Manufacturing method

Abstract

To determine a recycling process according to a recycling raw material.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing a container, comprising: determining a recycling process to be applied to a recycled raw material based on attribute information of the recycled raw material comprising a plurality of raw material elements; obtaining a recycled resin by applying the determined recycling process to the recycled raw material; and manufacturing a container by molding the obtained recycled resin.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a manufacturing method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, growing interest in environmental protection has led to the widespread use of recycling. In recycling, used containers and the like are collected as recyclable raw materials, which are then subjected to recycling processes such as washing and kneading to form granular recycled resins called pellets, for example. Such a recycling method is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7237991 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, unlike virgin materials, recycled materials have non-uniform properties and conditions. For example, recycled materials may have uneven colors or deteriorated physical properties. For this reason, it is difficult to produce recycled products with the desired specifications using a uniform recycling process.

[0005] The present invention relates to a technique for determining a recycling process depending on the recycled material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a container, including determining a recycling process to be applied to a recycled material consisting of a plurality of raw material elements based on attribute information of the recycled material, applying the determined recycling process to the recycled material to obtain a recycled resin, and manufacturing a container by molding the obtained recycled resin. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to determine a recycling process depending on the recycled raw material. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a recycling system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a recycling facility 10. [Figure 3] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an information processing device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of an attribute information database. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of actual measurement of color information. [Figure 6] 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the recycling system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a hardware configuration 90. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] <Summary> An embodiment of the present invention relates to an information processing system, and more particularly to a recycling system that recycles collected used resources into materials for new products. An outline of such a recycling system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0011] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a recycling system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the recycling system 1 includes a recycling facility 10 and an information processing device 20. FIG. 1 also shows a recycled raw material 70 made up of a plurality of raw material elements M (M1 to M3 in the example shown in FIG. 1). The raw material elements M may be flexible packaging containers such as film containers, molded bottles, or waste materials.

[0012] (Recycling facility 10) The recycling facility 10 processes the recycled raw materials 70 collected in the recycling facility 10 to form pellets 80. The pellets 80 are granular recycled resin (recycled resources). Film that can be used in new products can be produced from the pellets 80.

[0013] 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of the recycling facility 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the recycling facility 10 has an optical device 110, a washing and crushing machine 120, a melting and kneading machine 130, a cooling section 140, and a pelletizer 150.

[0014] The optical device 110 has the function of reading information from each raw material element M that constitutes the recycled raw material 70. For example, the optical device 110 may optically read a JAN (Japanese Article Number) code, a two-dimensional code, a serial number, or an electronic watermark formed on the raw material element M. Alternatively, the optical device 110 may capture an image of the raw material element M by imaging the raw material element M. When reading information or capturing an image using the optical device 110, the raw material element M is preferably in an open state, but may also be folded or constricted. To facilitate reading information or capturing an image, it is also effective to use a robot to align the raw material elements M.

[0015] The optical device 110 is an example of an attribute acquisition device for obtaining optical information as attribute acquisition. As the attribute acquisition device, a device according to the attribute to be acquired can be applied. For example, the attribute acquisition device may be a spectrometer, a surface roughness meter, a viscoelasticity device, etc., with non-contact types being particularly preferable. For spectroscopy, it is also effective to apply a method that cannot be distinguished in the visible light region.

[0016] The washing and crushing machine 120 crushes the recycled raw materials 70 while washing the recycled raw materials 70, and then dehydrates and dries the recycled raw materials 70. Alternatively, the washing and crushing machine 120 may crush the recycled raw materials 70 after washing the recycled raw materials 70.

[0017] The melt kneader 130 melts and kneads the material obtained by the washing and crushing machine 120, and extrudes it into a rod shape. The melt kneader 130 has, for example, a motor, a screw rotated by the motor, a discharge part, and a resin reservoir part located between the discharge part and the screw. The rotation of the screw extrudes the composition into the resin reservoir part, and then the composition is discharged in a rod shape from the discharge part.

[0018] The cooling section 140 cools the composition extruded into a rod shape from the melt-kneader 130. For example, the cooling section 140 is a container that contains a medium at a temperature in the range of -5°C to 10°C, and cools the composition extruded into a rod shape from the melt-kneader 130 as it passes through the cooling section 140. The medium contained in the cooling section 140 may be water, liquid nitrogen, or the like.

[0019] The pelletizer 150 shreds the rod-shaped composition fed through the cooling section 140. This forms pellets 80, which are granular recycled resin.

[0020] After the pellets 80 are formed, they can be used to carry out molding processes such as extrusion molding, blow molding, and injection molding. The molded products obtained by molding processes can be processed into upright containers such as pouch containers and bottle containers for toiletries, cosmetics, personal care products, food, and the like.

[0021] (information processing device 20) Information processing device 20 determines a recycling process to be applied to recycled raw materials 70 in recycling facility 10. For example, information processing device 20 determines a recycling process to be applied to recycled raw materials 70 based on attribute information of each raw material element M that constitutes recycled raw materials 70. Recycling facility 10 executes the recycling process determined by information processing device 20 on recycled raw materials 70. The configuration of such information processing device 20 will be described in more detail below.

[0022] <Configuration of information processing device 20> 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an information processing device 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the information processing device 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a storage unit 210, an element attribute acquisition unit 220, an ingredient evaluation unit 230, a comparison unit 240, and a determination unit 250.

[0023] (Storage unit 210) The storage unit 210 stores various data used in the operation of the information processing device 20. For example, the storage unit 210 may have an attribute information database that stores attribute information of each raw material element M, and data for determining a recycling process according to the evaluation results of the recycled raw material 70 (for example, a rule-based database or a model obtained by machine learning using past data).

[0024] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of an attribute information database. In the attribute information database, JAN codes, color information (R, G, B), constituent material information, chemical substances contained in the contents, viscosity of the contents, pH of the contents, brand owners, and container suppliers are associated with each other.

[0025] In the illustrated example, specifically, the JAN code "49xxxx1", color information (R, G, B) "20, 40, 65", constituent material information "PE: 80% PET: 20%", chemical substance contained in the contents "chlorine-based compound", viscosity of the contents "V1", pH of the contents "7", brand owner "Brand Owner A", and container supplier "Supplier X" are associated.

[0026] The color information (R, G, B) indicates the average color of the raw material element M. For example, the average RGB values ​​for each pixel of the raw material element M may be calculated in advance, and the result of this calculation may be stored in the attribute information database as color information (R, G, B). For example, FIG. 5 shows an overall view of raw material element M1 (color representation omitted for clarity) and a partial enlarged view. For raw material element M1, the average RGB values ​​for each pixel, such as pixel P1 and pixel P2, may be treated as the color information (R, G, B) of the raw material element M1. Note that the color information may be expressed in a color code format other than RGB values, such as Lab values, Hex, CMYK, or XYZ. Note that the color information (R, G, B) may also be the result of measuring the color of pellets 80 obtained from the raw material element M.

[0027] The constituent material information is information about the materials that make up the raw material element M. Fig. 4 shows, as the constituent material information, information indicating the materials that make up the raw material element M and the weight ratio of each material. As another example, the constituent material information may be information indicating the magnitude of the molecular weight distribution of the materials that make up the raw material element M, the magnitude of the MFR, the degree of crystallinity, molecular weight, density, etc. of the materials that make up the raw material element M.

[0028] The chemical substances contained in the contents, the viscosity of the contents, and the pH of the contents are examples of information about the contents contained in the ingredient element M.

[0029] The brand owner is a business that sells products using raw material element M. The container supplier is a business that manufactures raw material element M.

[0030] The attribute information database may not include all of the above-mentioned information, or may include other information. For example, the attribute information database may include information indicating the sales date of the raw material element M, information indicating the shape of the raw material element M, information indicating the product category of the product in which the raw material element M is used, information indicating the size of the raw material element M, information indicating the weight of the raw material element M, etc. The attribute information database may also include information indicating a prediction result of the color of the raw material element M when pelletized.

[0031] Although the above describes an example in which each piece of attribute information is associated with a JAN code, each piece of attribute information may be associated with other identification information such as a serial number or a product name. In this specification, the description will be continued mainly assuming an example in which each piece of attribute information is associated with a JAN code.

[0032] (Element attribute acquisition unit 220) The element attribute acquisition unit 220 acquires attribute information for each of the multiple raw material elements M that make up the recycled raw material 70. For example, the element attribute acquisition unit 220 may acquire the JAN code of each raw material element M from the optical device 110 of the recycling facility 10 as the identification result of each raw material element M, and acquire the attribute information associated with the JAN code in the attribute information database stored in the storage unit 210.

[0033] Furthermore, the element attribute acquisition unit 220 may acquire attribute information of the raw material element M without referring to the attribute information database. For example, in acquiring color information, the element attribute acquisition unit 220 may acquire captured images of each raw material element M from the optical device 110 of the recycling facility 10 and acquire RGB values ​​of each raw material element M from the captured images of each raw material element M. In this case, the element attribute acquisition unit 220 may apply a filter process to the captured images of the raw material element M, identify the RGB values ​​of each pixel, and calculate the average value of the RGB values ​​of each pixel. Filtering is effective in suppressing the effects of conditions that may cause errors in color, such as dust, scratches, and ripples.

[0034] (Raw material evaluation unit 230) The raw material evaluation unit 230 evaluates the attributes of the recycled raw material 70 based on the attribute information of the multiple raw material elements M acquired by the element attribute acquisition unit 220. The raw material evaluation unit 230 may evaluate the attributes of the recycled raw material 70 by averaging or aggregating the attribute information of the multiple raw material elements M.

[0035] For example, with regard to color information, the element attribute acquisition unit 220 may acquire an RGB value that is the result of a simple average of the RGB values ​​of each of the multiple raw material elements M as the evaluation value (evaluation result) of the attribute of the recycled raw material 70. Instead of a simple average, the element attribute acquisition unit 220 can also apply a weighted average based on the type or shape of each raw material element M.

[0036] Furthermore, the raw material evaluation unit 230 may evaluate the attributes of the recycled raw material 70 by simply averaging the weight ratios of each of the constituent materials of the multiple raw material elements M, or by taking into account the weights of each of the multiple raw material elements M and weighting the weight ratios of each of the constituent materials to evaluate the attributes of the recycled raw material 70. In this case, evaluation values ​​such as 80% PE, 10% PET, and 10% Ny may be obtained. Alternatively, the raw material evaluation unit 230 may obtain the ratio of the number of raw material elements M containing a specific material to the number of raw material elements M not containing a specific material. In this case, evaluation values ​​such as 10% raw material elements M containing aluminum and 90% raw material elements M not containing aluminum may be obtained. Furthermore, the raw material evaluation unit 230 may obtain, in relation to the polymer composition information, not only information related to the composition formula, but also information focusing on the molecular weight or molecular weight distribution, and information related to the crystallinity or density, as evaluation values ​​of the attributes of the recycled raw material 70.

[0037] Furthermore, the raw material evaluation unit 230 may acquire, with regard to the contents, an average value of the viscosity or pH of each of the contents of a plurality of raw material elements M as an evaluation value of the attributes of the recycled raw material 70. Alternatively, the raw material evaluation unit 230 may acquire, as an evaluation value of the attributes of the recycled raw material 70, the proportion of each of the plurality of raw material elements M in which a specific compound was used, the proportion of the raw material elements M by product category, or the like.

[0038] (Comparator 240) The comparison unit 240 compares the evaluation values ​​of the attributes of the recycled raw material 70 obtained by the raw material evaluation unit 230 with reference values. The reference values ​​are attribute values ​​desired to obtain the desired pellets 80. The comparison unit 240 may grade the comparison results according to predetermined rules.

[0039] For example, when the evaluation value (R, G, B) of the color information of the recycled material 70 is "20, 55, 10" and the reference value (R, G, B) of the color information is "30, 50, 20," the comparison unit 240 calculates the evaluation value (R, G, B) minus the reference value (R, G, B) to obtain "-10, 5, -10" as the comparison result. Furthermore, the comparison unit 240 may evaluate the comparison result as low grade if at least one of the RGB difference values ​​is a double digit, and may evaluate the comparison result as high grade if all difference values ​​are within a single digit. The comparison unit 240 may also obtain the distance between the evaluation value (R, G, B) and the reference value (R, G, B) on the mapping as the comparison result.

[0040] Furthermore, with regard to the constituent material information, if the evaluation value of the constituent material information of recycled raw material 70 is "PE: 80%, PET: 10%, Ny: 10%" and the reference value of the constituent material information is "PE: 90%, Ny: 10%, " the comparison unit 240 calculates "PE: -10%, PET: 10%, Ny: 0%" as the comparison result by subtracting the evaluation value from the reference value. Furthermore, the comparison unit 240 may evaluate the result as grade 10 if the sum of the absolute values ​​of the differences between the respective materials is equal to or greater than 0% and less than 5%, as grade 9 if the sum is equal to or greater than 5% and less than 10%, and so on down to grade 8, grade 7, .... According to this rule, the above "PE: 80%, PET: 10%, Ny: 10%" would be evaluated as grade 6, and "PE: 85%, Ny: 15%" would be evaluated as grade 8.

[0041] Furthermore, if the recycled raw material 70 contains 95% (evaluation value) of a raw material element M that does not contain aluminum, and the reference value for that item is 99.9%, the comparison unit 240 calculates the absolute value of the evaluation value minus the reference value to obtain a comparison result of "4.9%." Furthermore, the comparison unit 240 may evaluate a comparison result that is 0% or greater and less than 1% as Grade 10, or a comparison result that is 1% or greater and less than 2% as Grade 9, and so on down the line to Grade 8, Grade 7, ... According to this rule, the raw material element M: 95% that does not contain aluminum is evaluated as Grade 6, and the raw material element M: 100% that does not contain aluminum is evaluated as Grade 10.

[0042] Furthermore, when the percentage of raw material element M in recycled raw material 70 filled with contents containing chlorine-based compounds is "10%" (evaluation value) and the reference value for that item is "1%," comparison unit 240 calculates "9%" as the comparison result by subtracting the reference value from the evaluation value. Furthermore, comparison unit 240 may evaluate the comparison result as grade 10 if the comparison result is greater than or equal to 0% and less than 1%, as grade 9 if the comparison result is greater than or equal to 1% and less than 2%, and so on down to grade 8, grade 7, ... According to this rule, the above percentage "10%" is evaluated as grade 1.

[0043] Furthermore, when the evaluation value of the pH of the recycled raw material 70 is "9" and the reference value of pH is "7," the comparison unit 240 calculates "2" as the comparison result by subtracting the reference value from the evaluation value. Furthermore, the comparison unit 240 may evaluate the comparison result as grade 10 if the comparison result is greater than or equal to 0 and less than 0.5, or as grade 9 if the comparison result is greater than or equal to 0.5 and less than 1, and so on down to grade 8, grade 7, ... According to this rule, the above evaluation value of pH "9" is evaluated as grade 6.

[0044] Although the above describes an example in which comparison unit 240 evaluates the grade of recycled material 70 according to predetermined rules, comparison unit 240 may also evaluate the grade of recycled material 70 using a model obtained by machine learning. For example, the model may be a model obtained by machine learning using data in which the evaluation value of the attribute of recycled material 70, the reference value, and the grade are associated as training data, and the model may output a grade based on the input of the evaluation value and reference value of the attribute of recycled material 70.

[0045] (Decision unit 250) The determination unit 250 determines a recycling process to be applied to the recycled raw material 70 based on the result of the comparison by the comparison unit 240 between the evaluation value of the attribute of the recycled raw material 70 and a reference value or the result of the grade evaluation. The result of the comparison by the comparison unit 240 is based on the evaluation value of the attribute of the recycled raw material 70, and the evaluation value of the attribute of the recycled raw material 70 is based on attribute information of the multiple raw material elements M. Therefore, it can be said that the determination unit 250 determines the recycling process to be applied to the recycled raw material 70 based on the attribute information of the multiple raw material elements M or the evaluation value of the attribute of the recycled raw material 70.

[0046] Determining the recycling process may include determining whether or not to separate the raw material elements M, determining whether or not to add impurities to the recycled raw material 70, and determining the amount of impurities to be added. Determining the recycling process may also include determining the execution conditions for at least one of washing, dehydrating, drying, and kneading the recycled raw material 70. The recycling equipment 10 recycles the recycled raw material 70 according to the recycling process determined by the determination unit 250. Specifically, parameters for executing the recycling process may be output from the information processing device 20 to the recycling equipment 10, and the recycling equipment 10 may control processing in the washer-shredder 120, melt-kneader 130, cooling unit 140, pelletizer 150, etc. according to the parameters.

[0047] The determination unit 250 may determine the recycling process by utilizing the relationship between the past evaluation results of the attributes of the recycled material, the recycling processes applied to the recycled material, and the characteristics or state of the recycled resin formed by the recycling processes. For example, the determination unit 250 may determine the recycling process by using the comparison results or grade evaluation results by the comparison unit 240, a rule-based database stored in the storage unit 210, or a model obtained by machine learning using past data. For example, the model may be obtained by machine learning using the evaluation results of the attributes of the recycled material 70, the recycling processes applied to the recycled material 70, and past data such as the characteristics or state of the formed pellets 80 as training data. When the evaluation results of the attributes of the recycled material 70 and the characteristics or state of the desired pellets 80 are input, the determination unit 250 may output the recycling process to be applied to the recycled material 70. Note that the determination unit 250 may determine the recycling process based on the comparison results or grade evaluation results for any one attribute, or may determine the recycling process based on the comparison results or grade evaluation results for multiple attributes. The model may also include the functions of the above-described comparison unit 240. For example, the model may be a model obtained by machine learning using data in which evaluation values ​​of attributes of recycled raw materials 70, reference values, and recycling processes are associated as training data, and the model may output a recycling process based on input of evaluation values ​​and reference values ​​of attributes of recycled raw materials 70.

[0048] For example, the determination unit 250 may determine that a predetermined recycling process should be applied to a recycled raw material 70 for which the color information grade evaluation result is high, since it is considered that no special color adjustment is necessary. On the other hand, if the color information grade evaluation result is low, the determination unit 250 may determine the sorting of raw material elements M, the incorporation of coloring materials, or the kneading conditions so that the difference between the color information evaluation value and the reference value is a single digit in both RGB. In fact, sheets with desired colors could be produced using pellets 80 obtained according to a recycling process determined in this way. Furthermore, pouches with desired appearances could be produced using such sheets. Regarding the sorting of raw material elements M, the recycling facility 10 may include a sorting machine that sorts each raw material element M based on the recognition results of each raw material element M by the optical device 110. The sorting machine may, for example, remove raw material elements M having RGB values ​​that are two digits different from the reference value from the recycled raw material 70.

[0049] Furthermore, the determination unit 250 may determine to apply a predetermined recycling process to recycled raw materials 70 for which the result of the grade evaluation of the constituent material information is high (e.g., grade 8 or higher), since it is considered that no special material adjustment is necessary. On the other hand, if a predetermined recycling process is uniformly applied to recycled raw materials 70 for which the result of the grade evaluation of the constituent material information is low (e.g., grade 7 or lower), there is a risk that foreign matter will be generated or pellets 80 with the desired properties will not be formed. Therefore, when the result of the grade evaluation of the constituent material information is low, the determination unit 250 may determine, based on the results of the comparison by the comparison unit 240, to select the raw material element M, mix in other waste materials, change the recycling method (mechanical, chemical, etc.), change the mixing conditions, or use additives. In fact, by recycling recycled raw materials 70 using the recycling equipment 10 according to the determined recycling process, pellets 80 with good mechanical properties can be obtained.

[0050] As a more specific example, the determination unit 250 may determine to add a compatibilizer in an amount greater than a predetermined amount when the evaluation result of the recycled raw material 70 regarding the PE ratio is below a standard. The determination unit 250 may also determine a molding method for producing sheets, pouches, etc. from the pellets 80 based on the evaluation result of the attributes or the grade evaluation result of the recycled raw material 70. For example, when the evaluation result of the attributes of the recycled raw material 70 regarding the MFR (Melt Mass-Flow Rate) exceeds a standard, the determination unit 250 may determine to apply inflation molding to the production of sheets, pouches, etc. using the pellets 80 formed from the recycled raw material 70.

[0051] In addition, since it is considered that no special adjustment is necessary for recycled raw materials 70 whose contents have been graded as a high grade (e.g., grade 8 or higher), it may be decided to apply a predetermined recycling process to the recycled raw materials 70. The recycling process is a manipulation process of recycled raw materials, and includes washing, dehydration, drying, sorting, color matching, and kneading. Other examples of recycling processes include adding modifiers, deodorizing, pH adjustment, crushing, pulverizing, filtration, dissolving, decomposing, burning, and mixing with other resins. On the other hand, applying a predetermined recycling process uniformly to recycled raw materials 70 with a low-grade content rating (e.g., grade 7 or lower) can result in unpleasant odors and increased impurities. Therefore, when the content rating is low, the determination unit 250 may determine, based on the results of the comparison by the comparison unit 240, the following: sorting raw material element M, changing washing conditions, adding a deodorizing process, changing the recycling method (mechanical, chemical, etc.), or changing kneading conditions. In fact, by recycling recycled raw materials 70 using the recycling equipment 10 according to the determined recycling process, pellets 80 with excellent hygienic properties can be obtained.

[0052] As a more specific example, the decision unit 250 may determine to wash the recycled raw material 70 with acid if the result of the grade evaluation of the recycled raw material 70 regarding the pH of the contents is low. Furthermore, the decision unit 250 may determine to use a larger amount of water for washing than a predetermined amount of water if the result of the grade evaluation of the recycled raw material 70 regarding the viscosity of the contents is low. Furthermore, the decision unit 250 may determine to use a longer drying time than a predetermined drying time if the result of the grade evaluation of the recycled raw material 70 regarding the fragrance components of the contents is low. Furthermore, the decision unit 250 may determine to use a higher temperature for kneading than a predetermined temperature if the proportion of PET in the recycled raw material 70 exceeds a standard.

[0053] <Operation> The configuration of the information processing device 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Next, the operation of the recycling system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be summarized with reference to FIG.

[0054] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the recycling system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, first, the recycled raw material 70 is collected (S304). The contents of each raw material element M constituting the recycled raw material 70 may be used up and lightly washed. It is assumed that the orientation, degree of opening, color, text, images, etc. of each raw material element M will not be uniform. The recycled raw material 70 may include various molded bodies such as bottles and recycled materials such as electrical appliances. Here, further washing may be performed to facilitate identification in the next process. Removing foreign matter through washing is expected to improve recognition accuracy.

[0055] It is preferable to separate flexible packaging materials and molded bodies from the recycled raw materials 70. Also, it is better to classify materials into similar categories as much as possible at an early stage. In particular, the recognition accuracy of recycled raw materials 70 is improved when the materials are monomaterial rather than composite materials.

[0056] Next, the optical device 110 of the recycling facility 10 identifies each raw material element M that constitutes the recycled raw material 70 (S308). For example, the optical device 110 may optically identify the JAN code formed on the raw material element M and output the identification result to the information processing device 20.

[0057] Then, the element attribute acquisition unit 220 of the information processing device 20 acquires the identification results of each raw material element M from the optical device 110, and acquires attribute information associated with the identification results in the attribute information database stored in the memory unit 210 (S312).

[0058] Thereafter, the raw material evaluation unit 230 of the information processing device 20 evaluates the attributes of the recycled raw material 70 based on the attribute information of the plurality of raw material elements M acquired by the element attribute acquisition unit 220 (S316). The raw material evaluation unit 230 may evaluate the attributes of the recycled raw material 70 by averaging or aggregating the attribute information of the plurality of raw material elements M.

[0059] Then, the comparison unit 240 of the information processing device 20 compares the evaluation value of the attribute of the recycled raw material 70 acquired by the raw material evaluation unit 230 with the reference value (S320).

[0060] Next, the determination unit 250 of the information processing device 20 determines a recycling process to be applied to the recycled material 70 based on the result of the comparison by the comparison unit 240 between the evaluation value of the attribute of the recycled material 70 and the reference value or the result of the grade evaluation (S324). For example, the determination unit 250 may determine to apply a predetermined recycling process to the recycled material 70 when the result of the grade evaluation for at least one attribute of interest is a high grade. On the other hand, the determination unit 250 may determine to apply a recycling process different from the predetermined recycling process when the result of the grade evaluation for at least one attribute of interest is a low grade.

[0061] Thereafter, the recycling facility 10 executes the recycling process determined by the determining unit 250, thereby forming pellets 80 (S328).

[0062] <Action and effect> According to the embodiment of the present invention described above, a variety of advantageous effects can be obtained. For example, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the recycling process applied to the recycled raw material 70 is determined based on attribute information of the raw material elements M that constitute the recycled raw material 70. With this configuration, it is possible to form the desired pellets 80 from recycled raw material 70, even if the desired pellets 80 would not be obtained if a uniform, predetermined recycling process were applied without any special adjustments. As a result, other advantageous effects are expected, such as the ability to stably process images on sheets made from the pellets 80 and the ease of adjusting the appearance of recycled containers such as pouches.

[0063] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the attributes of recycled raw material 70 are evaluated based on the attribute information of multiple raw material elements M, and a recycling process to be applied to recycled raw material 70 is determined based on the results of the evaluation. Because the attribute information of each raw material element M affects the attributes of recycled raw material 70 as a whole, this method makes it possible to appropriately evaluate the attributes of recycled raw material 70.

[0064] Furthermore, the determination of the recycling process to be applied to the recycled raw material 70 also includes the need for sorting of the raw material elements M. For example, if the difference between the evaluation result of the attributes of the recycled raw material 70 and the desired attributes exceeds a threshold, sorting is performed to remove raw material elements M that cause the attributes of the recycled raw material 70 to deviate from the desired attributes, thereby making it possible to bring the formed pellets 80 closer to the desired characteristics or state.

[0065] Furthermore, determining the recycling process to be applied to the recycled raw material 70 includes determining whether or not to add contaminants to the recycled raw material 70 and determining the amount to add. Examples of contaminants include coloring materials, additives, and waste materials. For example, if the difference between the evaluation result of the attributes of the recycled raw material 70 and the desired attributes exceeds a threshold, the determination unit 250 can determine the addition of contaminants so that the combined attributes of the recycled raw material 70 and the contaminants approach the desired attributes.

[0066] Furthermore, determining the recycling process to be applied to the recycled raw material 70 includes determining the execution conditions for at least one of washing, dehydration, drying, or kneading the recycled raw material 70. For example, if the difference between the evaluation result of the attributes of the recycled raw material 70 and the desired attributes exceeds a threshold, adjusting the execution conditions for at least one of washing, dehydration, drying, or kneading can bring the formed pellets 80 closer to the desired characteristics or state. This is also expected to have effects such as improving safety and cleaning efficiency in the recycling process.

[0067] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the element attribute acquisition unit 220 acquires attribute information for each of the plurality of ingredient elements M based on the results of identifying each of the plurality of ingredient elements M by referring to an attribute information database that stores information for each ingredient element M. With this configuration, there is no need to analyze the attributes of the ingredient elements M in detail each time, thereby improving processing efficiency.

[0068] In one embodiment of the present invention, the attribute information of the raw material element M includes information about color, spectrum, constituent materials, or contents. It is useful to consider these attribute information because the color of the raw material element M affects the color of the formed pellet 80, the constituent materials of the raw material element M affect the physical properties of the formed pellet 80, and the contents of the raw material element M may affect the odor or foreign matter generated in the formed pellet 80 (or during the recycling process).

[0069] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the determination unit 250 determines a recycling process to be applied to the recycled material 70 using a model obtained by machine learning using, as training data, the results of past evaluations of the attributes of the recycled material 70, recycling processes previously applied to the recycled material 70, and the characteristics or states of pellets 80 formed by the recycling processes. With this configuration, it is possible to predict what kind of pellets 80 will be formed from the recycled material 70 before actually forming them, thereby reducing the considerable effort required to experimentally create pellets 80, sheets, or the like from the recycled material 70.

[0070] <Modification> An embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Below, several modified examples of the above-described embodiment will be described. Note that each modified example described below may be applied alone to the above-described embodiment, or may be applied in combination with the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, each modified example may be applied in place of the configuration of the above-described embodiment, or may be applied in addition to the configuration of the above-described embodiment.

[0071] For example, the determination unit 250 may determine the recycling process to be applied to the recycled raw material 70 based on attribute information other than information about color, constituent materials, or contents. Specifically, the determination unit 250 may determine the recycling process to be applied to the recycled raw material 70 based on the evaluation results of the grade of the recycled raw material 70 for the brand owner or supplier. In particular, if the proportion of raw material elements M for which the brand owner or supplier is not a specific business exceeds an upper limit, the determination unit 250 may determine to sort the raw material elements M so that the proportion of raw material elements M for which the brand owner or supplier is not a specific business is equal to or less than the upper limit.

[0072] Furthermore, the determination unit 250 may determine a recycling process to be applied to the recycled raw material 70 based on the evaluation result of the grade of the recycled raw material 70 for the sales date. For example, if the proportion of raw material elements M whose sales date is 10 years or more ago exceeds an upper limit, the determination unit 250 may determine to sort the raw material elements M so that the proportion of raw material elements M whose sales date is 10 years or more ago is equal to or less than the upper limit.

[0073] Furthermore, when the optical device 110 acquires captured images of each raw material element M, the element attribute acquisition unit 220 can acquire color information for each raw material element M from the captured images of each raw material element M. It is possible that there will be differences between the color information acquired from the captured images and the color information acquired from the attribute information database. Therefore, the recycling equipment 10 detects these differences, and the user can use the detected differences as material for considering the causes of color changes in the raw material elements M. Alternatively, the recycling equipment 10 may generate a correction model that outputs correction parameters for color information when conditions are input through machine learning using training data that associates the detected differences with various conditions, such as the collection method and collection time of the raw material elements M. In this case, the optical device 110 may correct the color information for each raw material element M acquired from the attribute information database using the correction parameters output from the correction model. Alternatively, if the factors leading to the detected differences are unknown, the recycling equipment 10 may create clusters using unsupervised machine learning and learn factors that affect the color, such as the ink properties of the clusters, and reflect these in the correction of the color information.

[0074] <Hardware configuration> The above describes an embodiment of the present invention. The information processing, such as the evaluation of the recycled raw materials 70 and the determination of the recycling process, is realized by a combination of software and hardware. Below, an example of a hardware configuration that can be applied to the information processing device 20 will be described.

[0075] 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a hardware configuration 90. As shown in FIG. 7, the hardware configuration 90 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 902, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 903, an input device 908, an output device 910, a memory device 911, an imaging device 913, and a communication device 915.

[0076] The CPU 901 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and control unit, and controls the overall operation of the hardware configuration 90 in accordance with various programs. The CPU 901 may also be a microprocessor. The ROM 902 stores programs used by the CPU 901, calculation parameters, etc. The RAM 903 temporarily stores programs used in the execution of the CPU 901, parameters that change as appropriate during the execution, etc. These are interconnected by a host bus that includes a CPU bus, etc. Cooperation between the CPU 901, ROM 902, and RAM 903 and software can realize functions such as the element attribute acquisition unit 220, ingredient evaluation unit 230, comparison unit 240, and determination unit 250 of the information processing device 20.

[0077] The input device 908 is composed of input means such as a mouse, keyboard, touch panel, buttons, microphone, switches, and levers that allow the user to input information, and an input control circuit that generates an input signal based on the user's input and outputs it to the CPU 901. By operating the input device 908, the user can input various types of data and instruct processing operations.

[0078] The output device 910 includes, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) device, and a lamp. The output device 910 also includes an audio output device such as a speaker and a headphone. For example, the display device displays captured images, generated images, etc. On the other hand, the audio output device converts audio data, etc. into audio and outputs it.

[0079] The memory device 911 is a device for storing data, and corresponds to the storage unit 210 of the information processing device 20. The memory device 911 may include a storage medium, a recording device for recording data on the storage medium, a reading device for reading data from the storage medium, and a deleting device for deleting data recorded on the storage medium. This memory device 911 stores programs executed by the CPU 901 and various data.

[0080] The imaging device 913 includes an imaging optical system such as a photographing lens and a zoom lens that collect light, and a signal conversion element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) image sensor. The imaging optical system collects light emitted from a subject and forms a subject image on a signal conversion element, and the signal conversion element converts the formed subject image into an electrical image signal.

[0081] The communication device 915 is, for example, a communication interface configured with a communication device for connecting to a network, etc. The communication device 915 may be a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) compatible communication device, an LTE (Long Term Evolution) (registered trademark) compatible communication device, or a wired communication device that performs wired communication.

[0082] <Supplementary information> Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art of the present invention can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0083] Furthermore, in relation to the above-described embodiment, the present invention further discloses the following techniques.

[0084] <1> determining a recycling process to be applied to the recycled material based on attribute information of the recycled material consisting of a plurality of material elements; applying the determined recycling process to the recycled raw material to obtain a recycled resin; Manufacturing a container by molding the obtained recycled resin. A method for manufacturing a container, comprising: <2> 2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the recycled resin is formed into at least one of a pellet, a film, or a sheet. <3> 3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the determination of the recycling process includes determining whether or not sorting of raw material elements is necessary based on the attribute information. <4> A manufacturing method described in any one of 1 to 3 above, wherein the determination of the recycling process includes determining whether or not to mix other resins and the amount to be mixed based on the attribute information, thereby adjusting the properties of the recycled resin so that they are within a range suitable for the desired molding process. <5> 5. The manufacturing method according to any one of the above 1 to 4, wherein the attribute information includes MFR as information about the material that constitutes the raw material element. <6> 6. The manufacturing method according to any one of 1 to 5 above, wherein the determination of the recycling process includes determining whether or not to add a coloring material and the amount of coloring material to be added based on the attribute information, thereby adjusting the color. <7> The manufacturing method described in 6 above, wherein the color adjustment includes determining the amount of color material to be added or the kneading conditions so that the difference between the color evaluation value and the reference value is equal to or less than a predetermined value for each RGB color component. <8> 8. The manufacturing method according to any one of the above 1 to 7, wherein the attribute information includes at least one of color information, constituent material information, and content information. <9> 9. The manufacturing method according to any one of the above 1 to 8, wherein the attribute information obtained includes information obtained from a captured image or a spectroscopic image. <10> 10. The manufacturing method according to any one of 1 to 9 above, wherein the container is a pouch container, and the molding process includes forming a film or sheet by inflation molding and using the film or sheet to manufacture the pouch container. <11> 10. The manufacturing method according to any one of the above 1 to 9, wherein the container is a bottle container and the molding process includes blow molding. <12> 12. The manufacturing method according to any one of the above 1 to 11, wherein the determination of the recycling process includes determining the conditions for performing at least one of washing, dehydration, drying, sorting, color matching, and kneading of the recycled raw material. <13> The determination of the recycling process includes obtaining an evaluation value of an attribute of the recycled raw material; 13. The manufacturing method according to claim 3 or 12, wherein the sorting step includes removing a predetermined raw material element when the difference between the evaluation value and the reference value exceeds a predetermined value. <14> 14. The manufacturing method according to any one of 1 to 13 above, wherein the recycling process is determined based on the relationship between the evaluation results of the attributes of past recycled raw materials, the recycling process applied to the past recycled raw materials, and the characteristics or state of the recycled resin formed by the process. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1. Recycling System 10 Recycling Facilities 110 Optical equipment 120 Washing and crushing machine 130 Melt mixer 140 Cooling section 150 Pelletizer 20 Information processing equipment 210 Storage section 220 Element attribute acquisition part 230 Raw Material Evaluation Department 240 Comparison Section 250 Decision Section 70 recycled materials 80 pellets

Claims

1. determining a recycling process to be applied to the recycled material based on attribute information of the recycled material consisting of a plurality of material elements; applying the determined recycling process to the recycled raw material to obtain a recycled resin; Manufacturing a container by molding the obtained recycled resin. A method for manufacturing a container, comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the recycled resin is formed into at least one of a pellet, a film, or a sheet.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the determination of the recycling process includes determining whether or not sorting of the raw material elements is necessary based on the attribute information.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the determination of the recycling process includes determining whether or not to mix other resins and the amount of mixing based on the attribute information, thereby adjusting the properties of the recycled resin so that they fall within a range suitable for the intended molding process.

5. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the attribute information includes MFR as information about the material constituting the raw material element.

6. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the determination of the recycling process includes determining whether or not to add a coloring material and the amount of coloring material to be added based on the attribute information to adjust the color tone.

7. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein the attribute information includes at least one of color information, constituent material information, and content information.

8. 3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the container is a pouch container, and the molding process includes forming a film or sheet by inflation molding and using the film or sheet to manufacture the pouch container.

9. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the container is a bottle container, and the molding process includes blow molding.

10. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the determination of the recycling process includes determining conditions for performing at least one of washing, dehydration, drying, sorting, color matching, and kneading of the recycled raw material.

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