W is colored with a color corresponding to the mechanical characteristic value may be displayed, or a characteristic distribution image in which the shade of the color is changed according to the mechanical characteristic value may be displayed. The example of FIG. 5 shows a characteristic distribution diagram when the density is increased as the deterioration increases (the mechanical strength decreases). Also, the mechanical characteristic value may be binarized with a predetermined threshold value, and the portion with low mechanical characteristics and the portion with high mechanical characteristics may be separately displayed.

[0024] The pass / fail determination unit 152F performs pass / fail determination of the molded product W based on the inspection result (estimation result) of the mechanical characteristics. As the inspection determination of the mechanical characteristics, the difference between the calculated average mechanical characteristic value and a predetermined reference characteristic value is calculated, and it is determined whether or not the difference is equal to or less than a predetermined first threshold value. When the difference between the average mechanical characteristic value and the reference characteristic value is equal to or less than the first threshold value, it is determined that the mechanical characteristics are appropriate, and when it is greater than the first threshold value, it is determined that there is an abnormality (brittleness) in the mechanical characteristics. In addition, the pass / fail determination unit 152F determines whether or not the calculated characteristic variation value is equal to or greater than a predetermined second threshold value. When the characteristic variation value is less than the second threshold value, it is determined to be normal, and when it is greater than the second threshold value, it is determined that there are some parts with weak mechanical characteristics and it is defective.

[0025] The shape inspection unit 152G also functions as a foreign object detection unit of the present disclosure, and inspects the shape abnormality and the presence or absence of foreign objects of the molded product W based on the spectral image. The shape inspection unit 152G, for example, applies an edge detection filter or the like to the spectral image to identify the contour of the molded product W, and compares it with the outer shape data of the molded product W stored in the storage unit 151 in advance, thereby inspecting the outer shape abnormality and the presence or absence of foreign objects of the molded product W.

[0026] [Configuration of Injection Molding Machine 20] As shown in FIG. 1, the injection molding machine 20 includes a hopper 21, a resin input amount adjustment unit 22, a cylinder 24, a heating unit 25, a screw 26, an injection unit 27, a mold 28, and an injection control unit 29.

[0027] The hopper 21 is an inlet into which the resin material that becomes the material of the molded product W is introduced. A resin inlet is connected to the hopper 21. The resin inlet is an inlet into which the main material of the molded product W is introduced, and a recycled resin material, a new resin material, etc. are introduced. Note that the recycled resin material and the new resin material may be configured to be introduced into the hopper 21 from separate inlets, and the input amounts of these recycled resin materials and new resin materials may be adjustable.

[0028] The resin input amount adjustment unit 22 adjusts the input ratio and input amount of the recycled resin material and the new resin material in the resin material that becomes the material of the molded product W.

[0029] The cylinder 24 is a cylindrical member into which the resin material is introduced from the hopper 21. A nozzle 241 is provided at one end of the cylinder 24 and is connected to the mold 28. An injection unit 27 is connected to the other end of the cylinder 24.

[0030] The heating unit 25 is a heater that heats and melts the resin material introduced into the cylinder 24. The heating unit 25 is provided on the cylinder 24 to heat and melt the resin material inside the cylinder 24. In addition, in the path from the hopper 21 to the cylinder 24, for example, a pre-plunger for heating and kneading may be provided. In this case, by providing the heating unit 25 on the pre-plunger, the resin material before being introduced into the cylinder 24 is heated and melted.

[0031] The screw 26 kneads the resin material by rotating around the axis center. The screw 26 is provided, for example, inside the cylinder 24 to knead the resin material introduced into the cylinder 24. In addition, as described above, in the configuration where a pre-plunger is provided in the path from the hopper 21 to the cylinder 24, a screw 26 may be provided inside the pre-plunger to knead the resin material before being introduced into the cylinder 24. Hereinafter, a kneaded product in which a resin material including a recycled resin material and a new resin material is overheated and melted and kneaded by the screw 26 is referred to as a molten resin material.

[0032] The injection unit 27 applies pressure to the molten resin material inside the cylinder 24 from the other end of the cylinder 24 and extrudes it toward the nozzle 241 side. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, in the screw in-line injection molding machine 20 in which the screw 26 is provided inside the cylinder 24, the injection unit 27 moves the screw 26 forward and backward along the axial direction inside the cylinder 24. Thereby, the molten resin material extruded by the screw 26 is injected from the nozzle 241 into the mold 28. In addition, when a pre-plunger is provided in the path from the hopper 21 to the cylinder 24, the injection unit 27 moves an injection ram inserted into the cylinder 24 forward and backward inside the cylinder 24. The mold 28 is a mold corresponding to the shape of the molded product W, and the molded product W is formed by introducing the molten resin injected from the cylinder 24. Note that the hopper 21, resin input amount adjustment unit 22, cylinder 24, heating unit 25, screw 26, injection unit 27, and mold 28 may constitute one lot, and the injection molding machine 20 may be configured to include a plurality of lots.

[0033] The injection control unit 29 controls the resin input amount adjustment unit 22, heating unit 25, screw 26, and injection unit 27. Specifically, the injection control unit 29 includes a reference molding control unit 291, an average strength adjustment control unit 292, a strength unevenness adjustment control unit 293, and a molding machine side storage unit 294. The reference molding control unit 291 sets default molding conditions based on reference conditions set according to the molded product W to be molded. That is, the reference molding control unit 291 sets the input amount of the resin material, the input ratio of the new resin material to the recycled resin material (hereinafter referred to as the resin input ratio), the heating temperature (plasticizing temperature) by the heating unit 25, the screw rotation speed of the screw 26, and the injection pressure of the molten resin material injected by the injection unit 27 (for example, injection speed and injection amount). Here, the ratio of the input amount of the new resin material to the input amount of the recycled resin material is defined as the resin input ratio, but the ratio of the input amount of the recycled resin material to the input amount of the new resin material may also be defined as the resin input ratio. The average strength adjustment control unit 292 adjusts at least one of the resin input ratio and the sparse temperature according to the average mechanical property value output from the mechanical property inspection device 10. The strength unevenness adjustment control unit 293 adjusts the plasticizing temperature, the screw rotation speed, the residence time of the molten resin material in the cylinder 24 (that is, the kneading time of the resin material and the masterbatch by the screw 26, the injection interval by the injection unit 27), and the injection pressure of the molten resin material according to the property variation value output from the mechanical property inspection device 10.

[0034] [Mechanical Property Inspection Method in Injection Molding System 1] Next, the mechanical property inspection method in the injection molding system 1 will be described in more detail. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the mechanical property inspection method by the mechanical property inspection device 10. The mechanical property inspection method by the mechanical property inspection apparatus 10 inspects the molded product W molded by the injection molding machine 20 of the injection molding system 1 as the inspection target. As the molded product W to be inspected, the molded product W may be randomly selected at an arbitrary timing as described above, or all the molded products W may be used as the inspection targets. First, the molded product W to be inspected is picked up and placed on the stage 11, and the molded product W is illuminated by the illumination unit 13 (step S1). Then, the spectral image acquisition unit 152A controls the imaging unit 14 to capture spectral images for a plurality of spectral wavelengths (step S2). At this time, the spectral image with respect to the reference body 12 is also captured simultaneously. In step S2, at the time of capturing each spectral image, the imaging process is performed while fixing the relative position between the imaging unit 14 and the molded product W.

[0035] Next, the range specifying unit 152B specifies the inspection range of the molded product W in each spectral image (step S3). FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a specific example of the inspection range of the molded product W. For example, the range specifying unit 152B specifies the edge W1 (contour portion) of the molded product W by edge detection processing, and sets the inside of the edge W1 as the inspection range Ws. Also, as shown in FIG. 7, when another closed edge W2 is detected inside the closed edge W1, it may be specified as the inspection range Ws between the edge W1 and the edge W2. Note that since the edges W1 and W2 are points where the luminance value changes greatly, if these edges W1 and W2 are used as inspection targets, it will affect the accuracy of the mechanical property inspection. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the inspection range may be specified by connecting points (edge W3 in FIG. 7) separated by a predetermined dimension from the edges W1 and W2. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which the inspection range can be specified by the user.

[0036] Next, the spectrum calculation unit 152C calculates the spectral spectrum with each pixel in the inspection range Ws specified in step S3 as the measurement point (step S4). For example, the spectrum calculation unit 152C uses the pixel position (x, y) of the spectral image as the measurement point, and the reflectance R(x, y, λ i ) at each measurement point (x, y) and the luminance value r of the pixel position (x, y) of the spectral image i ) of the spectral imagei (x, y) and the spectral wavelength λ of the reference body 12 i and the luminance value r with respect to b Based on this, R(x, y, λ i ) = r i (x, y) / r b is calculated. Here, i is a variable indicating the spectral wavelength and is an integer from 1 to I. For example, when imaging a spectral image at spectral wavelengths with an interval of 20 nm for the visible light range of 400 nm to 700 nm, I = 16. Thus, spectral spectra (reflectance spectra) as shown in FIG. 2 can be calculated for each measurement point.

[0037] Next, the characteristic value calculation unit 152D calculates spectral characteristic values from the spectral spectra of the respective calculated measurement points (step S5). For example, the characteristic value calculation unit 152D calculates the second derivative spectrum of the spectral spectrum of each measurement point and calculates the second derivative value at a predetermined absorption peak wavelength as the spectral characteristic value.

[0038] Next, the mechanical property estimation unit 152E calculates mechanical property values (for example, Charpy impact strength) of each measurement point using the calculated spectral characteristic values and the detection calibration curve as shown in FIG. 4 stored in the storage unit 151 in advance (step S6). In addition, the mechanical property estimation unit 152E calculates the overall average mechanical property value and the characteristic variation value of the molded product W from the mechanical property values calculated for each measurement point (step S7). At this time, the mechanical property estimation unit 152E may display a characteristic distribution image as shown in FIG. 5 on a display (not shown).

[0039] Thereafter, the pass / fail determination unit 152F determines whether there is an abnormality in the mechanical properties of the molded product W based on the inspection results of the mechanical properties (step S8). For example, the pass / fail determination unit 152F calculates the difference (mechanical property evaluation value) between the reference mechanical strength set for each molded product W and the average mechanical property value calculated in step S7, and determines that it is a pass when the mechanical property evaluation value is less than the first threshold value, and a fail when it is equal to or greater than the first threshold value. Furthermore, the pass / fail determination unit 152F calculates the difference (variation evaluation value) between the characteristic variation value calculated in step S7 and a preset reference variation value, and determines that it is a pass if the variation evaluation value is less than the second threshold value, and determines that it is a fail if the variation evaluation value is greater than or equal to the second threshold value.

[0040] In step S8, if it is determined to be YES, that is, if there is no abnormality in the mechanical characteristics of the molded product W, the inspection process for the mechanical characteristics is terminated. In this case, it is determined that the molding conditions of the injection molding machine 20 are optimal, and the production of the molded product W by the injection molding machine 20 is continued while maintaining the current injection molding conditions. On the other hand, if it is determined to be NO in step S8, that is, if there is an abnormality in the mechanical characteristics of the molded product W, the calculated inspection result of the mechanical characteristics is output to the injection control unit 29 of the injection molding machine 20 (step S9). The inspection result may be, for example, the average mechanical characteristic value and the characteristic variation value, or the mechanical characteristic evaluation value and the variation evaluation value, or both. Thereby, when it is determined to be NO in step S8, the molding conditions of the molded product W are adjusted by the injection control unit 29.

[0041] Also, in this embodiment, the shape inspection unit 152G of the mechanical characteristic inspection device 10 performs a shape inspection of the molded product W based on the spectral image acquired in step S2 (step S10). As the timing of the shape inspection, after the inspection of the mechanical characteristics from step S4 to step S9 is exemplified, but it may also be after step S2 or step S3. Similar to step S3, the shape inspection unit 152G performs edge detection processing on the spectral image to detect the edges W1, W2 of the molded product W, and compares them with the outer shape data (reference data) of the molded product W previously recorded in the storage unit 151. If the shapes of the edges W1, W2 are different from the outer shape data, it is determined that there is a shape abnormality in the molded product W, and if an edge different from the edges W1, W2 is detected, it is determined that there is a foreign object. The shape inspection result of the shape inspection unit 152G may be displayed on a display as appropriate.

[0042] [Adjustment of Molding Conditions of Injection Molding Machine 20] In the injection molding system 1 of the present embodiment, when it is determined as NO in step S8, the molding conditions of the molded product W are adjusted and controlled so that the molded product W with predetermined mechanical properties is manufactured. When the injection molding system 1 includes a plurality of lots, the molded products W molded in each lot are inspected by the mechanical property inspection device 10, and based on the respective inspection results, the molding conditions for each lot are individually adjusted. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a method for adjusting injection molding conditions.

[0043] When the injection control unit 29 receives the inspection result of the mechanical properties from the mechanical property inspection device 10 (step S21), it determines whether the received inspection result includes an average mechanical property value (or mechanical property evaluation value), that is, whether there is an abnormality in the average mechanical property value (step S22). When it is determined as YES in step S22, that is, when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the mechanical properties of the molded product W as a whole, the average strength adjustment control unit 292 of the injection control unit 29 controls at least one of the resin input amount adjustment unit 22 and the heating unit 25, and adjusts at least one of the molding conditions of the resin input ratio and the plasticizing temperature in the resin material (step S23). For example, the average strength adjustment control unit 292 adjusts the resin input ratio while maintaining the plasticizing temperature constant. Or, the average strength adjustment control unit 292 adjusts the plasticizing temperature while maintaining the resin input ratio constant.

[0044] Here, as an example, the case of adjusting the plasticizing temperature will be described. FIG. 9 is an example of a first characteristic calibration curve for obtaining molding conditions from the average mechanical property value. In the present embodiment, a first characteristic calibration curve showing the relationship between the average mechanical property value and the molding conditions as shown in FIG. 9 is stored in advance in the molding machine side storage unit 294. Here, the molding conditions are referred to as the first molding parameters in order to differentiate them from the molding conditions for the variation in mechanical properties described later. The first molding parameter is the resin input ratio or the plasticizing temperature. In FIG. 9, as an example, an example in which the resin input ratio (the input ratio of the new resin material to the recycled resin material) is used as the first molding parameter is shown. In the example of FIG. 9, the relationship between the mechanical property values for one first molding parameter is shown. However, the first characteristic calibration curve may be shown in a three-dimensional coordinate system with the resin input ratio on the X-axis, the plasticizing temperature on the Z-axis, and the mechanical property value on the Y-axis. That is, a function using the three variables of the resin input ratio, the plasticizing temperature, and the mechanical property value may be used as the first characteristic calibration curve.

[0045] In step S23, the average strength adjustment control unit 292 changes the first molding parameter by a value corresponding to the difference ΔA between the average mechanical property value A input from the mechanical property inspection device 10 and the target value (reference mechanical property value A 1 in the molded product W) using the first characteristic calibration curve as described above. For example, if the current resin input ratio is a 0 and the adjusted condition (resin input ratio corresponding to the target value) is a 1 , the resin input ratio is increased by the amount of a 0 -a 0 . Thereby, the first molding parameter is adjusted so that the difference (mechanical property evaluation value) between the average mechanical property value and the reference mechanical property value is less than the first threshold value. 1 Note that the above is an example of adjusting the resin input ratio, but the plasticizing temperature may be used as the first molding parameter. In this case, a first characteristic calibration curve showing the relationship between the average mechanical property value and the plasticizing temperature may be used.

[0046] After step S23 and when the determination in step S22 is NO, the injection control unit 29 determines whether the characteristic variation value is included in the inspection result of the mechanical property received in step S21 (step S24). When the determination in step S24 is YES, that is, when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the variation of the mechanical property in the molded product W, the strength unevenness adjustment control unit 293 of the injection control unit 29 adjusts at least one of the molding conditions of the plasticizing temperature, the screw rotation speed, the residence time, and the injection pressure (step S25). Here, the molding conditions are referred to as second molding parameters to distinguish them from the first molding parameters. For example, the strength unevenness adjustment control unit 293 may adjust one of the second molding parameters for determining the variation in mechanical properties and fix the other parameters, or may adjust a plurality of second molding parameters.

[0047] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a second characteristic calibration curve for obtaining molding conditions from the characteristic variation value. In the second characteristic calibration curve shown in FIG. 10, the second molding parameter is any one of the plasticizing temperature, screw rotation speed, residence time, and injection pressure, for example, the screw rotation speed. In the example of FIG. 10, although the relationship between the characteristic variation value for one second molding parameter is shown, a function showing the relationship between a plurality of second molding parameters and the characteristic variation value may be used as the second characteristic calibration curve.

[0048] The adjustment of the second molding parameter is substantially the same as the adjustment of the average mechanical strength. That is, a second characteristic calibration curve as shown in FIG. 10 is stored in advance in the molding machine side storage unit 294. Based on the characteristic variation value input from the mechanical property inspection device 10 and the second characteristic calibration curve in step S25, the strength unevenness adjustment control unit 293 adjusts the second molding parameter so that the difference (variation evaluation value) between the characteristic variation value and the reference characteristic variation value is less than the second threshold value. For example, the strength unevenness adjustment control unit 293 is the characteristic variation value B input from the mechanical property inspection device 10 1 and the target value (reference variation value B in the molded product W 0 ), the second molding parameter is changed by a value corresponding to the difference ΔB. For example, if the current screw rotation speed is b 1 and the adjusted condition (screw rotation speed corresponding to the target value) is b 0 , the screw rotation speed is decreased by the amount of b 0 -b 1 . Thereby, the second molding parameter is adjusted so that the difference (variation evaluation value) between the characteristic variation value and the reference variation value is less than the second threshold value. Thereby, the kneading performance by the screw 26 is improved, and the variation in the mechanical properties of the molded product W is improved. Note that the above is an example of adjusting the screw rotation speed. As described above, when adjusting the plasticizing temperature, the intensity unevenness adjustment control unit 293 adjusts the heating temperature in the heating unit 25. When adjusting the residence time, the intensity unevenness adjustment control unit 293 adjusts the injection interval of the molten resin by the injection unit 27. When adjusting the injection pressure, the intensity unevenness adjustment control unit 293 adjusts the injection speed and injection amount of the molten resin by the injection unit 27.

[0049] [Operational Effects of the Present Embodiment] The injection molding system 1 of the present embodiment includes a mechanical property inspection device 10 that inspects the mechanical properties of a molded product W obtained by injection molding a resin material. The processor 152 of the mechanical property inspection device 10 functions as a spectral image acquisition unit 152A, a spectrum calculation unit 152C, a feature value calculation unit 152D, and a mechanical property estimation unit 152E. The spectral image acquisition unit 152A acquires spectral images for a plurality of spectral wavelengths with respect to the molded product W. The spectrum calculation unit 152C calculates the spectral spectra of a plurality of measurement points on the molded product W from the spectral images for the plurality of spectral wavelengths. The feature value calculation unit 152D calculates spectral feature values at a predetermined spectral wavelength from the spectral spectra of each of the plurality of measurement points. The mechanical property estimation unit 152E estimates the mechanical properties of the molded product W based on the spectral feature values.

[0050] In the present embodiment, the inspection of the mechanical properties of the molded product W is carried out based on the spectral image obtained by imaging the entire molded product W. Therefore, compared with the case of measuring one point of the molded product W with spot light, the average mechanical properties and the unevenness (variation) of the mechanical properties of the entire molded product W can be appropriately measured. In addition, compared with the case of scanning the molded product W by changing the irradiation position of the spot light using a scanning mechanism or changing the measurement position by moving the relative position between the spot light and the molded product W by a moving mechanism, the configuration can be simplified.

[0051] In the mechanical property inspection apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the mechanical property estimation unit 152E calculates the mechanical property value corresponding to the spectroscopic characteristic value of each measurement point using a detection calibration curve showing the relationship between the mechanical property value and the spectroscopic characteristic value indicating the deterioration state of the molded product W formed of a resin material. Then, the mechanical property estimation unit 152E calculates the average value of the mechanical property values calculated for each measurement point as the average mechanical property value of the molded product W. By using the pixels included in the inspection range as measurement points, the mechanical property values at each position in a wide range of the molded product W can be calculated. By calculating the arithmetic mean of these mechanical property values, the overall average mechanical property value of the molded product W can be obtained. That is, in the case where there are variations in the mechanical properties for each location of the molded product W in a single-point measurement using spot light, the correct mechanical properties of the molded product W cannot be determined. In contrast, the arithmetic mean of the mechanical property values at multiple points in the molded product W is a value indicating the tendency of the overall mechanical properties of the molded product W, and the overall mechanical properties of the molded product W can be properly inspected.

[0052] Also, in the present embodiment, the mechanical property estimation unit 152E calculates the mechanical property value corresponding to the spectroscopic characteristic value of each measurement point using a detection calibration curve showing the relationship between the mechanical property value and the spectroscopic characteristic value indicating the deterioration state of the molded product W formed of a resin material. Further, the mechanical property estimation unit 152E calculates the variation (specific variation value) of the mechanical property values calculated for each measurement point. As described above, by using the pixels included in the inspection range as measurement points, the mechanical property values at each position in a wide range of the molded product W can be calculated. Also, the mechanical property estimation unit 152E can determine the degree of in-plane variation of the mechanical properties in the molded product W by calculating the characteristic variation value. That is, when the characteristic variation value is large, it means that there are points where the mechanical properties are significantly different in the molded product W, that is, there are positions where the mechanical properties are smaller compared to others. In this case, a part of the molded product W is likely to be damaged. In the present embodiment, such a molded product W with a large in-plane variation of mechanical properties can be properly determined.

[0053] In this embodiment, the spectral characteristic value is the second derivative value of the spectral spectrum at the absorption peak wavelength corresponding to the resin material of the molded product W. In the resin molded product W, it has an absorption peak wavelength corresponding to the resin material, and the spectral reflectance at the absorption peak wavelength changes according to the resin deterioration state. Therefore, the deterioration of the molded product W can be determined by the change in the reflectance at the absorption peak wavelength. Also, the second derivative spectrum obtained by second differentiating the spectral spectrum takes a maximum or minimum value even at the absorption peak wavelength. Further, in the second derivative spectrum, the difference in the spectral shape outside the absorption peak wavelength is small, and the spectral shape at the absorption peak wavelength varies greatly according to the deterioration of the resin. Therefore, when using the second derivative spectrum, even when the absorption peak wavelength corresponding to the resin material is unknown, or when the absorption peak wavelength changes according to the modification of the resin material, the input ratio of the recycled resin material and the new resin material contained in the resin material, and the input amount of masterbatch, etc., the absorption peak wavelength can be easily specified.

[0054] In this embodiment, the processor 152 also functions as a pass / fail determination unit 152F, and determines whether the molded product W is a good product based on the inspection result (estimation result) of the mechanical characteristic value by the mechanical characteristic estimation unit 152E. Thereby, it is possible to easily determine the abnormality of the average mechanical characteristics and the variation of the mechanical characteristics of the molded product W.

[0055] The injection molding system 1 of this embodiment includes the above-described mechanical characteristic inspection device 10 and an injection molding machine 20 that forms the molded product W by injection molding. And the injection molding machine 20 adjusts the injection molding conditions based on the inspection result (estimation result) of the mechanical characteristics of the mechanical characteristic inspection device 10. Thereby, when the average mechanical characteristics and the variation of the mechanical characteristics of the molded product W occur, in the injection molding machine 20, the molding conditions can be adjusted based on the inspection result of the mechanical characteristics, and the defective product generation rate of the molded product W molded by the injection molding machine 20 can be reduced.

[0056] In this embodiment, the injection molding machine 20 calculates the mechanical property values corresponding to the spectroscopic characteristic values of each measurement point by using a detection calibration curve showing the relationship between the mechanical property values and the spectroscopic characteristic values indicating the deterioration state of the molded product W, and calculates the average value of the mechanical property values calculated for each measurement point as the average mechanical property of the molded product W. Then, the injection molding machine 20 includes a hopper 21, a resin input amount adjustment unit 22, a cylinder 24, and a heating unit 25, and based on the average mechanical property, adjusts at least one of the resin input ratio, which is the ratio of the input amount of the recycled resin material to the input amount of the new resin material, and the plasticizing temperature by the heating unit 25. Thereby, by adjusting at least one of the resin input ratio and the plasticizing temperature based on the average mechanical property value, a molded product W with appropriate mechanical properties can be molded. When it is difficult to adjust the average mechanical property value of the molded product W with only one of the resin input ratio and the plasticizing temperature, both the resin input ratio and the plasticizing temperature can be adjusted, and a molded product W with desired average mechanical properties can be molded.

[0057] In this embodiment, the mechanical property estimation unit 152E calculates a characteristic variation value as the mechanical property variation of the molded product W. Further, the injection molding machine 20 has a hopper 21, a cylinder 24, a heating unit 25, a screw 26, and an injection unit 27, and adjusts at least one of the plasticizing temperature, the screw rotation speed, the residence time (kneading time), and the injection pressure based on the characteristic variation value. Thereby, at least one of the plasticizing temperature, the screw rotation speed, the residence time, and the injection pressure can be adjusted based on the characteristic variation value, and a molded product W without mechanical property variation can be molded. Also, when it is difficult to adjust the in-plane unevenness of the mechanical properties of the molded product W with only one of the plasticizing temperature, the screw rotation speed, the residence time, and the injection pressure, a plurality or all of the plasticizing temperature, the screw rotation speed, the residence time, and the injection pressure can be adjusted, and a molded product W without in-plane unevenness of mechanical properties can be molded.

[0058] In addition, in the present embodiment, the processor 152 of the mechanical property inspection apparatus 10 also functions as a shape inspection unit 152G, and inspects foreign substances contained in the molded product W and shape abnormalities of the molded product W based on the spectral image. Thereby, it is possible to determine not only the average mechanical properties of the molded product W and abnormalities in the variation of the mechanical properties, but also shape abnormalities and foreign substances in the molded product W.

[0059] [Modification Example] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and configurations obtained by deformation, improvement, and appropriate combination of the embodiments within the scope capable of achieving the object of the present invention are included in the present invention.

[0060] (Modification Example 1) In the above embodiment, an example in which the mechanical property inspection apparatus 10 inspects both the average mechanical properties and the in-plane unevenness of the mechanical properties is shown, but it may be configured to perform only the inspection of the average mechanical properties or only the inspection of the in-plane unevenness of the mechanical properties.

[0061] (Modification Example 2) The eigenvalue calculation unit 152D calculates, as the spectral eigenvalue, the value (second derivative value) at the absorption peak wavelength of the second derivative spectrum obtained by second differentiating the spectral spectrum, but is not limited thereto. The eigenvalue calculation unit 152D may use the spectral reflectance at the absorption peak wavelength in the spectral spectrum as the spectral eigenvalue. In addition, although the second derivative value and reflectance at the absorption peak wavelength corresponding to the resin material are exemplified as the spectral eigenvalue, the second derivative value and reflectance at other wavelengths may also be used. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, when the resin deteriorates, the reflectance also changes at wavelengths other than the absorption peak wavelength. Therefore, the reflectance or the first derivative value at any of the other wavelengths may be used as the spectral eigenvalue. For example, in the first derivative spectrum obtained by first differentiating the spectral spectrum, the first derivative value at the wavelength at which the maximum value or the minimum value is taken may be used as the spectral eigenvalue.

[0062] In addition, as described above, when the absorption peak wavelength of the resin material is unknown, the absorption peak wavelength may be specified from the zero-crossing point of the first derivative spectrum. Alternatively, as described above, even when the absorption peak wavelength changes according to the modification of the resin material, the input ratio of the recycled resin material and the new resin material contained in the resin material, or the input amount of the masterbatch, etc., the absorption peak wavelength can be easily specified from the first derivative spectrum, and the second derivative value or reflectance of the specified absorption peak wavelength can be calculated as the spectroscopic characteristic value.

[0063] (Modification 3) In the above embodiment, an example in which the processor 152 of the mechanical property inspection device 10 functions as the shape inspection unit 152G has been shown. However, the injection control unit 29 of the injection molding machine 20 may be configured to acquire a spectroscopic image from the mechanical property inspection device 10 and inspect the presence or absence of foreign matter and shape abnormalities.

[0064] [Summary of the present disclosure] A mechanical property inspection device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a mechanical property inspection device for inspecting the mechanical properties of a molded product obtained by injection molding a resin material, the device including a spectroscopic image acquisition unit that acquires a spectroscopic image for a plurality of spectroscopic wavelengths with respect to the molded product, a spectrum calculation unit that calculates spectroscopic spectra of a plurality of measurement points of the molded product from the spectroscopic image for the plurality of spectroscopic wavelengths, a characteristic value calculation unit that calculates a spectroscopic characteristic value at a predetermined spectroscopic wavelength in the spectroscopic spectra of the plurality of measurement points, and a mechanical property estimation unit that estimates the mechanical properties of the molded product based on the spectroscopic characteristic value.

[0065] In such a mechanical property inspection device of the present aspect, the inspection of the mechanical properties of the molded product is carried out based on the spectroscopic image obtained by imaging the entire molded product. Therefore, compared with the case of measuring one point of the molded product with spot light, the average mechanical properties of the entire molded product and the in-plane unevenness of the mechanical properties can be appropriately measured. In addition, compared with the case of scanning the molded product by changing the irradiation position of the spot light using a scanning mechanism or changing the measurement position by moving the relative position of the spot light and the molded product by a moving mechanism, the configuration can be simplified.

[0066] In the mechanical property inspection apparatus of this aspect, the mechanical property estimation unit uses a calibration curve showing the relationship between the mechanical property value indicating the deterioration state of the molded product formed of the resin material and the spectral characteristic value, and calculates the mechanical property value corresponding to the spectral characteristic value of each measurement point, and preferably calculates the average value of the mechanical property values calculated for each measurement point as the average mechanical property of the molded product.

[0067] Thereby, by using the pixels included in the inspection range as measurement points, the mechanical property values at each position in a wide range of the molded product can be easily calculated, and by calculating the average mechanical property value of the arithmetic mean, the mechanical property of the entire molded product can be inspected.

[0068] In the mechanical property inspection apparatus of this aspect, the mechanical property estimation unit can calculate the mechanical property value corresponding to the spectral characteristic value of each measurement point by using a calibration curve showing the relationship between the mechanical property value indicating the deterioration state of the molded product formed of the resin material and the spectral characteristic value. Then, the variation in the mechanical property values calculated for each measurement point is calculated as the in-plane variation in the mechanical property of the molded product.

[0069] Thereby, similar to the above aspect, the mechanical property estimation unit can easily calculate the mechanical property value corresponding to the spectral characteristic value of each measurement point by using a calibration curve showing the relationship between the mechanical property value indicating the deterioration state of the molded product formed of the resin material and the spectral characteristic value. And by calculating the variation in the mechanical property values calculated for each measurement point, the in-plane variation in the mechanical property existing in the molded product can be inspected.

[0070] In the mechanical property inspection apparatus of this aspect, the spectral characteristic value is the second derivative value of the spectral spectrum at the absorption peak wavelength corresponding to the resin material of the molded product. The second derivative spectrum takes a minimum value at the absorption peak wavelength. Depending on the resin degradation state, even when the change in the second derivative value at other wavelengths is small, the change in the second derivative value at the absorption peak wavelength becomes large. Therefore, by using the second derivative value as the spectral characteristic value, the degradation state of the resin material can be appropriately determined. Further, when the absorption peak wavelength corresponding to the resin material is unknown, even when the absorption peak wavelength changes according to the modification of the resin material, the input ratio of the recycled resin material and the new resin material contained in the resin material, or the input amount of the masterbatch, etc., the absorption peak wavelength can be easily specified.

[0071] In the mechanical property inspection apparatus of this aspect, a pass / fail determination unit that determines whether the molded product is a good product based on the estimation result of the mechanical property by the mechanical property estimation unit is further provided. Thereby, based on the inspection result of the mechanical properties of the molded product, the determination of whether the molded product is a good product can be carried out.

[0072] In the injection molding system according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, an injection molding system including the mechanical property inspection apparatus of the first aspect and an injection molding machine that forms the molded product by injection molding, wherein the injection molding machine adjusts injection molding conditions based on the estimation result of the mechanical property by the mechanical property inspection apparatus. Thereby, based on the inspection result of the mechanical properties by the mechanical property inspection apparatus, the injection molding conditions can be adjusted so that no abnormality in the mechanical properties occurs, and the quality of the molded product molded by the injection molding machine can be improved.

[0073] In the injection molding system of this aspect, the mechanical property estimation unit uses a calibration curve showing the relationship between the mechanical property value indicating the deterioration state of the molded product formed of the resin material and the spectral characteristic value to calculate the mechanical property value corresponding to the spectral characteristic value of each measurement point, and calculates the average value of the mechanical property values calculated for each measurement point as the average mechanical property of the molded product. The injection molding machine includes a hopper into which the resin material is charged, a resin charge amount adjustment unit that adjusts the charging ratio of the recycled resin material and the new resin material contained in the resin material charged into the hopper, a cylinder into which the resin material charged from the hopper is sent, and a heating unit that heats and plasticizes the resin material in the cylinder. Based on the average mechanical property, at least one of the charging ratio and the plasticization temperature by the heating unit is adjusted. Thereby, at least one of the charging ratio of the recycled resin material and the new resin material in the resin material and the plasticization temperature can be appropriately adjusted based on the average mechanical property value, and a molded product having a desired average mechanical property value can be molded.

[0074] In the injection molding system of this aspect, the mechanical property estimation unit uses a calibration curve showing the relationship between the mechanical property value indicating the deterioration state of the molded product formed of the resin material and the spectral characteristic value to calculate the mechanical property value corresponding to the spectral characteristic value of each measurement point, and calculates the variation of the mechanical property values calculated for each measurement point as the mechanical property variation of the molded product. The injection molding machine has a hopper for charging the resin material, a cylinder into which the resin material charged from the hopper is sent, a heating unit that heats and plasticizes the resin material in the cylinder, a screw inserted into the cylinder for kneading the resin material and capable of adjusting the rotation speed, and an injection unit for extruding the resin material in the cylinder. Based on the mechanical property variation, at least one of the plasticization temperature, the rotation speed of the screw, the kneading time of the resin material by the screw, and the injection pressure in the injection unit is adjusted. Accordingly, at least one of the plasticization temperature, screw rotation speed, residence time, and injection pressure can be adjusted based on the characteristic variation value, and a molded product without in-plane unevenness in mechanical properties can be molded.

[0075] In the injection molding system of this aspect, it is preferable to further include a foreign matter detection unit that detects foreign matter contained in the molded product based on the spectroscopic image. Accordingly, it is possible to further perform an inspection on whether the molded product formed by the injection molding system contains foreign matter.

[0076] In the injection molding system of this aspect, it is preferable to further include a shape inspection unit that inspects the shape of the molded product based on the spectroscopic image. Accordingly, it is possible to further inspect for shape abnormalities of the molded product formed by the injection molding system.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0077] 1... Injection molding system, 10... Mechanical property inspection device, 11... Stage, 12... Reference body, 13... Lighting unit, 14... Imaging unit, 15... Inspection processing unit, 20... Injection molding machine, 21... Hopper, 22... Resin input amount adjustment unit, 24... Cylinder, 25... Heating unit, 26... Screw, 27... Injection unit, 28... Mold, 29... Injection control unit, 151... Storage unit, 152... Processor, 152A... Spectroscopic image acquisition unit, 152B... Range specification unit, 152C... Spectrum calculation unit, 152D... Feature value calculation unit, 152E... Mechanical property estimation unit, 152F... Pass / fail determination unit, 152G... Shape inspection unit, 241... Nozzle, 291... Reference molding control unit, 292... Average intensity adjustment control unit, 293... Intensity unevenness adjustment control unit, 294... Injection molding machine side storage unit, W... Molded product.

Claims

1. A mechanical property inspection apparatus for inspecting the mechanical properties of a molded article obtained by injection molding a resin material, comprising: a spectral image acquisition unit that acquires spectral images for a plurality of spectral wavelengths with respect to the molded article; a spectrum calculation unit that calculates spectral spectra of a plurality of measurement points of the molded article from the spectral images for the plurality of spectral wavelengths; a characteristic value calculation unit that calculates spectral characteristic values at a predetermined spectral wavelength in the spectral spectra of the plurality of measurement points; a mechanical property estimation unit that estimates the mechanical properties of the molded article based on the spectral characteristic values; A mechanical property inspection apparatus comprising the above.

2. The mechanical property estimation unit uses a calibration curve showing the relationship between the mechanical property values indicating the deterioration state of the molded article formed of the resin material and the spectral characteristic values to calculate the mechanical property values corresponding to the spectral characteristic values of each of the measurement points, and calculates the average value of the mechanical property values calculated for each of the measurement points as the average mechanical property of the molded article. The mechanical property inspection apparatus according to Claim 1.

3. The mechanical property estimation unit uses a calibration curve showing the relationship between the mechanical property values indicating the deterioration state of the molded article formed of the resin material and the spectral characteristic values to calculate the mechanical property values corresponding to the spectral characteristic values of each of the measurement points, and calculates the variation of the mechanical property values calculated for each of the measurement points as the in-plane variation of the mechanical properties of the molded article. The mechanical property inspection apparatus according to Claim 1.

4. The spectral characteristic value is the second derivative value of the spectral spectrum at the absorption peak wavelength corresponding to the resin material of the molded article. The mechanical property inspection apparatus according to Claim 1.

5. The mechanical property inspection apparatus further comprises a pass / fail determination unit that determines whether the molded article is a good product based on the estimation result of the mechanical properties by the mechanical property estimation unit. The mechanical property inspection apparatus according to Claim 1.

6. An injection molding system including the mechanical property inspection apparatus according to Claim 1 and an injection molding machine that forms the molded article by injection molding, wherein the injection molding machine adjusts injection molding conditions based on the estimation result of the mechanical properties by the mechanical property inspection apparatus. An injection molding system characterized by the above.

7. ​ The mechanical property estimation unit calculates the mechanical property value corresponding to the spectroscopic feature value of each measurement point using a calibration curve showing the relationship between the mechanical property value indicating the deterioration state of the molded product formed of the resin material and the spectroscopic feature value, and calculates the average value of the mechanical property values calculated for each measurement point as the average mechanical property of the molded product. The injection molding machine includes a hopper into which the resin material and the filler are charged, a resin charge amount adjustment unit that adjusts the charging ratio of the recycled resin material and the new resin material contained in the resin material charged into the hopper, a cylinder into which the resin material charged from the hopper is sent, and a heating unit that heats and plasticizes the resin material in the cylinder, and adjusts at least one of the charging ratio and the plasticizing temperature by the heating unit based on the average mechanical property. The injection molding system according to claim 6.

8. The mechanical property estimation unit calculates the mechanical property value corresponding to the spectroscopic feature value of each measurement point using a calibration curve showing the relationship between the mechanical property value indicating the deterioration state of the molded product formed of the resin material and the spectroscopic feature value, and calculates the variation in the mechanical property values calculated for each measurement point as the mechanical property variation of the molded product. The injection molding machine has a hopper for charging the resin material, a cylinder into which the resin material charged from the hopper is sent, a heating unit that heats and plasticizes the resin material in the cylinder, a screw inserted into the cylinder for kneading the resin material and capable of adjusting the rotation speed, and an injection unit for extruding the resin material in the cylinder, and adjusts at least one of the plasticizing temperature, the rotation speed of the screw, the kneading time of the resin material by the screw, and the injection pressure in the injection unit based on the mechanical property variation. The injection molding system according to claim 6.

9. The injection molding system further includes a foreign matter detection unit that detects foreign matter contained in the molded product based on the spectroscopic image. The injection molding system according to claim 6.

10. The injection molding system further includes a shape inspection unit that inspects the shape of the molded product based on the spectroscopic image. The injection molding system according to claim 6.

Images