Recycling assistance system and recycling assistance method

Abstract

In recent years, from the standpoint of strengthening supply chains and securing rare resources, there has been an increasing need to circulate permanent magnets and other rare-earth-containing products or components as ground resources (circular economy). One embodiment of the present invention is a recycling assistance system 1 comprising: a compressor processing system 2 that cuts a compressor 401 into a plurality of portions, demagnetizes magnets included in the cut portions, and retrieves the demagnetized magnets; and an information processing device provided with a storage device that stores processing method management information pertaining to a cutting method for each type of compressor 401, and a control device that acquires information indicating features of the compressor 401 being processed, specifies a cutting method for the compressor 401 being processed on the basis of the acquired information and the processing method management information, and transmits instruction information for instructing cutting using the specified cutting method to the compressor processing system 2. The compressor processing system 2 cuts the compressor 401 being processed on the basis of the instruction information.

Description

Recycling support system and recycling support method

[0001] The present invention relates to a recycling support system and a recycling support method.

[0002] In recent years, from the perspective of strengthening supply chains and securing scarce resources, there has been an increasing need to recycle products or parts containing rare earths, such as permanent magnets, as terrestrial resources (circular economy).Typical examples of parts containing permanent magnets include compressors and motors, which generally consist of a stator wound with copper wire and an iron core with a permanent magnet inserted.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a compressor recycling method for separating components, including magnets, from a used compressor, which involves cutting the compressor case with a cutter to separate the stator side and the pump side of the compressor, then supporting the pump side and separating the iron core and the pump with a shaft extrusion mechanism, and then demagnetizing the iron core and removing the magnet from the iron core. As a related technique, Patent Document 2 discloses a compressor disassembly device that can automatically disassemble and separate the rotor, a motor component that is the drive part of the compressor, from the rotating shaft.

[0004] JP 2012-115815 A JP 2013-123661 A

[0005] As mentioned above, components of products or parts containing rare earths are useful as permanent magnets, etc. Therefore, it is important in terms of resource circulation to establish a method for separating or separating these components from compressors, motors, etc. and recycling these components.

[0006] However, compressors and motors have a strong structure in order to meet the conflicting requirements of low power consumption, low noise, low vibration, and long life, making it difficult to separate them into individual components. In light of this, Patent Document 1 proposes a series of recycling processes for compressors, including cutting the case, extruding, demagnetizing, and separating the magnets.

[0007] However, while the method described in Patent Document 1 is effective when applied to compressors installed in household products, it is not necessarily effective when applied to commercial compressors (e.g., compressors for large commercial air conditioners). This is because, unlike compressors for household products, commercial compressors vary greatly in shape, size, weight, etc. depending on the type. Therefore, Patent Document 1 has the problem of making it difficult to apply multiple types of compressors to the same recycling process.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the current situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a recycling support system and a recycling support method that can support efficient recycling of parts for different types of compressors.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is a recycling support system comprising: a compressor processing system that cuts a compressor into a plurality of parts, demagnetizes the magnets contained in the cut parts, and removes the demagnetized magnets; a storage device that stores processing method management information that is information on the cutting method for each type of compressor; and an information processing device that has a control device that acquires information indicating the characteristics of the compressor to be processed, identifies a cutting method for the compressor to be processed based on the acquired information and the processing method management information, and transmits instruction information to the compressor processing system that instructs cutting using the identified cutting method, and the compressor processing system cuts the compressor to be processed based on the instruction information.

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to support efficient recycling of parts for different types of compressors. Configurations and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a recycling support system according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a processing method management table. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an operation history management table. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating processing performed by the recycling support system. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of movement of a compressor to a cutting position. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a compressor cutting process using a cutting device. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a rotor separation process using a pulling device. FIG. 8 is a diagram (three-dimensional view, plan view, and cross-sectional structural view) showing an example of the structure of a rotor to be demagnetized. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a rotor demagnetization process using a demagnetizing device. FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing an overall view of the recycling support process including the recycling support processing.

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] The recycling support system according to this embodiment is a system that efficiently recovers rare earth magnets contained in compressors.

[0014] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a recycling support system 1 according to this embodiment. The recycling support system 1 is installed, for example, in a recycling facility (a recycling plant that disassembles compressors and extracts rare earth magnets) managed by a predetermined business operator.

[0015] The recycling support system 1 is composed of a compressor processing system 2, which is a system including various devices for recycling compressors, a server 107, which is an information processing device that controls each device in the compressor processing system 2, a memory device 110, an input device 122, and a display terminal 123.

[0016] The compressor processing system 2 includes a cutting device 102 that uses a predetermined cutting blade to cut a compressor containing rare earth magnets (rare earth magnets) to be recycled into multiple parts, an extraction device 103 that separates the parts containing rare earth magnets from each cut part, a demagnetization device 104 that demagnetizes the rare earth magnets in the separated parts, a magnet extraction device 105 that separates the demagnetized rare earth magnets, a transport mechanism 106 (material handling equipment) that transports the compressor, and a photography device 101 (camera) that photographs the compressor. The rare earth magnets are, for example, neodymium magnets.

[0017] The transport mechanism 106 transports the compressor or each part of the compressor after cutting to each device (the cutting device 102, the extraction device 103, the demagnetization device 104, and the magnet removal device 105). The transport mechanism 106 is configured by, for example, a belt conveyor or a robotics device.

[0018] The photographing device 101 is provided, for example, at a predetermined position near the conveying mechanism 106. The photographing device 101 photographs the compressor to be processed while it is being moved by the conveying mechanism 106 to the cutting device 102 or while it is stationary, and generates image information of the photographed compressor.

[0019] The server 107 is an information processing device (computer) including a control device 109 such as a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a memory 124 such as a read-only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM), and a communication unit 108 including an interface 111 such as a network interface card (NIC), a wireless communication module, a universal serial interface (USB) module, or a serial communication module. The control device 109 controls the operations of the various devices (the imaging device 101, the cutting device 102, the extraction device 103, the demagnetization device 104, the magnet extraction device 105, and the transport mechanism 106) via the communication unit 108, and also controls the output of information to a display terminal 123.

[0020] The server 107 may be installed in the same facility as the compressor processing system 2 (on-premise type), or may be installed at another location managed by the operator, or may be installed at another location managed by another operator (cloud, etc.).

[0021] Input device 122 accepts data input from users (workers) of recycling support system 1. Input device 122 is configured, for example, with a mouse or a keyboard. Input device 122 accepts input of information such as the type of compressor (model number, etc.) from the worker.

[0022] The display terminal 123 displays various information related to the recycling process on its screen. The display terminal 123 may be an output device with a dedicated output function (such as a liquid crystal display, an organic electroluminescence (EL) display, or a printer), or may be a general computer with an output device (such as a laptop computer managed by the business operator).

[0023] The storage device 110 includes a storage medium for storing various types of information, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and an input / output unit 121, such as a network interface card (NIC), a wireless communication module, a universal serial interface (USB) module, or a serial communication module. The storage device 110 transmits and receives information to and from the server 107 via the input / output unit 121.

[0024] The devices in the recycling support system 1 described above are communicatively connected to each other via a wired or wireless communication network such as the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or a dedicated line.

[0025] Next, the server 107 has functional units (programs) including an image information acquisition unit 112, a magnet determination unit 113, a device control unit 114, a material handling control unit 115, and an image discrimination unit 116.

[0026] The image information acquisition unit 112 acquires image information of the compressor to be processed that is generated by the image capturing device 101 , and transmits the acquired image information to the control device 109 or the storage device 110 via the interface 111 .

[0027] The magnet determination unit 113 compares the type of compressor input from the input device 122 or the type of compressor estimated by the image discrimination unit 116 described later with a processing method management table 117 in the storage device 110 described later, and determines whether the compressor to be processed contains a rare earth magnet.

[0028] The device control unit 114 identifies a disconnection method for the compressor to be processed based on the information on the type of compressor identified by the magnet determination unit 113 and the processing method management table 117 described below. Then, the device control unit 114 transmits instruction information (hereinafter referred to as disconnection instruction information) instructing the compressor processing system 2 to disconnect using the identified disconnection method.

[0029] The device control unit 114 may transmit display information of the identified content to the display terminal 123, and the display terminal 123 may display the content on its screen.

[0030] The material handling control unit 115 controls the transport mechanism 106 via the communication unit 108 .

[0031] The image discrimination unit 116 estimates the type of compressor based on the image of the compressor captured by the image capturing device 101. That is, the image discrimination unit 116 acquires or stores a compressor discrimination model that recognizes the image of the compressor and estimates its type, and inputs image information generated by the image capturing device 101 into the compressor discrimination model, thereby estimating the type of compressor captured by the image capturing device 101. The type of compressor discrimination model is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a trained model that uses image information of the compressor as an input value and the compressor type as an output value, or may be a model that compares the image of the compressor with a previously prepared image template.

[0032] The functions of each functional unit of the server 107 described above are realized by the control device 109 reading and executing a program stored in the memory 124 or the storage device 110. The program may be recorded on a recording medium and distributed, for example. The server 107 may be realized, in whole or in part, using virtual information processing resources provided using virtualization technology, process space separation technology, or the like, such as a virtual server provided by a cloud system. The functions provided by the server 107 may be realized, in whole or in part, by a service provided by the cloud system via an API (Application Programming Interface), for example.

[0033] Next, the storage device 110 stores a processing method management table 117 , an operation history management table 118 , image information 119 , and recycling performance information 120 .

[0034] The processing method management table 117 is a table that stores information about the rare earth magnet recycling process (the processing details of each of the cutting device 102, extraction device 103, demagnetization device 104, and magnet removal device 105) for each type of compressor.

[0035] The operation history management table 118 is a table that stores information on the operation history of each compressor.

[0036] The image information 119 is information about an image of the compressor captured by the image capturing device 101 .

[0037] Recycling performance information 120 is information on the processing history of server 107. By referring to recycling performance information 120 displayed on display terminal 123, for example, workers can use the information to identify the cause and consider countermeasures when trouble or quality problems occur at the recycling facility.

[0038] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the processing method management table 117. The processing method management table 117 is a table that is referenced to identify processing (such as a cutting method) that is suitable for various compressors having different shapes, sizes, etc.

[0039] The processing method management table 117 contains the following information: model number information 1171 of each compressor; manufacturer name 1172 of each compressor; rare earth magnet content identification information 1173 which is information indicating whether each compressor has a rare earth magnet; casing thickness 1174 of each compressor; cutting setting information 1175 which is an ID of the cutting method for the casing of each compressor; cutting method information 1176 which is information indicating the specific details of the cutting method; and demagnetizing coil setting information 1177 which is information specifying the magnetic field generating coil (compatible with the size of rotor 408) to be used to demagnetize each compressor.

[0040] Although rare earth magnets such as neodymium magnets have strong magnetic force and are often installed in compressors, etc., this does not necessarily mean that they are installed in all compressors, etc. Therefore, rare earth magnet inclusion identification information 1173 is set. In this embodiment, the rare earth magnet inclusion identification information 1173 is set to "1" if the target compressor contains a rare earth magnet, and to "0" if it does not contain a rare earth magnet.

[0041] The casing thickness 1174 is important information when the cutting device 102 determines the compressor casing cutting method. For example, the physical characteristics of the compressors installed in residential air conditioners and commercial air conditioners, such as size, weight, and casing thickness, differ significantly. Furthermore, the physical characteristics also vary depending on the compressor model number and manufacturer. Therefore, when the cutting device 102 cuts the compressor casing, it must take these physical characteristics into consideration. In this embodiment, the casing thickness 1174 is set to either thick, normal, or thin, and the cutting blade of the cutting device 102 or the casing cutting method (such as the cutting depth of the casing) is selected based on these settings.

[0042] The cutting method information 1176 is, for example, information on the cutting depth and cutting position according to the casing thickness 1174, and the control pattern of the cutting device 102. The cutting method information 1176 may also include information specifying the type of cutting blade to be used to cut the compressor (cutting blade information). That is, if the compressor has an especially thick casing, such as that installed in a large commercial air conditioner, it is preferable to use a cutting blade that can make a deeper cut. The cutting blade information is set for such a case.

[0043] (Operation History Management Table) Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the operation history management table 118. The operation history management table 118 is a table used to estimate the reclaimed quality (indicating the quality of the magnet and its suitability for recycling) of the rare earth magnet removed from the compressor.

[0044] Specifically, the operation history management table 118 is information for managing the life cycle of each compressor. The operation history management table 118 includes information such as a compressor ID (unique ID 1181) assigned to each compressor, a manufacturer name 1182 of each compressor, a model number 1183 of each compressor, an operation history 1184 of each compressor, and a repair history 1185 of each compressor.

[0045] The unique ID 1181 is assigned a different ID even for the same model number. The operation history 1184, for example, sets the time period or period of operation, or the total operation time. The repair history 1185, for example, sets the details of the malfunction, the details of the repair, and the date of the malfunction or repair. Next, the processing performed in the recycling support system 1 will be described.

[0046] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating the processing performed by the recycling support system 1.

[0047] First, a compressor collected as a result of product disposal or replacement due to maintenance is carried into a recycling plant and placed on the conveying mechanism 106 (step S301).

[0048] Then, the server 107 sets information on the type (here, the model number) of the carried-in compressor (step S302).

[0049] Specifically, for example, the conveying mechanism 106 first conveys the carried-in compressor to a predetermined position in front of the cutting device 102. When the compressor reaches the predetermined position, the input device 122 accepts input of compressor model number information from a worker who visually checks the compressor. The input device 122 transmits the input information to the server 107.

[0050] In addition, for example, a specified reading device held by a worker may read a tag (e.g., a barcode, a QR code (registered trademark), or an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)) attached to the compressor to obtain information on the compressor model number, and then transmit the obtained model number information to server 107.

[0051] Alternatively, for example, the photographing device 101 may photograph an image of the compressor that has reached the predetermined position, and the server 107 may input the photographed image into a compressor discrimination model to estimate the model number of the compressor, and store information on the estimated model number.

[0052] The device control unit 114 of the server 107 identifies a method for cutting the compressor casing based on the type (model number) of the compressor set in step S302 and the processing method management table 117 (step S303).

[0053] Specifically, the device control unit 114 acquires a record from the processing method management table 117 in which the model number information 1171 matches the information on the model number of the compressor.

[0054] If the device control unit 114 cannot obtain a record in the processing method management table 117 whose compressor model number information matches the model number information 1171 (if the corresponding model number information is not in the processing method management table 117), the compressor model number may be identified as follows: That is, the photographing device 101 photographs the compressor in advance, for example, when it arrives in front of the cutting device 102, and transmits the photographed image information of the compressor to the server 107 via the image information acquisition unit 112. The image discrimination unit 116 then inputs the received image information of the compressor into a predetermined discrimination model to obtain structural information of the compressor (shape, casing thickness, etc.). The device control unit 114 obtains a record in the processing method management table 117 that has data most similar to the obtained structural information. This discrimination model may be, for example, a database in which images of compressors are registered in association with structural information, or a trained model that outputs structural information corresponding to input image information. This means that even if an unknown type of compressor that is not registered in the storage device 110 is brought in, it is possible to properly carry out each process by using data from compressors with similar structures.

[0055] Next, the device control unit 114 calculates the position (cutting position) to which the cutting device 102 should be moved in order to cut off the compressor, based on the cutting method information 1176 of the acquired record.

[0056] Then, the device control unit 114 transmits instruction information including information on the calculated cutting position to the material handling control unit 115 via the communication unit 108. The device control unit 114 also transmits instruction information including the cutting method information 1176 of the acquired record to the cutting device 102 via the communication unit 108.

[0057] Based on the received instruction information, the material handling control unit 115 drives the conveying mechanism 106 to move the compressor to the calculated position (step S304). By automatically moving the compressor to a position suitable for cutting in this way, processing can be carried out efficiently even if the compressor is a large and heavy compressor used in commercial air conditioning.

[0058] When the movement of the compressor is completed, the cutting device 102 cuts the casing of the compressor using the cutting method (cutting depth, cutting blade) indicated by the cutting setting information 1175 based on the received instruction information (step S305).

[0059] 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of movement of the compressor to the cutting position in step S305. As shown in the figure, the cutting device 102 includes a holder 410 on which a compressor 401 having a generally circular cross section is placed, a compressor fixing unit 403 that prevents the compressor 401 placed on the holder 410 from falling off the holder 410, a first cutting blade 404 and a second cutting blade 405 (circumferential cutters, etc.) that are supported by a main shaft 409 and cut the compressor 401, and a control mechanism 402 that switches between the multiple cutting blades (first cutting blade 404 or second cutting blade 405) to be used. The first cutting blade 404 and the second cutting blade 405 are, for example, cutting blades with different cutting depths.

[0060] The holding table 410 is linked with a transport mechanism 106 (not shown) and can move the compressor 401 to any position on the holding table 410. This also moves the position of the compressor 401 to be cut.

[0061] Here, the material handling control unit 115 drives the conveying mechanism 106 to move the compressor 401 to the cutting position indicated by the instruction information from the server 107. As a result, the cutting position 415 of the compressor 401 moves to the position corresponding to the cutting blade (directly below the cutting blade in the figure). Note that the compressor fixing unit 403 may also automatically move toward the compressor 401 to fix the compressor 401.

[0062] Furthermore, the control mechanism 402 directs the cutting blade (the first cutting blade 404 or the second cutting blade 405 ) indicated by the instruction information from the server 107 toward the cutting position 415 of the compressor 401 .

[0063] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the cutting process of the compressor 401 by the cutting device 102 in step S305. As shown in the figure, after the compressor 401 moves to the cutting position 415, a selected pair of cutting blades (here, first cutting blade 404) advance from the surface of the compressor 401 from above and below the compressor 401 to a cutting depth indicated by the instruction information, and then rotate and move in the circumferential direction of the compressor 401, thereby cutting the casing at the cutting position 415. As a result, the compressor 401 is divided into a portion of the object including a rotor 408 (iron core) containing a magnet (hereinafter referred to as the pump side 407) and a portion of the object not including the rotor 408 (hereinafter referred to as the stator side 406). The stator side 406 includes copper components such as coils, which are recyclable resources similar to rare earth magnets.

[0064] In this embodiment, in step S305, the conveying mechanism 106 automatically moves the compressor 401 to the cutting position (automation of material handling), but an operator may be involved in the movement of the compressor 401. For example, the display terminal 123 may display information (numbers, letters, figures, or the like) indicating the position where the compressor 401 should be placed on a screen based on the information on the cutting position calculated by the server 107, and the operator may operate the conveying mechanism 106 while referring to the screen to move the compressor 401.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in step S305, the cutting device 102 automatically enters the compressor 401 to an appropriate depth, but an operator may be involved in moving the compressor 401. For example, the display terminal 123 may display information (numbers, letters, figures, or the like) indicating the cutting depth of the compressor 401 on a screen based on the cutting depth identified by the server 107, and the operator may operate the cutting blade while referring to the screen.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the conveying mechanism 106 moves the compressor 401 to the position of the cutting blade, but the cutting blade may instead move to the side of the compressor 401 (to the cutting position 415). For example, the control mechanism 402 moves the cutting blade laterally (in a direction parallel to the casing surface) via the main shaft 409. The cutting position 415 is specified by the distance traveled by the cutting blade, etc. Furthermore, the cutting device 102 or the display terminal 123 may display (with a laser pointer, for example) an indication of the position to which the cutting blade should move, so that the operator can move the cutting blade using this display as a reference.

[0067] 4, the magnet determination unit 113 of the server 107 determines whether or not a rare earth magnet is contained in the pump side 407 after disconnection (step S306). For example, the magnet determination unit 113 refers to the processing method management table 117 and determines whether or not the rare earth magnet inclusion identification information 1173 of the record related to the model number set in step S302 is "1."

[0068] If the pump side 407 does not contain a rare earth magnet (step S306: No), the display terminal 123 displays a screen indicating that the pump side 407 does not contain a rare earth magnet (step S310).

[0069] Here, in step S306, the presence or absence of a rare earth magnet may be determined using information other than the processing method management table 117. For example, a multi-wavelength spectroscopic camera (not shown) captures an image of the loaded compressor 401 or the separated pump side 407 and transmits the image information to the server 107. The server 107 determines whether the compressor 401 contains a rare earth magnet based on the image information and outputs information indicating the result. This makes it possible to determine whether the compressor 401 contains a rare earth magnet even if the processing method management table 117 does not contain the rare earth magnet inclusion identification information 1173. A multi-wavelength spectroscopic camera is a general term for a camera that can simultaneously capture an object in multiple wavelength bands (bands). These cameras are generally referred to as multi-spectral cameras or hyper-spectral cameras depending on the number of bands they can support. Therefore, any imaging device capable of evaluating spectral characteristics other than a multi-wavelength spectroscopic camera may be used as long as it can determine the presence or absence of a rare earth magnet (rare earth element).

[0070] If the pump side 407 contains a rare earth magnet (step S306: Yes), the material handling control unit 115 drives the transfer mechanism 106 to move the pump side 407 to the extraction device 103. The extraction device 103 then separates the rotor 408 containing the rare earth magnet from the pump side 407 (step S307).

[0071] 7 is a diagram showing an example of a process for separating the rotor 408 by the extraction device 103. As shown in the figure, the extraction device 103 includes one or more support parts 413 for fixing the pump side 407, and a push-out mechanism 412 for pressing the shaft 419 of the pump side 407 to remove the pump part 411. Note that the pump side 407 is fixed using, for example, the method described in Patent Document 2.

[0072] The extraction device 103 moves the push-out mechanism 412 using a drive mechanism (for example, a hydraulic drive system) not shown, and presses and pushes in the shaft 419 that protrudes from the pump side 407 and through which the rotor 408 is inserted. As a result, the pump side 407 is extracted from the rotor 408 together with the shaft 419, and as a result, the rotor 408 that was inserted through the shaft 419 is separated.

[0073] Information on the depth of pushing of the shaft 419 by the push-out mechanism 412 (hereinafter referred to as separation information) may be set in advance in the processing method management table 117. For example, the processing method management table 117 holds separation information according to the type of rotor 408 of the compressor 401, and the server 107 acquires the separation information corresponding to the delivered compressor 401. The extraction device 103 controls the pushing of the shaft 419 based on the information received from the server 107. This makes it possible to handle the separation of rotors 408 of various shapes and sizes.

[0074] When the separation of the rotor 408 by the extraction device 103 is completed, the material handling control unit 115 drives the transport mechanism 106 to move the separated rotor 408 to the demagnetization device 104 .

[0075] Meanwhile, the server 107 selects a magnetic field generating coil to be used for demagnetization by the demagnetizer 104. Specifically, the server 107 obtains, from the processing method management table 117, the demagnetizing coil setting information 1177 of the record related to the compressor 401 having the model number identified in step S302, and transmits instruction information including the obtained demagnetizing coil setting information 1177 to the demagnetizer 104.

[0076] Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the demagnetizer 104 demagnetizes the rare earth magnet included in the rotor 408 based on the instruction information (step S308).

[0077] 8 is a diagram (a three-dimensional view, a plan view, and a cross-sectional structural view) showing an example of the structure of a demagnetized rotor 408. This rotor 408 is configured to include a substantially cylindrical iron core 502 and one or more rare earth magnets 501 (neodymium magnets, etc.) embedded in the iron core 502. Each rare earth magnet 501 is substantially flat, and is inserted so as to penetrate from one top surface of the iron core 502 to the other top surface.

[0078] 9 is a diagram showing an example of a demagnetization process of rotor 408 by demagnetizer 104. Demagnetizer 104 includes core fixing device 603 on which rotor 408 is placed, support portion 604 that supports core fixing device 603, up-and-down movement drive device 605 that moves rotor 408 placed on core fixing device 603 up and down, magnetic field generating coils 602 (602A, 602B) that are arranged above demagnetizer 104 in a positional relationship that sandwiches rotor 408 moved upward by core fixing device 603, and coil control portion 601 that controls magnetic field generating coils 602.

[0079] The magnetic field generating coils 602 are made up of a pair of coils, and the pair of coils are positioned so as to sandwich the rotor 408, which has been moved upward by the iron core fixing device 603. The coil control unit 601 is provided with a plurality of types of such magnetic field generating coils 602, and can switch between the magnetic field generating coils 602 to be used (to sandwich the rotor 408) for the rotor 408 to be processed. The magnetic field generating coils 602 differ from one another in size (for example, coil circumference and length).

[0080] Here, when the rotor 408 is placed on the iron core fixing device 603 of the demagnetizer 104 by the transport mechanism 106 (not shown), the coil control unit 601 moves the magnetic field generating coil 602 indicated by the instruction information to above the iron core fixing device 603. The vertical movement drive device 605 is then driven to move the rotor 408 up and down. The coil control unit 601 also drives the magnetic field generating coil 602 to generate an alternating magnetic field with gradually decreasing amplitude, thereby applying a magnetic force to the rotor 408. This demagnetizes the rare earth magnet 501 inserted in the iron core 502 of the rotor 408. By generating an alternating magnetic field in this manner, demagnetization is possible at room temperature in a short time (about 10 seconds).

[0081] As a result, it is possible to efficiently demagnetize a variety of rotors 408 having different shapes or sizes.

[0082] If the server 107 is unable to obtain the demagnetizing coil setting information 1177 for the record related to the compressor 401 with the model number identified in step S302 from the processing method management table 117, demagnetization may be performed using another method. For example, the display terminal 123 displays information on the screen urging the worker to perform demagnetization using another method. Alternatively, for example, the conveying mechanism 106 conveys and inserts the rotor 408 into a predetermined electric furnace. This electric furnace heats the rotor 408 by radiant heating, thereby demagnetizing the rare earth magnet 501 inserted in the iron core 502. This method utilizes the property that magnets lose their magnetic force, i.e., are demagnetized, when they reach a certain temperature.

[0083] When the demagnetization of the rotor 408 by the demagnetization device 104 is completed, the material handling control unit 115 drives the transfer mechanism 106 to move the demagnetized rotor 408 to the magnet removal device 105 .

[0084] Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the magnet extraction device 105 separates the rare earth magnet 501 from the demagnetized rotor 408, and obtains the rare earth magnet 501 (step S309).

[0085] Thereafter, the server 107 calculates the regenerated quality of the compressor 401 from which the rare earth magnet 501 has been separated (step S310).

[0086] For example, the server 107 references the operation history management table 118, acquires the contents of the record specific to the compressor 401 associated with the model number identified in step S302, and evaluates the length of the operation history and the frequency of repairs using a predetermined evaluation function. If the evaluation value of the evaluation function is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the server 107 assigns a grade of "A" to the quality information of the rare earth magnet 501 of that compressor 401. If the evaluation value of the evaluation function is less than the predetermined threshold, the server 107 assigns a grade of "B" to the quality information of the rare earth magnet 501 of that compressor 401. The display terminal 123 displays this grade information on its screen. By referring to the displayed screen, a worker can determine an appropriate resource circulation method for the rare earth magnet 501. The server 107 also estimates the suitability of recycling based on the grade (quality information) and displays the result on its screen. This allows the worker to objectively determine whether the rare earth magnet 501 should be recycled as a material or reused as a magnet. Here, the recycle suitability is information indicating the recycle suitability estimated according to magnet quality information (grade) estimated based on the operation history or repair history specific to compressor 401 stored in operation history management table 118. For example, as an example of recycle suitability, server 107 may quantitatively or qualitatively display (on a screen) information recommending material recycling of the magnet material if rare earth magnet 501 is grade "A," while recommending reuse of the magnet as is if the grade is "B." Note that conveyance mechanism 106 may automatically sort rare earth magnets 501 according to their recycle suitability. This allows for efficient resource circulation appropriate for the grade of rare earth magnet 501.

[0087] The method for calculating the grade or suitability of the rare earth magnet 501 described here is merely an example, and any other method for evaluating the grade or suitability of the rare earth magnet 501 may be employed.

[0088] In addition to the rare earth magnet 501, the metal parts (stator side 406, iron core 502, etc.) separated in the previous processes may also be recycled.

[0089] The above-described recycling support process allows for appropriate separation of the compressors 401, each having different specifications such as shape or size, into the pump side 407 and the stator side 406, as well as the rare earth magnets 501 and the iron cores 502, thereby enabling more efficient recycling of these components and effective utilization of resources.

[0090] 10 is a conceptual diagram showing an overall view of the recycling support process including the recycling support processing. As shown in the figure, the cutting device 102, extraction device 103, demagnetization device 104, magnet removal device 105, and transport mechanism 106 all operate automatically in conjunction with each other via a server 107. The server 107 can set the level of automation of these devices.

[0091] At the fully automated level, the server 107 controls all of the equipment. That is, for the brought-in compressor 401, processing by each device and movement between devices by the transport mechanism 106 are performed automatically without manual intervention by an operator, and the stator side 406 (mainly made of copper), pump section 411 (iron), rotor 408 (iron), and rare earth magnet 501 (neodymium magnet, etc.) are automatically separated as recyclable resources. This makes it possible to provide a recycling support system that is compatible with various types of compressors 401 while reducing personnel costs and workload.

[0092] On the other hand, it is also possible to implement a semi-automated level of operation that makes the compressor 401 recycling process more efficient while utilizing the display terminal 123 and involving manual work by an operator.

[0093] As described above, the recycling support system 1 of this embodiment acquires information indicating the characteristics (model number, etc.) of the compressor 401 to be processed, identifies the cutting method for the compressor 401 to be processed based on the acquired information and the processing method management table 117, which contains information on the cutting methods for each type of compressor, and sends instruction information to the compressor processing system 2 instructing cutting using the identified cutting method, and the compressor processing system (cutting device 102) cuts the compressor 401 to be processed based on the instruction information.

[0094] In other words, the recycling support system 1 of this embodiment identifies the cutting method for the compressor 401 to be processed based on the processing method management table 117, which defines the cutting method for each type of compressor, and the cutting device 102 cuts the compressor 401 according to that cutting method.

[0095] In this way, the recycling support system 1 of this embodiment can support efficient recycling of parts for different types of compressors.

[0096] Specifically, the recycling support system 1 of this embodiment identifies the cutting depth of the compressor 401 to be processed based on information indicating the characteristics (model number, etc.) of the compressor 401 to be processed and the cutting method information 1176 in the processing method management table 117, and sends instruction information to the compressor processing system 2 instructing cutting at the identified cutting depth, and the compressor processing system 2 (cutting device 102) cuts the compressor 401 to be processed at that cutting depth based on the instruction information.

[0097] This makes it possible to assist in efficiently performing the cutting process for each compressor that needs to be cut at various cutting depths.

[0098] In addition, the recycling support system 1 of this embodiment identifies the cutting position of the compressor 401 to be processed based on information indicating the characteristics (model number, etc.) of the compressor 401 to be processed and the cutting method information 1176 in the processing method management table 117, and transmits instruction information to the compressor processing system 2 instructing cutting at the identified cutting position, and the conveying mechanism 106 moves the compressor 401 to be processed to the above-mentioned cutting position based on the instruction information, and the cutting device 102 cuts the compressor 401 to be processed at the moved cutting position.

[0099] This makes it possible to assist in efficiently performing the cutting process for each compressor, which should be cut at different locations depending on the structure (size, shape, etc.).

[0100] The compressor processing system of this embodiment includes a cutting device 102 that cuts the casing of the compressor 401 with a cutting blade, an extraction device 103 that separates a portion including a rare earth magnet 501 from the multiple portions cut by the cutting device 102, a demagnetization device 104 that demagnetizes the portion (rotor 408) extracted by the extraction device 103, and a magnet extraction device 105 that separates the rare earth magnet 501 demagnetized by the demagnetization device 104, and the server 107 transmits instruction information to the compressor processing system 2 instructing cutting using the specified cutting method, and the cutting device 102 cuts the compressor 401 to be processed based on the instruction information.

[0101] Such a configuration of the compressor processing system can assist in recycling compressors efficiently.

[0102] Furthermore, when the recycling support system 1 of this embodiment determines that the compressor 401 to be processed contains a rare earth magnet 501 based on information indicating the characteristics (model number, etc.) of the compressor 401 to be processed and the rare earth magnet content identification information 1173 in the processing method management table 117, it sends instruction information to the compressor processing system 2 to have the cut-off parts of the compressor 401 (pump side 407, rotor 408) transported to the extraction device 103 and demagnetization device 104 by the conveying mechanism 106, and the conveying mechanism 106 transports the cut-off parts to the above-mentioned devices based on the instruction information.

[0103] This makes it possible to assist in efficiently performing extraction and demagnetization processes for various compressors that differ in whether or not they contain magnets such as rare earth magnets.

[0104] Furthermore, if the recycling support system 1 of this embodiment is unable to identify the cutting method of the compressor 401 to be processed based on information indicating the characteristics (model number, etc.) of the compressor 401 to be processed and the processing method management table 117, it estimates the cutting method of the compressor 401 to be processed based on the image captured by the photographing device 101, and extracts from the processing method management table 117 the cutting method of the compressor that is most similar to the estimated cutting method, thereby identifying the cutting method of the compressor 401 to be processed.

[0105] This makes it possible to identify an appropriate cutting method even for a type of compressor whose information is not registered in the processing method management table 117.

[0106] In addition, the recycling support system 1 of this embodiment identifies the type of magnetic field generating coil 602 to be used to demagnetize the compressor 401 to be processed based on information indicating the characteristics (model number, etc.) of the compressor 401 to be processed and the demagnetization coil setting information 1177 in the processing method management table 117, and transmits instruction information to the compressor processing system 2 instructing demagnetization using the identified type of magnetic field generating coil 602.Based on the instruction information, the demagnetization device 104 identifies the magnetic field generating coil 602 to be used to demagnetize the compressor 401 to be processed from multiple types of magnetic field generating coils 602, and demagnetizes the compressor 401 to be processed using the identified magnetic field generating coil 602.

[0107] This makes it possible to assist in efficiently performing demagnetization processing for various compressors with different magnet characteristics (size, etc.), such as rare earth magnets.

[0108] In addition, the recycling support system 1 of this embodiment estimates the quality or recycle suitability of the rare earth magnet 501 removed from the compressor 401 to be processed by the compressor processing system 2 based on the operation history management table 118, and displays information on the estimated quality or recycle suitability on the display terminal 123.

[0109] This will help confirm the quality of the rare earth magnets in the compressor and ensure proper recycling.

[0110] Furthermore, when the recycling support system 1 of this embodiment determines that the compressor 401 to be processed contains a rare earth magnet 501 based on image information of the compressor 401 photographed by a multi-wavelength spectroscopic camera, it transmits instruction information to the compressor processing system 2 to have the conveying mechanism 106 transport the cut parts of the compressor 401 (pump side 407, rotor 408) to the extraction device 103 and demagnetization device 104, and the conveying mechanism 106 transports the cut parts to the extraction device 103 and demagnetization device 104 based on the instruction information.

[0111] This makes it possible to determine in a simple manner whether the compressor to be treated is a compressor in which rare earth magnets should be separated.

[0112] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented using any components within the scope of the gist of the present invention. The above-described embodiments and modifications are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these contents as long as the features of the invention are not impaired. Furthermore, although various embodiments and modifications have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these contents. Other aspects conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0113] For example, the configuration of each functional unit described in this embodiment is an example, and for example, some functional units may be incorporated into other functional units, or multiple functional units may be configured as one functional unit.

[0114] Furthermore, although this embodiment has been described as a compressor being the product to be processed, part or all of the recycling support system may also be applied to products containing rare earth magnets, such as motor products (industrial motors, etc.).

[0115] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the case where rare earth magnets are used as magnets to be recycled has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to other recyclable metals (magnets) or other resources.

[0116] Furthermore, the device configuration of the compressor processing system described in this embodiment is an example, and other devices for extracting rare earth magnets may be added or substituted.

[0117] 1 Recycling support system, 102 Cutting device, 103 Extraction device, 104 Demagnetization device, 105 Magnet removal device, 106 Conveyance mechanism, 501 Rare earth magnet

Claims

1. A recycling support system comprising: a compressor processing system that cuts a compressor into a plurality of parts, demagnetizes the magnets contained in the cut parts, and removes the demagnetized magnets; a storage device that stores processing method management information which is information on the cutting method for each type of compressor; and an information processing device having a control device that acquires information indicating the characteristics of the compressor to be processed, identifies a cutting method for the compressor to be processed based on the acquired information and the processing method management information, and transmits instruction information to the compressor processing system instructing cutting using the identified cutting method, wherein the compressor processing system cuts the compressor to be processed based on the instruction information.

2. The recycling support system described in claim 1, wherein the storage device stores processing method management information including information indicating the cutting depth of each type of compressor, the control device identifies the cutting depth of the compressor to be processed based on the acquired information and the information indicating the cutting depth, and transmits instruction information to the compressor processing system instructing cutting at the identified cutting depth, and the compressor processing system cuts the compressor to be processed at the identified cutting depth based on the instruction information.

3. The recycling support system described in claim 1, wherein the storage device stores processing method management information including information indicating the cutting position of each type of compressor, the control device identifies the cutting position of the compressor to be processed based on the acquired information and the information indicating the cutting position, and transmits instruction information to the compressor processing system instructing cutting at the identified cutting position, and the compressor processing system moves the compressor to be processed to the identified cutting position based on the instruction information, and cuts the compressor to be processed at the moved cutting position.

4. The recycling support system described in claim 1, wherein the compressor processing system is equipped with a device for demagnetizing magnets contained in the cut parts, the storage device stores processing method management information including information indicating whether or not each type of compressor contains a magnet, the control device determines whether or not the compressor to be processed contains a magnet based on the acquired information and the information indicating whether or not the compressor contains a magnet, and if it determines that the compressor to be processed contains a magnet, sends instruction information to the compressor processing system to have the cut parts transported to the device, and the compressor processing system transports the cut parts to the device based on the instruction information.

5. The recycling support system described in claim 1, wherein the compressor processing system is equipped with a photographing device that takes images of the compressor to be processed, and when the control device cannot identify the cutting method of the compressor to be processed based on the acquired information and the processing method management information, the control device estimates the cutting method of the compressor to be processed based on the image of the compressor to be processed taken by the photographing device, and extracts a cutting method similar to the estimated cutting method from the processing method management information, thereby identifying the cutting method of the compressor to be processed.

6. The recycling support system described in claim 1, wherein the compressor processing system is equipped with a demagnetizing device having multiple types of coils capable of demagnetizing the magnets contained in the cut portion, the storage device stores processing method management information including information on the coils used to demagnetize each type of compressor, the control device identifies the type of coil to be used to demagnetize the compressor to be processed based on the acquired information and the coil information, and transmits instruction information to the compressor processing system instructing demagnetization using the identified type of coil, and the demagnetizing device identifies the coil to be used to demagnetize the compressor to be processed from the multiple types of coils based on the instruction information, and demagnetizes the compressor to be processed using the identified coil.

7. The recycling support system described in claim 1, wherein the storage device stores operation history information, which is information relating to the usage history of the compressor to be processed, and the control device estimates the quality or recycle suitability of the magnets removed from the compressor to be processed by the compressor processing system based on the operation history information, and outputs information on the estimated quality or recycle suitability to an output device.

8. The compressor processing system is equipped with a photographing device that photographs the compressor to be processed and a device for demagnetizing the magnets contained in the cut-off parts, and the control device determines whether the compressor to be processed contains the magnets based on image information of the compressor to be processed photographed by the photographing device, and if it is determined that the compressor to be processed contains the magnets, sends instruction information to the compressor processing system to have the cut-off parts transported to the device, and the compressor processing system has the cut-off parts transported to the device based on the instruction information. A recycling support system as described in claim 1.

9. The compressor processing system comprises: a cutting device that cuts the casing of the compressor with a cutting blade; an extraction device that separates the portion including the magnet from the multiple portions cut by the cutting device; a demagnetization device that demagnetizes the portion extracted by the extraction device; and a magnet extraction device that separates the magnet demagnetized by the demagnetization device; the control device identifies a cutting method for the compressor to be processed based on the acquired information and the processing method management information, and transmits instruction information to the compressor processing system instructing cutting using the identified cutting method; and the cutting device cuts the compressor to be processed based on the instruction information. The recycling support system described in claim 1.

10. A recycling support method using a recycling support system including a compressor processing system that cuts a compressor into multiple parts, demagnetizes the magnets contained in the cut parts, and removes the demagnetized magnets, a storage device that stores processing method management information that is information on cutting methods for each type of compressor, and an information processing device that has a control device, wherein the control device acquires information that indicates the characteristics of the compressor to be processed, identifies a cutting method for the compressor to be processed based on the acquired information and the processing method management information, and sends instruction information to the compressor processing system that instructs cutting using the identified cutting method, and the compressor processing system cuts the compressor to be processed based on the instruction information.

11. The recycling support method described in claim 10, wherein the storage device stores processing method management information including information indicating the cutting depth of each type of compressor, the control device identifies the cutting depth of the compressor to be processed based on the acquired information and the information indicating the cutting depth, and transmits instruction information to the compressor processing system instructing cutting at the identified cutting depth, and the compressor processing system cuts the compressor to be processed at the identified cutting depth based on the instruction information.

12. The recycling support method described in claim 10, wherein the storage device stores processing method management information including information indicating the cutting position of each type of compressor, the control device identifies the cutting position of the compressor to be processed based on the acquired information and the information indicating the cutting position, and transmits instruction information to the compressor processing system instructing cutting at the identified cutting position, and the compressor processing system moves the compressor to be processed to the identified cutting position based on the instruction information, and cuts the compressor to be processed at the moved cutting position.

13. The recycling support method described in claim 10, wherein the compressor processing system is equipped with a device for demagnetizing magnets contained in the cut parts, the storage device stores processing method management information including information indicating whether or not each type of compressor contains a magnet, the control device determines whether or not the compressor to be processed contains a magnet based on the acquired information and the information indicating whether or not the compressor contains a magnet, and if it determines that the compressor to be processed contains a magnet, sends instruction information to the compressor processing system to have the cut parts transported to the device, and the compressor processing system transports the cut parts to the device based on the instruction information.

14. The recycling support method described in claim 10, wherein the compressor processing system includes a photographing device that takes an image of the compressor to be processed, and when the control device cannot identify the cutting method of the compressor to be processed based on the acquired information and the processing method management information, the control device estimates the cutting method of the compressor to be processed based on the image of the compressor to be processed taken by the photographing device, and extracts the cutting method that is most similar to the estimated cutting method from the processing method management information, thereby identifying the cutting method of the compressor to be processed.

15. The recycling support method described in claim 10, wherein the compressor processing system is equipped with a demagnetizing device having multiple types of coils capable of demagnetizing the magnets contained in the cut portion, the storage device stores processing method management information including information on the coils to be used for demagnetizing each type of compressor, the control device identifies the type of coil to be used for demagnetizing the compressor to be processed based on the acquired information and the coil information, and transmits instruction information to the compressor processing system instructing demagnetization using the identified type of coil, and the demagnetizing device identifies the coil to be used for demagnetizing the compressor to be processed from the multiple types of coils based on the instruction information, and demagnetizes the compressor to be processed using the identified coil.

16. The recycling support method described in claim 10, wherein the storage device stores operation history information, which is information relating to the usage history of the compressor to be processed, and the control device estimates the quality or recycle suitability of the magnets removed from the compressor to be processed by the compressor processing system based on the operation history information, and outputs information on the estimated quality or recycle suitability to an output device.

17. The recycling support method described in claim 10, wherein the compressor processing system comprises a photographing device that photographs the compressor to be processed and a device for demagnetizing the magnets contained in the cut-off parts, and the control device determines whether the compressor to be processed contains the magnets based on image information of the compressor to be processed photographed by the photographing device, and if it is determined that the compressor to be processed contains the magnets, sends instruction information to the compressor processing system to cause the device to transport the cut-off parts, and the compressor processing system causes the device to transport the cut-off parts based on the instruction information.

18. The recycling support method described in claim 10, wherein the compressor processing system comprises: a cutting device that cuts the casing of the compressor with a cutting blade; an extraction device that separates the portion including the magnet from the multiple portions cut by the cutting device; a demagnetization device that demagnetizes the portion extracted by the extraction device; and a magnet extraction device that separates the magnet demagnetized by the demagnetization device; the control device identifies a cutting method for the compressor to be processed based on the acquired information and the processing method management information, and transmits instruction information to the compressor processing system instructing cutting using the identified cutting method; and the cutting device cuts the compressor to be processed based on the instruction information.

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