Separation system and separation method

Abstract

To separate a foreign matter such as a crushing-unsuitable matter and a contraindication matter from objects.SOLUTION: A separation system includes a conveyance device for conveying a plurality of objects which are not crushed by a shredder from the upstream to the downstream, a sensor for measuring the objects on the upstream side of the conveyance device, a determination part for determining a separation object which is a foreign matter of a separation object from the plurality of objects, on the basis of a measurement result obtained by the sensor, and a separation device for separating the separation object on the conveyance device determined by the determination part from other object which is not determined as the separation object, on the downstream side of the conveyance device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a separation system and a separation method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the steel industry has seen growing demand for iron recycling, aiming to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and other benefits. To produce high-quality steel using recycled iron (hereinafter referred to as "iron scrap"), it is necessary to remove prohibited materials. Prohibited materials are generally items prohibited by steel companies from importing iron scrap, particularly motors and electrical distribution boards containing impurities, and sealed objects that may explode during the melting process. Specific examples of systems for removing prohibited materials include manual removal or heavy machinery, and the use of shredder shredding systems. In shredder shredding systems, iron scrap is crushed using a shredder, and then separated into ferrous and non-ferrous materials using magnetic separators, wind separators, or manual labor. Shredder shredding systems sometimes fail to completely shred excessively large metals. A technology has been proposed that automatically detects such shredding problems (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-175575 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, some believe it is desirable to prevent materials that are not suitable for shredding (hereinafter referred to as "unsuitable materials for shredding") from being thrown into a shredder in the first place. Specific examples of unsuitable materials for shredding include materials that could potentially damage the shredder if thrown into the shredder. More specific examples include materials that are thicker than a certain level, materials that are harder than a certain level, and long, thin objects (e.g., chains) that could become entangled in shredder parts (e.g., hammers). Furthermore, using a shredder can increase the cost and time required for recycling metal scrap. Therefore, separating unsuitable materials from scrap iron using fewer shredders can reduce costs and time. This issue is common to materials (objects) other than scrap iron that may contain foreign objects such as unsuitable materials for shredding or prohibited materials. In other words, it is a common issue when handling a collection of objects that contains both desired objects (e.g., metal objects of appropriate size and hardness; hereinafter referred to as "desired objects") and foreign objects such as unsuitable materials for shredding.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and provides a technology that makes it possible to obtain a collection of desired objects with a lower proportion of foreign matter by separating foreign matter such as objects unsuitable for crushing or prohibited objects from a collection of target objects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) One aspect of the present invention is a separation system comprising: a conveying device that conveys multiple objects that have not been shredded by a shredder from upstream to downstream; a sensor located upstream of the conveying device that measures the objects; a determination unit that determines which of the multiple objects is a foreign object to be separated based on the measurement results obtained by the sensor; and a separation device located downstream of the conveying device that separates the objects on the conveying device that have been determined by the determination unit from other objects that have not been determined to be objects to be separated.

[0007] (2) In one aspect of the present invention, in the separation system described in (1) above, the sensor is an imaging device, and the determination unit determines the object to be separated using an image captured by the imaging device, an estimated model constructed using a reference image prepared in advance, and pixel information of the object to be separated contained in the reference image.

[0008] (3) In one aspect of the present invention, in the separation system described in (1) above, the sensor is a three-dimensional shape information acquisition device, and the determination unit determines the object to be separated using three-dimensional shape information acquired by the three-dimensional shape information acquisition device, an estimated model constructed using reference three-dimensional shape information generated in advance, and shape information of the object to be separated included in the reference three-dimensional shape information.

[0009] (4) In one aspect of the present invention, in the separation system described in (1) above, the sensor is a component measuring device, and the judgment unit judges the separation target using component information acquired by the component measuring device.

[0010] (5) In one aspect of the present invention, the separation system described in (1) above further includes a providing device that is installed further upstream of the sensor and that places multiple objects on the conveying device so that they are spaced farther apart from each other.

[0011] (6) In one aspect of the present invention, in the separation system described in (5) above, the providing device vibrates to increase the distance between the multiple objects.

[0012] (7) In one aspect of the present invention, in the separation system described in (1) above, the separation device includes a first separation device and a second separation device, and the first separation device and the second separation device each separate different types of separation objects from the object in which the separation objects were contained.

[0013] (8) In one aspect of the present invention, in the separation system described in (1) above, the conveying device is capable of operating at a first conveying speed and a second conveying speed lower than the first conveying speed, and the conveying device operates at the first conveying speed when separation is not being performed, and operates at the second conveying speed when separation is being performed by the separation device.

[0014] (9) One aspect of the present invention is a separation method performed by a separation system including a conveying device that conveys multiple objects that have not been shredded by a shredder from upstream to downstream, a sensor that measures the objects upstream of the conveying device, a control device, and a separation device, the separation method including a measurement step in which the sensor measures the objects, a determination step in which the control device determines from the multiple objects which objects are foreign objects to be separated based on the measurement results obtained by the sensor, and a separation step in which the separation device separates, downstream of the conveying device, the objects on the conveying device that have been determined in the determination step from other objects that have not been determined to be objects to be separated. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, by separating foreign matter such as materials unsuitable for crushing or prohibited materials from the target objects, it is possible to obtain a collection of desired objects with a smaller proportion of foreign matter. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the system configuration of a separation system 100. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a collection of objects (collected objects). [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing the state of a collection object 80 before processing by a separation system 100. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a diagram showing the state of the collected object 80 after processing by the separation system 100. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram showing another specific example of the state of the collected object 80 before processing by the separation system 100. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a diagram showing another specific example of the state of the collected object 80 after processing by the separation system 100. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates an example of a separation system 100. FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a specific example of the functional configuration of a determination device 40. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a specific example of the flow of operations of the separation system 100. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of a separation device 30. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of a separation device 30. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of a separation device 30. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of a separation device 30. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of a separation device 30. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of a separation device 30. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of a separation device 30. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of a separation device 30. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of a separation device 30. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a process flow for an object separated by a separation device 30 when the foreign object is a taboo object. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the flow of processing for objects separated by the separator 30 when the foreign objects are unsuitable for crushing. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 90 applied to the present embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of a providing device 50. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 shows a modification of the separation system 100. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a specific configuration of a modified example of the separation system 100. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the system configuration of a separation system 100. The separation system 100 includes a conveying device 10, a sensor 20, a separation device 30, and a determination device 40. The sensor 20, the separation device 30, and the determination device 40 are communicatively connected via a network 70. The network 70 may be a network using wireless communication or a network using wired communication. The network 70 may be configured using, for example, the Internet or a local area network (LAN). The network 70 may also be configured by combining multiple networks.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of a collection (hereinafter referred to as a "collected object") of objects (hereinafter referred to as "objects") to be processed by the separation system 100. The collected object 80 includes a plurality of objects to be processed by the separation system 100. The objects include desired objects 81 and foreign objects 82. Note that in FIG. 2, the proportion of desired objects 81 is much higher than the proportion of foreign objects 82, but the proportion of desired objects 81 and foreign objects 82 included in the collected object 80 may be any value. In the separation system 100, by separating foreign objects 82 from the collected object 80, a collection of desired objects 81 with a smaller proportion of foreign objects 82 is obtained.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the state of the collected object 80 before processing by the separation system 100. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the state of the collected object 80 after processing by the separation system 100. In the separation system 100, foreign objects 82 are treated as objects to be separated (hereinafter referred to as "separation objects"). While it is desirable to be able to separate only the foreign objects 82, which are the separation objects, from the target object, it is not always possible to separate only the foreign objects 82. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a collection 83 of the foreign object 82 and the desired objects 81 located around it may be separated together. FIGS. 3 and 4 show a specific example of separation using an extrusion-type separation device 30 as shown in FIG. 7, which will be described later. Therefore, in FIGS. 3 and 4, a collection 83 of the desired objects 81 and foreign objects 82 located in an area corresponding to the row extruded by the extrusion-type separation device 30 is separated. Furthermore, although it is desirable to be able to separate all of the foreign objects 82, it is not always possible to separate all of the foreign objects 82 as separation objects. For example, as shown on the left side of Fig. 4, there are cases where foreign matter 82 remains even after processing by separation system 100. However, as shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, by processing by separation system 100, it is possible to separate a collection 83 containing foreign matter 82 from the collection target object 80, thereby obtaining a collection of desired objects 81 with a smaller proportion of foreign matter 82.

[0020] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing another specific example of the state of the collected objects 80 before processing by the separation system 100. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing another specific example of the state of the collected objects 80 after processing by the separation system 100. Figs. 5 and 6 show a specific example of separation by a separation device 30 as shown in Figs. 10 and 12, which will be described later. Therefore, in Figs. 5 and 6, a collection 83 of desired objects 81 and foreign objects 82 located in a relatively narrow area compared to Figs. 3 and 4 is separated.

[0021] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a specific example of a separation system 100. In the separation system 100, a conveying device 10 conveys collected objects (e.g., a collection of iron scraps containing foreign matter) placed on a conveying surface 101 in a conveying direction. The collected objects are placed on the conveying device 10 of the separation system 100 and conveyed. The conveying direction of the conveying device 10 is the direction indicated by an arrow 101. A sensor 20 is installed upstream of the conveying device 10. The sensor 20 is installed so that the conveying surface 101 on the upstream side of the conveying device 10 is included in a detection range 21. The sensor 20 measures an object (e.g., an object) located inside the detection range 21 to obtain predetermined information (hereinafter referred to as "sensor information") related to the object. The sensor 20 transmits the obtained sensor information to a determination device 40.

[0022] A separation device 30 is installed downstream of the detection range 21 in the conveying direction of the conveying device 10. The separation device 30 separates objects (e.g., target objects) placed in a separation area 11 on the conveying surface 101 of the conveying device 10. The separation area 11 is provided downstream of the detection range 21. The separation device 30 moves back and forth on the conveying surface 101 along, for example, arrow 301, thereby moving the objects placed in the separation area 11 on the conveying surface 101 toward arrow 131.

[0023] Objects not separated by the separator 30 are conveyed by the conveying device 10 as they are, moving along arrow 121 to a first region 12 located downstream of the conveying device 10. The first region 12 may be defined in any manner. For example, the first region 12 may be defined as a first container. The objects separated by the separator 30 move along arrow 131 and reach a second region 13, which is different from the first region 12. The second region 13 may be defined in any manner. For example, the second region 13 may be defined as a second container. The first container and the second container are both containers that store the objects conveyed by the conveying device 10. The first container and the second container may be configured in any manner as long as they can store the objects. In this way, the objects conveyed by the conveying device 10 are separated and conveyed to the first region 12 and the second region 13. Note that the shapes and operations of each device shown in FIG. 7 are merely specific examples and are not limited to the shapes and operations shown in FIG. 7.

[0024] The sensor 20 acquires predetermined information (sensor information) about an object (e.g., scrap iron). The object is, for example, scrap iron that has not been shredded by a shredder. Unshredded scrap iron also includes objects that have been reduced in size by equipment such as a guillotine (downsized for easier handling by steel mills). The object may include objects that could cause problems if placed in a shredder as is (the aforementioned unsuitable objects for shredding). A specific example of a problem that may occur with a shredder is when an object fed into the shredder is too thick or too hard, causing a breakdown in a shredder component (e.g., blades). Another specific example of a problem that may occur with a shredder is when an object fed into the shredder has a long, thin shape (e.g., a chain shape) and becomes tangled in a shredder component (e.g., hammer), causing a breakdown. The sensor 20 may acquire any information as sensor information, as long as the information is capable of determining whether the object, scrap iron, is a foreign object. For example, the sensor 20 may be configured using an imaging device. In this case, the sensor 20 generates image data of the object based on electromagnetic waves of a predetermined wavelength. The sensor 20 may generate image data of the object based on, for example, visible light or infrared light.

[0025] The sensor 20 may be a three-dimensional shape information acquisition device. In this case, the sensor 20 acquires information about the shape of an object (hereinafter referred to as "shape information"). The shape information may be, for example, information about the three-dimensional shape of the object. In this case, the sensor 20 may be configured using a device that measures the distance between the sensor 20 and each point on the surface of the object. More specifically, the sensor 20 may be configured using a measurement device that measures the distance from the sensor 20 to each part on the surface of the object by irradiating the object with a laser and measuring scattered light. A specific example of such a sensor 20 is LIDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging). A specific example of shape information acquired by such a sensor 20 is point cloud data. In this way, shape information is information acquired by the sensor 20 and is information that directly or indirectly indicates the shape of the object.

[0026] The sensor 20 may be a component measuring device. In this case, the sensor 20 acquires information about the components of the substance constituting the object. Specific examples of such component measuring devices include devices that apply laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and devices that apply X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). Devices that apply LIBS quantify the elements in the object by irradiating the object (e.g., scrap iron) with a laser and analyzing the light emitted from plasma generated from the surface using a spectrometer. Devices that apply XRF quantify the elements in the object by irradiating the object with X-rays and measuring the intensity of fluorescent X-rays generated from the object. The component measuring device applied to the sensor 20 may also be a device that measures components non-invasively. In this way, information about the components of the substance constituting the object is information acquired by the sensor 20 and is information that directly or indirectly indicates the substance constituting the object. The above-mentioned shape information and information about the components of the substance constituting the object are specific examples of information about the object. That is, the sensor 20 measures, for example, the shape, color, surface structure (information indicating texture), hardness, or components of the object.

[0027] The separation device 30 is a device that separates objects (separation objects) being transported that have been determined by the determination device 40 to be separation objects. The separation objects are foreign objects such as materials that are unsuitable for crushing or prohibited materials (hereinafter, when the objects are iron scrap, the separation objects are also referred to as "separation object scrap"). The separation device 30 is, for example, a device that sends the separation objects (such as separation object scrap) to the second area 13. The separation device 30 may be configured in any manner as long as it is a device that can send the separation objects to the second area 13. For example, as shown in FIG. 7 , the separation device 30 moves in a direction (indicated by arrow 301) that intersects the conveying direction and the conveying direction on the conveying surface 101 in the separation area 11 of the conveying device 10, thereby sending objects (the separation object and objects located around it) located in the separation area 11 to the second area 13. Other aspects of the separation device 30 will be described later. Information acquired by the sensor 20 about an object determined as a separation object (for example, the shape information described above and information about the components of the substance that makes up the object) is a specific example of information about the separation object.

[0028] The determination device 40 determines whether or not an object to be determined is an object to be separated. The determination device 40 determines that foreign matter such as an object unsuitable for crushing or a prohibited object is an object to be separated. The determination device 40 is configured using an information processing device such as a personal computer or a server device. FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram showing a specific example of the functional configuration of the determination device 40. As shown in the example, the determination device 40 includes a communication unit 41, a storage unit 42, and a control unit 43.

[0029] The communication unit 41 is a communication device. The communication unit 41 may be configured as, for example, a network interface. The communication unit 41 communicates data with other devices via the network 70 in accordance with the control of the control unit 43. The communication unit 41 may be a device that performs wireless communication or a device that performs wired communication.

[0030] The storage unit 42 is configured using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk drive or a semiconductor storage device. The storage unit 42 stores data used by the control unit 43. The storage unit 42 may function as an estimation model storage unit 421, for example.

[0031] The estimation model storage unit 421 stores information about an estimation model previously constructed by a model construction process. Such a model construction process may be performed, for example, by a human, by another device (e.g., a model construction device), or by the device itself (the determination device 40). When performed by a human, data (e.g., a lookup table) may be generated that associates values ​​of sensor information acquired by the sensor 20 with information indicating whether an object (hereinafter referred to as a "detected object") located in the detection range 21 at the time the value was acquired is a separation object. When performed by another device or the device itself, a trained model may be constructed as an estimation model by executing a supervised learning process using known data as training data. Specific examples of the learning process include multivariate analysis, so-called machine learning, and deep learning. As the learning process, a learning process for classification or a learning process for regression may be used depending on the ground truth information used as training data. The training data may be configured to include, for example, the value of sensor information obtained by a sensor of the same type as sensor 20 used in separation system 100, and label information indicating whether the detected object at the time the value was obtained is the object to be separated.

[0032] For example, the estimation model may be constructed using images (also referred to as reference images or teacher images) prepared in advance. Such teacher images may be prepared, for example, by computer generation, or by computer processing of previously captured images. When a trained model is constructed as such an estimation model, a trained model trained to determine whether an image is a separation target may be generated using multiple reference images obtained by previously capturing images of the separation target. When images other than the separation target are also used as reference images in the learning process, a label (also referred to as a teacher label) indicating whether an object in the reference image is a separation target may be assigned. When a lookup table is used as such an estimation model, image features obtained from the reference image (e.g., a value indicating the outline of the object or a value indicating the color of the object) may be associated with a value indicating whether the object (object in the reference image) from which the feature was obtained is a separation target. The reference images and labels used in such processing may be independently generated, or existing data provided by a third party may be used. Furthermore, such estimation models may be independently generated, or may be generated and provided by a third party.

[0033] For example, the estimation model may be constructed using three-dimensional shape information (reference three-dimensional shape information) generated in advance. When a trained model is constructed as such an estimation model, the trained model may be generated by using multiple pieces of three-dimensional shape information obtained by measuring the object to be separated in advance, and trained to determine whether the information is the three-dimensional shape information of the object to be separated. When three-dimensional shape information other than the object to be separated is also used in the learning process as reference three-dimensional shape information, a label indicating whether the object indicated by the reference three-dimensional shape information is the object to be separated may be assigned. When a lookup table is used as such an estimation model, a feature amount obtained from the reference three-dimensional shape information (e.g., a value indicating the contour of the object or a value indicating unevenness) may be associated with a value indicating whether the object from which the feature amount was obtained (the object from the reference three-dimensional shape information) is the object to be separated. The reference three-dimensional shape information and labels used in such processing may be independently generated or may be existing data provided by a third party. Furthermore, such an estimation model may be independently generated or may be generated and provided by a third party.

[0034] Next, the control unit 43 will be described. The control unit 43 is configured using one or more hardware processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and one or more memories (main storage devices). The memory is configured using storage devices such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). The control unit 43 functions by executing various calculations by one or more hardware processors executing one or more programs stored in the memory. The control unit 43 functions as, for example, an information control unit 431, a determination unit 432, and a separation control unit 433. Note that all or part of the functions of the control unit 43 may be realized using hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The above programs may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of computer-readable recording media include portable media such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, and a semiconductor storage device (e.g., a solid-state drive (SSD)), as well as storage devices such as a hard disk or semiconductor storage device built into a computer system. The above programs may be transmitted via a telecommunications line.

[0035] The information control unit 431 acquires information from other devices such as the sensor 20. A specific example of the acquired information is sensor information acquired by the sensor 20. The information control unit 431 records the acquired information in a storage device such as a memory. Such exchange of information between the information control unit 431 and other devices may be performed by communication using the communication unit 41, for example.

[0036] The determination unit 432 determines whether or not the detected object indicated by the sensor information is a separation target object using the estimation model stored in the estimation model storage unit 421. For example, the determination unit 432 acquires the sensor information as an explanatory variable, and acquires a value indicating whether or not the detected object is a separation target object, which is an objective variable, based on the estimation model. At this time, a value indicating the likelihood that the detected object is a separation target object or a value indicating the possibility that the detected object is a separation target object may be acquired as the objective variable. In this case, the determination unit 432 also determines whether or not the detected object is a separation target object based on the acquired value.

[0037] The separation control unit 433 separates the separation target object into the second region 13 by controlling the operation of the separation device 30 in accordance with the determination result of the determination unit 432. For example, the separation control unit 433 determines the timing at which the target object located in the detection range 21 when the sensor information is obtained will reach the separation region 11, based on the conveying speed of the conveying device 10 and the timing at which the sensor information indicating that the determination unit 432 has determined that the target object is a separation target object is obtained. The separation control unit 433 controls the operation of the separation device 30 so that the separation device 30 operates to separate the target object in the separation region 11 on the conveying surface 101 at that timing.

[0038] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a specific example of the operation flow of the separation system 100. The sensor 20 acquires sensor information about an object being transported (an object located in the detection range 21). The determination device 40 acquires the sensor information obtained by the sensor 20 (step S101). The determination device 40 determines whether the detected object is a separation object based on the acquired sensor information (step S102). For example, the determination device 40 reads an estimation model from the estimation model storage unit 421 and performs processing using the read estimation model and the acquired sensor information. Specifically, the determination device 40 acquires a target variable using the sensor information as an explanatory variable of the read estimation model. Based on the target variable, the determination device 40 determines whether the detected object is a separation object. If the detected object is not a separation object (step S102-NO), the separation control unit 433 does not cause the separation device 30 to perform a separation operation. In this case, the object being transported by the transport device 10 is transported to the first region 12 without being separated.

[0039] On the other hand, if the detected object is a separation target (step S102-YES), the separation control unit 433 determines the timing when the separation target will reach the separation region 11 (step S103). For example, this process may be performed as follows: The storage unit 42 of the determination device 40 pre-stores the distance between the detection range 21 and the separation region 11. The separation control unit 433 acquires the conveying speed from the conveying device 10. Based on the timing when the sensor information indicating that the determination unit 432 determined that the object is a separation target was obtained, the conveying speed, and the distance, the separation control unit 433 determines the timing when the object located in the detection range 21 when the sensor information was obtained will reach the separation region 11. The separation control unit 433 causes the separation device 30 to perform a separation operation at the determined timing (step S104). In this case, the object being conveyed by the conveying device 10 is separated and reaches the second region 13. Through this operation, separation targets determined to be foreign objects are separated into a region different from objects determined not to contain foreign objects.

[0040] Next, a description will be given of a specific example of the separation device 30 used in the separation system 100. Fig. 7 shows, as a specific example of the separation device 30, a device that separates objects located in the separation region 11 into the second region 13 by pushing the objects located in the separation region 11 in a direction intersecting the conveying direction. Other aspects of the separation device 30 will be described with reference to Figs. 10 to 18.

[0041] The separation device 30 shown in FIG. 10 is a suspended magnetic conveyor. The magnetic force of the magnetic conveyor is switched on and off under the control of the separation control unit 433. The magnetic conveyor also has a conveyor that transports magnetically attached objects from a position above the separation region 11 to a position above the second region 13. The magnetic force of the magnetic conveyor is controlled to be turned on when the objects to be separated are positioned in the separation region 11. When the magnetic force is turned on, magnetic objects (objects to be separated) located in the separation region 11 attach to the magnetic conveyor. By operating the magnetic conveyor with the objects to be separated attached, the magnetic conveyor moves the attached objects from above the separation region 11 to above the second region 13. When the objects to be separated are moved above the second region 13, the magnetic force of the magnetic conveyor is controlled to be turned off. In response to this control, the objects to be separated attached to the magnetic conveyor reach the second region 13.

[0042] The separation device 30 shown in Fig. 11 changes the conveying direction in the conveying device 10. Specifically, the separation device 30 switches between a first conveying direction toward the first region 12 and a second conveying direction toward the second region 13. The separation device 30 switches the conveying direction from the first conveying direction to the second conveying direction when the separation object is positioned in the separation region 11. In response to this switching, the separation object being conveyed reaches the second region 13. Thereafter, the separation device 30 switches the second conveying direction to the first conveying direction.

[0043] The separation device 30 shown in FIG. 12 is a movable lift magnet. The magnetic force of the lift magnet is switched on and off under the control of the separation control unit 433. The lift magnet is also configured to be movable between a position above the separation region 11 and a position above the second region 13 under the control of the separation control unit 433. The lift magnet is positioned above the separation region 11 when the separation target is positioned in the separation region 11, and the magnetic force is controlled to be on. When the magnetic force is turned on, the magnetic object (separation target) located in the separation region 11 adheres to the lift magnet. The lift magnet moves above the second region 13 with the separation target attached. When the lift magnet has completed its movement above the second region 13, the magnetic force is controlled to be off. In response to this control, the separation target attached to the lift magnet reaches the second region 13.

[0044] The separating device 30 shown in FIG. 13 is a movable conveyor (hereinafter referred to as the "moving conveyor"). The moving conveyor transports objects placed on its upper surface in the transport direction. Under the control of the separation control unit 433, the moving conveyor moves between a position (hereinafter referred to as the "first moving position") where an object that has fallen off the conveying device 10 after the conveyance of the conveying device 10 is completed can be placed on the upper surface of the moving conveyor, and a position (hereinafter referred to as the "second moving position") where an object that has fallen off the conveying device 10 after the conveyance of the conveying device 10 is not placed on the upper surface of the moving conveyor. When the moving conveyor is located at the first moving position, the object transported by the moving conveyor is transported to the first region 12. Therefore, when the moving conveyor is located at the first moving position, the object that has fallen off the conveying device 10 is placed on the transport surface of the moving conveyor and transported to the first region 12. On the other hand, when the moving conveyor is located at the second moving position, the object that has deviated from the conveying device 10 reaches the second region 13 without being placed on the conveying surface of the moving conveyor. In this case, the separation region 11 may be defined as, for example, a region at the end of the conveying device 10 in the conveying direction.

[0045] The separating device 30 shown in FIG. 14 is a conveyor (hereinafter referred to as a "variable speed conveyor") whose conveying speed or conveying acceleration can be changed. The variable speed conveyor conveys objects placed on its upper surface in the conveying direction. The variable speed conveyor is installed in a position where objects that have been removed from the conveying device 10 after the conveying device 10 has completed its conveyance can be placed on its upper surface. Objects that have been removed from the conveying device 10 after the conveying device 10 has completed its conveyance are continued to be conveyed by the variable speed conveyor. The variable speed conveyor can perform conveyance in a first state and a second state. The conveyance speed and conveyance acceleration differ between the first state and the second state. An object conveyed in the first state reaches the first area 12. An object conveyed in the second state reaches the second area 13. The conveyance speed or conveyance acceleration in the first state and the conveyance speed or conveyance acceleration in the second state are set in advance to enable the above-described conveyance. The conveyance speed or conveyance acceleration in the first state and the second state may be changed depending on the size and weight of the object to be conveyed. Such control is executed, for example, by the separation control unit 433. The separation control unit 433 may estimate the size and weight of the object to be conveyed based on, for example, sensor information obtained by the sensor 20, and change the conveying speed or conveying acceleration according to the estimation result.

[0046] In the conveying device 10 in which the separating device 30 shown in FIG. 15 is used, the conveying path branches midway into a first conveying path extending to a first region 12 and a second conveying path extending to a second region 13. A conveying direction switcher 31, which is a specific example of the separating device 30, is provided in the branching region. The conveying direction switcher 31 is switchable between a first state in which the approach path to the second conveying path is closed and a second state in which the approach path to the first conveying path is closed. When the conveying direction switcher 31 is in the first state, the approach path to the second conveying path is closed, so that an object located in the branching region at that time enters the first conveying path and is conveyed to the first region 12. When the conveying direction switcher 31 is in the second state, the approach path to the first conveying path is closed, so that an object located in the branching region at that time enters the second conveying path and is conveyed to the second region 13.

[0047] The separation device 30 shown in FIG. 16 is a rotary chute. The rotary chute receives objects that have been released from the conveying device 10 after the conveyance by the conveying device 10 has been completed through an inlet provided at the top, and discharges them through a discharge outlet. The rotary chute rotates to move between a first state in which the discharge outlet faces the first region 12 and a second state in which the discharge outlet faces the second region 13. In this case, the separation region 11 may be defined as the inlet or the interior of the rotary chute. When the discharge outlet of the rotary chute faces the first region 12, objects located inside the rotary chute reach the first region 12. When the discharge outlet of the rotary chute faces the second region 13, objects located inside the rotary chute reach the second region 13.

[0048] The separation device 30 shown in FIG. 17 is a drop switching device that moves to drop objects being transported at a predetermined position (above the second area 13). The drop switching device switches between, for example, a first state in which the objects can be transported downstream as is, and a second state in which the objects are bent downward at a predetermined angle. When the drop switching device is in the first state, the objects are transported to the first area 12 without being dropped by the drop switching device. On the other hand, when the drop switching device is in the second state, objects that were located on the top surface of the drop switching device at that time and objects that reach the drop switching device thereafter drop into the second area 13. In this case, the separation area 11 may be defined as, for example, the position of the drop switching device.

[0049] The separation device 30 shown in FIG. 18 is a tilt switching device in which a portion of the conveying surface is tilted so that objects being conveyed fall at a predetermined position (above the second region 13). The tilt switching device switches between, for example, a first state in which the objects can be conveyed directly downstream, and a second state in which a portion of the conveying surface rises upward at a predetermined angle to be tilted. When the tilt switching device is in the first state, the objects are conveyed to the first region 12 without falling off the tilt switching device. On the other hand, when the tilt switching device is in the second state, objects that were located on the upper surface of the tilt switching device at that time, or objects that subsequently reach the tilt switching device, fall into the second region 13 according to the tilt. In this case, the separation region 11 may be defined, for example, as the position of the tilt switching device.

[0050] FIG. 19 illustrates the processing flow for objects separated by the separator 30 when the foreign matter is a taboo object. When the foreign matter is a taboo object, many of the taboo objects are separated as the separation object. Therefore, the proportion of taboo objects in the objects that reach the first area 12 after separation by the separator 30 is lower than before separation. Such objects can be directly fed into the electric furnace. This processing reduces the time and cost required for processing the objects. On the other hand, objects that reach the second area 13 after separation by the separator 30 contain many taboo objects. Since directly feeding such objects into the electric furnace can cause significant quality issues, additional sorting is required. Additional sorting involves a process that separates the objects into iron scrap and non-ferrous metals (such as taboo objects) using a mechanism different from that used by the separator 30. For example, this process may be performed manually or using a shredder shredding system that includes a magnetic separator or a wind separator. The objects selected as iron scrap by additional sorting are fed into the electric furnace. The materials selected as non-ferrous metals through the additional sorting process may be handed over to a non-ferrous metal recycling company or disposed of. The destination for the materials selected as iron scrap through the additional sorting process does not have to be the electric furnace described above. For example, they may be input into a converter or other melting furnace.

[0051] FIG. 20 illustrates the process flow for objects separated by the separator 30 when the foreign objects are unsuitable for shredding. When the foreign objects are unsuitable for shredding, the separated objects may contain many unsuitable objects. Therefore, the objects that reach the first area 12 after the separation process by the separator 30 contain few unsuitable objects. However, such objects may contain prohibited objects. If such prohibited objects are directly fed into the electric furnace, quality issues may arise. Therefore, it is preferable to separate the prohibited objects through additional sorting. Additional sorting involves separation using the separation system 100, which treats prohibited objects as foreign objects, or a process that separates the scrap metal from non-ferrous metals (e.g., prohibited objects) using a system different from the separator 30. For example, the process performed by a system different from the separator 30 may be performed manually or using a shredder shredding system. When using a shredder crushing system, since the material contains at least very few materials that are unsuitable for shredding, the shredding process can be omitted and only the sorting process (such as magnetic sorting or wind sorting) can be performed. Materials selected as scrap iron through this additional sorting process are fed into an electric furnace. Materials selected as unsuitable materials through this additional sorting process can be handed over to a non-ferrous metal recycler or disposed of.

[0052] Furthermore, the objects that reach the second area 13 after separation processing by the separator 30 contain a large amount of materials that are unsuitable for crushing. Such materials are likely to be high-quality iron scrap that does not contain many prohibited components. Therefore, objects containing a large amount of materials that are unsuitable for crushing can be directly fed into an electric furnace. By processing the objects in this way, it is possible to reduce the time and cost required for processing the objects.

[0053] 21 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 90 applied to this embodiment. The information processing device 90 includes a processor 91, a main memory device 92, a communication interface 93, an auxiliary memory device 94, an input / output interface 95, and an internal bus 96. The processor 91, the main memory device 92, the communication interface 93, the auxiliary memory device 94, and the input / output interface 95 are communicably connected to each other via the internal bus 96. The information processing device 90 may be applied to, for example, the determination device 40. In this case, for example, the communication unit 41 may be configured using the communication interface 93. For example, the memory unit 42 may be configured using the auxiliary memory device 94. Furthermore, the control unit 43 may be configured using the processor 91 and the main memory device 92.

[0054] (Variation) The determination device 40 may be implemented using a plurality of information processing devices. For example, the determination device 40 may be implemented using a device such as a cloud. For example, in the determination device 40, the storage unit 42 and the control unit 43 may be implemented in different information processing devices. For example, the storage unit 42 of the determination device 40 may be implemented in a distributed manner in a plurality of information processing devices.

[0055] The separation system 100 may further include a providing device 50. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a specific example of the providing device 50. The providing device 50 places multiple objects on the conveying device 10 so that the distance between them becomes greater. The providing device 50 vibrates itself to provide the objects to the conveying device 10 little by little. By operating in this manner, the providing device 50 can increase the distance between the objects, particularly in the conveying direction of the conveying device 10. A specific example of such a providing device 50 is a vibrating feeder.

[0056] In the above-described separation system 100, foreign objects such as taboo objects and objects unsuitable for crushing are separated from other objects (desired objects). In contrast, the system may be configured so that objects unsuitable for crushing and objects not containing taboo objects reach the same region (e.g., first region 12), and the taboo objects reach another region (e.g., second region 13). Such a configuration may be realized, for example, by a processing flow as shown in FIG. 23.

[0057] In the process flow shown in Figure 23, the separator 30 first operates to separate materials unsuitable for shredding into the first area 12. After the separation process by the separator 30, the materials that reach the first area 12 contain many materials unsuitable for shredding. Such materials unsuitable for shredding are likely to be high-quality iron scrap that does not contain many prohibited components. Therefore, materials containing many materials unsuitable for shredding can be directly fed into an electric furnace.

[0058] The objects that reach the second area 13 after separation processing by the separator 30 include many objects with few unsuitable materials for crushing. These objects may contain non-ferrous metals, such as prohibited materials. If these objects are directly fed into the electric furnace, quality issues may arise. Therefore, additional sorting is preferable. Therefore, objects with few unsuitable materials for crushing are further separated by the separator 30, which operates to further separate prohibited materials. In the latter separator 30, objects with few prohibited materials are separated into the first area 12, and objects containing many prohibited materials are separated into the second area 13. Objects with few prohibited materials can be directly fed into the electric furnace, just like objects with many unsuitable materials for crushing. Processing in this manner can reduce the time and cost required for processing the objects.

[0059] Objects containing a large amount of inappropriate materials are subjected to additional sorting. In the additional sorting, a process for separating the objects into scrap iron and non-ferrous metals (inappropriate materials, etc.) is performed using a different mechanism than the separation device 30. For example, this process may be performed manually or using a shredder shredding system. Objects selected as scrap iron in the additional sorting are fed into an electric furnace. Objects selected as non-ferrous metals in the additional sorting may be delivered to a non-ferrous recycler or disposed of. To achieve this configuration, the separation system 100 may include separation devices 30 in an upstream (upstream) and downstream (downstream) stages. The upstream separation device 30 separates objects containing a large amount of inappropriate materials for shredding under the control of the determination device 40, preventing them from flowing to the downstream stage. Objects containing fewer inappropriate materials for shredding flow to the downstream stage. The downstream separation device 30 separates the objects flowing to the downstream stage into inappropriate materials and scrap iron under the control of the determination device 40.

[0060] FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a specific configuration of a modified example of the separation system 100. In the separation system 100 shown in FIG. 24, multiple separation devices 30 (e.g., separation devices 30a and 30b) are provided along the conveying path of the conveying device 10. Separation device 30a corresponds to the first separation device, and separation device 30b corresponds to the second separation device. Objects separated by separation device 30a move along arrow 131a and reach the second area 13a. Objects separated by separation device 30b move along arrow 131b and reach the second area 13b. Separation device 30a and separation device 30b may be configured to separate different types of separation objects (e.g., first separation objects and second separation objects). For example, the first separation object may be a taboo object (separation object), and the second separation object may be an object unsuitable for crushing (separation object). In this case, separation device 30a may be configured to separate the taboo object (separation object), and separation device 30b may be configured to separate the object unsuitable for crushing. In other words, the separator 30a may be configured to separate materials that cannot be used as scrap iron, while the separator 30b may be configured to separate thick or hard scrap iron that can be used as scrap iron but is not suitable for shredding. The determination device 40 determines whether the separation target is a first separation target or a second separation target based on sensor information. The determination device 40 determines whether to operate the separator 30a or the separator 30b based on the determination result. Depending on the separator 30 to be operated, the determination device 40 determines the timing when the separation target reaches the separation region 11 of the separator 30 to be operated and operates the separator 30 at that timing. This configuration has the effect of facilitating post-processing. For example, materials separated by the separator 30a can be treated as taboo materials, while materials separated by the separator 30b can be melted directly in an electric furnace. Note that while the above example uses two separators 30, three or more separators 30 may be provided.

[0061] The determination device 40 may control the conveying device 10 to reduce the conveying speed of the conveying device 10 when separation is performed by the separation device 30. For example, the conveying device 10 conveys at a first speed when separation is not performed, and conveys at a second speed (slower than the first speed) when separation is performed (e.g., a predetermined period including the timing when the separation device performs separation). The determination device 40 instructs the conveying device 10 to operate at the second speed when separation is performed by the separation device 30. Upon receiving an instruction to operate at the second speed, the conveying device 10 may convey at the second speed for a predetermined period (e.g., 1 second) from the instruction, and then convey at the first speed again. This configuration enables separation of the objects to be separated with higher accuracy.

[0062] The separation system 100 (including modifications) configured as described above can properly separate foreign matter such as materials unsuitable for shredding and prohibited materials from the target object. In particular, when the target object is scrap iron that has not been shredded by a shredder, it is difficult to separate the foreign matter using a mechanism that grasps the object, such as a robot arm. In response to this problem, the separation system 100 described above can properly separate the foreign matter through the operation of the separator 30, even when the target object is scrap iron that has not been shredded by a shredder.

[0063] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes designs within the scope of the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 100...Separation system, 10...Transportation device, 11...Separation area, 12...First area, 13...Second area, 20...Sensor, 30...Separation device, 40...Determination device, 41...Communication unit, 42...Memory unit, 421...Estimation model memory unit, 43...Control unit, 431...Information control unit, 432...Determination unit, 433...Separation control unit, 50...Providing device

Claims

1. a conveying device that conveys a plurality of objects that have not been shredded by the shredder from upstream to downstream; a sensor for measuring the object on the upstream side of the conveying device; a determination unit that determines a separation target that is a foreign object to be separated from the plurality of targets based on the measurement results obtained by the sensor; a separation device downstream of the conveying device that separates the separation target object on the conveying device determined by the determination unit from other targets that are not determined to be the separation target object; A separation system comprising:

2. the sensor is an imaging device; 2. The separation system according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the object to be separated using an image captured by the imaging device, an estimation model constructed using a reference image prepared in advance, and pixel information of the object to be separated included in the reference image.

3. the sensor is a three-dimensional shape information acquisition device, 2. The separation system according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the object to be separated using three-dimensional shape information acquired by the three-dimensional shape information acquisition device, and an estimated model constructed using reference three-dimensional shape information generated in advance and shape information of the object to be separated included in the reference three-dimensional shape information.

4. the sensor is a component measuring device; The separation system according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines the separation target using component information acquired by the component measuring device.

5. The separation system according to claim 1 , further comprising a providing device installed further upstream of the sensor, the providing device placing a plurality of objects on the conveying device so that the objects are spaced apart from one another at greater intervals.

6. The separation system according to claim 5 , wherein the providing device vibrates to increase the distance between the plurality of objects.

7. the separation device includes a first separation device and a second separation device; The separation system according to claim 1 , wherein the first separation device and the second separation device each separate different types of separation objects from an object that contained the separation objects.

8. the conveying device is operable at a first conveying speed and a second conveying speed lower than the first conveying speed; The separation system according to claim 1 , wherein the conveying device operates at the first conveying speed when separation is not performed, and operates at the second conveying speed when separation is performed by the separating device.

9. A separation method carried out by a separation system including a conveying device that conveys a plurality of objects that have not been shredded by a shredder from upstream to downstream, a sensor that measures the objects upstream of the conveying device, a control device, and a separating device, a measuring step in which the sensor measures an object; a determination step in which the control device determines a separation target that is a foreign object to be separated from the plurality of targets based on the measurement result obtained by the sensor; a separation step in which the separation device separates, downstream of the transport device, the separation object on the transport device determined in the determination step from other objects not determined as the separation object; A separation method comprising:

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