Material proposal system and material proposal device

Abstract

Provided is a technique for proposing a material appropriate to a design expression.　This material proposal system comprises an information processing device including a processor and a memory resource, characterized in that the information processing device includes: a reference material selection unit that selects a reference material of a molding resin according to a basic color of a product; a mix material selection unit that selects a mix material to be mixed with the reference material according to a design expression of the product; and a display unit that displays at least the reference material and the mix material on a screen.

Description

Material proposal system and material proposal device

[0001] The present invention relates to a material proposal system and a material proposal device. This invention claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-083981, filed on May 23, 2024, and the contents of that application are incorporated by reference into this application in designated states where incorporation by reference of documents is permitted.

[0002] In recent years, the demand for recycled materials has been increasing rapidly as global major companies have released flagship products that utilize recycled materials, and as products that use recycled materials have become more highly valued. Although the trading price of recycled materials is rising, there are still situations in which the environmental value of using recycled materials cannot be reflected in product prices.

[0003] As an approach, product designs are being made that utilize the color variations that are unique to using recycled materials to create a casual image, while at the same time, product designs are being created that use recycled materials but do not give the impression of being made from recycled materials, and the appropriate use and mastery of recycled materials is becoming an important point in design.

[0004] When using recycled materials, there are broadly several design methods, such as blending particles to create an appearance similar to natural stone, mixing materials of different colors to create a marbled look, or mixing materials until they become a single color so that they appear to be one color.

[0005] Patent Document 1 describes a technique in which 0.1 to 40% by weight of a pattern-forming material, which is a mixture of a crystalline thermoplastic polymer having a melting point equal to or higher than the molding temperature and a thermoplastic polymer having a specific complex viscosity, or a pattern-forming material containing this and a colorant, is mixed with 99.9 to 60% by weight of a thermoplastic polymer base material, and molding is performed under predetermined temperature conditions.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-31207

[0007] However, while the technology described in Patent Document 1 provides a material configuration that achieves a marble-like surface appearance, it does not disclose any support for the use of recycled materials in terms of design. An object of the present invention is to provide a technology that proposes materials according to design expression.

[0008] The present application includes a plurality of means for solving at least part of the above-mentioned problems, examples of which are as follows: A material proposal system according to one aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a material proposal system including an information processing device having a processor and a memory resource, wherein the information processing device includes a reference material selection unit that selects a reference material of a molding resin according to a basic color of a product, a mixed material selection unit that selects a mixed material to be mixed with the reference material according to a design expression of the product, and a display unit that displays at least the reference material and the mixed material on a screen.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology for proposing materials according to design expression. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0010] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a material proposal system; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a material proposal device; FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of reference material information; FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of master batch information; FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of surface treatment information; FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the processing flow of a material proposal process; FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the processing flow of a reference material selection process; FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the processing flow of a master batch selection (particle blending) process; FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the processing flow of a master batch selection (multi-color mixing) process; FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the processing flow of a master batch selection (uniform) process; FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a material proposal screen (multi-color mixing); FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a material proposal screen (uniform).

[0011] <Embodiments> Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The examples are illustrative for explaining the present invention, and for clarity of explanation, appropriate omissions and simplifications have been made. The present invention can also be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be singular or plural.

[0012] In order to facilitate understanding of the invention, the position, size, shape, range, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the position, size, shape, range, etc. disclosed in the drawings.

[0013] Examples of various types of information may be described using expressions such as "table," "list," and "queue," but the various types of information may be expressed using data structures other than these. For example, various types of information such as "XX table," "XX list," and "XX queue" may be expressed as "XX information." When describing identification information, expressions such as "identification information," "identifier," "name," "ID," and "number" are used, but these are interchangeable. Furthermore, in the embodiments, identification information described using these expressions is expressed using symbols, numbers, natural language, or a combination thereof, but the identification information may be in a format other than these.

[0014] When there are multiple components with the same or similar functions, they may be described using the same reference numeral with different subscripts. When there is no need to distinguish between these multiple components, the subscripts may be omitted.

[0015] In the embodiments, processing performed by executing a program may be described. Here, a computer executes the program using a processor (e.g., a CPU or a GPU) and performs processing defined by the program using storage resources (e.g., memory) and interface devices (e.g., communication ports). Therefore, the entity performing the processing by executing the program may be the processor. Similarly, the entity performing the processing by executing the program may be a controller, device, system, computer, or node having a processor. The entity performing the processing by executing the program may be any computing unit, and may include a dedicated circuit that performs specific processing. Here, the dedicated circuit may be, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), or the like.

[0016] A program may be installed on a computer from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable storage medium. When the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server may include a processor and storage resources for storing the program to be distributed, and the processor of the program distribution server may distribute the program to be distributed to other computers. In addition, in the embodiments, two or more programs may be realized as one program, or one program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0017] Furthermore, although the present invention is typically realized by an information processing device, it may also be realized as a platform having the functions of the present invention.

[0018] The material proposal system 1 is used in situations where product shapes and design expressions are designed. Such products are typically made by resin molding, so in this embodiment, resin is mainly used as an example. However, the material proposal system 1 is not limited to resin, and may be applied to various materials.

[0019] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a material suggestion system 1. The material suggestion system 1 includes a material suggestion device 100.

[0020] For example, the material proposal device 100 is an information processing device including a storage unit 110 , a processing unit 120 , an input unit 130 , and a display unit 140 .

[0021] The material proposal device 100 also has a functional unit (not shown). Specifically, the material proposal device 100 has a communication unit that communicates information with an external device. The communication unit is connected to the external device so as to be able to communicate with it via a communication path such as a public network such as the Internet, a communication network that partially or entirely uses a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a VPN (Virtual Private Network), a mobile phone communication network, or a network that combines these. The network may be a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or 5G (5G Generation).

[0022] The storage unit 110 includes reference material information 111, master batch information 112, and surface treatment information 113. The processing unit 120 includes a reference material selection unit 121, a mixed material selection unit 122, and a surface finish selection unit 123.

[0023] The reference material selection unit 121 selects a reference material for molding resin according to the basic color of the product. The reference material refers to a base resin material among the resin materials that make up the product.

[0024] The admixture selection unit 122 selects an admixture to be mixed with a reference material in accordance with the design expression of the product. The admixture selection unit 122 also selects an admixture in accordance with the design expression of either particle blend, multi-color mixture, or uniform color.

[0025] Furthermore, when the design expression is a particle blend, the admixture selection unit 122 receives particle diameters as input information and selects admixtures according to the particle diameters.

[0026] In addition, when the design expression is a mixture of multiple colors or a uniform color, the admixture selection unit 122 accepts the degree of variation in color difference depending on the part of the product as input information, and selects the amount of admixture to be added according to the degree of variation in color difference.

[0027] Furthermore, when the design expression is a multi-color mixture, the mixed material selection unit 122 receives the product shape and gate positions as input information, and identifies the product's marble shape (a three-dimensional marble pattern that appears on the product's surface) obtained by simulating the mixed material flow lines according to the product shape and gate positions. Furthermore, when the design expression is a multi-color mixture, the mixed material selection unit 122 receives the product shape as input information, and sets multiple proposals for the number and positions of any one or more gates, and predicts the product's marble shape obtained by simulating the mixed material flow line information according to the product shape and gate positions for each proposal.

[0028] Furthermore, when the design expression is a uniform color, the mixed material selection unit 122 accepts the degree of variation in color difference depending on the part of the product as input information and selects candidate combinations of the amount of mixed material to be added and molding conditions based on the degree of variation in color difference. Note that the mixed material refers to a secondary resin material among the resin materials that make up the product. Also, either the reference material or the mixed material may be recycled material, or both may be recycled materials.

[0029] The surface finish selection unit 123 selects the type of surface finish for the product depending on the glossiness of the surface of the product.

[0030] The input unit 130 accepts input of various instructions from an operator. The input content includes at least information about the color of the product to be designed. For example, the input unit 130 accepts input of color designation, such as a color palette or RGB brightness, via an input device such as a mouse or keyboard. Note that the input is not limited to information about the product color, and the input unit 130 also accepts input of information about the design expression of the product. For example, the input unit 130 accepts input of the type of design expression of the product surface, CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) data, designation of the gate position on the mold, glossiness, selection of presented materials, etc.

[0031] The display unit 140 displays at least the type of reference material and the type of mixed material on a screen via a display device. Therefore, the input unit 130 and the display unit 140 may be configured as an integrated unit, such as a touch panel. Furthermore, the input unit 130 and the display unit 140 may be configured in a housing separate from the material proposal device 100. In this case, the input unit 130 and the display unit 140 may be realized by separate terminal devices, and the input information and output information may be transferred via a network.

[0032] Furthermore, when the amount of additive material to be added has been selected, the display unit 140 displays the amount of additive material to be added on the screen. Furthermore, when the marble shape and gate position to be obtained in the case of a multi-color mixture have been specified, the display unit 140 displays the marble shape and gate position on the screen. Furthermore, when the design expression is a uniform color, the display unit 140 displays candidate combinations of the amount of additive material to be added and molding conditions on the screen. Furthermore, when the type of surface finish has been selected, the display unit 140 displays the type of surface finish on the screen.

[0033] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the material proposal device 100. The material proposal device 100 can be realized as a general information processing device 900 including a processor 901, a hardware memory 902 such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a storage 903 such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), a reading device 905 that reads information from a portable storage medium 904 such as a CD (Compact Disk) or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), an input device 906 such as a keyboard, a mouse, a barcode reader, or a touch panel, an output device 907 such as a display, and a communication device 908 that communicates with other computers via a communication network such as a LAN or the Internet, or as a network system including a plurality of such information processing devices 900. The reading device 905 may be capable of not only reading from the portable storage medium 904 but also writing to it.

[0034] The processor 901 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The processor 901 performs various processes by executing various predetermined programs loaded from the storage 903 to the memory 902. The programs are, for example, application programs that can be executed on an OS (Operating System) program. The programs may be installed in the storage 903 from a portable storage medium 904 via a reading device 905, or may be downloaded from a network via a communication device 908 and executed by the processor 901.

[0035] For example, the processing unit 120, the reference material selection unit 121, the mixed material selection unit 122, and the surface finish selection unit 123 can be realized by loading a program stored in the storage 903 into the memory 902 and executing it on the processor 901.

[0036] The input unit 130 can be realized by the processor 901 using the input device 906 and the communication device 908. The display unit 140 can be realized by the processor 901 using the output device 907 and the communication device 908. The storage unit 110 can be realized by the processor 901 using the memory 902 or the storage 903. The communication unit can be realized by the processor 901 using the communication device 908.

[0037] [Data Description] Fig. 3 shows an example of the data structure of the reference material information 111. The reference material information 111 includes at least a material type 111a, a mechanical property 111b, a melting point 111c, and a color RGB 111d.

[0038] The material type 111a is information about an identifier or name that identifies the type of material that serves as the reference material. The mechanical properties 111b are information about the mechanical properties of the material identified by the material type 111a, such as Young's modulus and hardness. The melting point 111c is information about the melting point of the material identified by the material type 111a. The color RGB 111d is information that identifies the color tone of the surface of the material identified by the material type 111a using parameters such as RGB.

[0039] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of master batch information 112. The master batch information 112 includes a master batch ID 112a, a particle size 112b, a material 112c, a powder / pellet classification 112d, a pellet material 112e, a melting point 112f, and a color RGB 112g.

[0040] The master batch ID 112a is information about an identifier or name that identifies the material to be mixed. The particle size 112b is information about the particle size of the material identified by the master batch ID 112a. The material 112c is information that identifies the type of material identified by the master batch ID 112a. The powder / pellet type 112d is information that identifies whether the material identified by the master batch ID 112a is available in powder form or in pellet form (resin mixed with powder).

[0041] The pellet material 112e is information for specifying the resin that will be used as the base material when the material specified by the master batch ID 112a is available in pellet form. The melting point 112f is information for the melting point of the material specified by the master batch ID 112a. The color RGB 112g is information for specifying the color tone of the surface of the material specified by the master batch ID 112a using parameters such as RGB.

[0042] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the surface treatment information 113. The surface treatment information 113 includes a type of surface treatment 113a, a gloss level 113b, and a texture 113c.

[0043] The surface treatment type 113a is information about an identifier or name that identifies the type of surface treatment of the product. The glossiness 113b is information about the glossiness obtained by the surface treatment identified by the surface treatment type 113a. The texture 113c is information that identifies the surface pattern information (an image of fine micro-treatment, a shape pattern of surface particles) obtained by the surface treatment identified by the surface treatment type 113a.

[0044] [Explanation of Operation] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow of the material proposal processing. The material proposal processing starts when the input unit 130 receives an instruction to execute the material proposal processing from the user via, for example, an input device.

[0045] First, the reference material selection unit 121 receives input of basic colors for the product to be designed (step S01). Specifically, the reference material selection unit 121 receives input of color designation such as RGB brightness through input means such as a color palette provided by the input unit 130.

[0046] Then, the reference material selection unit 121 selects a reference material (step S02). Specifically, the reference material selection unit 121 performs a reference material selection process to select a reference material of molding resin according to the basic color of the product. More specific processing details of the reference material selection process will be described later.

[0047] Then, the admixture selection unit 122 receives an input of a design expression (step S03). Specifically, the admixture selection unit 122 receives a design expression specification of a particle blend, a multi-color mixture, or a uniform color to be applied to the product to be designed.

[0048] Then, the admixture selection unit 122 selects an admixture (master batch) to be mixed with the reference material according to the design expression of the product to be designed (either particle blend, multi-color mixture, or uniform color) (step S04). Specifically, the admixture selection unit 122 performs one of the following processes: a master batch selection (particle blend) process described later, a master batch selection (multi-color mixture) process described later, or a master batch selection (uniform color) process described later, depending on whether the received design expression is "particle blend," "multi-color mixture," or "uniform color."

[0049] The surface finish selection unit 123 then receives an input of the surface glossiness of the product (step S05). Specifically, the surface finish selection unit 123 receives an input of the glossiness of the product surface via the input unit 130. Note that it is desirable to use specular glossiness or Ra arithmetic mean roughness (center line average roughness) as specified in standards such as JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) as the glossiness, but this is not limitative.

[0050] The surface finish selection unit 123 then selects the type of surface finish for the product based on the glossiness of the surface of the product (step S06). The type of surface finish includes, for example, a predetermined combination of types of surface treatment (sandblasting, buffing, etc.) and types of abrasives.

[0051] The display unit 140 then presents the material information and processing details (step S07). Specifically, the display unit 140 displays at least the type of reference material and the type of admixture on the screen via the display device. Furthermore, if the amount of admixture to be added has been selected, the display unit 140 displays the amount of admixture to be added on the screen. Furthermore, if the marble shape and gate position obtained in the case of a multi-color mixture have been specified, the display unit 140 displays the marble shape and gate position on the screen. Furthermore, if the design expression is a uniform color, the display unit 140 displays candidate combinations of the amount of admixture to be added and molding conditions on the screen. Furthermore, if the type of surface finish has been selected, the display unit 140 displays the type of surface finish on the screen.

[0052] The above is an example of the processing flow of the material proposal processing. The material proposal processing makes it possible to propose materials according to design expression.

[0053] 7 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of the reference material selection processing. The reference material selection processing starts in step S02 of the material proposal processing.

[0054] First, the reference material selection unit 121 extracts candidates for the reference material of the molding resin according to the basic color of the product (step S101). Specifically, the reference material selection unit 121 extracts a predetermined number of reference materials having colors similar to the basic color of the product input in step S01 from the similar ones by referring to the reference material information 111. In doing so, the reference material selection unit 121 extracts, as the approximate color, from the material type 111a having a small vector distance from the basic color of the product by referring to the color RGB 111d.

[0055] Alternatively, the reference material selection unit 121 may extract, as an approximate color, the material type 111a whose vector distance from the product's basic color is closer than a predetermined distance.Alternatively, the reference material selection unit 121 may extract, as an approximate color, the material type 111a whose vector distance from the product's basic color is closer than a predetermined distance.Furthermore, the reference material selection unit 121 may extract, as an approximate color, the material type 111a that is closer than a predetermined distance from the product's basic color.In this way, it is possible to avoid extracting resins with colors that are not intuitively similar as candidates.

[0056] Then, the reference material selection unit 121 presents the extracted candidates for the reference material of the molding resin in a selectable manner (step S102). Specifically, the reference material selection unit 121 displays the candidates for the reference material of the molding resin extracted in step S101 in a list format or on a color palette in a selectable manner (selectable by clicking or touching) on ​​the display unit 140.

[0057] Then, the reference material selection unit 121 receives a selection input from the reference material candidates (step S103). Specifically, when the reference material selection unit 121 receives a selection input from the reference material candidates, it selects the reference material as the reference material.

[0058] The above is an example of the processing flow of the reference material selection process. The reference material selection process makes it possible to propose materials that match the desired color tone of the product.

[0059] 8 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of the master batch selection (particle blending) processing. The master batch selection (particle blending) processing is started in step S04 when the design expression accepted in step S03 of the material proposal processing is "particle blending."

[0060] First, the admixture selection unit 122 receives an input of the particle size of particles to be blended (step S201). Then, the admixture selection unit 122 extracts candidate particle materials according to the particle size (step S202). Specifically, the admixture selection unit 122 references the master batch information 112 to extract a predetermined number of admixtures having particle sizes similar to the particle size input in step S201 from the similar ones. In this case, the admixture selection unit 122 references the particle size 112b and extracts a particle material having a similar particle size from the master batch ID 112a whose particle size is the smallest difference from the input particle size.

[0061] Alternatively, the admixture selection unit 122 may extract, as a particle material having an approximate particle size, a master batch ID 112a whose particle size difference from the particle size of the particles to be blended is less than a predetermined value. Alternatively, the admixture selection unit 122 may extract, as an approximate particle size, a master batch ID 112a whose particle size difference is smaller than a predetermined value from a master batch ID 112a included in a predetermined particle size group to which the particle size of the particles to be blended belongs. This makes it possible to avoid extracting particle materials whose particle sizes are not intuitively close as candidates.

[0062] The admixture selection unit 122 then presents the extracted candidates for particulate matter of the admixture in a selectable manner and accepts a selection input (step S203). Specifically, the admixture selection unit 122 displays the candidates for particulate matter of the admixture extracted in step S202 on the display unit 140 in a selectable manner in a list format or on a color palette (selection input by clicking or touching), and accepts a selection input.

[0063] Then, when the admixture selection unit 122 receives a selection input from among the candidates for particulate matter of the admixture, it determines the admixture as a master batch (step S204).

[0064] The above is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow of the masterbatch selection (particle blending) processing. The masterbatch selection (particle blending) processing makes it possible to propose a masterbatch that matches the particle tone desired for the product.

[0065] 9 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow of the master batch selection (multi-color mixing) process. The master batch selection (multi-color mixing) process starts in step S04 when the design expression accepted in step S03 of the material proposal process is "multi-color mixing."

[0066] First, the mixed material selection unit 122 receives input of colors to be mixed (step S301). Specifically, the mixed material selection unit 122 receives input of color designation such as RGB brightness through input means such as a color palette provided by the input unit 130.

[0067] The admixture selection unit 122 then extracts master batch candidates according to the colors to be mixed (step S302). Specifically, the admixture selection unit 122 extracts a predetermined number of master batches having colors similar to the color to be mixed input in step S301 from the similar colors by referring to the master batch information 112. In doing so, the admixture selection unit 122 refers to the color RGB 112g and extracts master batches 112a having a small vector distance from the color to be mixed as the similar color.

[0068] Alternatively, the admixture selection unit 122 may extract, as the approximate color, the master batch 112a whose vector distance from the color to be mixed is closer than a predetermined distance.Alternatively, the admixture selection unit 122 may extract, as the approximate color, the master batch 112a whose vector distance from the color to be mixed is closer than a predetermined distance.Furthermore, the admixture selection unit 122 may extract, as the approximate color, the master batch 112a whose vector distance from the color to be mixed is closer than a predetermined distance.In this way, it is possible to avoid extracting, as a candidate, a master batch whose color is not intuitively close.

[0069] Then, the admixture selection unit 122 presents the extracted master batch candidates in a selectable manner and accepts a selection input (step S303). Specifically, the admixture selection unit 122 displays the master batch candidates extracted in step S302 on the display unit 140 so that they can be selected in a list format or on a color palette (selection input can be made by clicking or touching), and accepts a selection input.

[0070] The mixed material selection unit 122 then receives an input of the degree of variation in the maximum color difference (ΔE) (step S304). Color difference is the difference in color tone expressed as the distance between two points in the L*a*b* color space. In the case of a multi-color mixture, color differences occur in each area depending on the degree of mixing of the mixed materials. Therefore, the mixed material selection unit 122 can also be said to receive an input of the tolerance for color variation.

[0071] The admixture selection unit 122 then determines the amount of masterbatch to be added in accordance with the input degree of variation in the maximum color difference (ΔE) (step S305). It has been empirically proven that increasing the amount of masterbatch added reduces variation in color difference between parts. The admixture selection unit 122 determines the amount of masterbatch to be added based on a predetermined function (or a graph thereof) (not shown) that specifies the amount of masterbatch to be added in accordance with the desired variation in color difference. Note that if factors other than the amount of masterbatch added that affect the degree of variation in the maximum color difference (ΔE) are known, the admixture selection unit 122 may specify the factor in accordance with the desired variation in color difference.

[0072] Then, the admixture selection unit 122 receives input of product shape data (step S306). The shape data is a so-called dimension drawing, and refers to CAE design data or the like.

[0073] Then, the admixture selection unit 122 determines whether or not there is product shape data (step S307). If there is no shape data ("No" in step S307), the admixture selection unit 122 ends the master batch selection (multi-color mixing) process.

[0074] If there is shape data ("Yes" in step S307), the admixture selection unit 122 accepts input of the gate position (step S308). Specifically, the admixture selection unit 122 displays the product shape data on the display unit 140 and accepts input of the position where the gate will be provided on the diagram.

[0075] Then, the admixture selection unit 122 presents a predicted pattern of the marble shape obtained by streamline analysis (step S309). Specifically, the admixture selection unit 122 performs streamline analysis to simulate the marble shape obtained by multi-color mixing in accordance with the shape data and the gate positions, and presents the simulated marble shape as image information on the display unit 140. The admixture selection unit 122 also presents buttons or the like for accepting an instruction input to confirm the presented predicted pattern or to redo the input of the gate positions.

[0076] Then, the admixture selection unit 122 determines whether or not a confirmation input for the presented prediction pattern has been received (step S310). If a confirmation input has not been received and an instruction to start over has been received ("No" in step S310), the admixture selection unit 122 returns control to step S308.

[0077] If a decision input has been received ("Yes" in step S310), the admixture selection unit 122 decides the gate position (step S311).

[0078] The above is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow of the master batch selection (multi-color mixing) processing. The master batch selection (multi-color mixing) processing makes it possible to propose a master batch according to the desired mixed color of the product.

[0079] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow of the master batch selection (uniform) process. The master batch selection (uniform) process starts in step S04 when the design expression accepted in step S03 of the material proposal process is “uniform.”

[0080] First, the mixed material selection unit 122 receives input of colors to be mixed (step S401). Specifically, the mixed material selection unit 122 receives input of color designation such as RGB brightness through input means such as a color palette provided by the input unit 130.

[0081] The admixture selection unit 122 then extracts master batch candidates according to the colors to be mixed (step S402). Specifically, the admixture selection unit 122 extracts a predetermined number of master batches having colors similar to the color to be mixed input in step S401 from the similar colors by referring to the master batch information 112. In doing so, the admixture selection unit 122 refers to the color RGB 112g and extracts master batches 112a having a small vector distance from the color to be mixed as the similar color.

[0082] Alternatively, the admixture selection unit 122 may extract, as the approximate color, the master batch 112a whose vector distance from the color to be mixed is closer than a predetermined distance.Alternatively, the admixture selection unit 122 may extract, as the approximate color, the master batch 112a whose vector distance from the color to be mixed is closer than a predetermined distance.Furthermore, the admixture selection unit 122 may extract, as the approximate color, the master batch 112a whose vector distance from the color to be mixed is closer than a predetermined distance.In this way, it is possible to avoid extracting, as a candidate, a master batch whose color is not intuitively close.

[0083] Then, the admixture selection unit 122 presents the extracted master batch candidates in a selectable manner and accepts a selection input (step S403). Specifically, the admixture selection unit 122 displays the master batch candidates extracted in step S402 on the display unit 140 in a selectable form in a list format or on a color palette (selection input can be made by clicking or touching), and accepts a selection input.

[0084] The mixed material selection unit 122 then receives an input of the degree of variation in the maximum color difference (ΔE) (step S404). Color difference is the difference in hue expressed as the distance between two points in the L*a*b* color space. In the case of a uniform mixture, color differences may occur in different areas depending on the degree of mixing of the mixed material. Therefore, the mixed material selection unit 122 can also be said to receive an input of the tolerance for color variation.

[0085] The admixture selection unit 122 then determines the amount of masterbatch to be added and the molding temperature based on the input degree of variation in the maximum color difference (ΔE) (step S405). It has been empirically proven that increasing the amount of masterbatch added reduces variation in color difference between parts. It has also been empirically proven that the higher the temperature at which the masterbatch is mixed with the reference material, exceeding its melting point, the more the variation in color difference is reduced. Therefore, the admixture selection unit 122 determines the amount of masterbatch to be added and the molding conditions (temperature) based on a predetermined function (or its graph) (not shown) that specifies the amount of masterbatch to be added and the molding conditions (temperature) based on the desired variation in color difference. If factors other than the amount of masterbatch to be added and the molding conditions (temperature) that affect uniformity are known, the admixture selection unit 122 may specify the factor based on the desired variation in color difference.

[0086] The above is a diagram showing an example of the process flow of the masterbatch selection (uniformity) process. The masterbatch selection (uniformity) process makes it possible to propose a masterbatch and molding conditions that correspond to the desired uniform color of the product.

[0087] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a material proposal screen (multi-color mixture). The example of the material proposal screen (multi-color mixture) 200 is an example of a screen output in step S07 of the material proposal process when the design expression is set to "multi-color mixture." The example of the material proposal screen (multi-color mixture) 200 includes a first proposal 210 and a second proposal 220 for materials.

[0088] The first material proposal 210 further displays the type and color (RGB) of the reference material 211, additive information 212 such as the masterbatch type, particle size, color, and additive amount, an image of the molding color 213, a gate position 214 set when the image was obtained, a confirm button 215, and a redesign button 216. The type of grain is also displayed as a surface finish corresponding to the gloss level. The second proposal 220 also displays different specific information, but its content is similar to that of the first proposal 210. If there are more material proposals, multiple proposals may be displayed, similar to the example of the material proposal screen (multi-color mixture) 200, or the proposals may be displayed across multiple pages.

[0089] 12 is a diagram showing an example of a material proposal screen (uniform). The example of the material proposal screen (uniform) 300 is an example of a screen output in step S07 of the material proposal process when the design expression is set to "uniform." The example of the material proposal screen (uniform) 300 includes a first proposal 310 and a second proposal 320 for materials.

[0090] The first material proposal 310 further displays the type and color (RGB) of the reference material 311, additive information 312 such as the type, color, and amount of masterbatch added, molding conditions 313 including the mixing temperature and screw speed, a molding color image 314, a confirm button 315, and a redesign button 316. The second proposal 320 also displays different specific information, but the content is similar to that of the first proposal 310. Furthermore, if there are more material proposals, multiple proposals may be displayed, similar to the example of the material proposal screen (uniform) 300, or the proposals may be split into multiple pages for display.

[0091] The above is an example of a material suggestion system according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to the above embodiment, it becomes possible to suggest materials according to design expression.

[0092] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to an embodiment including all of the described configurations. It is possible to replace part of the configuration of an embodiment with another configuration, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of an embodiment. It is also possible to delete part of the configuration of an embodiment.

[0093] For example, in the above embodiment, the material suggestion device accepts input of gate positions in the case of a multi-color mixture, but it may also be possible to set gate positions at random locations, add variations to the marble shapes obtained, and suggest gate positions along with the design. This makes it possible to suggest marble shape designs that the user did not expect, thereby supporting the user's design.

[0094] Some or all of the above-described units, configurations, functions, processing units, etc. may be implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. Furthermore, the above-described units, configurations, functions, etc. may be implemented in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that implements each function. Information such as the programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in a memory, a recording device such as a hard disk, or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

[0095] It should be noted that the control lines and information lines in the above-described embodiments are those considered necessary for the explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines in the product. In reality, it can be considered that almost all components are interconnected. The present invention has been described above, focusing on the embodiments.

[0096] 1: Material proposal system, 100: Material proposal device, 110: Memory unit, 111: Reference material information, 112: Master batch information, 113: Surface processing information, 120: Processing unit, 121: Reference material selection unit, 122: Mixed material selection unit, 123: Surface finish selection unit, 130: Input unit, 140: Display unit.

Claims

1. A material suggestion system including an information processing device having a processor and memory resources, wherein the information processing device comprises: a reference material selection unit that selects a reference material of a molding resin according to the basic color of a product; a mixed material selection unit that selects a mixed material to be mixed with the reference material according to a design expression of the product; and a display unit that displays at least the reference material and the mixed material on a screen.

2. A material suggestion system as described in claim 1, characterized in that the mixed material selection unit selects the mixed material according to the design expression, which is either a particle blend, a multi-color mixture, or a uniform color.

3. A material suggestion system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, when the design expression is a particle blend, the admixture selection unit accepts particle size as input information and selects the admixture according to the particle size.

4. A material suggestion system as described in claim 1, characterized in that the mixed material selection unit, when the design expression is a mixture of multiple colors or a uniform color, accepts as input information the degree of variation in color difference depending on the part of the product and selects the amount of mixed material to be added in accordance with the degree of variation in color difference, and the display unit displays the amount of mixed material to be added on the screen.

5. A material proposal system as described in claim 1, wherein, when the design expression is a multi-color mixture, the mixed material selection unit receives the product shape and gate position as input information, identifies the marble shape of the product obtained by simulating the flow lines of the mixed material according to the product shape and gate position, and the display unit displays the marble shape on the screen.

6. A material proposal system as described in claim 1, wherein, when the design expression is a multi-color mixture, the mixed material selection unit receives the shape of the product as input information, and identifies the marble shape of the product obtained by simulating the flow lines of the mixed material according to the shape of the product and any one or more gate positions for each gate position, and the display unit displays the marble shape on the screen for each gate position.

7. A material proposal system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, when the design expression is a uniform color, the mixed material selection unit accepts as input information the degree of variation in color difference depending on the part of the product, and selects candidate combinations of the amount of mixed material to be added and molding conditions according to the degree of variation in color difference, and the display unit displays the candidate combinations of the amount of mixed material to be added and molding conditions on the screen.

8. A material suggestion system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a surface finish selection unit that selects the type of surface finish of the product according to the glossiness of the surface of the product, and the display unit displays the type of surface finish on the screen.

9. A material suggestion device comprising: a reference material selection unit that selects a reference material of a molding resin according to the basic color of a product; a mixed material selection unit that selects a mixed material to be mixed with the reference material according to the design expression of the product; and a display unit that displays at least the reference material and the mixed material on a screen.

10. A material suggestion method using an information processing device having a processor and memory resources, characterized in that the information processing device is caused to carry out the following steps: a reference material selection step of selecting a reference material of a molding resin according to the basic color of a product; a mixed material selection step of selecting a mixed material to be mixed with the reference material according to the design expression of the product; and a display step of displaying at least the reference material and the mixed material on a screen.

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