Automobile dismantling and crushing method

Abstract

In an automobile dismantling and crushing method according to the present invention: a used automobile (10) is dismantled and crushed to extract useful objects; each operation of a roof separation step, a seat extraction step, a main body upper-side dismantling step, a main body lower-side dismantling step, an exterior resin component removing step, a heat exchanger removing step, and a glass member removing step is carried out in order by an automobile dismantling machine (2); and dismantling remains (X) obtained from each of the steps are compressed by a press machine and then crushed by a crusher to obtain crushed material. Thereafter, metal materials are removed from the crushed material by a magnetic separator.

Description

Automobile dismantling and crushing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for dismantling and shredding automobiles, which is capable of efficiently recovering reusable resources when dismantling end-of-life automobiles.

[0002] Traditionally, useful metals and parts have been recovered and reused from end-of-life vehicles during the dismantling and crushing process. In recent years, various efforts have been made to recover useful materials such as metals and parts contained in end-of-life vehicles without discarding them as much as possible. For example, in the dismantling of a vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1, the windshield of the end-of-life vehicle is removed from the body of the end-of-life vehicle, the roof of the end-of-life vehicle is separated from the body, and then the interior plastic parts are removed from the cabin of the body, and the roof plastic parts are also removed from the roof, resulting in a dismantled vehicle.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-64503

[0004] Dismantled automobiles from which the windshields and plastic parts have been removed as described above are generally taken over by a shredding company, where they are finely shredded using a shredder. Metals are then sorted through a range of processes, including magnetic sorting and wind sorting, and non-ferrous metals, plastics, copper wire, and other valuable materials are then manually recovered from the remaining shredded material.

[0005] However, when dismantling and shredding end-of-life vehicles in the above-mentioned order, it is necessary to shred the dismantled vehicles, which still have many of the various metals and parts attached, which necessitates the use of larger shredders, which requires a large working space to accommodate the equipment, and which results in the problem of extremely large energy consumption per dismantled vehicle.Furthermore, after dismantling a dismantled vehicle, useful materials and non-useful materials are mixed in a complex manner in the shredded material, and useful materials cannot be recovered in small quantities without undergoing a complex sorting process, which requires manual sorting by workers, which not only makes it difficult to recover useful materials efficiently but also increases costs.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its object is to provide a low-cost automobile dismantling and shredding method that allows work to be done in a small space, reduces the energy consumed during work, and allows useful materials to be recovered efficiently.

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is characterized in that an automobile dismantling machine is used to tear off everything that can be torn off or removed from an end-of-life automobile, or after removal, only the remaining material that remains after the work is crushed.

[0008] Specifically, the following measures were taken regarding automobile dismantling and shredding methods, which involve dismantling and shredding end-of-life automobiles to extract useful materials.

[0009] That is, the automobile dismantling and shredding method according to the first invention includes a roof separation process in which, after separating the roof portion of the end-of-life automobile from the main body portion of the end-of-life automobile, roof interior parts are peeled off from the roof panel portion of the roof portion, and then roof remaining parts excluding the resin panel portion are removed from the roof interior parts by an automobile dismantling machine or an industrial robot having a gripping means attached to the tip of an arm; and a second process in which, after removing seat parts from the main body portion, seat electrical parts and seat resin parts are peeled off from the seat frame portion of the seat parts, and then a sheet removal process in which the automobile dismantling machine or the industrial robot performs the respective operations of removing sheet residue from the main body portion; a main body upper dismantling process in which the automobile dismantling machine or the industrial robot performs the respective operations of peeling off the vehicle interior parts from the main body portion, and then peeling off the vehicle interior electrical components and the vehicle interior plastic parts from the main body portion and the vehicle interior parts, and then removing the main body upper residue from the upper region of the main body portion and the vehicle interior parts; and a process in which the main body portion is turned over, and then removing the suspension parts, and then removing the main body lower residue from the underside of the main body portion and the suspension parts. a body lower side dismantling process in which the work is performed by the automobile dismantling machine or the industrial robot; an exterior resin part removal process in which the automobile dismantling machine or the industrial robot removes exterior resin parts of the body part and then removes remains associated with the exterior resin parts located between the exterior resin parts and the body part; a heat exchanger removal process in which the automobile dismantling machine or the industrial robot removes a heat exchanger from the body part and then removes remains associated with the heat exchanger located between the heat exchanger and the body part; and a glass member from the body part and then removes the glass member. and a glass member removal process in which the automobile dismantling machine or the industrial robot performs each of the operations of removing glass member-associated residue located between the roof and the main body. After each of these steps is performed, the roof residue, the sheet residue, the upper main body residue, the lower main body residue, the exterior resin part-associated residue, the heat exchanger-associated residue, and the glass member-associated residue are compressed together using a press to form dismantling residue, and then the dismantling residue is crushed using a crusher to obtain crushed material, and metal objects are removed from the crushed material using a magnetic separator.The automobile dismantling and shredding method configured as described above operates so that the only equipment required for removing dismantling residues at each stage of dismantling an end-of-life vehicle is an automobile dismantling machine or industrial robot. Furthermore, it operates so that only the dismantling residues remaining after most of the useful materials have been removed from the end-of-life vehicle are shredded by a shredder. Furthermore, it operates so that the need for complicated sorting processes and manual sorting by workers is eliminated.

[0010] The automobile dismantling and shredding method according to the second invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the content of metal objects in the dismantling residue when crushed by the crusher is 1% or less. In the automobile dismantling and shredding method configured in this way, when crushing the dismantling residue, the metal objects contained in the dismantling residue act to almost completely eliminate the load on the crusher.

[0011] The automobile dismantling and shredding method according to a third invention is the method of the first or second invention, characterized in that the press machine includes a pit opening to the floor surface and a press plate that compresses the roof remnants, the sheet remnants, the upper body remnants, the lower body remnants, the exterior resin part associated remnants, the heat exchanger associated remnants, and the glass member associated remnants that are thrown into the pit. The automobile dismantling and shredding method configured in this way operates so that the respective remnants that have been removed and scattered on the floor surface can be dropped and collected into the pit opening to the floor surface.

[0012] The automobile dismantling and crushing method according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the method according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, wherein the automobile dismantling machine comprises a crawler-type lower traveling body, a shovel body attached above the lower traveling body via a swivel mechanism, and a dismantling attachment provided on the shovel body, the gripping means is a crusher, the dismantling attachment comprises a boom, an arm, and the crusher in this order from the base end, and the crusher is shaped like scissors. The automobile dismantling and crushing method configured in this manner operates to efficiently perform peeling, removal, cutting, etc.

[0013] The automobile dismantling and shredding method according to the fifth invention is the method according to the first or second invention, characterized in that the gripping means is a gripper, and the industrial robot is a remote-controlled robot that can remotely operate the gripper. The automobile dismantling and shredding method configured in this way operates so that workers can work at a location away from the end-of-life automobiles.

[0014] In the automobile dismantling and shredding method of the first invention, the only equipment required for each process of dismantling an end-of-life automobile is an automobile dismantling machine: separating a portion of the body, peeling or removing each part, equipment, and member from the body, and removing dismantling residue from between these parts, equipment, and members and the body. Therefore, because less equipment is required, each process can be performed in a smaller space, and energy consumption for each dismantling process can be reduced. Furthermore, because only the dismantling residue after removing most of the useful material from the end-of-life automobile is shredded by the shredder, energy consumption during the shredding process can also be reduced. Furthermore, since the complex sorting process required in conventional technology is not required, and manual sorting by workers is not required, the costs of dismantling and shredding can be kept low.

[0015] In the automobile dismantling and shredding method of the second invention, when shredding the dismantling residues, the load on the shredder due to the metal objects contained in the dismantling residues is almost eliminated. Therefore, the specifications of the shredder can be kept low, achieving both low equipment costs and space savings in the work area.

[0016] In the automobile dismantling and shredding method of the third invention, the remaining items that have been removed and scattered on the floor can be dropped into a pit that opens onto the floor and collected, allowing the remaining items to be collected efficiently.

[0017] In the automobile dismantling and shredding method of the fourth invention, peeling, removal, cutting, etc. can be performed efficiently, thereby shortening the time required for dismantling and shredding.

[0018] In the automobile dismantling and shredding method of the fifth invention, workers can work at a location away from the end-of-life automobiles, making the dismantling and shredding work even safer.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an automobile dismantling machine used when carrying out an automobile dismantling and shredding method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and an end-of-life automobile to be dismantled by the automobile dismantling machine. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a press machine, a crusher, and a magnetic separator used in the automobile dismantling and shredding method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an automobile dismantling and shredding method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an operation carried out in step S100 of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an operation carried out in step S200 of FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an operation carried out in step S210 of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an operation carried out in step S220 of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an operation carried out in step S230 of FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an operation carried out in step S240 of FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an operation carried out in step S250 of FIG. 5. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an operation carried out in step S260 of FIG. 5. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an operation carried out in step S270 of FIG. 11. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an operation carried out in step S300 of FIG.

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is merely exemplary in nature.

[0021] 1 and 2 show an automobile dismantling and shredding system 1 used when carrying out an automobile dismantling and shredding method according to an embodiment of the present invention. This automobile dismantling and shredding system 1 is composed of an automobile dismantling machine 2, a press 3, a shredder 4, and a magnetic separator 5, and is configured to dismantle and shred an end-of-life automobile 10. As pre-processing for the dismantling work, the tires and batteries of this end-of-life automobile 10 have been removed, and waste oil and waste liquid have been removed. In addition, the airbags have either been deployed on the vehicle or removed and collected. Furthermore, the engine of the end-of-life automobile 10 has been unloaded.

[0022] The automobile dismantling machine 2 comprises a crawler-type lower running body 6 and a shovel body 7 attached above the lower running body 6 via a swivel mechanism, and the shovel body 7 is rotatable around a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction.

[0023] A box-shaped cab 7A is provided on one widthwise side of the shovel body 7 to protect the operator of the automobile dismantling machine 2.

[0024] On the other hand, a demolition attachment 7B is provided on the other widthwise side of the shovel body 7, and this demolition attachment 7B comprises, in order from the base end side, a boom 7a, an arm 7b, and a crusher 7c (gripping means).

[0025] The crusher 7c is shaped like scissors and is capable of cutting the frame portion of the used automobile 10, and of clamping and peeling or removing useful materials contained in the used automobile 10 from the main body portion 10b (white body) of the used automobile 10.

[0026] For example, the crusher 7c is designed to separate the roof portion 10a of the end-of-life vehicle 10 from the main body portion 10b by cutting the pillar portion of the end-of-life vehicle 10. The crusher 7c is also designed to clamp and peel off roof interior parts 11 (such as molded ceiling materials to which wire harnesses, resin piping, etc. are attached) from the roof panel portion of the separated roof portion 10a. Furthermore, the crusher 7c is designed to clamp and remove roof remnants X1, excluding the resin panel portion (the molded ceiling material and pillar portion), from the roof interior part 11. The roof remnants X1 are, for example, soundproofing or sound-absorbing materials made of urethane, excluding iron scrap, non-ferrous metals, useful plastics, electrical components, wire harnesses, etc.

[0027] For example, the crusher 7c is configured to clamp and remove the seat component 10c from the main body 10b. The crusher 7c is also configured to clamp and peel off the seat electrical components 12 (such as a wire harness) and the seat resin parts 13 from the seat frame of the removed seat component 10c. The crusher 7c is also configured to clamp and remove seat residue X2 from the seat frame. The seat residue X2 includes, for example, cushioning material made of urethane and seat covers made of leather, but does not include scrap iron, non-ferrous metals, useful plastics, electrical components, wire harnesses, etc.

[0028] The crusher 7c is also configured to clamp and remove interior components 10d (e.g., dashboard components and center console components) from the main body 10b. The crusher 7c is also configured to clamp and remove interior electrical components 14 (e.g., wire harnesses) and interior plastic parts 15 (e.g., plastic panels such as dashboard panels and center console panels) from the removed interior components 10d. The crusher 7c is also configured to clamp and remove upper body remaining material X3 from the upper region of the main body 10b and the interior components 10d. The upper body remaining material X3 includes, for example, soundproofing and sound-absorbing materials made of urethane, and does not include scrap iron, non-ferrous metals, useful plastics, electrical components, wire harnesses, etc.

[0029] The crusher 7c is also designed to clamp and remove underbody parts 10e (e.g., brakes, suspension, dampers, mufflers, etc.) from the inverted main body 10b. The crusher 7c is also designed to clamp and remove underbody residue X4 from the removed underbody parts 10e and the lower area of ​​the main body 10b. The underbody residue X4 includes, for example, vibration-proof rubber attached to dampers, mufflers, etc., but does not include scrap iron, non-ferrous metals, useful plastics, electrical components, wire harnesses, etc.

[0030] The crusher 7c is also designed to clamp and remove the exterior resin part 10f (e.g., a bumper or side sill cover) from the main body 10b. The crusher 7c is also designed to clamp and remove the exterior resin part-related remains X5 located between the removed exterior resin part 10f and the main body 10b. The exterior resin part-related remains X5 include, for example, plastic bumper mounting clips and vibration-isolating rubber, but does not include scrap iron, non-ferrous metals, useful plastics, electrical components, wire harnesses, etc.

[0031] The crusher 7c is designed to clamp and remove the heat exchanger 10g (radiator and condenser) from the main body 10b. The crusher 7c is also designed to clamp and remove heat exchanger-related remains X6 located between the removed heat exchanger 10g and the main body 10b. The heat exchanger-related remains X6 include, for example, heat-resistant rubber tubes and grommets, but do not include scrap iron, non-ferrous metals, useful plastics, electrical components, wire harnesses, etc.

[0032] The crusher 7c is also designed to clamp and remove the glass member 10h (such as a window glass or door glass) from the main body 10b. It is also designed to clamp and remove glass-related debris X7 located between the glass member 10h and the main body 10b. Glass-related debris X7 includes, for example, weather strips and plastic mounting clips, but does not include scrap iron, non-ferrous metals, useful plastics, electrical components, wire harnesses, etc.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, the press machine 3 includes a horizontally wide pit 3a that opens onto the floor, a press plate 3b that has a shape corresponding to the pit 3a, and a hydraulic cylinder 3c that is arranged around the pit 3a.

[0034] The press plate 3b can rotate up and down around the end of the hydraulic cylinder 3c as a fulcrum. The hydraulic cylinder 3c has a rod 3d that extends obliquely downward, and the tip of the rod 3d is connected to the surface of the press plate 3b.

[0035] When the rod portion 3d of the hydraulic cylinder 3c is contracted, the press plate 3b rotates upward and jumps out of the pit 3a, opening the pit 3a, and when the rod portion 3d is extended, the press plate 3b rotates downward and enters the pit 3a.

[0036] Then, roof remnants X1, sheet remnants X2, upper body remnants X3, lower body remnants X4, exterior plastic part-related remnants X5, heat exchanger-related remnants X6, and glass member-related remnants X7 are thrown into the open pit 3a, and the press plate 3b is rotated downward to enter the pit 3a, compressing the remnants X1 to X7 between the bottom of the pit 3a and the press plate 3b to form the dismantling remnants X. For convenience, FIG. 2 shows only X1 to X3 of the remnants X1 to X7 thrown into the pit 3a. The dismantling remnants X also contain small metal objects such as nuts and washers, the content of which is 1% or less.

[0037] The crusher 4 is a so-called uniaxial type, and as shown in FIG. 2, it comprises a main body case 4a that opens upward and downward, a hopper 4b attached to the top of the main body case 4a, and a stand 4c that supports the main body case 4a. A drive motor (not shown) that rotates the rotary blades is housed inside the main body case 4a.

[0038] The crusher 4 has an output of 50 horsepower or less, and crushes the dismantling residue X fed into the hopper 4b with a rotary blade inside the main case 4a, and discharges the crushed material Z below the main case 4a.

[0039] The magnetic separator 5 separates crushed materials Z, which are fed into the case from above, into metal materials Z1 and non-metal materials Z2 by the rotation of a drum 5a containing a magnet. The non-metal materials Z2 are ASR (Automobile Shredder Residue), which are then sent to automobile manufacturers.

[0040] Next, a detailed description will be given of the workflow carried out in the automobile dismantling and crushing system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 3, first, in step S100, a first dismantling operation is performed on the end-of-life vehicle 10. Specifically, a dismantling operation called pre-processing is performed based on the flowchart shown in Fig. 4.

[0042] In step S110, the tires are removed from the end-of-life vehicle 10. If the removed tires are still usable, they are sold for reuse, while if they are unusable, they are sent to a shredding company for disposal.

[0043] Next, in step S120, waste oil and waste liquid are collected from the end-of-life vehicle 10. The collected waste oil and waste liquid are sent to a waste oil and waste liquid treatment company for disposal.

[0044] Next, in step S130, the airbag of the end-of-life vehicle 10 is deployed on the vehicle or collected, and then the process proceeds to step S200 in Fig. 3. If the airbag is collected, it is sent to the automobile manufacturer.

[0045] In step S200, a second dismantling operation is performed on the end-of-life vehicle 10. Specifically, the operation of extracting useful materials from the end-of-life vehicle 10 is performed based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0046] Step S210 is a process of separating the roof portion 10a from the main body portion 10b of the end-of-life vehicle 10. Specifically, processing around the roof portion 10a is carried out in accordance with the procedure of the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0047] That is, first, in step S211, the worker operates the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 to separate the roof portion 10a from the body portion 10b of the end-of-life automobile 10, and then proceeds to step S212.

[0048] In step S212, the worker operates the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 to peel off the roof interior part 11 from the roof panel portion of the roof portion 10a, and the process proceeds to step S213.

[0049] In step S213, the worker operates the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 to clamp and remove the roof remnants X1 excluding the resin panel portion from the roof interior part 11, and once all of the roof remnants X1 have been removed from the roof interior part 11, the process proceeds to step S220 in Figure 5.

[0050] Step S220 is a process of removing the seat component 10c from the main body 10b of the end-of-life vehicle 10. Specifically, processing related to the seat component 10c is performed in accordance with the procedure of the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0051] That is, first, in step S221, the worker operates the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 to remove the seat parts 10c from the main body 10b of the end-of-life automobile 10, and then proceeds to step S222.

[0052] In step S222, the worker operates the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 to pinch and peel off the seat electrical component 12 and the sheet resin part 13 from the seat frame portion of the seat component 10c, and then proceeds to step S223.

[0053] In step S223, the worker operates the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 to pinch and remove the sheet residue X2 from the seat frame portion of the seat component 10c, and once all of the sheet residue X2 has been removed from the seat component 10c, the process proceeds to step S230 in Figure 5.

[0054] Step S230 is a process of removing the interior vehicle part 10d from the main body 10b of the end-of-life automobile 10. Specifically, processing of the interior vehicle part 10d is performed in accordance with the procedure of the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0055] That is, first, in S231, the worker operates the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 to pinch and peel off the interior vehicle parts 10d from the main body 10b of the end-of-life automobile 10, and then proceeds to step S232.

[0056] In step S232, the worker operates the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 to pinch and peel off the interior electrical components 14 and the interior plastic parts 15 from the interior interior parts 10d, and then the process proceeds to step S233.

[0057] In step S233, the worker operates the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 to clamp and remove the upper body remaining material X3 from the upper region of the main body 10b and the interior parts 10d of the vehicle, and once all the upper body remaining material X3 has been removed from the upper region of the main body 10b and the interior parts 10d of the vehicle, the process proceeds to step S240 in Figure 5.

[0058] Step S240 is a process of removing the undercarriage part 10e from the main body 10b of the end-of-life automobile 10. Specifically, processing of the undercarriage part 10e and its surroundings is carried out in accordance with the procedure of the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0059] That is, first, in S241, the worker operates the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 to turn over the main body 10b, and then the process proceeds to step S242.

[0060] In step S242, the worker operates the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 to clamp and remove the undercarriage parts 10e from the main body 10b. Then, after all the undercarriage parts 10e have been removed, the process proceeds to step S243.

[0061] In step S243, the worker operates the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 to pinch and remove the underbody remnants X4 from between the underbody parts 10e and the lower area of ​​the main body part 10b, and once all of the underbody remnants X4 have been removed from between the underbody parts 10e and the lower area of ​​the main body part 10b, the process proceeds to step S250 in Figure 5.

[0062] Step S250 is a process of removing the exterior resin part 10f from the main body 10b of the end-of-life vehicle 10. Specifically, processing of the exterior resin part 10f and its surroundings is carried out in accordance with the procedure of the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0063] That is, first, in S251, the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 is operated to remove the exterior resin parts 10f from the main body 10b, and then the process proceeds to step S252.

[0064] In step S252, the worker operates the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 to clamp and remove the exterior resin part associated remnants X5 located between the exterior resin part 10f and the main body 10b, and once all of the exterior resin part associated remnants X5 located between the exterior resin part 10f and the main body 10b have been removed, the process proceeds to step S260 in Figure 5.

[0065] Step S260 is a process of removing the heat exchanger 10g from the main body 10b of the end-of-life vehicle 10. Specifically, processing around the heat exchanger 10g is carried out in accordance with the procedure of the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0066] That is, first, in S261, the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 is operated to remove the heat exchanger 10g from the main body 10b, and then the process proceeds to step S262.

[0067] In step S262, the worker operates the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 to clamp and remove the heat exchanger-associated remains X6 located between the heat exchanger 10g and the main body 10b, and once all of the heat exchanger-associated remains X6 located between the heat exchanger 10g and the main body 10b have been removed, the process proceeds to step S270 in Figure 5.

[0068] Step S270 is a process of removing the glass member 10h from the main body 10b of the end-of-life vehicle 10. Specifically, processing around the glass member 10h is carried out in accordance with the procedure of the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0069] That is, first, in S271, the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 is operated to remove the glass member 10h from the main body 10b, and then the process proceeds to step S272.

[0070] In step S272, the worker operates the crusher 7c of the automobile dismantling machine 2 to clamp and remove the glass member-associated remains X7 located between the glass member 10h and the main body portion 10b, and once all of the glass member-associated remains X7 located between the glass member 10h and the main body portion 10b have been removed, the process proceeds to step S300 in Figure 3.

[0071] In step S300, the roof remains X1, sheet remains X2, upper body remains X3, lower body remains X4, exterior resin part associated remains X5, heat exchanger associated remains X6, and glass member associated remains X7, which were removed in step S200, are crushed. Specifically, the crushing operation is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 13.

[0072] Step S310 is a process of combining roof remnants X1, sheet remnants X2, upper body remnants X3, lower body remnants X4, exterior plastic part associated remnants X5, heat exchanger associated remnants X6, and glass component associated remnants X7 into dismantling remnants X.

[0073] That is, first, in step S310, the worker operates the press 3 to rotate the press plate 3b upward to open the pit 3a, then loads the roof remnants X1, sheet remnants X2, upper body remnants X3, lower body remnants X4, exterior plastic part associated remnants X5, heat exchanger associated remnants X6, and glass member associated remnants X7 into the pit 3a, and then rotates the press plate 3b downward. The remnants X1 to X7 are then compressed between the bottom of the pit 3a and the press plate 3b and consolidated into dismantling remnants X. Then, the process proceeds to step S320.

[0074] Step S320 is a process for crushing the dismantling residue X. That is, in step S320, the operator puts the dismantling residue X into the hopper 4b of the crusher 4, and then rotates the rotary blade (not shown) located inside the main body case 4a of the crusher 4. Then, the dismantling residue X is crushed and crushed material Z is discharged below the main body case 4a, and the process proceeds to step S330.

[0075] Step S330 is a process of magnetically separating the crushed objects Z. That is, in step S330, the worker puts the crushed objects Z into the magnetic separator 5 from above, and then rotates the drum 5a located inside the magnetic separator 5. Then, the crushed objects Z are magnetically separated and sorted into metal objects Z1 and non-metal objects Z2, and the work in the automobile dismantling and crushing system 1 is completed.

[0076] As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, in each process of dismantling an end-of-life vehicle 10, the only equipment required for the work of partially separating the main body 10b, the work of peeling off or removing each part, device, and member from the main body 10b, and the work of removing the dismantling residue X from between each of these parts, devices, and members and the main body 10b is the automobile dismantling machine 2. Therefore, because less equipment is used, each work can be performed in a smaller space, and the energy consumed in each dismantling work can be reduced.

[0077] In addition, since only the dismantling residue X, which remains after most of the useful materials have been removed from the end-of-life vehicles 10, is crushed by the crusher 4, the energy consumed in the crushing process can also be reduced. Furthermore, since there is no need for the complicated sorting process required in the prior art, and there is no need for manual sorting by workers, the costs involved in dismantling and crushing can be kept low.

[0078] Furthermore, because the content of metal objects Z1 contained in the dismantling residue X is 1% or less, there is almost no load placed on the crusher 4 by the metal objects Z1 contained in the dismantling residue X when the dismantling residue X is crushed. This allows the specifications of the crusher 4 to be kept low, achieving both low equipment costs and space savings in the work area.

[0079] In addition, the press machine 3 is equipped with a pit 3a that opens onto the floor surface and a press plate 3b that compresses each residue thrown into the pit 3a, so that each residue that is removed and scattered on the floor surface can be dropped into the pit 3a that opens onto the floor surface and collected, allowing each residue to be efficiently collected.

[0080] In addition, the automobile dismantling machine 2 has a lower running body 6, a shovel body 7 and a dismantling attachment 7B, and the dismantling attachment 7B has a boom 7a, an arm 7b and a crusher 7c in that order from the base end, and furthermore, since the crusher 7c is scissor-shaped, peeling, removal, cutting, etc. can be performed efficiently, and the time required for dismantling and crushing work can be shortened.

[0081] In the embodiment of the present invention, the exterior resin part removal process, the heat exchanger removal process, and the glass member removal process are performed after the lower body dismantling process, but they do not necessarily have to be performed after the lower body dismantling process, and may be performed, for example, before the roof separation process.

[0082] Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the crusher 4 is a uniaxial type, but a biaxial crusher 4 may also be used to crush the demolition residue X. Note that, when the method of the present invention is used, the output of the crusher 4 can be kept low, for example, to 50 horsepower or less, but a crusher 4 with an output of about 50 horsepower can be used to sufficiently crush the demolition residue X. Furthermore, for example, a crusher 4 with an output of 100 horsepower or a crusher 4 with an output of 20 horsepower may also be used to crush the demolition residue X.

[0083] In the embodiment of the present invention, the peeling, removal, cutting, and other operations, as well as the removal of remaining materials from end-of-life vehicles 10, are performed by an automobile dismantling machine 2 having a crusher 7c attached to the end of its arm, but this is not limiting, and each operation may also be performed by an industrial robot having a gripper attached to the end of its arm.Furthermore, each operation may also be performed by an industrial robot having a crusher 7c attached to the end of its arm.

[0084] When each task is performed by an industrial robot, the robot may be a remote-controlled robot that allows a worker to remotely operate the gripper and crusher 7c. This allows the worker to work at a distance from the end-of-life vehicle 10, making the dismantling and crushing task even safer.

[0085] Furthermore, when each task is performed by an industrial robot, the industrial robot may be equipped with a camera that photographs each remaining object, etc., and the industrial robot may perform the task while automatically determining using AI a learning model that has been trained by machine learning in advance as to whether each remaining object, etc. is an object to be removed.

[0086] The main body 10b from which useful materials and dismantling residue X have been removed is delivered to an electric furnace manufacturer as scrap iron. Non-ferrous metals generated during dismantling are delivered to a refining manufacturer. Furthermore, plastic parts such as bumpers are delivered to a plastic manufacturer.

[0087] The present invention is suitable for a vehicle dismantling and shredding method that can efficiently recover reusable resources when dismantling end-of-life vehicles.

[0088] 1 Automobile dismantling and crushing system 2 Automobile dismantling machine 3 Press machine 3a Pit 3b Press plate 3c Hydraulic cylinder 3d Rod part 4 Crusher 4a Main body case 4b Hopper 4c Stand 5 Magnetic separator 5a Drum 6 Undercarriage 7 Excavator body 7A Cab 7B Dismantling attachment 7a Boom 7b Arm 7c Crusher 10 End-of-life vehicle 10a Roof part 10b Main body 10c Seat parts 10d Vehicle interior parts 10e Undercarriage parts 10f Exterior resin parts 10g Heat exchanger 10h Glass member 11 Roof interior parts 12 Seat electrical parts 13 Seat resin parts 14 Vehicle interior electrical parts 15 Vehicle interior resin parts X Dismantling remains X1 Roof remains X2 Sheet remains X3 Main body upper remains X4 Main body lower remains X5 Remains attached to exterior plastic parts X6 Remains attached to heat exchanger X7 Remains attached to glass components Z Broken objects Z1 Metal objects Z2 Non-metal objects

Claims

1. A method for dismantling and shredding end-of-life vehicles to extract useful materials, comprising: a roof separation process in which the roof section of the end-of-life vehicle is separated from the body section of the end-of-life vehicle, and then roof interior parts are peeled off from the roof panel section of the roof section, and then roof remaining material excluding the plastic panel section is removed from the roof interior part, all of which are performed by an automobile dismantling machine or industrial robot with a gripping means attached to the end of its arm; a seat removal process in which the automobile dismantling machine or industrial robot removes seat parts from the body section, and then peels off seat electrical parts and seat plastic parts from the seat frame section of the seat part, and then removes seat remaining material from the seat frame section; and a body upper dismantling process in which the automobile dismantling machine or industrial robot removes interior interior parts from the body section, and then peels off interior electrical parts and interior plastic parts from the body section and the body section, and then removes upper body remaining material from the upper region of the body section and the interior interior parts, all of which are performed by the automobile dismantling machine or industrial robot. After performing the following steps, the vehicle dismantling machine or the industrial robot performs the following operations: a body underside dismantling process in which the vehicle dismantling machine or the industrial robot removes undercarriage parts after inverting the body, and then removes underside body remains from the underside of the body and the undercarriage parts; an exterior resin part removal process in which the vehicle dismantling machine or the industrial robot removes exterior resin parts from the body, and then removes remains associated with the exterior resin parts located between the exterior resin parts and the body; a heat exchanger removal process in which the vehicle dismantling machine or the industrial robot removes a heat exchanger from the body, and then removes remains associated with the heat exchanger located between the heat exchanger and the body; and a glass member removal process in which the vehicle dismantling machine or the industrial robot removes a glass member from the body, and then removes remains associated with the glass member located between the glass member and the body.a press to compress the roof remains, the sheet remains, the upper body remains, the lower body remains, the remains associated with the exterior resin parts, the remains associated with the heat exchanger, and the remains associated with the glass members into a dismantling remainder, and then the dismantling remainder is crushed in a crusher to obtain crushed material, and then metal objects are removed from the crushed material using a magnetic separator.

2. The automobile dismantling and shredding method according to claim 1, wherein the metal content of the dismantling residue when crushed by the crusher is 1% or less.

3. A method for dismantling and shredding an automobile as set forth in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the press machine is equipped with a pit that opens to the floor surface, and a press plate that compresses the roof remains, the sheet remains, the upper body remains, the lower body remains, the remains associated with the exterior resin parts, the remains associated with the heat exchanger, and the remains associated with the glass members that are placed into the pit.

4. A method for dismantling and crushing an automobile as set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein the automobile dismantling machine comprises a crawler-type lower running body, a shovel body attached above the lower running body via a swivel mechanism, and a dismantling attachment provided on the shovel body, the gripping means is a crusher, the dismantling attachment comprises a boom, an arm, and the crusher in that order from the base end, and the crusher is scissor-shaped.

5. A method for dismantling and shredding an automobile according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the gripping means is a gripper, and the industrial robot is a remote-controlled robot capable of remotely operating the gripper.

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