Design support system, design support method, and program

Abstract

The present invention can assist realization of a front loading design in consideration of an environmental impact index.　The present invention comprises: a processing category reception unit that receives processing categories for design targets on a design screen; a bill-of-process (BOP) candidate calculation unit that specifies, for each of the processing categories, a candidate for a processing method which belongs to the processing category, and calculates, as a BOP candidate, a combination of candidates for the processing method which have been specified for all of the design targets; an environmental impact index calculation unit that calculates the environmental impact index of the BOP candidate; and a display information generation unit that displays, on the design screen, the environmental impact index in association with the BOP candidate.

Description

Design support system, design support method and program

[0001] The present invention relates to a design support system, a design support method, and a program that utilizes BOP (Bill of Process) and CAD (Computer Aided Design) technologies to support product design by estimating the environmental impact index during manufacturing. This invention claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-095311, filed on June 12, 2024, and the contents of that application are incorporated by reference into this application in designated countries where incorporation by reference is permitted.

[0002] In recent years, front-loading design has been recommended for the purpose of improving costs and production efficiency in product manufacturing. Furthermore, in the field of product manufacturing, efforts toward carbon neutrality have led to a demand for product design that takes into account environmental impact indices such as carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, there is a demand for product design that incorporates front-loading design, taking into account environmental impact indices.

[0003] Patent Literature 1 discloses a technology that enables production that takes into consideration the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. Specifically, Patent Literature 1 states, "One aspect of this invention, when supporting the production operation of a product using production equipment, acquires forecast information on the electricity fee per unit of electricity and the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by date and time for each of a plurality of power supply sources expected to be used for the production operation, and acquires information specifying the production conditions of the product from a terminal of a production client. Then, based on the acquired power forecast information and the information specifying the production conditions, generates first production plan information that prioritizes at least the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, and outputs the generated first production plan information."

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-107636

[0005] When evaluating environmental impact indices such as carbon dioxide emissions for a product design proposal, BOP, which includes information on manufacturing machines, is typically used. However, BOP is created by engineers in the production technology department, etc., at the downstream design stage or after the design is completed, using a large number of man-hours, based on CAD information, which is the deliverable information of the product design department. Therefore, there is an issue that it is difficult to consider carbon dioxide emissions during product manufacturing at the upstream design stage.

[0006] Although Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for optimizing a manufacturing process plan that takes carbon dioxide emissions into consideration, it does not take into consideration the consideration of product design that takes carbon dioxide emissions into consideration at the upstream design stage for multiple design proposals. Therefore, it is considered that the technology in this document will have difficulty in solving the above-mentioned problems.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to support the realization of a front-loading design that takes into account the environmental load index.

[0008] The present application includes a plurality of means for solving at least part of the above-described problems, examples of which are as follows: A design support system according to one aspect of the present invention for solving the above-described problems includes: a processing category receiving unit that receives processing categories of a design object on a design screen, a BOP candidate calculation unit that identifies, for each processing category, candidate processing methods belonging to the processing category and calculates combinations of the candidate processing methods identified for all the design objects as BOP (Bill of Process) candidates, an environmental load index calculation unit that calculates an environmental load index of the BOP candidate, and a display information generation unit that associates the environmental load index with the BOP candidate and displays it on the design screen.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to support the realization of a front-loading design that takes into account the environmental load index.

[0010] Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become clear from the following description of the embodiments.

[0011] It is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a design support system according to a first embodiment. It is a diagram showing an example of a design screen. It is a flow diagram showing an example of a design support process. It is a diagram showing an example of BOP candidate information. It is a diagram showing an example of BOP candidate information including an environmental load index. It is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a design support system according to a second embodiment. It is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the design support system.

[0012] The following embodiments are examples for explaining the present invention, and some omissions and simplifications have been made as appropriate for clarity of explanation. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, each component may be singular or plural.

[0013] Furthermore, 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.

[0014] Furthermore, 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.

[0015] In addition, when there are multiple components having the same or similar functions, they may be described by using the same reference numeral with different subscripts, or when there is no need to distinguish between these multiple components, the subscripts may be omitted.

[0016] In addition, in the embodiments, there may be cases where processing performed by executing a program is described. Here, a computer executes the program using a processor (e.g., a CPU or a GPU), and performs processing defined by the program while using storage resources (e.g., memory) and interface devices (e.g., communication ports). Therefore, the processor may be the entity that executes the program and performs the processing.

[0017] Similarly, the entity that executes the program and performs the processing may be a controller, device, system, computer, or node having a processor. The entity that executes the program and performs the processing may be any computing unit, and may include a dedicated circuit that performs specific processing. Here, the dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device).

[0018] A program may be installed on a computer from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable storage medium. When the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server may include a processor and 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.

[0019] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a design support system 1000 according to this embodiment. The design support system 1000 is realized by a computer 100 that performs calculations, and is a system that supports the realization of a front-loading design that takes into account an environmental load index by accepting input of information used to calculate an environmental load index (in this embodiment, carbon dioxide emissions) from an upstream user (designer).

[0021] Specifically, the design support system 1000 loads a CAD (Computer Aided Design) program and accepts input of a processing category for each part, assembly, or annotation (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a design object) that constitutes a product on the displayed design screen.

[0022] Furthermore, the design support system 1000 generates an intermediate BOP that associates the input processing category with the design object.

[0023] In addition, the design support system 1000 uses the intermediate BOP to identify candidate processing methods included in each processing category, and calculates each combination of the candidate processing methods identified for all design objects as a BOP candidate.

[0024] The design support system 1000 also calculates the carbon dioxide emissions for each BOP candidate based on the processing time and power consumption of each processing method. The design support system 1000 also identifies a predetermined number (e.g., three) of BOP candidates with the lowest carbon dioxide emissions and displays the identified BOP candidates on the design screen.

[0025] This design support system can help achieve front-loading design that takes into account the environmental impact index. In particular, users in the upstream design stage often design while imagining what processing categories will be adopted for each design object. Therefore, the design support system accepts tacit knowledge of processing categories from users in the upstream design stage, calculates specific combinations of processing methods included in the processing categories, and calculates and presents the environmental impact index for each combination to the user. This allows users to perform front-loading design in the upstream design stage, taking into account the environmental impact index that is affected by the processing methods.

[0026] <Functional configuration of design support system 1000> The design support system 1000 is, for example, a computer 100 such as a personal computer or server device used by a user, and has an input receiving unit 110, a display information generating unit 120, a processing unit 130, a memory unit 140, and a communication unit 150.

[0027] The input receiving unit 110 is a functional unit that receives instructions and information input from a user. Specifically, the input receiving unit 110 receives information input from a user via, for example, an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, etc.) included in the design support system 1000.

[0028] The display information generating unit 120 is a functional unit that generates display information (screen information) to be displayed on a display device. Specifically, the display information generating unit 120 generates screen information (e.g., screen information of a design screen displayed by executing a CAD program) to be displayed on a display device (display) included in the design support system 1000, and displays the information on the display device. The display information generating unit 120 also displays information generated or calculated by other functional units (such as BOP candidate information and carbon dioxide emissions, which will be described later) on the CAD design screen.

[0029] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a design screen. The illustrated design screen 200 includes multiple menu display areas 201, a machining category input area 202 for inputting a machining category for each design object, and a drawing display area 203 for displaying drawing information for the design product. When a CAD program is executed, the display information generating unit 120 generates display information for the design screen 200 in a predetermined format and displays it on a display device. When design information is read during execution of the CAD program, the display information generating unit 120 identifies individual design objects (e.g., parts, assemblies, and annotations) based on the design information and displays a machining category input field 204 for each identified design object on the design screen 200.

[0030] The format of such a design screen is not limited to the form shown in the figure, but may be any format that has at least an input area for the processing category for each design object.

[0031] When the user selects the processing category input field 204 on such a design screen 200, the display information generation unit 120 displays the processing categories registered in the information in the memory unit 140 (processing category information described below) as a pull-down list, and a predetermined functional unit (processing category reception unit described below) accepts the input of the processing category based on the user's selection.

[0032] Next, the processing unit 130 will be described. The processing unit 130 is a functional unit that performs various processes executed in the design support system 1000. Specifically, the processing unit 130 has, as individual functional units that perform each process, a design information reading unit 131, a processing category receiving unit 132, an intermediate BOP generating unit 133, a BOP candidate calculating unit 134, and an environmental load index calculating unit 135.

[0033] The design information reading unit 131 is a functional unit that reads product design information 142 into the running CAD. Specifically, the design information reading unit 131 performs a process of acquiring predetermined design information 142 received from the user via the input receiving unit 110 from the storage unit 140 and reading the information.

[0034] The processing category receiving unit 132 is a functional unit that receives information related to processing categories. Specifically, the processing category receiving unit 132 receives, from the user, processing categories for each of the parts, assemblies, or annotations that are design targets on the design screen 200 of the CAD that is being executed.

[0035] In consideration of the convenience of upstream design users (designers), the design support system 1000 accepts input of processing categories including multiple processing methods, rather than specific processing methods. For example, if the system were designed to accept input of specific processing methods, the user would need to search for and input the corresponding processing method from among a large number of processing methods, which would increase the burden on the user. Furthermore, while upstream design users design while considering processing categories, they often have not yet decided on a specific processing method, and may wish to decide on a specific processing method in consultation with downstream design departments. Therefore, in consideration of realizing front-loading design, reducing the burden on the user, and design efficiency, the design support system 1000 accepts input of processing categories.

[0036] When a user selects the processing category input field 204 on the design screen 200, the processing category acceptance unit 132 displays the processing categories registered in the processing category information as a pull-down list via the display information generation unit 120, and accepts input of the processing category based on the user's selection.

[0037] The intermediate BOP generation unit 133 is a functional unit that generates intermediate BOPs. Specifically, the intermediate BOP generation unit 133 generates intermediate BOPs in which processing categories received from the user are associated with each design object and registered, and temporarily stores the generated intermediate BOPs in the storage unit 140.

[0038] The BOP candidate calculation unit 134 is a functional unit that calculates specific combinations of processing methods (BOP candidates) for the design object. Specifically, the BOP candidate calculation unit 134 uses the intermediate BOP to identify specific processing method candidates included in each processing category received for each design object from information in the storage unit 140 (a processing method DB described below). The BOP candidate calculation unit 134 also calculates all combinations of the processing method candidates identified for all design objects, generates BOP candidate information in which these combinations are registered, and temporarily stores this information in the storage unit 140.

[0039] The environmental load index calculation unit 135 is a functional unit that calculates an environmental load index. In this embodiment, the environmental load index will be described using the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during product manufacturing as an example. Specifically, the environmental load index calculation unit 135 calculates the predicted processing time of each design object for each BOP candidate, obtains the amount of power consumption from the work time, and calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emission based on the amount of power consumption.

[0040] Next, the storage unit 140 will be described. The storage unit 140 is a functional unit for storing various types of information. Specifically, the storage unit 140 has a CAD program 141, design information 142, processing category information 143, a processing method DB 144, processing performance information 145, power consumption information 146, and carbon dioxide emission information 147.

[0041] The CAD program 141 is application software for executing CAD on the computer 100. The CAD program 141 includes add-ons (programs) for realizing the functions of the processing unit 130, and each individual functional unit of the processing unit 130 is realized based on the execution of the CAD program 141.

[0042] The design information 142 is information related to the design of a product. Specifically, the design information 142 includes information related to the parts, assemblies, or annotations that constitute the design product (hereinafter, these may be referred to as part information, assembly information, and annotation information, respectively). The part information and assembly information include, for example, the type and shape of the part and the size of each part (e.g., the length of a side or the area of ​​a face), which are associated with each other and registered. The annotation information includes, for example, information related to joints, surfaces, and parts specified by the user (e.g., the shape and size of the joints, the specified surfaces, etc.).

[0043] The processing category information 143 is information in which various types of processing categories used in this system are registered. Specifically, various processing categories such as plastic processing, resin molding, cutting volume removal, cutting surface polishing, and hardening are registered in the processing category information 143. Note that the processing categories are expressions of specific processing methods such as forging and barrel polishing in terms of higher-level concepts (categories) such as plastic processing and surface polishing.

[0044] Such machining category information 143 is used, for example, when displaying machining category candidates as a pull-down list in a process of accepting a machining category for each design object from a user on the CAD design screen 200.

[0045] The machining method DB 144 is a database that stores information on specific machining methods included in various machining categories. For example, the machining method DB 144 stores, for each design object (part, assembly, annotation), the type and shape of each design object, the machining category applicable to each design object, and the specific machining method included in each machining category, in association with each other. Note that the machining method DB 144 may also store, for example, a machining machine that performs each machining method, in association with each other. Furthermore, the configuration of the machining method DB 144 is not limited to this, and may at least associate the machining category applicable to each design object with the specific machining method included in each machining category.

[0046] The machining performance information 145 is information in which past machining performance of a design object is registered. For example, the machining performance information 145 registers the type and shape of the design object, the machining area of ​​the design object, the machining category, the machining method used, the machining machine used for machining, and the machining time, all of which are associated with each other.

[0047] The power consumption information 146 is information in which the power consumption of the processing machines is registered. Specifically, the power consumption information 146 registers the amount of power consumption per fixed time for each processing machine.

[0048] The carbon dioxide emission information 147 is information in which the relationship between the amount of power consumption and the amount of carbon dioxide emission (for example, a function or curve graph showing the correspondence between the two) is registered.

[0049] Next, the communication unit 150 will be described. The communication unit 150 is a functional unit that communicates information with external devices via the network N. Specifically, the communication unit 150 acquires information used in processing executed by the design support system 1000 from the external devices. The communication unit 150 also transmits information generated by the design support system 1000 (e.g., screen information showing a CAD design screen, BOP candidate information, and carbon dioxide emissions) to the external devices.

[0050] An example of the functional configuration of the design support system 1000 has been described above.

[0051] <Design Support Processing> Next, the design support processing executed by the design support system 1000 will be described.

[0052] 3 is a flow diagram showing an example of the design support process. The design support process is started, for example, by receiving an execution instruction from a user during execution of the CAD program 141 (for example, when a button for receiving an execution instruction for the process is pressed on a CAD design screen).

[0053] When the process starts, the design information reading unit 131 reads the design information 142 of the design product (step S10). Specifically, the design information reading unit 131 acquires and reads the design information 142 selected by the user from the storage unit 140 via the design screen 200 displayed during execution of the CAD program 141.

[0054] Next, the processing category receiving unit 132 receives a processing category for each design object from the user (step S20). Specifically, the processing category receiving unit 132 receives an input from the user into the processing category input field 204 for each design object via the design screen 200. When the user selects the processing category input field 204, the display information generating unit 120 displays the processing categories registered in the processing category information 143 as a pull-down list on the design screen 200.

[0055] Next, the intermediate BOP generation unit 133 generates an intermediate BOP (step S30). Specifically, the intermediate BOP generation unit 133 generates an intermediate BOP in which the design object and the processing category input by the user are registered in association with each other.

[0056] Next, the BOP candidate calculation unit 134 calculates BOP candidates (candidate processing methods) using the intermediate BOP (step S40). Specifically, the BOP candidate calculation unit 134 identifies processing methods belonging to processing categories registered in the intermediate BOP from the processing method DB 144. More specifically, the BOP candidate calculation unit 134 identifies the type and shape of each design object registered in the intermediate BOP using the design information 142. Furthermore, the BOP candidate calculation unit 134 identifies from the processing method DB 144 the processing method that corresponds to the combination of the identified information and its processing category.

[0057] For example, if the combination of design object "Part 1" and processing category "Resin molding" is registered in the intermediate BOP, the BOP candidate calculation unit 134 identifies "injection molding" and "blow molding" from the processing method DB 144, which are registered in association with the combination of the type and shape of Part 1 and resin molding. Similarly, the BOP candidate calculation unit 134 identifies specific processing methods from the processing method DB 144 for other combinations of design objects and processing categories registered in the intermediate BOP. The BOP candidate calculation unit 134 also calculates all combinations of processing methods identified for all design objects, and sets each combination as a BOP candidate. The BOP candidate calculation unit 134 also generates BOP candidate information in which these BOP candidates are registered, and stores the information in the storage unit 140.

[0058] 4 is a diagram showing an example of BOP candidate information. As shown in the figure, BOP candidate information 300 registers processing categories, design objects, and multiple BOP candidates in association with each other. Specifically, each BOP candidate differs from the others in that, even if they belong to the same processing category, they have portions associated with different processing methods. For example, BOP candidate 1 associates injection molding with the processing category of resin molding, while BOP candidate 2 associates blow molding with the same category of resin molding.

[0059] In this way, the BOP candidate calculation unit 134 calculates all combinations for each processing method identified for all design objects, and registers each combination as a BOP candidate in the BOP candidate information 300.

[0060] Next, the environmental load index calculation unit 135 calculates the environmental load index for each BOP candidate (step S50). Specifically, the environmental load index calculation unit 135 calculates the carbon dioxide emission amount for each BOP candidate using the processing performance information 145, the power consumption information 146, and the carbon dioxide emission information 147.

[0061] More specifically, the environmental load index calculation unit 135 identifies the type, shape, and processing area of ​​each design object of each BOP candidate from the BOP candidate information 300 and the design information 142. In addition, the environmental load index calculation unit 135 identifies, from the processing record information 145, processing records of past design objects similar to the identified information.

[0062] Specifically, the environmental load index calculation unit 135 identifies, for example, machining results for past design objects that are the same type and similar in shape, or that are the same type and have a machining area difference within a predetermined range, as past results similar to the design object from the machining result information 145. The environmental load index calculation unit 135 also identifies the machining time associated with the identified past result and the machining machine used when the machining was performed from the machining result information 145. The environmental load index calculation unit 135 also calculates a predicted machining time for each design object by reflecting, for example, a difference in machining area, etc., in the identified machining time.

[0063] Furthermore, the environmental load index calculation unit 135 calculates the amount of power consumption for the calculated predicted processing time using the power consumption information 146. Specifically, the environmental load index calculation unit 135 identifies the amount of power consumption per fixed time associated with the identified processing machine from the power consumption information 146, and calculates the amount of power consumption when the processing machine is operated for the predicted processing time.

[0064] Furthermore, the environmental load index calculation unit 135 calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emission corresponding to the calculated amount of power consumption, using the carbon dioxide emission information 147. Specifically, the environmental load index calculation unit 135 calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emission for each design object based on information indicating the relationship between the amount of power consumption and the amount of carbon dioxide emission registered in the carbon dioxide emission information 147. Furthermore, the environmental load index calculation unit 135 repeatedly executes the same process to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emission for each design object and for each BOP candidate as a whole, for all BOP candidates.

[0065] The method for calculating the carbon dioxide emission amount is not limited to the above example, and any method may be used as long as it can calculate the carbon dioxide emission amount taking into account the processing time and the amount of power consumption.

[0066] Alternatively, information on past machining results (e.g., the type, shape, machining area, machining time, power consumption, and carbon dioxide emissions of design objects previously processed) may be accumulated, and a learning model for predicting carbon dioxide emissions may be generated by machine learning using this performance information, and the learning model may be used to calculate the carbon dioxide emissions for each design object. When using such a learning model, the design support system 1000 can input the type, shape, and machining area of ​​the design object into the learning model to obtain highly accurate calculation results based on past machining results that take machining time and power consumption into account, and can also shorten the time required to calculate carbon dioxide emissions.

[0067] The carbon dioxide emission amount calculation unit also updates the BOP candidate information 300 shown in FIG. 4 by associating the carbon dioxide emission amount for each design object with the BOP candidate information 300.

[0068] Next, the display information generating unit 120 displays the BOP candidate information 400, including the updated environmental load index, on the display device (step S60). Specifically, the display information generating unit 120 displays the BOP candidate information 400, in which the carbon dioxide emissions of the design target are associated with each BOP candidate. After displaying the BOP candidate information 400, the display information generating unit 120 ends the processing of this flow.

[0069] 5 is a diagram showing an example of BOP candidate information including an environmental load index. As shown in the figure, BOP candidate information 400 displayed on the design screen 200 has a field for carbon dioxide emissions associated with each BOP candidate. The number of BOP candidates displayed is arbitrary, and all BOP candidates may be displayed, or a predetermined number (e.g., three) of BOP candidates with more favorable environmental load indices may be displayed on the design screen 200. A more favorable environmental load index refers to a lower calculated value for carbon dioxide emissions.

[0070] The design support process has been described above.

[0071] This design support system can support the realization of front-loading design that takes into account the environmental impact index. In particular, by simply inputting the processing category of each design object as tacit knowledge, the user can learn specific combination candidates of processing methods (BOP candidates) and the environmental impact index corresponding to each candidate in the upstream design stage. Therefore, the user can perform front-loading design that takes into account the environmental impact index affected by the processing method in the upstream design stage.

[0072] Second Embodiment A design support system 1000 according to this embodiment supports input of a processing category on a design screen.

[0073] The names of processing categories may be expressed differently depending on the company. For example, a general processing category name such as "surface polishing" may be expressed as "surface polishing" by one company (user). The design support system 1000 of this embodiment defines the differences in expressions for the names of such processing categories for each company (user), and supports the user in easily inputting processing categories.

[0074] In addition, when the user selects and inputs a processing category via a pull-down list, the design support system 1000 of this embodiment narrows down the contents of the pull-down list to suggest an appropriate processing category that makes it easier for the user to select.

[0075] 6 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a design support system 1000 (computer 101) according to the second embodiment. The basic configuration of the design support system 1000 according to this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, but differs in that it includes a processing category definition unit 136, a processing category proposal unit 137, and processing base information 148. The following mainly describes the functional configuration and processing that differ from the first embodiment.

[0076] <Processing category definition unit 136> The processing category definition unit 136 is a functional unit that defines expressions related to the names of processing categories for each user. Specifically, the processing category definition unit 136 accepts processing category definitions from the user on a predetermined definition acceptance screen (not shown) that is displayed during execution of the CAD program 141.

[0077] The definition reception screen displays, for example, the names of general processing categories and an input field for the user to input the desired processing category that the user wants to define. Furthermore, when the user inputs the desired processing category that corresponds to the name of a general processing category, the processing category definition unit 136 defines the category in association with the general processing category name and registers it in the processing category information 143.

[0078] Once the user's desired processing category is defined in this way, in the process of step S20 described above, the processing category accepting unit 132 extracts the processing categories defined by the user from the processing category information 143 and displays them as a pull-down list. This allows the user to select the processing category defined by the user, thereby improving the user's convenience in inputting the processing category.

[0079] The machining category defined by the user may be the name of a machining machine used to machine the design object. For example, for a machining category such as volume removal, the user may define the name of a specific machining machine, such as a trepanning drill or an end mill, as the machining category. This allows the user to define a name for the machining category that is easier for the user to input.

[0080] <Processing Category Proposal Unit 137> The processing category proposal unit 137 is a functional unit that proposes processing categories to make it easier for the user to select by narrowing down the contents of a pull-down list. Specifically, the processing category proposal unit 137 identifies processing records for past design objects that are the same as or similar to each design object from the processing record information 145. More specifically, the processing category proposal unit 137 identifies, from the processing record information 145, processing records for past design objects that are the same type and similar in shape or the same type and have a difference in processing area within a predetermined range as past processing records similar to the design object. In addition, the processing category proposal unit 137 identifies a processing category or a specific processing method associated with the identified information and temporarily stores it in the storage unit 140 as processing category proposal information to be proposed to the user.

[0081] When the processing categories to be proposed to the user are identified in this way, in the processing of the above-mentioned step S20, the processing category receiving unit 132 extracts processing categories or specific processing methods corresponding to each design object from the processing category proposal information and displays them as a pull-down list. According to this design support system 1000, the user can select an appropriate processing category for the design object from among the processing categories with high likelihood narrowed down based on the performance of predecessors, and can support the user in inputting the processing category.

[0082] <Processing base information 148> Information related to the processing base where the processing of the design object is performed is registered in the processing base information 148. Specifically, the processing base information 148 registers, for example, the identification information of the processing base, the processing machine installed therein, the specific processing method performed by the processing machine, and the processing category to which the processing method belongs, all associated with each other.

[0083] The processing category proposal unit 137 proposes to the user feasible processing categories according to the equipment at the processing base where the design object is processed. Specifically, the processing category proposal unit 137 accepts input from the user via the design screen 200 of information specifying the processing base for the design object. Furthermore, the processing category proposal unit 137 uses the processing base information 148 to identify the processing machines installed at the input processing base, the feasible processing methods, and the processing categories for each design object, and temporarily stores the identified processing category proposal information in the storage unit 140.

[0084] When the processing categories to be proposed to the user are identified in this way, in the processing of the above-mentioned step S20, the processing category receiving unit 132 extracts processing categories or specific processing methods for each design object corresponding to the processing base from the processing category proposal information and displays them as a pull-down list. According to this design support system 1000, the user can select an available processing category or processing method from processing categories narrowed down in advance according to the equipment (processing machines) installed at the processing base, thereby supporting the user in inputting the processing category.

[0085] The second embodiment has been described above.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the description is given on the assumption that the storage unit 140 of the computer 100 stores various types of information used in processing, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the information in the storage unit 140 may be stored in an external device (e.g., a cloud server) connected via the network N. In this case, the design support system 1000 appropriately acquires information required for processing from the external device and executes the processing.

[0087] 7 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the design support system 1000. As shown in the figure, the design support system 1000 has an input device 510, a display device 520, a processing device 530, a main memory device 540, an auxiliary memory device 550, a communication device 560, and a bus 570 that electrically interconnects these devices.

[0088] The input device 510 is, for example, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. The display device 520 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic display.

[0089] The processing device 530 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The main storage device 540 is a memory device (memory resource) such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory). The design support system 1000 has at least one processor and one or more memory resources.

[0090] The auxiliary storage device 550 is a non-volatile storage device capable of storing digital information, such as a so-called hard disk drive, a solid state drive (SSD), or a flash memory.

[0091] The communication device 560 is a wired communication device that performs wired communication via a network cable, or a wireless communication device that performs wireless communication via an antenna.

[0092] An example of the hardware configuration of the design support system 1000 has been described above.

[0093] The processing unit 130 of the design support system 1000 is realized by a program (for example, a CAD program 141 including an add-on that realizes the processing unit 130) that causes the processing device 530 to perform processing. This program is stored in the main storage device 540 or the auxiliary storage device 550, and is loaded onto the main storage device 540 and executed by the processing device 530 when the program is executed.

[0094] The storage unit 140 is realized by a main storage device 540, an auxiliary storage device 550, or a combination of these. The communication unit 150 is realized by a communication device 560.

[0095] Furthermore, the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, and processing means of the design support system 1000 may be partially or entirely implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. The above-described configurations and functions may also be implemented in software, with a processor interpreting and executing programs that implement the respective functions. Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement the respective functions can be stored in storage devices such as memory, hard disks, and SSDs, or in recording media such as IC cards, SD cards, and DVDs.

[0096] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and includes various modifications within the scope of the same technical concept. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0097] In addition, in the above explanation, the control lines and information lines are those that are 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.

[0098] 1000...design support system, 100 (101)...computer, 110...input acceptance unit, 120...display information generation unit, 130...processing unit, 131...design information reading unit, 132...processing category acceptance unit, 133...intermediate BOP generation unit, 134...BOP candidate calculation unit, 135...environmental load index calculation unit, 136...processing category definition unit, 137...processing category proposal unit, 140...storage unit, 141...CAD program, 142...design information, 143...processing category information, 144...processing method DB, 145...processing performance information, 146...power consumption information, 147...carbon dioxide emission information, 148...processing base information, 150...communication unit, 510...input device, 520...display device, 530...processing unit, 540...main memory device, 550...auxiliary memory device, 560...communication device, 570...bus, N...network

Claims

1. A design support system comprising: a processing category receiving unit that receives processing categories of design objects on a design screen; a BOP candidate calculation unit that identifies, for each processing category, candidate processing methods that belong to the processing category and calculates combinations of the candidate processing methods identified for all of the design objects as BOP (Bill of Process) candidates; an environmental load index calculation unit that calculates an environmental load index of the BOP candidates; and a display information generation unit that associates the environmental load index with the BOP candidates and displays them on the design screen.

2. A design support system as described in claim 1, wherein the environmental load index is the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during product manufacturing, and the environmental load index calculation unit calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emitted using the amount of power consumed by a processing machine calculated based on the predicted processing time of the design object.

3. A design support system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it has processing category information in which a plurality of processing categories are registered, and the processing category receiving unit, when an input field for receiving the processing category of the design object is selected on the design screen, uses the processing category information to display candidate processing categories.

4. A design support system according to claim 1, characterized in that the design objects are parts, assemblies and annotations that constitute a product.

5. A design support system as described in claim 3, further comprising a processing category definition unit that receives the definition of the processing category and stores the defined processing category in the processing category information in association with the processing category registered in the processing category information, wherein the processing category receiving unit displays the defined processing category as a candidate for the processing category.

6. A design support system according to claim 5, characterized in that the defined machining categories include machining machines that machine the design object.

7. A design support system as described in claim 3, further comprising: processing record information in which past processing records for a specified design object are registered; and a processing category proposal unit that identifies past processing records that are identical to or similar to the design object from the processing record information and generates proposal information including the processing category or the processing method indicated by the identified processing record, wherein the processing category reception unit displays the processing category or the processing method included in the proposal information as a candidate for the processing category.

8. A design support system as claimed in claim 3, further comprising: processing base information including a processing base where the design object is processed, processing machines installed at said processing base, the processing methods that can be performed by the processing machines, and the processing categories to which the processing methods belong; and a processing category proposal unit that identifies the processing methods and processing categories that can be performed at a specified processing base from said processing base information and generates proposal information including the identified processing methods and processing categories, wherein said processing category reception unit displays the processing categories or the processing methods included in the proposal information as candidates for the processing categories.

9. A design support method executed by a design support system, wherein the design support system performs the following steps: a processing category receiving step of receiving a processing category of a design object on a design screen; a BOP candidate calculation step of identifying, for each processing category, candidate processing methods belonging to the processing category and calculating combinations of the candidate processing methods identified for all of the design objects as BOP (Bill Of Process) candidates; an environmental load index calculation step of calculating an environmental load index of the BOP candidate; and a display information generation step of displaying the environmental load index on the design screen in association with the BOP candidate.

10. A program that causes a computer to function as a design support system, the program causing the computer to function as: a processing category receiving unit that receives processing categories of design objects on a design screen; a BOP candidate calculation unit that identifies, for each processing category, candidate processing methods that belong to the processing category and calculates combinations of the candidate processing methods identified for all of the design objects as BOP (Bill of Process) candidates; an environmental load index calculation unit that calculates the environmental load index of the BOP candidates; and a display information generation unit that associates the environmental load index with the BOP candidates and displays them on the design screen.

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