Cost design support system

Abstract

To provide a cost design support system that can provide recommendation and warning functions based on cost analysis to support low-cost design.SOLUTION: A cost design support system 100 is a device that estimates component costs based on component model information. The cost design support system 100 includes a monitor unit 4 configured to present design parameters effective for cost design of a component to be estimated. The cost design support system 100 also includes a component model information unit 1 configured to store component model information and a component cost estimation unit 2 configured to estimate component costs based on the component model information stored in the component model information unit 1. The monitor unit 4 displays estimated costs calculated by the component cost estimation unit 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cost design support system that estimates part costs from part model information. [Background technology]

[0002] A commonly known device for estimating the cost of parts is the design support device described in Patent Document 1. The design support device described in Patent Document 1 is a device that calculates cost estimates from CAD data of parts input by a user and displays the cost estimates for the design object to the user, thereby supporting low-cost design. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-062729 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the design support device described in Patent Document 1 is a device that displays the estimated cost value of the design object to the user and supports cost-reducing design.

[0005] Low-cost design is an important goal in product model development, and the target level is high. Most of the cost is determined at the design stage. For this reason, low-cost design must be carried out from the early design stages. For this reason, there has been a demand for a cost design support system that can perform cost estimates and cost simulations while designing, making it easy to carry out low-cost design.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its objective is to provide a cost design support system that can provide recommendation and warning functions based on cost analysis to support low-cost design. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration. (1) A cost design support system that estimates part costs from part model information, the system comprising a monitor that presents design parameters that are effective for cost design of the part being estimated.

[0008] (2) The cost design support system according to claim 1, further comprising: a part model information unit that stores part model information; and a part cost estimating unit that estimates part costs from the part model information stored in the part model information unit, wherein the monitor unit displays the results of the estimated costs calculated by the part cost estimating unit.

[0009] (3) The cost design support system according to claim 2, wherein the part cost estimating unit calculates the part cost by adding up each of the cost components of the part to be estimated, namely, processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit, calculates each of the cost components individually using design parameters of the part to be estimated, and increases or decreases the cost components using part cost estimating logic having cost components that become discontinuous or stepwise when the cost components increase or decrease due to an increase or decrease in the design parameters.

[0010] (4) The cost design support system according to claim 3, further comprising a recommendation extraction unit that extracts, when the increase or decrease in the cost component due to the increase or decrease in the design parameter has the discontinuous or stepwise cost component, and when a difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point at which the cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases stepwise, is within a predetermined difference value, that fact is extracted as a cost consideration point of the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated.

[0011] (5) The cost design support system according to claim 4, wherein the increase or decrease in the cost component due to the increase or decrease in the design parameter has the discontinuous or stepwise cost component, and the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as a cost reduction consideration point, a point where a difference between a current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point at which the cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, is within a predetermined difference value, and where a discontinuous or stepwise decrease in the cost component occurs by decreasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value, and the monitor unit presents the cost reduction consideration point as a cost reduction recommendation value.

[0012] (6) The cost design support system according to claim 4, wherein the increase or decrease in the cost component due to the increase or decrease in the design parameter has the discontinuous or stepwise cost component, and the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as a cost increase consideration point, a point where a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the cost component occurs by increasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value, where the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value that is a change point at which the cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, is within a predetermined difference value, and the monitor unit presents the cost increase consideration point as a cost increase warning value.

[0013] (7) The cost design support system according to claim 4, further comprising a setting unit that can arbitrarily set a predetermined difference value for determining the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value that is the change point at which the cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, in order to extract and determine whether to recommend cost reduction or warn about cost increase.

[0014] (8) The cost design support system according to claim 4, wherein the monitor unit, when presenting a cost reduction recommendation or a cost increase warning, presents the amount of stepwise change in the cost components of the part to be estimated as the cost reduction amount in the case of the cost reduction recommendation, and presents the amount of stepwise change in the cost components of the part to be estimated as the cost increase amount in the case of the cost increase warning.

[0015] (9) The cost design support system according to claim 4, further comprising a setting unit that, when presenting a cost reduction recommendation or a cost increase warning, does not extract or present the cost reduction recommendation or cost increase warning if the amount of change in the stepwise change in the cost component of the estimated part is less than a predetermined amount, and can arbitrarily set the predetermined amount.

[0016] (10) The cost design support system according to claim 7, wherein the setting unit sets a target cost for the part to be estimated, and the recommendation extraction unit recommends a cost reduction or a cost increase to achieve the target cost.

[0017] (11) The cost design support system according to claim 2, wherein the component types for which the component costs can be estimated include resin molded components, and the component cost estimating unit is capable of extracting cost reduction recommendations and cost increase warnings for the component types for which the component costs can be estimated.

[0018] (12) The cost design support system according to claim 7, wherein the cost of a resin-molded part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the resin-molded part, and has processing cost components whose cost increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner depending on the increase or decrease in design parameters such as part dimensions, part volume, and part projected area; the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as cost reduction consideration points, points where a difference between a current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point at which the processing cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner falls within a predetermined difference value, and where a discontinuous or stepwise decrease in the processing cost component occurs by decreasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value; and the monitor unit presents the cost reduction consideration points as the cost reduction recommendation values.

[0019] (13) The cost design support system according to claim 7, wherein the cost of a resin-molded part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the resin-molded part, and has a transportation and packaging cost component whose cost increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner depending on an increase or decrease in part dimensions, which are design parameters; the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as a cost reduction consideration point, a point where a difference between a current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point at which the transportation and packaging cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner, the difference being within a predetermined difference value, and where a discontinuous or stepwise decrease in the transportation and packaging cost component occurs by decreasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value; and the monitor unit presents the cost reduction consideration point as the cost reduction recommendation value.

[0020] (14) The cost design support system according to claim 7, wherein the cost of a resin-molded part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the resin-molded part, and has processing cost components whose cost increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner depending on the increase or decrease in design parameters such as part dimensions, part volume, and part projected area; the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as cost increase consideration points, points where a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the processing cost components occurs by increasing the current design parameter values by a predetermined value, where the difference between the current design parameter values of the part to be estimated and the design parameter values that become change points at which the processing cost components of the part to be estimated increase or decrease discontinuously or in a stepwise manner is within a predetermined difference value; and the monitor unit presents the cost increase consideration points as the cost increase warning value.

[0021] (15) The cost design support system according to claim 7, wherein the cost of a resin-molded part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the resin-molded part, and has a transportation and packaging cost component whose cost increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner depending on an increase or decrease in part dimensions, which are design parameters; the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as a cost increase consideration point, a point where a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the transportation and packaging cost component occurs by increasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value, where the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value which is a change point where the transportation and packaging cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner is within a predetermined difference value; and the monitor unit presents the cost increase consideration point as the cost increase warning value.

[0022] (16) The cost design support system according to claim 5, wherein the component types for which the component costs can be estimated include sheet metal press formed components, and the recommendation extraction unit is capable of extracting the cost reduction recommendation and cost increase warning for the component types for which the component costs can be estimated.

[0023] (17) The cost design support system according to claim 16, wherein the cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the sheet metal press-formed part, and has processing cost components whose cost increases or decreases discontinuously or in steps depending on increases or decreases in design parameters such as part dimensions, developed length, and plate thickness; the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as cost reduction consideration points, points where a difference between a current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point at which the processing cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or in steps is within a predetermined difference value, and where a discontinuous or stepwise decrease in the processing cost component occurs by decreasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value; and the monitor unit presents the cost reduction consideration points as the cost reduction recommendation values.

[0024] (18) The cost design support system according to claim 16, wherein the cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the sheet metal press-formed part, and includes a transportation and packaging cost component where the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner depending on an increase or decrease in part dimensions, which are design parameters; the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as a cost reduction consideration point, a point where the transportation and packaging cost component of the part to be estimated will decrease discontinuously or in a stepwise manner by decreasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value, and the monitor unit presents the cost reduction consideration point as the cost reduction recommendation value.

[0025] (19) The cost design support system according to claim 16, wherein the cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the sheet metal press-formed part, and has a material cost component where the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner depending on an increase or decrease in the developed length, which is a design parameter; the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as a cost reduction consideration point, a point where a difference between a current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point where the material cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner falls within a predetermined difference value, and where a discontinuous or stepwise decrease in the material cost component occurs by decreasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value; and the monitor unit presents the cost reduction consideration point as the cost reduction recommendation value.

[0026] (20) The cost design support system according to claim 16, wherein the cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the sheet metal press-formed part, and has processing cost components whose cost increases or decreases discontinuously or in steps depending on increases or decreases in design parameters such as part dimensions, developed length, and plate thickness; the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as cost increase consideration points, points where a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the processing cost components occurs by increasing the current design parameter values by a predetermined value, where the difference between the current design parameter values of the part to be estimated and the design parameter values that become change points where the processing cost components of the part to be estimated increase or decrease discontinuously or in steps is within a predetermined difference value; and the monitor unit presents the cost increase consideration points as the cost increase warning value.

[0027] (21) The cost design support system according to claim 16, wherein the cost of a sheet metal press-molded part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the sheet metal press-molded part, and has a transportation and packaging cost component where the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner depending on an increase or decrease in part dimensions, which are design parameters; the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as a cost increase consideration point, a point where a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the transportation and packaging cost component occurs by increasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value, where the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value which is a change point where the transportation and packaging cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner is within a predetermined difference value; and the monitor unit presents the cost increase consideration point as the cost increase warning value.

[0028] (22) The cost design support system according to claim 16, wherein the cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the sheet metal press-formed part, and has a material cost component where the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner depending on an increase or decrease in the developed length, which is a design parameter; the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as a cost increase consideration point, a point where a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the material cost component occurs by increasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value, where the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value which is a change point where the material cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner is within a predetermined difference value; and the monitor unit presents the cost increase consideration point as the cost increase warning. [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] The present invention can provide a cost design support system that can provide recommendation and warning functions based on cost analysis as support for low-cost design. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1]1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a cost design support system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a process diagram illustrating an example of making an estimate using the cost design support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2B] FIG. 10 is a process diagram illustrating an example of a recommendation made by the cost design support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3A] 1 is a graph showing the relationship between cost components and design parameters for a typical part. [Figure 3B] 1 is a graph showing an example of a relationship between cost components of a part and design parameters. [Figure 4A] 10 is a graph showing an example of a case where a cost component increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise in response to an increase or decrease in a design parameter. [Figure 4B] FIG. 3C is an enlarged view of a main portion of the table shown in FIG. 3B, and is a graph for explaining that a cost reduction in the cost component can be achieved by changing the parameters from the current values to the recommended values. [Figure 4C] 10 is a graph for explaining that changing a parameter from a current value to a warning value causes a cost increase in the cost component. [Figure 5A] 1 is a table showing an example of cost components of a resin part. [Figure 5B] 10 is a table showing an example of the relationship between cost components, cost step variations, and estimation parameters of a resin part. [Figure 5C] 10 is a table showing an example of the relationship between estimated parameters, design parameters, current values, recommendations, and warnings for a resin part. [Figure 6A] 1 is a table showing an example of cost components of a sheet metal part. [Figure 6B] 10 is a table showing an example of the relationship between cost components, cost step variations, and estimation parameters of a sheet metal part. [Figure 6C] 10 is a table showing an example of the relationship between estimated parameters, design parameters, current values, recommendations, and warnings for a sheet metal part. [Figure 7]10 is a table for explaining a case where a cost reduction recommendation is extracted from the current parameter values at the time of estimation, and a case where a cost reduction recommendation is not extracted from the current parameter values. [Figure 8] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a part of a CAD image of a metal sheet, a part of a CAD die estimate input screen, and a part of a CAD screen showing a recommendation result. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a part of a CAD image of a metal sheet, a part of a CAD tool estimate input screen, and a part of a CAD screen showing a warning result. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used to designate common components in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a cost design support system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] <Cost design support system> As shown in Fig. 1, cost design support system 100 is a device that estimates part costs from part model information. Cost design support system 100 is configured with a part model information unit 1, a part cost estimation unit 2, a recommendation extraction unit 3, and a monitor unit 4. By incorporating costs during design from the early stages of development, cost design support system 100 can achieve early design deployment for mass production and efficient low-cost design.

[0033] <<Part Model Information Section>> The part model information unit 1 is a storage means for storing information on part models. More specifically, the part model information unit 1 stores model shape information of parts to be estimated, model attribute information of parts to be estimated, and the like, as an accumulated and organized database.

[0034] <Parts Cost Estimation Department> The part cost estimating unit 2 is a cost estimating means that estimates part costs from part model information stored in the part model information unit 1. The part cost estimating unit 2 is configured to include an estimate information acquiring unit 21, an estimate calculation unit 22, and an estimate result output unit 23. The part cost estimating unit 2 calculates part costs by adding up the cost components of the part to be estimated, namely, processing costs, material costs, transportation and packaging costs, management costs, and profit, and calculates each cost component individually using the design parameters of the part to be estimated. When the cost components increase or decrease due to an increase or decrease in the design parameters, the part cost estimating unit 2 increases or decreases the cost components using part cost estimation logic having cost components that become discontinuous or stepwise.

[0035] <Estimate Information Acquisition Section> The estimate information acquisition unit 21 is an estimate information acquisition means that acquires information regarding an estimate for a part to be estimated, which is stored in the part model information unit 1, in response to a request for estimate from the estimate information acquisition unit 21.

[0036] <Estimate Calculation Department> The estimate calculation unit 22 is an estimate calculation means that performs an estimate calculation based on the information acquired by the estimate information acquisition unit 21 to calculate an estimated value.

[0037] <Estimate result output section> The estimate result output unit 23 is an estimate result output means that outputs the information estimated by the estimate calculation unit 22 to the recommendation extraction processing unit 31.

[0038] <Recommendation Extraction Unit> The recommendation extraction unit 3 is an extraction means for recommending cost reductions to achieve a target cost or issuing a cost increase warning. The recommendation extraction unit 3 is configured to include a recommendation extraction processing unit 31 and a setting unit 32. The recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts, as cost reduction consideration points or cost increase consideration points, points where the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value that is the change point where the cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, is within a predetermined difference value and where increasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value will cause the cost component to increase discontinuously or stepwise. The increase or decrease in the cost component due to the increase or decrease in the design parameter has a discontinuous or step-like cost component.

[0039] Furthermore, the recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts, as cost reduction consideration points or cost increase consideration points, points where the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value that is the change point at which the processing cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, is within a predetermined difference value, and where increasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value will cause a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the processing cost component.

[0040] Furthermore, the recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts, as a cost reduction consideration point or a cost increase consideration point, a point where the material cost component of the part to be estimated changes discontinuously or stepwise by decreasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value, where the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value that is the change point where the material cost component of the part to be estimated changes discontinuously or stepwise.

[0041] Furthermore, the recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts, as cost reduction consideration points or cost increase consideration points, points where the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value that is the change point at which the transportation and packaging cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or in stages is within a predetermined difference value and where a discontinuous or staged decrease in the transportation and packaging cost component occurs by decreasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value.

[0042] <Recommendation extraction processing section> The recommendation extraction processing unit 31 is a recommendation extraction processing means that extracts recommendation / warning information to be delivered to the recommendation result display unit 42 from the estimate information from the estimate result output unit 23 .

[0043] <Settings section> The setting unit 32 is a means for setting a target cost of a part to be estimated. The setting unit 32 can arbitrarily set the predetermined amount. The setting unit 32 can arbitrarily set a predetermined difference value for determining the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value that is the change point at which the cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, in order to extract and determine whether to recommend cost reduction or warn about cost increases. Furthermore, when presenting a cost reduction recommendation or a cost increase warning, the setting unit 32 does not extract or present the value if the amount of change in the stepwise change in the cost component of the part to be estimated is less than the predetermined amount.

[0044] <Monitor section> The monitor unit 4 is a display means for presenting design parameters effective for cost design of the parts to be estimated. The monitor unit 4 displays the results of the estimated costs calculated by the part cost estimating unit 2 to provide effective design review support. The monitor unit 4 is configured to include an estimated cost result display unit 41 that displays the estimated value of the part calculated by the estimate calculation unit 22, and a recommendation result display unit 42 that displays recommended parts, the estimated value of the recommended part, etc.

[0045] Furthermore, the monitor unit 4 presents cost reduction consideration points as recommended cost reduction values. When presenting the recommended cost reduction values, the monitor unit 4 also presents the amount of stepwise change in the cost components of the parts to be estimated as the cost reduction amount. Furthermore, the monitor unit 4 presents the cost increase consideration points as a cost increase warning value. When presenting the cost increase warning value, the monitor unit 4 also presents the amount of stepwise change in the cost components of the parts to be estimated as the cost increase amount.

[0046] The "design parameters effective for cost design of the part to be estimated" displayed on the monitor unit 4 are the material, shape, manufacturing process, assembly method, number, dimensions, etc. of the part to be estimated as a means of achieving the required specifications for low-cost design. In other words, the cost design support system 100 is a system that presents cost reduction points in the detailed design of each part developed from the part cost structure, and is a system that utilizes cost step fluctuations for design elements.

[0047] "Component material" allows costs to be reduced by changing the material of the component. The monitor unit 4 displays the material that is suited to the function and quality of the component. "Part Shape" allows you to simplify the manufacturing process and reduce costs by changing the shape of the part. The monitor 4 displays the shape that matches the function and quality of the part.

[0048] "Manufacturing process" allows costs to be reduced by optimizing the manufacturing process of the part being estimated. The monitor unit 4 displays the manufacturing process suited to the function and quality of the part. "Parts assembly method" can reduce costs by optimizing the assembly method of the parts being estimated. The monitor unit 4 displays the part assembly method that matches the function and quality of the part.

[0049] "Number of parts" allows you to reduce costs by reducing the number of components that make up the part you are quoting. The monitor unit 4 displays the number of components that make up the smallest unit that matches the function and quality of the part. "Component dimensions" refers to reducing the size of a component, thereby reducing the amount of material used and material costs. The monitor unit 4 displays the component dimensions that match the function and quality of the component.

[0050] FIG. 2A is a process diagram that schematically shows an example of how an estimate is generated by the cost design support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2A, the CAD system stores the information necessary for estimating from the 3D part model. When estimating part 5, the logic in-house cost table stored in the CAD system is used.

[0051] When making an estimate for a certain part 5, a cost estimate is made from the part model on CAD (step S10). The cost design support system 100 acquires model information and attribute information required for the estimate from the 3D part model (steps S11 and S12). The part cost 6 estimated by an estimate program that calculates the part cost and a recommendation program that extracts cost reduction perspectives from an estimate calculation database is displayed on the monitor unit 4 on the CAD.

[0052] Furthermore, the quotation result 7 is generated from the detailed information database (step S13). Effective perspectives for cost-reduction design for the parts for which quotation is made are recommended and displayed on the monitor unit 4 to support the user's low-cost design. The estimated cost components of the parts cost can be broken down into material cost, processing cost, other (transportation and packaging costs, management costs, etc.), and profit. The part cost ($1.20) in the quotation result 7 displayed on the monitor unit 4 is, for example, the sum of material cost ($0.40), processing cost ($0.60), other ($0.10), and profit ($0.10).

[0053] FIG. 2B is a process diagram that schematically shows an example of a recommendation made by the cost design support system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The estimate result 7 is then further processed to make the recommendations shown in Figure 2B (step S20). The information on the estimate results calculated by CAD is used to perform cost analysis using a database (step S21). CAD has multiple estimate parameters for each cost component, and calculation formulas are built for them. Here, we focus on parameters that change stepwise in response to design parameter changes among the cost variation parameters in the estimate calculation logic. For the current design, design parameters near the cost variation points are extracted as CD consideration points. An example of what is displayed on the recommendation result screen 8 is shown in the lower right of Figure 2B. The recommendation result screen 8 displays, for example, the recommended component vertical length (long side), component height, component volume, and component projected area.

[0054] 3A is a graph showing the relationship between cost components 60A and parameters 90A of a typical part. The horizontal axis of the graph represents parameter 90A. The vertical axis of the graph represents cost components 60A.

[0055] Generally speaking, larger parts 5 are more expensive than smaller parts 5. As shown in Figure 3A, material costs (cost component 60A) increase in proportion to the amount of material used (parameter 90A), which increases the part cost.

[0056] Fig. 3B is a graph showing an example of the relationship between part cost components 60B and parameters 90B. The horizontal axis of the graph in Fig. 3B represents parameters 90B. The vertical axis of the graph represents cost components 60B. When examining the relationship between the cost component 60B of a certain part and the parameter 90B for calculating that component, there are cases in which the cost component 60B increases or decreases stepwise in response to an increase or decrease in the parameter 90B.

[0057] 4A is a graph showing an example in which cost component 60C increases and decreases discontinuously and stepwise in response to an increase or decrease in parameter 90C. The horizontal axis of the graph in FIG. 4A represents parameter 90C. The vertical axis of the graph represents cost component 60C.

[0058] In the estimation logic shown in Fig. 4A, the parameter at which cost component 60C changes stepwise includes cost component change points 90C1, 90C2, 90C3, and 90C4. As shown in Fig. 4A, cost component 60C increases and decreases stepwise in response to increases and decreases in parameter 90C. The same applies to the estimation in Fig. 3B.

[0059] 4B is an enlarged view of a main portion of the table shown in FIG. 3B, and is a graph for explaining that changing parameter 90D from the current value to the recommended value can reduce cost component 60D. The horizontal axis of the graph in FIG. 4B represents parameter 90D. The vertical axis of the graph represents cost component 60D.

[0060] As shown in Figure 4B, the cost when the current design value is a current value 90D6 is a cost value 60D2. If this current value 90D6 is slightly larger than the cost component change point 90D3 of parameter 90D, that state is used. By changing parameter 90D from the current value 90D6 to the recommended value 90D5, the cost of the part is reduced from the current cost value 60D2 to the recommended cost value 60D1.

[0061] 4B, the cost step can be lowered by changing the current value 90D6 at the time of estimation to the recommended value 90D5. When the current value 90D6 is slightly larger than the cost component change point 90D3 and the difference between the current value 90D6 and the cost component change point 90D3 is within a predetermined extraction range that has been arbitrarily set, the cost can be reduced efficiently by lowering the parameter value by a predetermined amount. If the difference between the current value and the cost component change point is outside a predetermined range, the cost component change point is not extracted. The extraction conditions can be set arbitrarily.

[0062] 4C is a graph illustrating that changing a parameter from a current value to a warning value results in an increase in cost component 60E. The horizontal axis of the graph in FIG. 4C represents parameter 90E. The vertical axis of the graph represents cost component 60E.

[0063] 4C, changing the current value 90E5 at the time of estimation to a warning value 90E6 will result in a step-up in cost. If the current value 90E5 is slightly smaller than the cost component change point 90E3 and the difference between the cost component change point 90E3 and the current value 90E5 is within a predetermined extraction range that has been arbitrarily set, there is a risk that increasing the parameter value by a predetermined value will result in an increase in cost.

[0064] As shown in Figure 4C, if parameter 90E increases from current value 90E5 to warning value 90E6 during design review, a warning of an increase in cost is issued, the opposite of the case in Figure 4B. When the current value 90E5 at the time of estimation changes to warning value 90E6, the part cost increases to cost value 60E2.

[0065] As shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, the cost design support system 100 utilizes the fact that the cost changes discontinuously and stepwise as the cost components change, and utilizes this fact to help with cost design.

[0066] FIG. 5A is a table showing an example of cost components 61 of a resin part, and shows specific examples of cost components 61 of a resin part. As shown in FIG. 5A, the breakdown of cost components 61 for a resin part is the sum of material cost, processing cost, packaging and transportation cost, and management and profit costs. In this example, the part cost ($1.20) is the sum of material cost ($0.40), processing cost ($0.60), packaging and transportation cost ($0.10), and management and profit costs ($0.10). The part cost estimator 2 (see FIG. 1) calculates the part cost by adding up the cost components of the part being estimated: processing cost, material cost, packaging and transportation cost, and management and profit costs. In this way, resin molded parts are among the part types for which part costs can be estimated. The cost design support system 100 can obtain the information necessary for estimation from the part model and calculate the part cost.

[0067] FIG. 5B is a table showing an example of the relationship between the cost components 62 of the resin part, the cost step fluctuations, and the estimation parameters. As shown in Figure 5B, the cost components of a resin part include material costs, processing costs, packaging and transportation costs, management costs, and profit. In other words, the cost of a resin molded part is made up of the processing costs, material costs, transportation and packaging costs, management costs, and profit components of the resin molded part. Of these, the logic is that processing costs and packaging and transportation costs change as cost steps. The estimation parameters are the molding machine size and packaging box size.

[0068] FIG. 5C is a table showing an example of the relationship between estimated parameters, design parameters, current values, recommendations, and warnings for a resin part. As shown in Figure 5C, estimation parameters for a resin part include molding machine size and packaging box size. Design parameters for molding machine size include part length, width, height, projected area, and volume. Design parameters for packaging box size include part length, width, and height. As such, the design parameters have processing cost components whose cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise depending on the part dimensions (length in the vertical direction, length in the horizontal direction, height), part volume, and part projected area.

[0069] An example of the current design parameters for molding machine size for plastic parts is: part length 18 mm, part width 15 mm, part height 32 mm, projected area 300 mm 2 , part volume is 8000mm 3 An example of the current design parameters for the packaging box size is a component length of 18 mm, a component width of 15 mm, and a component height of 32 mm.

[0070] As an example of a recommended resin part, the current projected area is 300 mm 2 The recommended value is 290mm 2 This can reduce the cost of parts. In addition, as an example of a warning for a plastic part, if the current value of the part height dimension is 32 mm and the warning value is set to 33 mm, costs will increase. Therefore, the user can be advised to design carefully so that the warning value is not exceeded. The parts cost estimating unit 2 (see FIG. 1) can extract recommended values for cost reduction and warning values for cost increase for parts types that can be estimated.

[0071] In this way, the design parameters have a transportation and packaging cost component whose cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise depending on the increase or decrease in part dimensions (length in the vertical direction, length in the horizontal direction, height).The design parameters also have a processing cost component whose cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise depending on the increase or decrease in part dimensions (length in the vertical direction, length in the horizontal direction, height), part volume, and part projected area. Therefore, the cost design support system 100 can consider low cost with little skill variation.

[0072] FIG. 6A is a table showing an example of cost components of a sheet metal part. As shown in Figure 6A, the breakdown of cost components 61 for sheet metal parts is the sum of material costs, processing costs, packaging and transportation costs, and management costs and profits, just like Figure 5A. Sheet metal press-formed parts are one type of part for which part costs can be estimated. In this case, as a specific example, the part cost ($1.20) is the sum of material costs ($0.40), processing costs ($0.60), packaging and transportation costs ($0.10), and management costs and profits ($0.10).

[0073] FIG. 6B is a table showing an example of the relationship between cost components, cost step variations, and estimation parameters of a sheet metal part. As shown in Figure 6B, the cost components 62 of a sheet metal part include material cost, processing cost, packaging and transportation cost, and management and profit costs. In other words, the cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is made up of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management and profit costs of the sheet metal press-formed part. Of these, the logic is that the cost step fluctuations are material cost, processing cost, and packaging and transportation cost. The estimation parameters are the material type, processing machine size, and packaging box size.

[0074] The cost design support system 100 can encourage component cost analysis by presenting such cheaper means (configuration) for achieving specifications and cheaper means (materials / processes) for achieving specifications.

[0075] FIG. 6C is a table showing an example of the relationship between the estimated parameters 71, design parameters, current values, recommendations, and warnings for a sheet metal part. As shown in FIG. 6C, the estimation parameters for a sheet metal part include the material form, the processing machine size, and the packaging box size. The design parameters for the material form include the developed length. The design parameters for the processing size include the part length, the part width, the part height, the developed length (longitudinal), the developed length (transverse), and the plate thickness. As such, the design parameters for a sheet metal part include processing cost components in which the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise with increases or decreases in the part dimensions (longitudinal length, lateral length, height), the developed length (longitudinal length, transverse length), and the plate thickness. The design parameters for the packaging box size include the part length, the part width, and the part height.

[0076] An example of the current values of the design parameters for the material form of a sheet metal part is a developed length (short side) of 480 mm. The current values of the design parameters for the processing machine size are, for example, a component length of 480 mm, a component width of 500 mm, a component height of 480 mm, an expanded length (longer side) of 700 mm, an expanded length (shorter side) of 480 mm, and a plate thickness of 1 mm. An example of the current values of the design parameters for the packaging box size is a component length of 500 mm, a component width of 480 mm, and a component height of 170 mm.

[0077] In this way, the design parameters of sheet metal parts have transportation and packaging cost components whose cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise depending on the part dimensions (longitudinal length, lateral length, height). The design parameters of sheet metal parts also have material cost components whose cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise depending on the expanded length (transverse length). The design parameters of sheet metal parts also have processing cost components whose cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise depending on the part dimensions (longitudinal length, lateral length, height), expanded length (longitudinal length, lateral length), and plate thickness, which are design parameters of sheet metal parts.

[0078] As an example of a recommendation for sheet metal parts, costs can be reduced by changing the current value of the material shape from 480mm to the recommended value of 470mm. Also, costs can be reduced by changing the current value of the developed length (short side) from 480mm to the recommended value of 470mm. In addition, as an example of a warning for a sheet metal part, if the current value of the part height dimension is 170 mm and the warning value is set to 175 mm, costs will increase. Therefore, the user can be advised to design carefully so as not to exceed the warning value. The recommendation extraction unit 3 (see FIG. 1) can extract recommended values for cost reduction and warning values for cost increases for parts types that can be estimated.

[0079] FIG. 7 is a table for explaining a case where a cost reduction recommendation is extracted from the current parameter values at the time of estimation, and a case where a cost reduction recommendation is not extracted from the current parameter values.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 7, the extraction condition for the recommended value is when the difference between the cost component change point (value) and the current parameter value is within a range of a predetermined value 90F7. When the current parameter value at the time of estimation is 90F5, the part cost is cost value 60F2. At this time, the difference between the current parameter value 90F5 and the cost component change point 90F3 is within the range of the predetermined value 90F7, which is the extraction condition. At this time, by lowering the parameter by the predetermined value 90F7, it is possible to reduce the cost to the recommended cost value 60F1. The current parameter value 90F5 is the case where a recommended value for cost reduction is extracted. When the current parameter value at the time of estimation is 90F6, the part cost is 60F2. At this time, the difference between the current parameter value 90F6 and the cost component change point 90F3 is outside the range of the predetermined value 90F7, which is the extraction condition. This current parameter value 90F6 is a case in which a recommended value for cost reduction is not extracted.

[0081] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a part of a CAD image 81 of a metal sheet, a part of a CAD tool estimate input screen 82, and a part of a recommendation / warning execution screen 83. Figure 8 shows three CAD images displayed overlapping one another when a cost estimate is being made from a CAD part model. The recommendation / warning execution screen 83 shows an example of the results of a recommendation or warning. The current design parameter value for the part length (long side) is 1106.0 mm. Changing this to the recommended value of 1100.0 mm shows that costs can be further reduced.

[0082] In this way, the cost design support system 100 performs cost estimation and cost simulation while designing with CAD, making it easy to perform low-cost design. Furthermore, by using CAD, the cost design support system 100 incorporates costs while designing from the early stages of development, allowing design development at an early stage of mass production.

[0083] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a part of a CAD image 81 of a metal sheet, a part of a CAD tool estimate input screen 82, and a part of a CAD recommendation / warning execution screen 83 showing the warning result. Figure 9 shows a warning situation, the opposite of Figure 8. The design value for the length of the sheet metal part (long side) is 397.4 mm. The recommendation / warning execution screen 83 warns the user that if this exceeds the warning value of 410.0 mm, costs will increase, and so the user is advised to be careful.

[0084] As described above, the present invention provides a cost design support system 100 for estimating part costs from part model information, as shown in FIG. 1, which includes a monitor unit 4 for presenting design parameters effective for cost design of the part to be estimated.

[0085] With this configuration, the monitor unit 4 can provide recommendation and warning functions based on cost analysis to support low-cost design by presenting design parameters that are effective for cost design of the parts being estimated.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 1, the cost design support system 100 includes a part model information unit 1 that stores information about part models, and a part cost estimation unit 2 that estimates part costs from the part model information stored in the part model information unit 1. A monitor unit 4 displays the results of the estimated costs calculated by the part cost estimation unit 2.

[0087] According to this configuration, the monitor unit 4 displays the results of the estimated costs calculated by the part cost estimating unit 2, thereby making it possible to support the easy implementation of low-cost designs.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 1, the part cost estimation unit 2 calculates the part cost by adding up the cost components of the part being estimated, namely, processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit. Each cost component is calculated individually using the design parameters of the part being estimated, and when the cost components increase or decrease due to an increase or decrease in the design parameters, the cost components are increased or decreased using part cost estimation logic having discontinuous or stepped cost components.

[0089] With this configuration, the part cost estimating unit 2 can efficiently estimate part costs by calculating the part cost by adding up each cost component, such as part processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit. Furthermore, when the cost components increase or decrease due to an increase or decrease in design parameters, by using part cost estimating logic having discontinuous or step-like cost components, the cost components can be accurately increased or decreased to make an accurate estimate.

[0090] Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the increase or decrease in cost components due to an increase or decrease in design parameters has discontinuous or stepwise cost components, and when the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value that is the change point where the cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise is within a predetermined difference value, a recommendation extraction unit 3 is provided which extracts this as a cost consideration point of the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated.

[0091] According to this configuration, the recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts, as a cost consideration point for the current design parameter value, that the difference between the current design parameter value of the part and the design parameter value whose cost component increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise is within a predetermined difference value. By having such a recommendation extraction unit 3, the present invention can recommend viewpoints that are effective for cost-reduction design for parts for which estimates are being made, thereby supporting the user in low-cost design.

[0092] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, increases and decreases in cost components due to increases and decreases in design parameters include discontinuous or stepwise cost components, and the recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts, as a cost reduction consideration point, a point where the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value that is the change point at which the cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, is within a predetermined difference value, and where decreasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value will cause a discontinuous or stepwise decrease in the cost component, and the monitor unit 4 presents the cost reduction consideration point as a recommended value for cost reduction.

[0093] According to this configuration, the monitor unit 4 presents cost reduction consideration points as recommended values for cost reduction, thereby enabling efficient low-cost design.

[0094] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, increases and decreases in cost components due to increases and decreases in design parameters include discontinuous or stepwise cost components, and the recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts as cost increase consideration points those cases where the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value that is the change point at which the cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise is within a predetermined difference value, and where increasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value will cause a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the cost component, and the monitor unit 4 presents the cost increase consideration points as cost increase warning values.

[0095] According to this configuration, the monitor unit 4 can warn of cost increases by presenting cost increase consideration points as cost increase warning values, which can be useful for cost design.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 1, a setting unit 32 is provided which can arbitrarily set a predetermined difference value for determining the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value which is the change point at which the cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, in order to extract and determine a recommended value for cost reduction or a warning value for cost increase.

[0097] According to this configuration, the setting unit 32 can arbitrarily set a predetermined difference value for determining the difference between the current design parameter value of the part and the design parameter value that will be the change point, thereby enabling efficient calculation of costs.

[0098] Also, as shown in FIG. 1, when presenting a cost reduction recommendation or a cost increase warning, the monitor unit 4 presents the amount of stepwise change in the cost components of the parts being estimated as the cost reduction amount in the case of a cost reduction recommendation, and presents the amount of stepwise change in the cost components of the parts being estimated as the cost increase amount in the case of a cost increase warning.

[0099] With this configuration, the monitor unit 4 can support easy low-cost design by presenting the amount of step-by-step change in the cost components of the parts being estimated as a cost reduction amount or a cost increase amount.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 1, when presenting a cost reduction recommendation or a cost increase warning, if the amount of change in the stepwise change in the cost component of the part being estimated is less than a predetermined amount, the system is provided with a setting unit 32 that can arbitrarily set the predetermined amount, and the system is configured not to extract or present the recommendation or cost increase warning.

[0101] According to this configuration, the setting unit 32 does not extract or present the step-by-step change in the cost component if the change is less than a predetermined amount, and the predetermined amount can be set arbitrarily, thereby enabling efficient calculation of costs.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 1, the setting unit 32 sets a target cost for the part to be estimated, and the recommendation extracting unit 3 recommends a cost reduction or a cost increase so as to achieve the target cost.

[0103] With this configuration, the setting unit 32 can set a target cost for the parts to be estimated, thereby presenting a target cost value for cost reduction and supporting low-cost design. Also, the recommendation extraction unit 3 can extract a cost reduction perspective by recommending cost reduction to achieve the target cost or issuing a cost increase warning.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 1, resin molded parts are among the component types for which component costs can be estimated, and the component cost estimating unit 2 can extract recommended cost reduction values and warning cost increase values for the component types for which costs can be estimated.

[0105] According to this configuration, the part cost estimating unit 2 can extract a cost reduction recommendation value and a cost increase warning value for a resin molded part, thereby facilitating low-cost design of the resin molded part.

[0106] As shown in Figures 5A to 5C, the cost of a resin-molded part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the resin-molded part, and has processing cost components whose costs increase or decrease discontinuously or in stages depending on changes in the design parameters of the part dimensions (vertical length, horizontal length, height), part volume, and part projected area. The recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts, as cost-reduction consideration points, points where the difference between the current design parameter values of the part to be estimated and the design parameter values that become change points at which the processing cost components of the part to be estimated increase or decrease discontinuously or in stages falls within a predetermined difference value, and where reducing the current design parameter values by a predetermined value will cause a discontinuous or staged decrease in the processing cost components. The monitor unit 4 presents the cost-reduction consideration points as recommended cost-reduction values.

[0107] With this configuration, the cost of a resin molded part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the resin molded part, which can contribute to supporting low-cost design. In addition, the recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts processing cost components whose cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise depending on the increase or decrease in part dimensions, part volume, and part projected area, which can be useful for low-cost design of resin molded parts.

[0108] As shown in Figures 5A to 5C, the cost of a resin-molded part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the resin-molded part, and has a transportation and packaging cost component where the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner depending on the increase or decrease in the part dimensions (vertical length, horizontal length, height), which are design parameters. The recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts, as cost-reduction consideration points, points where the difference between the current design parameter values of the part to be estimated and the design parameter values that become change points where the transportation and packaging cost components of the part to be estimated increase or decrease discontinuously or in a stepwise manner falls within a predetermined difference value, and where reducing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value will cause a discontinuous or stepwise decrease in the transportation and packaging cost components. The monitor unit 4 presents the cost-reduction consideration points as recommended cost-reduction values.

[0109] With this configuration, the recommendation extraction unit 3 can contribute to supporting low-cost design by extracting points where a stepwise decrease in the transportation and packaging cost components occurs as cost-reduction consideration points. Also, the monitor unit 4 can support low-cost design by presenting the cost-reduction consideration points as cost-reduction recommendation values.

[0110] As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the cost of a resin-molded part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the resin-molded part, and has processing cost components whose costs increase or decrease discontinuously or in a stepwise manner depending on changes in the design parameters of the part dimensions (vertical length, horizontal length, height), part volume, and part projected area. The recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts, as cost increase consideration points, points where the difference between the current design parameter values of the part to be estimated and the design parameter values that become change points at which the processing cost components of the part to be estimated increase or decrease discontinuously or in a stepwise manner falls within a predetermined difference value, and where increasing the current design parameter values by a predetermined value will cause a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the processing cost components. The monitor unit 4 presents the cost increase consideration points as cost increase warning values.

[0111] With this configuration, the recommendation extraction unit 3 can contribute to supporting low-cost design by extracting points where discontinuous or stepwise decreases in processing cost components occur as cost-reduction consideration points. Also, the monitor unit 4 can warn the user of cost increases during low-cost design by presenting cost-increase consideration points as cost-increase warning values.

[0112] As shown in Figures 5A to 5C, the cost of a resin-molded part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the resin-molded part, and has a transportation and packaging cost component where the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner depending on the increase or decrease in the part dimensions (vertical length, horizontal length, height), which are design parameters. The recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts, as a cost increase consideration point, a point where the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value that is the change point where the transportation and packaging cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner, and where increasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value will cause a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the transportation and packaging cost component, and the monitor unit 4 presents the cost increase consideration point as a cost increase warning value.

[0113] With this configuration, the recommendation extraction unit 3 can contribute to supporting low-cost design by extracting discontinuous or stepwise decreases in transportation and packaging cost components as cost-reduction consideration points. Also, the monitor unit 4 can warn the user of cost increases during low-cost design by presenting cost-increase consideration points as cost-increase warnings.

[0114] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the component types for which the component costs can be estimated include sheet metal press formed components, and the recommendation extraction unit 3 can extract cost reduction recommendations and cost increase warnings for component types for which the component costs can be estimated.

[0115] According to this configuration, the recommendation extraction unit 3 can support low-cost design of sheet metal press molded parts by extracting cost reduction recommendations and cost increase warnings for sheet metal press molded parts for which estimates can be made.

[0116] As shown in Figures 6A to 6C, the cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is composed of the processing costs, material costs, transportation and packaging costs, management costs, and profit components of the sheet metal press-formed part, and has processing cost components whose costs increase or decrease discontinuously or in stages depending on the design parameters of the part dimensions (vertical length, horizontal length, height), developed length (longitudinal length, lateral length), and plate thickness. The recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts, as cost reduction consideration points, points where the difference between the current design parameter values of the part to be estimated and the design parameter values that are change points at which the processing cost components of the part to be estimated increase or decrease discontinuously or in stages falls within a predetermined difference value, and where reducing the current design parameter values by a predetermined value will cause a discontinuous or staged decrease in the processing cost components. The monitor unit 4 presents the cost reduction consideration points as recommended cost reduction values.

[0117] According to this configuration, the recommendation extraction unit 3 can contribute to supporting low-cost design by extracting discontinuous or stepwise decreases in the processing cost components of sheet metal press-formed parts as points to consider for cost reduction.

[0118] As shown in Figures 1 and 6A to 6C, the cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the sheet metal press-formed part, and has a transportation and packaging cost component where the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner depending on the increase or decrease in the part dimensions (vertical length, horizontal length, height), which are design parameters. The recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts, as a cost-reduction consideration point, the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value that is the change point where the transportation and packaging cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner, which is within a predetermined difference value, and where reducing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value will cause a discontinuous or stepwise decrease in the transportation and packaging cost component. The monitor unit 4 presents the cost-reduction consideration point as a cost-reduction recommendation value.

[0119] According to this configuration, the recommendation extraction unit 3 can contribute to supporting low-cost design by extracting discontinuous or stepwise decreases in the transportation and packaging costs of sheet metal press-molded parts as a cost-reduction consideration point.

[0120] As shown in Figures 1 and 6A to 6C, the cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the sheet metal press-formed part, and has a material cost component where the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner depending on whether the developed length (length in the short direction), which is a design parameter, increases or decreases. The recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts, as a cost-reduction consideration point, a point where the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value that is the change point where the material cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner is within a predetermined difference value, and where reducing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value will result in a discontinuous or stepwise decrease in the material cost component. The monitor unit 4 presents the cost-reduction consideration point as a cost-reduction recommendation value.

[0121] According to this configuration, the recommendation extraction unit 3 can contribute to supporting low-cost design by extracting discontinuous or stepwise decreases in the material cost components of sheet metal press-molded parts as points to consider for cost reduction.

[0122] As shown in Figures 1 and 6A to 6C, the cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is composed of the processing costs, material costs, transportation and packaging costs, management costs, and profit components of the sheet metal press-formed part, and has processing cost components where the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or in steps depending on the design parameters of the part dimensions (vertical length, horizontal length, height), developed length (longitudinal length, lateral length), and plate thickness. The recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts, as cost increase consideration points, points where the difference between the current design parameter values of the part to be estimated and the design parameter values that are change points where the processing cost components of the part to be estimated increase or decrease discontinuously or in steps falls within a predetermined difference value, and where increasing the current design parameter values by a predetermined value will cause a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the processing cost components. The monitor unit 4 presents the cost increase consideration points as cost increase warning values.

[0123] According to this configuration, the recommendation extraction unit 3 can contribute to supporting low-cost design by extracting discontinuous or stepwise decreases in the processing cost components of sheet metal press-formed parts as points to consider for cost reduction.

[0124] As shown in Figures 1 and 6A to 6C, the cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the sheet metal press-formed part, and has a transportation and packaging cost component where the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner depending on the increase or decrease in the part dimensions (vertical length, horizontal length, height), which are design parameters. The recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts, as a cost increase consideration point, a point where the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value that is the change point where the transportation and packaging cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner, and where increasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value will cause a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the transportation and packaging cost component, and the monitor unit 4 presents the cost increase consideration point as a cost increase warning value.

[0125] According to this configuration, the recommendation extraction unit 3 can contribute to supporting low-cost design by extracting discontinuous or stepwise decreases in the transportation and packaging costs of sheet metal press-molded parts as a cost-reduction consideration point.

[0126] As shown in Figures 1 and 6A to 6C, the cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the sheet metal press-formed part, and has a material cost component where the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner depending on whether the developed length (length in the short direction), which is a design parameter, increases or decreases.The recommendation extraction unit 3 extracts, as a cost increase consideration point, a point where the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value that is the change point where the material cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or in a stepwise manner, and where increasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value will cause a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the material cost component, and the monitor unit 4 presents the cost increase consideration point as a cost increase warning value.

[0127] According to this configuration, the recommendation extraction unit 3 can contribute to supporting low-cost design by extracting discontinuous or stepwise decreases in the material cost components of sheet metal press-molded parts as points to consider for cost reduction.

[0128] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0129] 1. Part model information section 2. Parts Cost Estimation Department 3. Recommendation extraction section 4 Monitor section 32 Setting section 100 Cost Design Support System

Claims

1. In a cost design support system that estimates part costs from part model information, a monitor unit that displays design parameters effective for cost design of the part to be estimated; Cost design support system.

2. a part model information unit that stores information about part models; a part cost estimating unit that estimates part costs from part model information stored in the part model information unit; Equipped with the monitor unit displays the results of the estimated costs calculated by the part cost estimating unit. The cost design support system according to claim 1 .

3. the part cost estimating unit calculates the part cost by adding up each cost component of the part to be estimated, including processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit; calculating each of the cost components individually using design parameters of the part being estimated; When the cost components are increased or decreased due to an increase or decrease in the design parameters, the cost components are increased or decreased using a part cost estimation logic having cost components that are discontinuous or step-wise. The cost design support system according to claim 2.

4. The increase or decrease in the cost component due to the increase or decrease in the design parameter has the discontinuous or stepwise cost component, a recommendation extraction unit that, when a difference between a current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point at which a cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, is within a predetermined difference value, extracts that fact as a cost consideration point of the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated; The cost design support system according to claim 3.

5. The increase or decrease in the cost component due to the increase or decrease in the design parameter has the discontinuous or stepwise cost component, the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as a cost reduction consideration point, a difference between a current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point at which a cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, the difference being within a predetermined difference value, and reducing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value will cause a discontinuous or stepwise decrease in the cost component; The monitor unit presents the cost reduction consideration points as cost reduction recommendations. The cost design support system according to claim 4.

6. The increase or decrease in the cost component due to the increase or decrease in the design parameter has the discontinuous or stepwise cost component, the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as a cost increase consideration point, a difference between a current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point at which a cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, the difference being within a predetermined difference value, and increasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value will cause a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the cost component; the monitor unit presents the cost increase consideration points as a cost increase warning. The cost design support system according to claim 4.

7. a setting unit that can arbitrarily set a predetermined difference value for determining the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and the design parameter value that is a change point at which the cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, in order to extract and determine whether to recommend cost reduction or warn about cost increase; The cost design support system according to claim 4.

8. When presenting a cost reduction recommendation or a cost increase warning, the monitor unit presents, in the case of the cost reduction recommendation, a stepwise change in the cost component of the part to be estimated as a cost reduction amount, In the case of the cost increase warning, the amount of stepwise change in the cost component of the part to be estimated is presented as the cost increase amount. The cost design support system according to claim 4.

9. When presenting a cost reduction recommendation or a cost increase warning, if the amount of change in the stepwise change in the cost component of the part being estimated is less than a predetermined amount, the system does not extract or present the recommendation or the cost increase warning, and includes a setting unit that can arbitrarily set the predetermined amount. The cost design support system according to claim 4.

10. the setting unit sets a target cost for the part to be estimated, the recommendation extraction unit recommends a cost reduction or a cost increase so as to achieve the target cost; The cost design support system according to claim 7.

11. The component types for which the component costs can be estimated include resin molded components, the part cost estimation unit is capable of extracting cost reduction recommendations and cost increase warnings for the part types for which estimates are possible; The cost design support system according to claim 2.

12. The cost of a resin molded part is comprised of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit component of the resin molded part, and has a processing cost component in which the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise depending on the change in design parameters such as part dimensions, part volume, and part projected area. the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as cost reduction consideration points, points where a difference between a current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point at which a processing cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, is within a predetermined difference value, and where a discontinuous or stepwise decrease in the processing cost component occurs by decreasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value; The monitor unit presents the cost reduction consideration points as cost reduction recommended values. The cost design support system according to claim 7.

13. The cost of a resin molded part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the resin molded part, and the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise depending on the change in the part dimensions, which are design parameters. the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as cost reduction consideration points, points where a difference between a current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point at which a transportation and packaging cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, is within a predetermined difference value, and where a discontinuous or stepwise decrease in the transportation and packaging cost component occurs by decreasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value; The monitor unit presents the cost reduction consideration points as cost reduction recommended values. The cost design support system according to claim 7.

14. The cost of a resin molded part is comprised of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit component of the resin molded part, and has a processing cost component in which the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise depending on the change in design parameters such as part dimensions, part volume, and part projected area. the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as cost increase consideration points, points where a difference between a current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point at which a processing cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, is within a predetermined difference value, and where a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the processing cost component occurs by increasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value; the monitor unit presents the cost increase consideration point as a cost increase warning value. The cost design support system according to claim 7.

15. The cost of a resin molded part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the resin molded part, and the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise depending on the change in the part dimensions, which are design parameters. the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as cost increase consideration points, points where a difference between a current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point at which a transportation and packaging cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, is within a predetermined difference value, and where a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the transportation and packaging cost component occurs by increasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value; the monitor unit presents the cost increase consideration point as a cost increase warning value. The cost design support system according to claim 7.

16. The part types for which the part costs can be estimated include sheet metal press formed parts, the recommendation extraction unit is capable of extracting the cost reduction recommendation and the cost increase warning for the estimable part type; The cost design support system according to claim 5.

17. The cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the sheet metal press-formed part, and has processing cost components whose cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise depending on the increase or decrease in the design parameters of the part dimensions, developed length, and plate thickness. the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as cost reduction consideration points, points where a difference between a current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point at which a processing cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, is within a predetermined difference value, and where a discontinuous or stepwise decrease in the processing cost component occurs by decreasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value; The monitor unit presents the cost reduction consideration points as cost reduction recommended values. The cost design support system according to claim 16.

18. The cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the sheet metal press-formed part, and the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise depending on the increase or decrease in the part dimensions, which are design parameters. the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as a cost reduction consideration point, a point where a discontinuous or stepwise decrease in the transportation and packaging cost component occurs by reducing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value, where the difference between the current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point where the transportation and packaging cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise is within a predetermined difference value; The monitor unit presents the cost reduction consideration points as cost reduction recommended values. The cost design support system according to claim 16.

19. The cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the sheet metal press-formed part, and has a material cost component in which the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise depending on the increase or decrease in the developed length, which is a design parameter; the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as cost reduction consideration points, points where a difference between a current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point at which a material cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, is within a predetermined difference value, and where a discontinuous or stepwise decrease in the material cost component occurs by decreasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value; The monitor unit presents the cost reduction consideration points as cost reduction recommended values. The cost design support system according to claim 16.

20. The cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the sheet metal press-formed part, and has processing cost components whose cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise depending on the increase or decrease in the design parameters of the part dimensions, developed length, and plate thickness. the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as cost increase consideration points, points where a difference between a current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point at which a processing cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, is within a predetermined difference value, and where a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the processing cost component occurs by increasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value; the monitor unit presents the cost increase consideration point as a cost increase warning value. The cost design support system according to claim 16.

21. The cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the sheet metal press-formed part, and the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise depending on the increase or decrease in the part dimensions, which are design parameters. the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as cost increase consideration points, points where a difference between a current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point at which a transportation and packaging cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, is within a predetermined difference value, and where a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the transportation and packaging cost component occurs by increasing the current design parameter value by a predetermined value; the monitor unit presents the cost increase consideration point as a cost increase warning value. The cost design support system according to claim 16.

22. The cost of a sheet metal press-formed part is composed of the processing cost, material cost, transportation and packaging cost, management cost, and profit components of the sheet metal press-formed part, and has a material cost component in which the cost increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise depending on the increase or decrease in the developed length, which is a design parameter; the recommendation extraction unit extracts, as a cost increase consideration point, a value that is within a predetermined difference value in a difference between a current design parameter value of the part to be estimated and a design parameter value that is a change point at which a material cost component of the part to be estimated increases or decreases discontinuously or stepwise, and at which a discontinuous or stepwise increase in the material cost component occurs when the current design parameter value is increased by a predetermined value; the monitor unit presents the cost increase consideration point as a cost increase warning value. The cost design support system according to claim 16.

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