Control device

Abstract

To appropriately manage the quality of a product when using a raw material having variations in characteristics or the like in many cases.SOLUTION: A control device 100 that operates an electrical device 120 constituting a manufacturing line of a product and acquires data from a measurement device 130 installed in the manufacturing line, the control device 100 including a controller unit 110 that operates the electrical device 120, an arithmetic processing unit 104 that has a function of calculating a parameter for controlling the electrical device 120 and outputting the parameter to the controller unit 110, a function of performing arithmetic processing on data acquired from at least one of the electrical device 120 and the measurement device 130, and a function of acquiring at least one of procurement information and storage information of a raw material of the product, 130 120, and a storage part 106 for storing an arithmetic processing result of the arithmetic processing part 104, wherein the arithmetic processing result is associated with at least one of the procurement information and the storage information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Digital transformation (DX) is also progressing in industries related to the manufacturing of chemicals and pharmaceuticals. In chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing lines, progress is being made in the development of technologies that can acquire and utilize data during reactions.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a parameter management device for a batch process control system that is applied to a batch plant (such as a food plant) that produces products from multiple raw materials by dispensing multiple raw materials required for batch production based on recipe parameters from multiple raw material tanks, each storing a single type of raw material.The parameter management device for a batch process control system includes a quality control unit, a batch client unit, and a batch server unit that manages batch control, all of which are related to each other, in order to adjust the recipe parameters according to the quality conditions (such as ingredient ratios) of each raw material each time at least one of the multiple raw material tanks becomes empty and tank switching becomes necessary.The quality control unit manages the quality conditions based on the results of acceptance inspections of each raw material, and performs predetermined processing such as extracting and outputting the raw material blending ratio that is thought to be most similar to past production conditions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-280139 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When using raw materials with variations in physical and chemical properties, such as natural products or waste materials, it is not possible to fully control the properties of the raw materials through incoming inspection alone, which can affect the quality of the product.

[0006] Manufacturers adjust the control conditions of their production equipment to desirable conditions according to the characteristics of the raw materials at the time of receiving inspection, thereby maintaining the quality of their products.

[0007] In Patent Document 1, quality conditions are also managed based on the results of the acceptance inspection of each raw material, and the raw material blending ratio is determined.

[0008] However, because incoming inspection alone does not control all of the characteristics of raw materials that affect product quality, it may not be possible to adequately control product quality simply by adjusting the control conditions of production equipment.

[0009] The purpose of the present disclosure is to appropriately control the quality of products when using raw materials that often have variations in properties, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The control device disclosed herein operates electrical equipment that constitutes a product production line and acquires data from measuring equipment installed on the production line, and is equipped with a controller unit that operates the electrical equipment, a processing unit that has the function of calculating parameters for controlling the electrical equipment and outputting them to the controller unit, a function of processing data acquired from at least one of the electrical equipment and the measuring equipment, and a function of acquiring at least one of procurement information, which is information required by companies and organizations when procuring goods and services such as the model number, lot, purchase source, purchase date, and purchase quantity of the raw materials that constitute the product, and storage information, which is information required by companies and organizations when storing goods and materials such as the storage location, storage temperature, storage humidity, and storage period, and a memory unit that stores the data acquired from the electrical equipment and the measuring equipment and the processing results of the processing unit, and the processing results are associated with at least one of the procurement information and the storage information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, when raw materials that often have variations in properties, etc. are used, the quality of the product can be appropriately controlled. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a control method according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The examples are illustrative for explaining the present disclosure, and for clarity of explanation, appropriate omissions and simplifications have been made. The present disclosure can also be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be singular or plural.

[0014] To facilitate understanding of the invention, the position, size, shape, range, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc. Therefore, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the position, size, shape, range, etc. disclosed in the drawings.

[0015] Examples of various types of information may be described using expressions such as "table," "list," and "queue," but the various types of information may also be expressed using data structures other than these. For example, various types of information such as "XX table," "XX list," and "XX queue" may also be expressed as "XX information." When describing identification information, expressions such as "identification information," "identifier," "name," "ID," and "number" are used, but these are interchangeable.

[0016] When there are multiple components with the same or similar functions, they may be described using the same reference numeral with different subscripts. When there is no need to distinguish between these multiple components, the subscripts may be omitted.

[0017] In the embodiments, processing performed by executing a program may be described. Here, a computer executes the program using a processor (e.g., a CPU or a GPU) and performs processing defined by the program using storage resources (e.g., a memory) and interface devices (e.g., a communication port). Therefore, the entity performing the processing by executing the program may be the processor. Similarly, the entity performing the processing by executing the program may be a controller, device, system, computer, or node having a processor. The entity performing the processing by executing the program may be any computing unit, and may include a dedicated circuit that performs specific processing. Here, the dedicated circuit may be, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device).

[0018] A program may be installed on a computer from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable storage medium. When the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server may include a processor and a storage resource for storing the program to be distributed, and the processor of the program distribution server may distribute the program to be distributed to other computers. In addition, in an embodiment, two or more programs may be realized as one program, or one program may be realized as two or more programs. [Example]

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a control device according to an embodiment.

[0020] In this diagram, the control device 100 includes an input unit 102, an arithmetic processing unit 104, a memory unit 106, a display unit 108, and a controller unit 110 (equipment control unit). The controller unit 110 of the control device 100 is connected to an electrical device 120 that constitutes a product production line. The controller unit 110 and the electrical device 120 are configured to be able to transmit and receive data to and from each other. The electrical device 120 transmits process data and the like to the controller unit 110, for example, periodically. The controller unit 110 transmits data for operating the electrical device 120 to the electrical device 120. The arithmetic processing unit 104 is configured to be able to receive product data and the like from a measuring device 130 installed on the production line or the like. The arithmetic processing unit 104 is connected to a database 140 that stores data such as raw material procurement information and storage information, and is configured to be able to receive the data and the like from the database 140. The database 140 is installed outside the control device 100.

[0021] The electrical equipment 120 is, for example, a mixer installed in a mixing tank that is part of a production line, a pump used to flow a predetermined liquid, etc., and operates at an appropriate output by controlling the power supplied to it, thereby achieving the desired production process. The motor rotation speed, power consumption, etc. of the electrical equipment 120 operating in this way are called "process data."

[0022] Furthermore, the measuring device 130 measures, for example, the temperature, viscosity, color, moisture content, and ratio of specific components of an unfinished liquid or the like flowing through a pipe that is part of a production line, or a finished product. Therefore, in this specification, "product data" includes not only the state of a finished product, but also measurement data of an incomplete product state (unfinished state).

[0023] The calculation processing unit 104 has the function of calculating parameters for controlling the electrical equipment 120 and outputting them to the controller unit 110, the function of calculating and processing data acquired from at least one of the electrical equipment 120 and the measuring equipment 130, and the function of acquiring at least one of procurement information and storage information for the raw materials of the product.

[0024] The storage unit 106 stores data acquired from the electrical device 120 and the measuring device 130 and the results of the calculation processing performed by the calculation processing unit 104.

[0025] The display unit 108 preferably has a display that visually shows predetermined data to the user.

[0026] The connection configuration for transmitting and receiving data shown in this diagram is an example, and for example, the configuration may be such that process data, etc. of the electrical device 120 is transmitted to the arithmetic processing unit 104 or the storage unit 106. Also, the configuration may be such that product data, etc. of the measuring device 130 is transmitted to the storage unit 106. The data of the database 140 may also be transmitted once to the storage unit 106. Note that in this diagram, the database 140 may be installed inside the control device 100 and may be one of the components of the control device 100.

[0027] In the figure, the control device 100 is a single computer, but one or more of the components may be connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via wire or wirelessly and may be distributed. For example, the input unit 102 and the display unit 108 may be provided in a mobile terminal such as a smartphone. When the database 140 is installed outside the control device 100, it is capable of communicating with the components of the control device 100 via wire or wirelessly.

[0028] In summary, the control device 100 operates the electrical devices 120 that make up the product manufacturing line and acquires data from the measuring devices 130 installed on the manufacturing line.

[0029] The controller unit 110 operates the electrical device 120 .

[0030] The calculation processing unit 104 has the function of calculating parameters for controlling the electrical equipment 120 and outputting them to the controller unit 110, the function of calculating and processing data acquired from at least one of the electrical equipment 120 and the measuring equipment 130, and the function of acquiring at least one of procurement information and storage information for the raw materials of the product.

[0031] The storage unit 106 stores data acquired from the electrical device 120 and the measuring device 130 and the results of the calculation processing performed by the calculation processing unit 104.

[0032] In this specification, the term "raw materials" may be used. "Raw materials" is a term that includes "raw materials" and "materials." "Raw materials" refers to materials that have lost their original form. On the other hand, "materials" refers to materials that have retained their original form. Chemicals and pharmaceuticals are usually manufactured using chemical reactions, so they often do not retain their original form. For this reason, in this specification, when the term "raw materials" is used, it is also intended to include the meaning of "raw materials."

[0033] Examples of raw materials include natural products and waste materials.

[0034] Examples of natural products include potatoes, which contain a lot of starch and serve as a nutrient source for microorganisms when they are cultured to produce pharmaceuticals, and sugarcane (including its pomace), which contains a lot of sucrose. The components of potatoes and sugarcane may vary depending on the place of production, storage conditions, season, etc.

[0035] Examples of waste materials include used resins, particularly polyethylene, polypropylene, etc. Used resins may differ in origin, manufacturing conditions, molecular weight, amount of impurities, etc.

[0036] 2 is a flow diagram showing a control method of the embodiment. In the explanation of this figure, the reference numerals in FIG. 1 are also used.

[0037] 2, a user inputs a quality control standard value of a product through the input unit 102 of the control device 100 (step S20). As a result, the arithmetic processing unit 104 receives data on the quality control standard value of the product from the input unit 102. Note that in step S20, the product name, product code, etc. selected by the user may be input into the input unit 102, and the quality control standard value of the product may be transmitted from the database 140 or the storage unit 106 to the arithmetic processing unit 104.

[0038] Next, the arithmetic processing unit 104 or the memory unit 106 of the control device 100 receives raw material procurement information, storage information, etc. (step S22). Then, the arithmetic processing unit 104, the memory unit 106, or the controller unit 110 of the control device 100 receives data, etc., from the electrical equipment 120 and the measuring equipment 130 (step S24).

[0039] Next, the arithmetic processing unit 104 performs arithmetic processing using the acquired data (step S26). Then, the arithmetic processing unit 104 transmits the results of the arithmetic processing to the database 140. The database 140 stores the results of the arithmetic processing in association with procurement information and storage information (step S28). This accumulates data on the association between data on the production line (in the middle of production) and data on raw materials.

[0040] Next, the arithmetic processing unit 104 determines whether the result of the arithmetic processing satisfies the quality control standard value of the product (step S30).

[0041] If the quality control standard values ​​are met in step S30, the display unit 108 displays that the procurement information and storage information are appropriate for maintaining the quality of the product (step S32). In this case, it can be said that the current raw materials are appropriate.

[0042] If the quality control standard is not met in step S30, the procurement information and storage information of the raw materials used in the product that do not meet the quality control standard is displayed on the display unit 108 together with information that the product does not meet the quality control standard (step S34). The process returns to step S22, and the series of processes is repeated from the acquisition of raw material procurement information, storage information, etc. In this case, since the current raw materials cannot be said to be appropriate, the user considers changing to other raw materials.

[0043] In this way, by determining the raw materials to be supplied to the production line in accordance with the appropriate raw material suggestions, it is possible to manufacture desirable products and easily control the quality of the products. Furthermore, in step S28, by storing the results of the calculation using the data from the electrical equipment 120 and the measuring equipment 130 in association with the procurement information and storage information, it is possible to identify raw materials with short reaction times, for example, and select and procure such raw materials as desirable raw materials. Therefore, when raw materials that often have variations in characteristics, etc. are used, it is possible to appropriately control the quality of the products.

[0044] Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, product data can be obtained by measuring the physical and chemical properties of unfinished liquids flowing through pipes that are part of a production line, liquids in the middle of a reaction, etc., and the product data, procurement data (procurement information) such as the source of raw materials purchases and storage periods, and raw material management data (storage information), etc., can be used to present procurement sources, procurement methods, raw material storage methods, etc. that are suitable for maintaining product quality.

[0045] Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, even if it is not possible to obtain all of the data necessary for maintaining product quality, such as inspection items for raw materials, data on the relationship between data on the production line (during production) and data on raw materials is accumulated, and therefore, information on quality control of raw materials suitable for maintaining product quality can be proposed.

[0046] A preferred embodiment of the control device according to the present disclosure will be described below.

[0047] The input unit inputs a range of specifications regarding at least one of the physical characteristics and chemical characteristics of the product.

[0048] The results of the computation include information on at least one of the physical and chemical characteristics of the product.

[0049] The calculation processing unit associates the result of comparing the range of specifications with the calculation processing result with at least one of the procurement information and the storage information, and transmits the associated result to the storage unit. The storage unit then stores the associated result. The display unit displays the associated result. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 100: control device, 102: input unit, 104: calculation processing unit, 106: memory unit, 108: display unit, 110: controller unit, 120: electrical equipment, 130: measuring equipment, 140: database.

Claims

1. A control device that operates electrical equipment constituting a product manufacturing line and acquires data from measuring equipment installed in the manufacturing line, a controller unit for operating the electrical equipment; a processing unit having a function of calculating parameters for controlling the electrical equipment and outputting the parameters to the controller unit, a function of processing data acquired from at least one of the electrical equipment and the measuring equipment, and a function of acquiring at least one of procurement information and storage information of raw materials for the product; a storage unit that stores data acquired from the electrical device and the measuring device and a result of the arithmetic processing by the arithmetic processing unit, A control device, wherein the calculation result is associated with at least one of the procurement information and the storage information.

2. an input unit for inputting a range of specifications regarding at least one of physical characteristics and chemical characteristics of the product; the calculation result includes information on at least one of the physical characteristics and the chemical characteristics of the product; the calculation processing unit associates a result of comparing the range of the specifications with the calculation processing result with at least one of the procurement information and the storage information, and transmits the associated result to the storage unit; The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the storage unit stores the associated results.

3. Further comprising a display unit, The control device according to claim 2 , wherein the display unit displays the associated results.

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