Traceability analysis device, traceability analysis method, and method for manufacturing injection-molded product

Abstract

To achieve traceability for recycled resin molded product.SOLUTION: A traceability analysis device includes: a label information acquiring part that acquires label information associated with manufacturing information on a molded product obtained by molding a thermoplastic resin containing a label substance, the label information being information about the label substance; an information acquisition part that acquires spectroscopic information obtained by using spectroscopy on the molded product containing the label substance; and an identification part that identifies the manufacturing information using the spectroscopic information and the label information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a traceability analysis device, a traceability analysis method, and a method for manufacturing an injection molded product.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as methods for describing information such as a manufacturing number on a resin molded product, there are methods such as attaching a seal with information printed thereon to the resin molded product and recording information on the resin molded product using a laser. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for laser marking a molded product.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when recycling a resin molded product, the seal or mark attached to the resin molded product is separated from the resin molded product. Therefore, information such as the manufacturing number of the recycled resin molded product is lost. Thus, a technique for realizing traceability regarding recycled resin molded products is required.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a traceability analysis device is provided. The traceability analysis device includes a label information acquisition unit that acquires label information associated with manufacturing information of a molded product formed by molding a thermoplastic resin containing a labeling substance, the label information being information regarding the labeling substance; an information acquisition unit that acquires spectral information obtained by using a spectroscopic method for the molded product containing the labeling substance; and a specifying unit that specifies the manufacturing information by using the spectral information and the label information.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing an injection molded product is provided. The manufacturing method includes a preparation step of preparing a mixed material in which a labeling substance is mixed into a thermoplastic resin according to predetermined label information, and a molding step of performing injection molding using the mixed material, wherein the label information is information associated with manufacturing information of an injection molded product containing the labeling substance and is information regarding the labeling substance.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] A. First Embodiment: A1. Outline of Traceability Analysis: FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a traceability analysis apparatus 500. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a method of specifying manufacturing information 610 performed by the traceability analysis apparatus 500. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a correspondence relationship among the manufacturing information 610, the identification information 600, and the labeling substance information 620. The traceability analysis apparatus 500 shown in FIG. 1 is used to specify the manufacturing information 610 of the molded product W shown in FIG. 2. The molded product W is a molded product formed by molding a thermoplastic resin containing a labeling substance LS described later. In the present embodiment, the molded product W is manufactured by an injection molding apparatus 10.

[0009] As shown in FIG. 2, the injection molding apparatus 10 manufactures a molded product W containing a labeling substance LS by injection molding using the identification information 600. Specifically, the injection molding apparatus 10 manufactures a molded product W containing a labeling substance LS according to the labeling substance information 620 shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the identification information 600 is information regarding the labeling substance LS. The identification information 600 is associated with the manufacturing information 610 of the molded product W containing the labeling substance LS.

[0010] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the manufacturing information 610 includes a plurality of manufacturing item information. In the present embodiment, the manufacturing information 610 includes, as manufacturing items, "manufacturing date", "manufacturing location", and "resin material". Further, the manufacturing information 610 includes, as manufacturing item information, information on "manufacturing date", information on "manufacturing location", and information on "resin material". The "manufacturing date" refers to the year in which the molded product W was manufactured. The "manufacturing location" refers to the location where the molded product W was manufactured. The "resin material" refers to the resin material used for the molded product W.

[0011] In this embodiment, for the sake of easy understanding, the case where the "manufacturing date" is either "2023" or "2024" will be exemplified and described. Similarly, the case where the "manufacturing location" is either "Japan" or "America", and the "resin material" is either "ABS" or "PP" will be exemplified and described. Note that "ABS" refers to an ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) resin, and "PP" refers to polypropylene.

[0012] The identification information 600 includes a plurality of identification items corresponding to a plurality of manufacturing items. In this embodiment, the identification information 600 includes, as identification items, "material type", "shape", and "size". Further, the identification information 600 includes, as identification item information, information on "material type", information on "shape", and information on "size".

[0013] In this embodiment, the identification information 600 includes a first identification information table 601, a second identification information table 602, and a third identification information table 603. The first identification information table 601 is a table in which the items of "manufacturing location" and "material type" are grouped together. That is, the "material type" as an identification item corresponds to the "manufacturing location" as a manufacturing item. In the first identification information table 601, when the value of the "manufacturing location" is "Japan", the "material type" of the identification substance LS is set to "ceramics". As ceramics, for example, alumina or silica can be used. In the first identification information table 601, when the value of the "manufacturing location" is "America", the "material type" of the identification substance LS is set to "metal". As metals, iron or zinc can be used. Thus, an inorganic material is used as the identification substance LS. Inorganic materials are less likely to change over time. Therefore, by using an inorganic material as the identification substance LS, the accuracy of the traceability of the molded product W can be maintained well.

[0014] Note that in this embodiment, when the value of the "material type" is "ceramics", alumina is used as the identification substance LS. In this embodiment, when the value of the "material type" is "metal", iron is used as the identification substance LS.

[0015] The second identification information table 602 is a table in which the items of "resin material" and "shape" are grouped together. That is, the "shape" as an identification item corresponds to the "resin material" as a manufacturing item. In the first identification information table 601, when the value of the "resin material" is "ABS", the "shape" of the labeling substance LS is set to "spherical". In the first identification information table 601, when the value of the "resin material" is "PP", the "shape" of the labeling substance LS is set to "irregular shape". The "shape" in the first identification information table 601 refers to the shape of the labeling substance LS. The "irregular shape" refers to a shape other than spherical. The details of the "shape" will be described later.

[0016] The third identification information table 603 is a table in which the items of "manufacturing date" and "size" are grouped together. That is, the "size" as an identification item corresponds to the "manufacturing date" as a manufacturing item. The "size" refers to the size of the labeling substance LS. The definition of the "size" will be described later. In the third identification information table 603, when the value of the "manufacturing date" is "2023", the "size" of the labeling substance LS is set to "25 μm". In the third identification information table 603, when the value of the "manufacturing date" is "2024", the "size" of the labeling substance LS is set to "10 μm".

[0017] For example, as shown in the manufacturing information 610, when the molded product W with the "manufacturing number" of "ID01" is manufactured in Japan in 2023 using ABS resin, the injection molding apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 2 manufactures the molded product W by mixing spherical ceramics with a size of 25 μm as the labeling substance LS into the resin material, as shown in the labeling substance information 620 of FIG. 3. That is, since the manufacturing location of the injection molding apparatus 10 is "Japan", referring to the first labeling information table 601, the "material type" of the labeling substance LS is set to "ceramics". Since the resin material of the injection molding apparatus 10 is "ABS", referring to the second labeling information table 602, the "shape" of the labeling substance LS is set to "spherical". Since the manufacturing date of the injection molding apparatus 10 is "2023", referring to the third labeling information table 603, the "size" of the labeling substance LS is set to "25 μm". As described above, in the present embodiment, when the "material type" is set to "ceramics", alumina is uniformly used as the labeling substance LS.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the molded product W containing the labeling substance LS manufactured by the injection molding apparatus 10 is, for example, distributed in the market. The traceability analysis apparatus 500 uses spectroscopy to acquire spectroscopic information about the molded product W containing the labeling substance LS, and identifies the manufacturing information 610 using the acquired spectroscopic information and the labeling information 600. According to this method, even when the molded product W is recycled, the manufacturing information 610 of the molded product W can be identified.

[0019] A2. Details of the traceability analysis method: As shown in FIG. 1, the traceability analysis apparatus 500 is configured as a computer in which a CPU 510, a memory 520, a storage device 530, a communication interface 540, and an input / output interface 550 are interconnected by a bus 560. An input device 570 such as a keyboard and a mouse and a display unit 580 such as a liquid crystal display are connected to the input / output interface 550.

[0020] The CPU 510 has, as functional units, an identification information acquisition unit 511, an information acquisition unit 512, and a specifying unit 513. The identification information acquisition unit 511, the information acquisition unit 512, and the specifying unit 513 are each realized by executing a program stored in the storage device 530.

[0021] The storage device 530 stores identification information 600 and a spectral library 630. The spectral library 630 is an aggregate of correspondence information in which a resin material of the molded product W, a material of the labeling substance LS, a content rate of the labeling substance LS, and a spectrum are grouped together.

[0022] The traceability analysis device 500 further includes a spectrometer 545. In the present embodiment, the spectrometer 545 analyzes the molded product W by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). The spectrometer 545 is communicably connected via a communication interface 540.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a traceability analysis method for specifying production information 610. In step S10 of FIG. 4, the identification information acquisition unit 511 acquires the identification information 600 stored in the storage device 530. In step S12, the information acquisition unit 512 acquires spectral information obtained by using a spectroscopic method for the molded product W containing the labeling substance LS. Specifically, the data of the spectrum acquired by the spectrometer 545 and the data of the observation image are acquired via the communication interface 540. In the following description, the data of the spectrum may be simply referred to as "spectrum", and the data of the observation image may be simply referred to as "observation image".

[0024] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the spectral spectrum acquired by the spectrometer 545. The horizontal axis in FIG. 5 is the wavelength, and the vertical axis is the absorbance. In Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, a sample is irradiated with infrared rays to measure the absorbance. When the infrared rays are irradiated, the molecules contained in the sample vibrate, so that a spectral spectrum corresponding to the molecules contained in the sample is measured. When the sample is the molded product W containing the labeling substance LS, the spectral spectrum includes a spectrum attributable to the resin material and a spectrum attributable to the labeling substance LS.

[0025] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the observation image acquired by the spectrometer 545. "Particle shape" in FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the observation image when the "shape" of the labeling substance LS is "particle shape". "Abnormal shape" in FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the observation image when the "shape" of the labeling substance LS is "abnormal shape".

[0026] The observation image is created by acquiring the spectral spectrum while moving the site on the sample from which the spectral spectrum is acquired. In the case of a resin material containing the labeling substance LS, the spectral spectra are different between the site containing the labeling substance LS and the site not containing the labeling substance LS. In the observation image, sites where the same spectral spectrum is obtained are displayed in the same color, and sites where different spectral spectra are obtained are displayed in different colors. In FIG. 6, the site containing the labeling substance LS is indicated by diagonal hatching. In the following description, in the observation image, the site containing the labeling substance LS may be simply referred to as "labeling substance LS".

[0027] In step S14 and step S16 of FIG. 4, the specifying unit 513 specifies the manufacturing information 610 of the molded product W using the spectral information and the labeling information 600.

[0028] Specifically, in step S14, the specifying unit 513 searches for a spectral spectrum that matches the spectral spectrum included in the spectral information acquired in step S12 from among a plurality of spectral spectra included in the spectral spectrum library 630.

[0029] Next, in step S16, the specifying unit 513 specifies the "manufacturing location" of the manufacturing information 610 using the value of "material" associated with the matching spectral spectrum in the spectral spectrum library 630. For example, when the "material" specified using the spectral spectrum library 630 is "alumina", the "manufacturing location" is specified as "Japan" using the first identification information table 601.

[0030] In step S16, further, the specifying unit 513 determines the shape of the labeling substance LS using the observation image of the molded product W. In the present embodiment, the specifying unit 513 determines using pattern matching with a reference image that is a circle. That is, when the degree of coincidence with the reference image is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value, that is, when the degree of coincidence is high, the specifying unit 513 determines that the "shape" of the labeling substance LS is "granular shape". On the other hand, when the degree of coincidence with the reference image is lower than the threshold value, that is, when the degree of coincidence is low, the specifying unit 513 determines that the "shape" of the labeling substance LS is "irregular shape". Note that the method for determining the shape of the labeling substance LS is not limited to the above. For example, the specifying unit 513 may determine that it is "granular shape" when the aspect ratio of the rectangle that encloses and contacts the labeling substance LS is within a predetermined reference range, and determine that it is "irregular shape" when the aspect ratio is outside the reference range.

[0031] In step S16, further, the specifying unit 513 determines the size of the labeling substance LS using the observation image of the molded product W. Specifically, the specifying unit 513 obtains the area of the labeling substance LS and determines the diameter of the circle having the same area as the obtained area as the size of this labeling substance LS. Then, the average of the sizes of all the labeling substances LS included in the observation image, that is, the average value of the diameters, is determined as the "size" of the molded product W. Note that the method for determining the "size" of the labeling substance LS is not limited to the above. For example, the specifying unit 513 may determine the diameter of the circle having the same area as the area of the rectangle that encloses and contacts the labeling substance LS as the "size" of the molded product W.

[0032] In step S16, the specifying unit 513 specifies the "resin material" of the manufacturing information 610 using the "shape" of the determined labeling substance LS and the labeling information 600. For example, when the "shape" of the specified labeling substance LS is "spherical", the resin material of the molded product W is specified as ABS resin. Further, in step S16, the specifying unit 513 specifies the "manufacturing date" of the manufacturing information 610 using the "size" of the specified labeling substance LS and the labeling information 600. For example, when the "size" of the specified labeling substance LS is "25 μm", the manufacturing date of the molded product W is specified as 2023. Note that since the spectral spectrum includes the spectral spectrum of the resin material, the "resin material" of the manufacturing information 610 can also be specified using the spectral spectrum. That is, for the "resin material" of the manufacturing information 610, it can be specified using either the spectral spectrum or the observation image. After step S16 is performed, this processing routine ends. According to this analysis method, for example, even when the seal indicating the manufacturing information 610 attached to the molded product W is lost due to recycling, the manufacturing information 610 of the recycled molded product W can be specified. Note that as the recycled molded product W, a molded product W in which a part of the shape of the molded product W is cut off, or a molded product W remolded after the molded product W is pulverized as shown in the second embodiment, etc. are assumed.

[0033] Step S10 is also referred to as the labeling information acquisition step, step S12 is also referred to as the information acquisition step, and steps S14 and S16 are also referred to as the specifying steps.

[0034] A3. Manufacturing method of injection molded product: As shown in FIG. 2, the injection molding apparatus 10 includes a material input unit 11, a plasticizing unit 12, and a mold 13. The material input unit 11 is supplied with a mixed material described later used for injection molding. The plasticizing unit 12 heats and plasticizes the mixed material. The injection molding apparatus 10 injects the mixed material plasticized by the plasticizing unit 12 into the mold 13. The mixed material injected into the mold 13 is cooled and solidified to become the molded product W.

[0035] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a manufacturing process for realizing a method of manufacturing a molded article W containing a labeling substance LS. In a preparation step S20 of FIG. 7, a mixed material in which the labeling substance LS is mixed into a resin material, which is a thermoplastic resin, is prepared according to predetermined labeling information 600. In the preparation step S20, the resin material and the labeling substance LS may be respectively input into the material input section 11 shown in FIG. 2, or a mixed material in which the labeling substance LS is previously mixed into the resin material may be input into the material input section 11. Here, the mixed material is prepared according to the labeling information 600. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, a mixed material that satisfies the labeling substance information 620 determined by the manufacturing information 610 and the labeling information 600 is prepared.

[0036] As the resin material, in addition to the above-mentioned ABS and PP, resin materials such as PEEK (polyetheretherketone) can be used. Note that other additives may be mixed into the mixed material.

[0037] As the labeling substance LS, inorganic materials such as the above-mentioned ceramics and metals are used. As described above, by using an inorganic material as the labeling substance LS, the accuracy of the traceability of the molded article W can be maintained well. The ratio of the labeling substance LS to the resin material is preferably small to the extent that it does not affect the physical properties of the molded article W. In the present embodiment, the ratio of the labeling substance LS to the resin material is 30 wt% or less. Note that the "shape" of the labeling substance LS can be controlled by the manufacturing method of the labeling substance LS. In addition to ceramics and metals, for example, glass may be used as the inorganic material.

[0038] In a molding step S22 of FIG. 7, injection molding is performed using the mixed material to manufacture the molded article W. Specifically, as described above, the injection molding apparatus 10 injects the mixed material plasticized by the plasticizing section 12 into the mold 13. According to this manufacturing method, the molded article W can be manufactured according to the labeling information 600. Note that a seal on which the manufacturing information 610 is printed may be attached to the manufactured molded article W, or the manufacturing information 610 may be recorded on the molded article W using a laser. Thereby, the manufacturing information 610 can be made explicit.

[0039] According to the first embodiment described above, the traceability analysis device 500 includes a label information acquisition unit 511, an information acquisition unit 512, and an identification unit 513. The label information acquisition unit 511 acquires label information 600 associated with the manufacturing information 610. The information acquisition unit 512 acquires spectral information. The identification unit 513 identifies the manufacturing information 610 using the spectral information and the label information 600. The manufacturing information 610 is associated with the labeling substance LS contained in the molded product W. Therefore, the identification unit 513 can identify the manufacturing information 610 of the molded product W using the spectral information of the labeling substance LS. Thus, traceability can be realized also for the recycled molded product W.

[0040] In addition, since the labeling substance LS is an inorganic material, the identification unit 513 can accurately identify the manufacturing information 610.

[0041] In addition, the manufacturing information 610 includes a plurality of manufacturing item information. Each of the plurality of manufacturing item information is the material of the labeling substance LS, the shape of the labeling substance LS, and the size of the labeling substance LS. Since the manufacturing information 610 includes a plurality of manufacturing item information, the amount of information on the traceable information regarding the molded product W can be increased. By using the material of the labeling substance LS, the shape of the labeling substance LS, and the size of the labeling substance LS as a plurality of label item information corresponding to the plurality of manufacturing item information, the manufacturing information 610 can be easily identified using the spectral information.

[0042] In addition, the label information includes a plurality of label item information corresponding to the plurality of manufacturing item information. Each of the plurality of manufacturing item information is the manufacturing date of the molded product W, the resin material of the molded product W, and the manufacturing location of the molded product W. Therefore, the identification unit 513 can identify the manufacturing date of the molded product W, the resin material of the molded product W, and the manufacturing location of the molded product W.

[0043] The manufacturing method of the injection molded product includes a preparation step S20 and a molding step S22. In the preparation step S20, a mixed material in which a labeling substance LS is mixed into a resin material, which is a thermoplastic resin, is prepared according to the labeling information 600. Since the molded product W has the labeling information 600, the traceability of the molded product W can be realized even when the labeling substance LS is recycled by obtaining spectral information using spectroscopy.

[0044] B. Second Embodiment: FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the correspondence relationship among the manufacturing information 610, the labeling information 600, and the labeling substance information 620 of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the items in the second labeling information table 602 and the items in the third labeling information table 603 are different from those in the first embodiment. The same components and steps as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted as appropriate.

[0045] As shown in the second labeling information table 602 of FIG. 8, the second labeling information table 602 has an item of "material" instead of an item of "shape". In the first labeling information table 601 of FIG. 8, when the "material type" is "ceramics", that is, when the manufacturing location is "Japan", and as shown in the second labeling information table 602, when the "resin material" is "ABS", the material of the labeling substance LS is set to "alumina". When the manufacturing location is "Japan" and the "resin material" is "PP", the material of the labeling substance LS is set to "silica". When the "material type" is "metal", that is, when the manufacturing location is "USA", and as shown in the second labeling information table 602, when the "resin material" is "ABS", the material of the labeling substance LS is set to "iron". When the manufacturing location is "USA" and the "resin material" is "PP", the material of the labeling substance LS is set to "zinc".

[0046] Note that in the identification information 600 of FIG. 8, in order to clarify that the material type is set to either "ceramics" or "metal" depending on the manufacturing location, the first identification information table 601 is shown. However, the value of "material type" in the first identification information table 601 is uniquely determined by the value of "material" in the second identification information table 602. Therefore, the identification information 600 may not have the first identification information table 601.

[0047] As shown in the third identification information table 603 of FIG. 8, the third identification information table 603 has an item of "content rate" instead of an item of "size". When the "manufacturing date" is "2023", the content rate of the labeling substance LS is set to "0.01 wt%". When the "manufacturing date" is "2024", the content rate of the labeling substance LS is set to "0.02 wt%". In this embodiment, the "size" of the labeling substance LS is all set to 25 μm.

[0048] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the traceability analysis method according to this embodiment. In step S10, the identification information acquisition unit 511 acquires the identification information 600. In step S12, the information acquisition unit 512 acquires spectroscopic information obtained by using spectroscopy for the molded product W containing the labeling substance LS.

[0049] In step S30, the specifying unit 513 determines whether a spectroscopic spectrum that matches the acquired spectroscopic spectrum exists in the spectroscopic spectrum library 630.

[0050] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the spectral library 630. The spectral library 630 is an aggregate of spectral information corresponding to the combination of the material of the labeling substance LS and the content rate of the labeling substance LS. As shown in FIG. 10, the spectral library 630 is a table in which items of "material", "content rate", and "spectrum" are grouped together. The items of "material" and "content rate" are the same as the labeling information 600. In FIG. 10, as the value of "spectrum", identification numbers such as "SP001" are shown. In the spectral library 630, the identification number of the "spectrum" is associated with the spectral data. New data for the spectral library 630 is created, for example, in accordance with the timing when the molded product W is manufactured. Note that the new data refers to a row of data in the spectral library 630 in FIG. 10 that is not included in the spectral library 630. The spectrum may be obtained by measuring the actual molded product W or may be created by simulation.

[0051] In step S30 of FIG. 9, specifically, the specifying unit 513 determines whether the spectrum of the measurement site including the labeling substance LS in the observation image matches the spectrum included in the spectral library 630. If it is determined that the spectrum matches the spectrum included in the spectral library 630, in step S32, the specifying unit 513 uses the value of "material" and the value of "content rate" in the same set as the matching spectrum in the spectral library 630, and the labeling information 600 to specify the manufacturing information 610. For example, in step S30, if it is determined that the spectrum matches the spectrum of "SP001" in the spectral library 630, as shown by the labeling information 600 in FIG. 8, the "material" is "alumina" and the "content rate" is "0.01 wt%". Therefore, in step S32 of FIG. 9, it is specified that the "manufacturing location" is Japan, the resin material is ABS, and the manufacturing date is 2023. After step S32 is performed, this processing routine ends. [[ID=,6]]

[0052] In step S30 of FIG. 9, when it is determined that the spectral spectrum that matches the acquired spectral spectrum is not in the spectral spectrum library 630, in step S34, the specifying unit 513 uses the difference between the spectral spectrum with the highest degree of match among the spectral spectra in the spectral spectrum library 630 and the measured spectral spectrum to specify the combination of the material of the labeling substance LS and the content rate of the labeling substance LS, and also specifies the manufacturing information 610.

[0053] Step S34 will be described with reference to FIG. 10. For example, in the process of recycling, in the case of a molded product W produced by mixing, by weight, the same ratio of the material derived from the molded product W containing 0.01 wt% of alumina and the material derived from the molded product W containing 0.02 wt% of alumina, as shown in "ID1" in FIG. 10, the alumina content of this molded product W is 0.015 wt%. The peak intensity of the spectral spectrum of this molded product W due to alumina is about 1.5 times the peak intensity of the spectral spectrum of the molded product W containing 0.01 wt% of alumina due to alumina. The peak intensity can be quantified, for example, by comparing the peak intensity due to alumina with the peak intensity due to the resin material. In this way, the material of the labeling substance LS and the content of the labeling substance LS can be obtained using the difference between the measured spectral spectrum and the spectral spectra included in the spectral spectrum library 630.

[0054] The molded product W containing 0.01 wt% of alumina and the molded product W containing 0.02 wt% of alumina, which are exemplified, are mixed at the same ratio by weight to produce a molded product W, which is a molded product W produced by mixing a molded product W with a manufacturing date in 2023 and a molded product W with a manufacturing date in 2024. Specifically, the above recycling process is, for example, after the molded product W recovered from the market is pulverized into a pulverized material, the pulverized material is plasticized and discharged by the injection molding apparatus 10 to be produced. Generally, a seal displaying the manufacturing information 610 is attached to the molded product W, or the manufacturing information 610 is printed on the molded product W. However, when the molded product W is recycled, the manufacturing information 610 is separated from the molded product W by being pulverized. In this regard, according to the present embodiment, since the labeling substance LS indicating the manufacturing information 610 is mixed in the resin constituting the molded product W, the manufacturing information 610 of the molded product W can be traced even when it is recycled.

[0055] Also, for example, in the case of a molded product W produced by mixing a molded product W containing 0.01 wt% of alumina and a molded product W containing 0.01 wt% of silica at the same ratio by weight in the recycling process, as shown in "ID2" of FIG. 10, the alumina content of this molded product W is 0.01 wt%, and the silica content is 0.01 wt%. In this case, the spectral spectrum of this molded product W includes a peak attributed to alumina and a peak attributed to silica. Therefore, also in this case, the content of the labeling substance LS can be determined using the difference between the measured spectral spectrum and the spectral spectrum included in the spectral spectrum library 630.

[0056] In step S36 of FIG. 9, the specific part 513 adds the correspondence information associating the spectroscopic spectrum acquired by the information acquisition part 512 with the combination of "material" and "content ratio" specified in step S34 to the spectroscopic spectrum library 630. For example, as described above, when it is specified in step S34 that alumina is contained at 0.015 wt%, as shown by "ID1" in FIG. 10, the correspondence information where "material" is "alumina", "content ratio" is "0.015 wt%", and "spectroscopic spectrum" is "SP100" is added to the spectroscopic spectrum library 630. This spectroscopic spectrum of "SP100" is the spectroscopic spectrum acquired by the information acquisition part 512 in step S12 of FIG. 9. By performing step S36, a spectroscopic spectrum that was not initially included in the spectroscopic spectrum library 630 is added. Therefore, in the future, when a spectroscopic spectrum that matches the added spectroscopic spectrum is acquired, the manufacturing information 610 can be easily specified. After step S36 is performed, this processing routine ends.

[0057] Step S30 is also called a determination process, step S32 is also called a first specification process, step S34 is also called a second specification process, and step S36 is also called an addition process.

[0058] According to the second embodiment described above, the specifying unit 513 performs step S30, step S32, step S34, and step S36. In step S30, the specifying unit 513 determines whether there is a spectral spectrum included in the spectral spectrum library 630 that matches the spectral spectrum acquired by the information acquisition unit 512. In step S30, if it is determined that there is no matching spectral spectrum, in step S34, the specifying unit 513 uses the difference between the spectral spectrum included in the spectral spectrum library 630 and the spectral information acquired by the information acquisition unit 512 to specify the combination of the material of the labeling substance LS and the content rate of the labeling substance LS and the manufacturing information 610. In step S36, the specifying unit 513 adds the correspondence information in which the spectral information acquired by the information acquisition unit 512 is associated with the combination of the material of the labeling substance LS and the content rate of the labeling substance LS specified in step S34 to the spectral spectrum library 630. Thereby, in the future, when a spectral spectrum that matches the added spectral spectrum is acquired, the specifying unit 513 can easily specify the manufacturing information 610.

[0059] C. Other Embodiments: (C1) In the first embodiment described above, the spectral information acquired in step S12 is acquired using infrared rays. The light used for measurement by spectroscopy is not limited to infrared rays, and light or electromagnetic waves in other wavelength ranges may be used. Specifically, for example, XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy) using X-rays can be used. Further, for measurement by spectroscopy, light separated into each wavelength range using an etalon method may be used. In a measurement system by spectroscopy, light emitted from a light source is irradiated onto a sample with light separated into each wavelength range using a spectroscope. For this spectroscope, an etalon method may be used. An etalon is a filter having opposing reflecting surfaces. By using an etalon, light with a narrow half-value width can be irradiated onto the sample.

[0060] (C2) In the first embodiment described above, as spectral information, both the spectral spectrum and the observation image are acquired. As another embodiment, either the spectral spectrum or the observation image may be acquired. For example, when only the spectral spectrum is acquired, it is possible to specify the manufacturing item information corresponding to the "material" that can be specified from the spectral spectrum.

[0061] (C3) In each of the above embodiments, the molded product W analyzed by the traceability analysis device 500 is an injection molded product. The molding method of the molded product W to be analyzed is not limited to injection molding. For example, it may be molded by a three-dimensional modeling method in which layers formed by discharging a plasticized material are laminated. Further, the molded product W analyzed by the traceability analysis device 500 is not limited to an object having a designed desired shape. For example, at a recycling facility, it may be a crushed material. Also, for the molded product W after being crushed, the manufacturing information 610 can be analyzed by the traceability analysis device 500. By analyzing the manufacturing information 610, the crushed material can be classified. Further, when a defective molded product W is found, the manufacturing information 610 of this defective molded product W can be analyzed by the traceability analysis device 500.

[0062] (C4) In the first embodiment described above, the information acquisition unit 512 acquires the spectral information acquired by the spectrometer 545 provided in the traceability analysis device 500. The method by which the information acquisition unit 512 acquires the spectral information is not limited to this. For example, the information acquisition unit 512 may acquire the spectral information acquired by a spectrometer 545 that is separate from the traceability analysis device 500 via a network. That is, the spectrometer 545 may be in a form integrated with the traceability analysis device 500, or may be communicably connected via a network such as the Internet.

[0063] (C5) In the first embodiment described above, the identification information 600 acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 511 is stored in the storage device 530. As another embodiment, the identification information 600 may be stored in an information processing device such as a server, which is different from the traceability analysis device 500. Then, the identification information acquisition unit 511 may acquire the identification information 600 stored in this information processing device via a network such as the Internet. Similarly for the spectral library 630, the identification information acquisition unit 511 may acquire the spectral library 630 stored in the information processing device via a network such as the Internet. When the spectral library 630 is stored in the information processing device and when performing step S36 in FIG. 9, the specifying unit 513 transmits the correspondence information to the information processing device. The information processing device adds the correspondence information to the spectral library 630. That is, the addition process includes a process of adding the correspondence information to the spectral library 630 stored in the storage device 530 and a process of transmitting the correspondence information to the information processing device storing the spectral library 630.

[0064] (C6) In the first embodiment described above, the manufacturing information 610 includes information on each of "manufacturing date", "manufacturing location", and "resin material". The manufacturing information 610 is not limited to the case of including all of these pieces of information, and may include at least any one of "manufacturing date", "manufacturing location", and "resin material".

[0065] (C7) In the first embodiment described above, the identification information 600 includes information on each of "material type", "shape", and "size". The identification information 600 is not limited to the case of including all of these pieces of information, and may include at least any one of "material type", "shape", "size", and "content rate". Also, the correspondence between a manufacturing item such as "manufacturing location" and an identification item such as "material type" is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The correspondence between the manufacturing item and the identification item can be arbitrarily set. For example, "manufacturing location" and "size" may be made to correspond.

[0066] (C8) In the above-described first embodiment, "country" is exemplified as the "manufacturing location". The "manufacturing location" can be arbitrarily set, and for example, a more subdivided location such as a region or a factory may be set. The same applies to other manufacturing items.

[0067] (C9) In the above-described second embodiment, the content rate of the labeling substance LS is determined using the spectral spectrum of the measurement site including the labeling substance LS in the observation image. As another embodiment, the content rate of the labeling substance LS may be determined using the number of the labeling substances LS and the size of the labeling substance LS in the observation image.

[0068] D. Other Forms: The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each of the forms described below can be appropriately replaced or combined in order to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or to achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Further, if the technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

[0069] (1) According to the first form of the present disclosure, a traceability analysis device is provided. This traceability analysis device includes a labeling information acquisition unit that acquires labeling information that is labeling information associated with manufacturing information of a molded product formed by molding a thermoplastic resin containing a labeling substance and that is information regarding the labeling substance, an information acquisition unit that acquires spectral information obtained by using a spectroscopic method for the molded product containing the labeling substance, and a specifying unit that specifies the manufacturing information using the spectral information and the labeling information. According to this form, manufacturing information is associated with the labeling substance contained in the molded product. Therefore, the specifying unit can specify the manufacturing information of the molded product using the spectral information of the labeling substance. Thus, traceability can be realized also for recycled injection molded products.

[0070] (2) In the above-described embodiment, the labeling substance may be an inorganic material. Inorganic materials are less likely to change over time. Therefore, according to this embodiment, manufacturing information can be specified with high accuracy.

[0071] (3) In the above-described embodiment, the manufacturing information includes a plurality of manufacturing item information, the labeling information includes a plurality of labeling item information corresponding to the plurality of manufacturing item information, and each of the plurality of labeling item information may be at least one selected from the group consisting of the material type of the labeling substance, the material of the labeling substance, the shape of the labeling substance, the size of the labeling substance, and the content rate of the labeling substance. According to this embodiment, since the manufacturing information includes a plurality of manufacturing item information, the amount of information of traceable information regarding the injection molded product can be increased. By using, as the plurality of labeling item information corresponding to the plurality of manufacturing item information, the material type of the labeling substance, the material of the labeling substance, the shape of the labeling substance, the size of the labeling substance, and the content rate of the labeling substance, manufacturing information can be easily specified using spectroscopic information.

[0072] (4) In the above-described embodiment, each of the plurality of manufacturing item information may be one selected from the group consisting of the manufacturing date of the molded product, the resin material of the molded product, and the manufacturing location of the molded product. According to this embodiment, the specific part can specify at least one of the manufacturing date of the molded product, the resin material of the molded product, and the manufacturing location of the molded product.

[0073] (5) In the above-described embodiment, the spectral information includes at least a spectral spectrum. The plurality of labeling item information includes at least the material of the labeling substance and the content rate of the labeling substance. The labeling information acquisition unit further acquires a spectral spectrum library that is an aggregate of information on the spectral spectrum corresponding to the combination of the material of the labeling substance and the content rate of the labeling substance. The specifying unit performs a determination process of determining whether there is a spectral spectrum included in the spectral spectrum library that matches the spectral information acquired by the information acquisition unit, a first specifying process of specifying the manufacturing information using the combination corresponding to the matching spectral spectrum when it is determined in the determination process that there is a spectral spectrum, a second specifying process of specifying the combination and the manufacturing information using the difference between the spectral spectrum included in the spectral spectrum library and the spectral information acquired by the information acquisition unit when it is determined in the determination process that there is no spectral spectrum, and an additional process for adding the correspondence information associating the spectral information acquired by the information acquisition unit with the combination specified in the second specifying process to the spectral spectrum library. According to this embodiment, in the future, when a spectral spectrum that matches the added spectral spectrum is acquired, the specifying unit can easily specify the manufacturing information.

[0074] (6) In the above-described embodiment, the spectral information may include at least a spectral spectrum. According to this embodiment, the information acquisition unit can acquire a spectral spectrum.

[0075] (7) In the above-described embodiment, in the spectroscopic method, light separated into each wavelength range using an etalon method may be used. According to this embodiment, the information acquisition unit can acquire a spectral spectrum measured using light separated into each wavelength range using an etalon method.

[0076] (8) According to the second aspect of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing an injection molded product is provided. This manufacturing method includes a preparation step of preparing a mixed material in which a labeling substance is mixed into a thermoplastic resin according to predetermined labeling information, and a molding step of performing injection molding using the mixed material. The labeling information is information associated with the manufacturing information of an injection molded product containing the labeling substance and is information regarding the labeling substance. According to this aspect, since the injection molded product contains labeling information, it is possible to realize the traceability of the molded product even when it is recycled by obtaining spectroscopic information using spectroscopy.

[0077] The present disclosure can be realized in various forms, not limited to the above-described traceability analysis device, such as a traceability analysis method, a computer program, and a non-transitory tangible recording medium in which the computer program is recorded in a computer-readable manner. Further, it can be realized in various forms, not limited to the above-described method for manufacturing an injection molded product, such as a three-dimensional modeling device, a three-dimensional modeling system, a computer program, and a non-transitory tangible recording medium in which the computer program is recorded in a computer-readable manner.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0078] 10… Injection molding device, 11… Material input section, 12… Plasticizing section, 13… Mold, 500… Traceability analysis device, 510… CPU, 511… Labeling information acquisition section, 512… Information acquisition section, 513… Identification section, 520… Memory, 530… Storage device, 540… Communication interface, 545… Spectrometer, 550… Input / output interface, 560… Bus, 570… Input device, 580… Display section, 600… Labeling information, 601… First labeling information table, 602… Second labeling information table, 603… Third labeling information table, 610… Manufacturing information, 620… Labeling substance information, 630… Spectral library, LS… Labeling substance, W… Molded product

Claims

1. A labeling information associated with manufacturing information of a molded product formed by molding a thermoplastic resin containing a labeling substance, the labeling information being information regarding the labeling substance, and a labeling information acquisition unit that acquires the labeling information; An information acquisition unit that acquires spectral information obtained by using a spectroscopic method for the molded product containing the labeling substance; A traceability analysis apparatus comprising: a specifying unit that specifies the manufacturing information by using the spectral information and the labeling information.

2. The traceability analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the labeling substance is an inorganic material.

3. The traceability analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the manufacturing information includes a plurality of manufacturing item information, the labeling information includes a plurality of labeling item information corresponding to the plurality of manufacturing item information, and each of the plurality of labeling item information is at least one selected from the group consisting of a material type of the labeling substance, a material of the labeling substance, a shape of the labeling substance, a size of the labeling substance, and a content rate of the labeling substance.

4. The traceability analysis apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of manufacturing item information is one selected from the group consisting of a manufacturing date of the molded product, a resin material of the molded product, and a manufacturing location of the molded product.

5. The traceability analysis apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the spectral information includes at least a spectral spectrum, the plurality of labeling item information includes at least a material of the labeling substance and a content rate of the labeling substance, the labeling information acquisition unit further acquires a spectral spectrum library that is an aggregate of information on the spectral spectrum corresponding to a combination of the material of the labeling substance and the content rate of the labeling substance, and the specifying unit performs a determination process of determining whether there is a spectral spectrum included in the spectral spectrum library that matches the spectral information acquired by the information acquisition unit, and in the determination process, when it is determined that there is a spectral spectrum, a first specifying process of specifying the manufacturing information by using the combination corresponding to the matching spectral spectrum. In the determination process, when it is determined that there is no such spectral spectrum, a second specifying process for specifying the combination and the manufacturing information using the difference between the spectral spectrum included in the spectral spectrum library and the spectral information acquired by the information acquisition unit; A traceability analysis apparatus that performs an addition process for adding, to the spectral spectrum library, correspondence information in which the spectral information acquired by the information acquisition unit is associated with the combination specified in the second specifying process.

6. The traceability analysis apparatus according to claim 1, The spectral information includes at least a spectral spectrum, and the traceability analysis apparatus.

7. The traceability analysis apparatus according to claim 6, In the spectroscopic method, light separated into each wavelength range using an etalon method is used, and the traceability analysis apparatus.

8. A traceability analysis method, A label information acquisition step of acquiring label information that is label information associated with manufacturing information of a molded product formed by molding a thermoplastic resin containing a labeling substance and that is information regarding the labeling substance; An information acquisition step of acquiring spectral information obtained by using a spectroscopic method for the molded product containing the labeling substance; A specifying step of specifying the manufacturing information using the spectral information and the label information, and the traceability analysis method.

9. A method for manufacturing an injection molded product, A preparation step of preparing a mixed material in which a labeling substance is mixed into a thermoplastic resin according to predetermined label information; A molding step of performing injection molding using the mixed material, and The label information is information associated with manufacturing information of an injection molded product containing the labeling substance and is information regarding the labeling substance, and the method for manufacturing an injection molded product.

Images