Technical Field
-
The present disclosure relates to management systems and management methods.
Background Art
-
Conventionally, as a management method of delivery, storage, ordering, or the like of steel materials, a method using IC tags has been known (e.g. Patent Literature 1).
Citation List
[Patent Literature]
-
[Patent Literature 1]
Japanese Patent No. 5766590
Summary of Invention
Technical Problem
-
However, in the method disclosed in Patent Literature 1, it is necessary to attach and remove IC tags, resulting in costing of much labor of users.
-
An object of an aspect of the present disclosure is to reduce user's labor.
Solution to Problem
-
A management system in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure is a management system for managing a blasting medium or a shot process device for use in a shot process. This management system includes the shot process device and a processor. The shot process device propels the blasting medium from a blasting mechanism to a workpiece, to perform a surface treatment of the workpiece. The processor processes information on the blasting medium or the shot process device. The processor obtains information on a blasting condition of the blasting medium, information on a blasting time of the blasting medium, and information on an initial value of an inventory quantity of the blasting medium or a part that wears out in the shot process. The processor computes a required quantity of the blasting medium or the part, based on the information on the blasting condition, the information on the blasting time, and the information on the initial value of the inventory quantity, to output information on a result of the computing.
-
A management method in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure is a management method of managing a blasting medium or a shot process device for use in a shot process in which the blasting medium is propelled to a workpiece to perform a surface treatment of the workpiece. This management method includes the following processes (1) to (7):
- (1) A process of setting a blasting condition of the blasting medium
- (2) A process of propelling the blasting medium from a blasting mechanism to the workpiece
- (3) A process of obtaining information on the blasting condition of the blasting medium
- (4) A process of obtaining information on a blasting time of the blasting medium
- (5) A process of obtaining information on an initial value of an inventory quantity of the blasting medium or a part that wears out in the shot process
- (6) A process of computing a required quantity of the blasting medium or the part that wears out in the shot process, based on the information on the blasting condition, the information on the blasting time, and the information on the initial value of the inventory quantity
- (7) A process of outputting information on a result of the computing
Advantageous Effects of Invention
-
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce user's labor in preventing a discontinuance of operation due to a shortage of consumables, resulting in an improvement in productivity.
Brief Description of Drawings
-
- Fig. 1
- is a diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of a management system in accordance with Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.
- Fig. 2
- is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a user device and a management device.
- Fig. 3
- is a functional block diagram of a processor of the management device in accordance with Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.
- Fig. 4
- is a sequence chart illustrating an example of the flow of an automatic ordering process in accordance with Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.
- Fig. 5
- is a functional block diagram of a processor of a management device in accordance with a variation of Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.
- Fig. 6
- is a diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of an impeller type blasting mechanism.
- Fig. 7
- is a diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of an air type (suction type) blasting mechanism.
- Fig. 8
- is a diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of an air type (direct-pressure type) blasting mechanism.
- Fig. 9
- is a diagram for explaining a method of computing a required quantity of a part that wears out in a shot process.
- Fig. 10
- is a diagram for explaining a method of computing a required quantity of a part that wears out in a shot process.
- Fig. 11
- is a flowchart for explaining a method of computing a required quantity of a part that wears out in a shot process.
- Fig. 12
- is a diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of a management system in accordance with Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure.
- Fig. 13
- is a sequence chart illustrating an example of the flow of an automatic ordering process in accordance with Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure.
- Fig. 14
- is a diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of a management system in accordance with Embodiment 4 of the present disclosure.
- Fig. 15
- is a sequence chart illustrating an example of the flow of an automatic ordering process in accordance with Embodiment 4 of the present disclosure.
Description of Embodiments
Embodiment 1
-
The following description will discuss in detail a management system 100 in accordance with Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings. The drawings referred to in the following description are schematic and do not necessarily show actual ones. For convenience of illustration and understanding, scales, ratios of the lengthwise and breadthwise dimensions, and the like may be altered from actual ones, and may be exaggerated. Same or equivalent elements in the drawings are denoted by the same reference symbols and the descriptions thereof will be omitted.
(Example configuration of management system 100)
-
Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the schematic configuration of the management system 100. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the management system 100 includes a shot process facility 10 for carrying out a shot process, and a management device 50 capable of communicating with a user device 40 disposed in the shot process facility 10.
-
The shot process facility 10 may be provided, for example, in a factory of a business operator who carries out a shot process. The shot process facility 10 is provided with a shot process device 20, a reservoir 30 that stores a consumable for use in the shot process, and the user device 40. The consumable includes a "blasting medium 26", which will be described later, and a "part that wears out in the shot process". The "part that wears out in the shot process" may mainly include parts constituting the blasting mechanism 21, and may also include consumable parts such as parts of a conveyor that carries a blasting medium (e.g., screws, buckets, and pipes such as hoses) or a table on which a workpiece to be processed (hereinafter, referred to as "workpiece W") is placed.
-
The shot process is a process of carrying out a shot process by projecting the blasting medium 26 from the blasting mechanism 21 to the workpiece W, to make the blasting medium 26 collide with the workpiece W, to thereby process the surface of the workpiece W. The "shot process" includes blasting process and shot peening. The "blasting process" is a process of performing descaling, deburring, surface polishing, stain-finish texture patterning, and the like of the workpiece W. The "shot peening" is a process of applying a compressive residual stress to the surface of the workpiece W, to improve fatigue strength, wear resistance, stress corrosion cracking resistance, heat dissipation property, and the like.
-
The blasting mechanism 21 propels the blasting medium 26 to the workpiece W inside a cabinet 22. Examples of types of the blasting mechanism 21 may include an impeller type blasting mechanism and an air type blasting mechanism. In Embodiment 1, the shot process device 20 having an impeller type blasting mechanism 21a will be described as an example. The impeller type blasting mechanism 21a propels the blasting medium 26 to the workpiece W by means of the centrifugal force of the impeller rotating at a high speed. The air type blasting mechanism injects the blasting medium 26 onto the workpiece W by means of air compressed by a compressor or the like. The air type blasting mechanism can be either a suction type or a direct-pressure type.
-
The shot process device 20 includes: the impeller type blasting mechanism 21a configured to propel the blasting medium 26 to the workpiece W; a sensor 27 that senses a blasting condition such as the discharge velocity of the blasting medium 26; the cabinet 22; a screw conveyor 23; and a bucket elevator 24.
-
The blasting medium 26 may be, for example, but not limited to, fine particles of metal, and may be fine particles of nonmetal. The fine particles of nonmetal may be, for example, fine particles of glass, ceramic, sand, or the like.
-
The workpiece W may be usually, but not limited to, a hard material such as metals, ceramics, glasses, or plastics, and may be a material that is an elastic body, such as rubbers, supporting hard abrasive grains, for example.
-
The blasting medium 26 propelled out by the impeller type blasting mechanism 21a collides with the workpiece W and then drops toward the bottom of the cabinet 22. The screw conveyor 23 is provided so that its upper end is placed under the bottom of the cabinet 22. The screw conveyor 23 conveys the blasting medium 26 or the like that has fallen to the bottom of the cabinet 22 to the bucket elevator 24.
-
The bucket elevator 24 has a plurality of buckets. The bucket elevator 24 transports the blasting medium 26 and particulate substances conveyed by the screw conveyor 23 upward by using the plurality of buckets. The blasting medium 26 transported upward by the bucket elevator 24 is supplied to the blasting mechanism 21 and is propelled out again. However, the blasting medium 26 and the like transported by the bucket elevator 24 also include cracked or chipped particles of the blasting medium 26 produced in the shot process, or blasting debris of the workpiece W, besides reusable particles of the blasting medium 26. Therefore, before feeding the impeller type blasting mechanism 21a again, the reusable particles of the blasting medium 26 are collected by a sorting mechanism (not illustrated), and then, the reusable particles of the blasting medium 26 are supplied to the impeller type blasting mechanism 21a. The sorting mechanism may be, for example, a wind sorter and a sieve.
-
As a result of removing the worn particles of the blasting medium 26, the blasting medium 26 for use in the shot process device 20 decreases. Excessive decrease may affect the shot processing capacity; thus, new particles of the blasting medium 26 may be supplied to the shot process device 20 when the blasting medium decreases by a predetermined quantity.
-
The sensor 27 senses a blasting condition such as the discharge velocity of the blasting medium 26. Regarding the blasting condition, the optimum condition is set for each shot process device 20 or for each workpiece W, in accordance with the shape of the workpiece W, the physical properties of the material, the processing purpose, and the like. The shot process device 20 propels the blasting medium 26 to the workpiece W in accordance with the set blasting condition.
-
Examples of the blasting condition of the blasting medium 26 may include a discharge velocity of the blasting medium 26, a discharge quantity of the blasting medium 26, a rotational speed of the impeller, a value of electric current flowing in a motor for rotating the impeller, and the like.
-
When the blasting mechanism 21 is of the air type, the blasting condition of the blasting medium 26 may include an injection velocity of the blasting medium 26, an injection quantity of the blasting medium 26, an injection pressure of the compressed air, and the like. Herein, although the expression "injection" is used in explaining blasting carried out by the air type, the expression "injection" may be appropriately read as "propelling".
-
The sensor 27 is connected to the impeller type blasting mechanism 21a, and the sensor 27 senses the discharge velocity of the blasting medium 26, the discharge quantity of the blasting medium 26, the rotational speed of the impeller, the value of electric current flowing in the motor for rotating the impeller, and the like, described above. Here, the discharge velocity of the blasting medium 26 may be calculated by computing based on the electric current value of the impeller. Examples of the sensors that sense these data may include a speed sensor, an optical sensor, a vibration sensor, a current sensor, and the like. Instead of the value of electric current flowing in the motor for rotating the impeller, a voltage value applied to the motor or an electric power value supplied to the motor may be sensed.
-
When the blasting mechanism 21 is of the air type, the sensor 27 connected to the blasting mechanism 21 senses the injection velocity of the blasting medium 26, the injection quantity of the blasting medium 26, the injection pressure of the compressed air, and the like, described above. Here, the injection velocity of the blasting medium 26 may be calculated by computing based on the injection velocity of the compressed air. Examples of the sensors that sense these data may include a flow sensor, a pressure sensor, a vibration sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and the like.
-
The sensor 27 converts the sensed data into an electrical signal and transmits the signal to the user device 40.
-
Although not illustrated in the drawings, the shot process device 20 is also provided with a timer for measuring the blasting time of the blasting medium 26. The blasting time measured by the timer is converted into an electrical signal and transmitted to the user device 40.
-
The reservoir 30 is a container for storing consumables for use in the shot process, that is, the blasting medium 26 and parts that wear out in the shot process. In Embodiment 1, an example in which a consumable managed by the management system 100 is the blasting medium 26 will be described. The management of the parts that wear out in the shot process will be described in Embodiment 2. The container 30a constituting the reservoir 30 is provided with a sensor 31 for sensing the remaining quantity of the blasting medium 26 stored. Examples of the sensor for sensing the remaining quantity of the blasting medium 26 may include a level meter or a level switch. Examples of types of the sensor 31 may include a paddle type, a piston type, a pendulum type, a sounding type, a capacitance type, a vibration type, an ultrasonic type, a microwave type, a radiation type, and the like. The sensor 31 may be appropriately selected from these depending on the properties of the blasting medium 26 to be sensed. The sensor 31 converts the sensed data of the remaining quantity into an electrical signal and transmits the signal to the user device 40. The inventory quantity may correspond to the remaining quantity in the container 30a, or alternatively may correspond to the sum of the remaining quantity in the container 30a, which constitutes the reservoir 30, and the remaining quantity in a material storage place (not illustrated). The following description will discuss a case where the remaining quantity of the blasting medium 26 in the container 30a corresponds to the "inventory quantity".
-
The user device 40 is a device disposed in the shot process facility 10, and may be, for example, a general-purpose computer.
-
The user device 40 obtains, from the sensors 27 and 31 by using a predetermined communication method, information on the blasting condition, the blasting time, and the initial value of the inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26. Hereunder, when it is not necessary to distinguish these sensors, they are simply referred to as "each sensor" or "respective sensors". The communications may be conducted either wirelessly or via wired connections, and any communications scheme can be used provided that the communications scheme makes it possible to conduct intercommunications. Assuming that communications between each sensor and the user device 40 are conducted via Wi-Fi (registered trademark) in the present embodiment, descriptions are provided. Here, the information on the blasting condition, the blasting time, and the initial value of the inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26 mean data sensed by respective sensors and converted into electrical signals. Thus, the information on the blasting condition, the blasting time, and the initial value of the inventory quantity may be referred to as information indicating the blasting condition of the blasting medium 26, the blasting time, and the initial value of the inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26. An example of the "initial value of the inventory quantity" is an inventory quantity at the beginning at which the shot process is started after adjustment of the inventory quantity.
-
The management device 50 is a device for managing consumables for use in the shot process facility 10, and may be, for example, a general-purpose computer. Although where to dispose the management device 50 is not particularly limited, the management device 50 may be disposed in, for example, a management center of a supplier who performs a service of providing the consumables.
(Hardware configuration of user device 40 and management device 50)
-
Next, the hardware configuration of the user device 40 and the management device 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the user device 40 and the management device 50.
-
First, the hardware configuration of the user device 40 will be described. The user device 40 includes a processor 41, a read only memory (ROM) 42, a random access memory (RAM) 43, a storage device 44, a communication interface (I/F) 46, and a display 47, as illustrated in Fig. 2. These components are communicably connected to each other via a bus 45.
-
The processor 41 is an arithmetic unit which executes various programs, and may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU). The processor 41 retrieves programs from the ROM 42 or the storage device 44, to execute various programs on the RAM 43, which is a workspace.
-
The ROM 42 stores various programs and various kinds of data. The RAM 43 temporarily stores a program or data as a workspace. Note that a computer-readable recording medium is not limited to the ROM 42 and the RAM 43, but may include an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM) (registered trademark), or the like.
-
The storage device 44 is composed of a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, or the like, and stores various programs and various kinds of data. The storage device 44 stores the information on the blasting condition, the blasting time, and the initial value of the inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26, which are transmitted from the respective sensors.
-
The display 47 is composed of a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and displays various kinds of information.
-
The communication I/F 46 is placed in the form of hardware such as a network adapter, communications software, or a combination thereof, and is used to communicate with each sensor and with the management device 50. The communications between each sensor and the user device 40 have been described above. Although the communication between the user device 40 and the management device 50 is described as being carried out via the internet, other communication schemes may be used.
-
Next, the hardware configuration of the management device 50 will be described.
-
As illustrated in Fig. 2, the management device 50 includes a processor 51, a ROM 52, a RAM 53, a storage device 54, a communication I/F 56, and a display 57. These components are communicably connected to each other via a bus 55. The processor 51, the ROM 52, the RAM 53, the storage device 54, the communication I/F 56, and the display 57 are identical in configuration to the processor 41, the ROM 42, the RAM 43, the storage device 44, the communication I/F 46, and the display 47 of the user device 40, described above. Therefore, explanations thereof will be omitted.
(Functions of processor 51)
-
Next, the functions of the processor 51 of the management device 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram of the processor 51 of the management device 50. As illustrated in Fig. 3, in the management device 50 of the present embodiment, the processor 51 executes a specific program, to function as a data obtaining section 511, the computing section 512, and the automatic ordering section 513.
-
The data obtaining section 511 obtains, from the user device 40, information on the blasting condition, the blasting time, and the initial value of the inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26. The data obtaining section 511 stores the obtained information in the storage device 54. The computing section 512 computes a required quantity of the blasting medium 26 based on the information obtained by the data obtaining section 511. The automatic ordering section 513 carries out a process of automatically placing an order of the required quantity computed by the computing section 512.
(Flow of automatic ordering process)
-
Next, an example of the flow of an automatic ordering process that is carried out in the management system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a sequence chart illustrating an example of the flow of the automatic ordering process.
-
In step S101, the processor 41 of the user device 40 obtains information on a blasting condition such as a discharge velocity of the blasting medium 26 from the sensor 27 and stores the information in the storage device 44.
-
The operation proceeds to step S102, in which the processor 41 of the user device 40 obtains information on a blasting time of the blasting medium 26 from the timer and stores the information in the storage device 44.
-
The operation proceeds to step S103, in which the processor 41 of the user device 40 obtains information on an initial value of an inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26 from the sensor 31, and stores the information in the storage device 44.
-
The operation proceeds to step S104, in which the processor 41 of the user device 40 transmits the information on the blasting condition, the information on the blasting time, and the information on the initial value of the inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26, which have been obtained in the processes of steps S101 to S103, to the management device 50.
-
In step S105, the processor 51 of the management device 50 obtains the information on the blasting condition, the information on the blasting time, and the information on the initial value of the inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26 from the user device 40.
-
In step S106, the processor 51 of the management device 50 computes a required quantity of the blasting medium 26 based on the information on the blasting condition, the information on the blasting time, and the information on the initial value of the inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26 obtained in the process of step S105.
(Method of computing required quantity of blasting medium 26)
-
Hereunder, an example of a method of computing the required quantity of the blasting medium 26 will be described.
-
The processor 51 of the management device 50 computes a consumed quantity of the blasting medium 26 used in the shot process, by using the blasting condition of the blasting medium 26 and the blasting time of the blasting medium 26. Next, the processor 51 of the management device 50 subtracts the consumed quantity of the blasting medium 26 from the initial value of the inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26, to compute a current inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26.
-
The processor 51 of the management device 50 may compute the consumed quantity of the blasting medium 26 from the blasting time for each varying blasting condition. The blasting condition may vary from time to time due to various factors, such as a change in the remaining quantity of the blasting medium 26 or a change in the airflow volume for dust collection in the shot process device 20. This is because, for example, if the blasting condition is set and managed according to a table in accordance with the remaining quantity of the blasting medium 26, the airflow volume for dust collection, and the like in the shot process device 20, the blasting condition may vary from time to time due to changes in these conditions. The processor 51 of the management device 50 may calculate the consumed quantity for each specific position from the blasting time for each varying blasting condition.
-
Further, the processor 51 of the management device 50 may compute the total consumed quantity of the blasting medium 26 from the relationship between the average value of the blasting conditions and the cumulative time of the blasting time. For example, in a case where the blasting condition is the discharge quantity of the blasting medium 26, the "average value of the blasting conditions" may indicate a mean value of discharge quantities obtained from the sum of a discharge quantity at the time when the dust-collecting airflow volume is A, a discharge quantity at the time when the dust-collecting airflow volume is B, and a discharge quantity at the time when the dust-collecting airflow volume is C. Even if the blasting condition is the discharge velocity of the blasting medium 26, the rotational speed of the impeller, or the like, it is possible to obtain the average value of the blasting conditions by using a similar method.
-
Further, the processor 51 of the management device 50 may compute the total consumed quantity of the blasting medium 26 from the relationship between the preset blasting condition and the cumulative time of the blasting time.
-
Next, the processor 51 of the management device 50 compares the current inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26 and a threshold. This threshold may be appropriately set in advance through experiments, simulations, or the like.
-
As a result of the comparison, when the current inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26 falls below the threshold, the processor 51 of the management device 50 computes a quantity of the blasting medium 26 required for the inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26 to exceed the threshold. At this time, the processor 51 of the management device 50 may compute the quantity of the blasting medium 26 required for the inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26 to exceed the threshold in consideration of a period from ordering of the blasting medium 26 to delivery. This is because if the shot process is carried out in the period from ordering to delivery of the blasting medium 26, the inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26 continues to decrease.
-
The processor 51 of the management device 50 may plot the consumed quantity of the blasting medium 26 for each blasting time of the blasting medium 26, and compute the consumed quantity of the blasting medium 26 in the entire blasting time by integrating the plotted locus.
-
Further, the "computing carried out by the processor 51 of the management device 50" may include, for example, predicting a quantity of the blasting medium 26 required for the inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26 to exceed the threshold when the current inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26 falls below a threshold, and determining whether or not a current inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26 has decreased to a level (threshold), which indicates that it is necessary to place an order.
-
The processor 51 of the management device 50 carries out a process of automatically placing an order of the computed required quantity for the blasting medium 26 (step S107).
-
Note that the process flow described in Fig. 4 is merely an example, and additional steps may be newly added without departing from the scope. The processes of steps S101 to S103 may be carried out simultaneously.
[Variation of Embodiment 1]
-
Next, a variation of Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a functional block diagram of the processor 51 of the management device 50. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the processor 51 of the management device 50 may function as a notification section 514 that issues a notification to the user device 40 instead of the automatic ordering section 513.
-
In the foregoing, it is described that the process of automatically placing an order of a computed required quantity for the blasting medium 26 is carried out; however, as an alternative to such an automatic ordering process, the processor 51 of the management device 50 may notify the user device 40 of information on the required quantity of the blasting medium 26. The information on the required quantity of the blasting medium 26 may be, for example, information indicating the current inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26, information indicating the consumed quantity of the blasting medium 26, or the like. The display 47 of the user device 40 shows the information indicating the current inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26, the information indicating the consumed quantity of the blasting medium 26, and the like. This allows users engaged in the shot process facility 10 to monitor the inventory quantity without checking the inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26 themselves, resulting in a reduction in the labor of the users regarding the inventory management.
-
The processor 51 of the management device 50 may notify the information on the required quantity of the blasting medium 26 to a remote location by wired or wirelessly by using a local area network (LAN) or the like. Examples of a notification destination may include a purchase representative of a supplier, a facility maintenance department of a supplier, a purchase representative of a buyer, a maintenance and checkup service department of a buyer, and the like.
-
Here, the processor 51 of the management device 50 may propose placing an order at the same time as the notification to the user device 40. For example, the processor 51 of the management device 50 may make, by showing on the display 47 of the user device 40, a proposal with a message such as "Inventory quantity of blasting medium 26 will be low in X days. Would you like to place an order?" The proposing method and the notifying method are not particularly limited, and may be appropriately set in accordance with circumstances of each user.
(Advantageous effects)
-
As described above, the management system 100 in accordance with Embodiment 1 achieves the following advantageous effects.
-
The processor 51 of the management device 50 obtains information on a blasting condition of the blasting medium 26, obtains information on a blasting time of the blasting medium 26, and obtains information on an initial value of an inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26. The processor 51 of the management device 50 computes a required quantity of the blasting medium 26 based on the information on the blasting condition, the information on the blasting time, and the information on the initial value of the inventory quantity. The processor 51 of the management device 50 outputs information on a result of the computing.
-
If the information on the result of the computing is outputted to the user device 40 disposed in the shot process facility 10, users engaged in the shot process facility 10 do not need to check the inventory of the blasting medium 26 themselves, resulting in a reduction in the labor of the users on the inventory management. Thus, with this configuration, it is possible to reduce user's labor in preventing a discontinuance of operation due to a shortage of consumables (blasting medium 26), resulting in an improvement in productivity.
-
Here, when the management system 100 is used, it is premised that the blasting condition of the blasting medium 26 is set.
-
The information on the blasting condition includes one or both of a discharge velocity and a discharge quantity of the blasting medium 26. By using the discharge velocity or the discharge quantity of the blasting medium 26, the processor 51 of the management device 50 can compute a required quantity of the blasting medium 26 with high accuracy.
-
Further, the processor 51 of the management device 50 may carry out a process of displaying information on the required quantity of the blasting medium 26 on the display 47 of the user device 40. This eliminates the need for users engaged in the shot process facility 10 to check the inventory of the blasting medium 26 themselves, resulting in a reduction in labor of users regarding inventory management.
-
Further, the processor 51 of the management device 50 may carry out a process of providing a notification of information on the required quantity of the blasting medium 26 to a remote location. This makes it possible to provide the information on the required quantity of the blasting medium 26 even in a case where the shot process facility 10 is located at a remote location.
-
Further, the processor 51 of the management device 50 may carry out a process of placing an order for the blasting medium 26 based on the information on the required quantity of the blasting medium 26. This eliminates the need for users engaged in the shot process facility 10 to carry out the ordering operation of the blasting medium 26, the checking of the delivery time with the supplier, and the maintenance and management of the shot process device 20 until the blasting medium 26 is delivered, resulting in a reduction in labor of users. In addition, since the ordering process is automatically carried out, it is possible to achieve stable operation of the shot process facility 10.
Embodiment 2
-
Next, the following description will discuss Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. For convenience of description, members having functions identical to those described in Embodiment 1 are assigned identical reference symbols, and their descriptions are not repeated.
-
In Embodiment 1, the blasting medium 26 is picked up as a consumable for use in the shot process, to describe the process of automatically placing an order for the blasting medium 26. In Embodiment 2, parts constituting the blasting mechanism 21 will be picked up as consumables for use in the shot process. As described above, the blasting mechanism 21 may be the impeller type or the air type.
-
Fig. 6 illustrates, among the parts constituting the impeller type blasting mechanism 21a, a distributor 70 for agitating the blasting medium 26, a control cage 71 for regulating a direction in which the blasting medium 26 is propelled, and a blade 72, as representative examples of parts to be replaced.
-
Fig. 7 illustrates a nozzle 75, an air jet 76, and a nozzle body 77 as representative examples of the parts to be replaced in the suction type blasting mechanism 21b among air type blasting mechanisms.
-
Fig. 8 illustrates a nozzle 80, a nozzle body 81, and a nozzle clamp 82 as representative examples of the parts to be replaced in a direct-pressure type blasting mechanism 21c, which is a kind of the air type blasting mechanisms.
-
Hereunder, when it is not necessary to distinguish these parts, they are simply referred to as "each part". Since each part is consumable, it is necessary to replace the part when the wear level increases. The inventory of each part is stored in the reservoir 30. Thus, to replace the part, a replacement is taken out from the reservoir 30.
-
The processor 51 of the management device 50 computes a required quantity of each part based on information on a blasting condition, a blasting time, and an initial value of an inventory quantity of each part. Examples of the blasting condition of each part may include, in the case of the impeller, the rotational speed of the impeller, the value of electric current flowing in a motor for rotating the impeller, and the like, and the examples may include, in the case of the nozzle 75, the injection pressure of the compressed air injected from the nozzle 75 and the like.
(Method of computing required quantity of each part)
-
An example of a method of computing a required quantity of each part will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The horizontal axis of Fig. 9 represents time, and the vertical axis represents an item regarding the operation of the shot process facility 10 and items regarding arrangements of a consumable.
-
The processor 51 of the management device 50 may compute a required quantity of each part, as γ, when the following two conditions are satisfied. The two conditions are Condition 1, T1 - (T3 + (T2 × α)) ≤ 0, and Condition 2, β < γ. In Fig. 9, β and γ are not illustrated.
-
T1 illustrated in Fig. 9 indicates the life of the consumable. An example of an input condition of T1 is a timing at which the consumable is replaced. The input condition of T1 may be a threshold set based on the timing of replacement of the consumable. As used herein, the "input condition" is a condition for inputting data to the user device 40 by a user engaged in the shot process facility 10.
-
T2 indicates the delivery time of the consumable. The input condition of T2 is a predetermined value.
-
T3 indicates the blasting time or injection time. If the consumable is a part constituting the impeller type blasting mechanism 21a, T3 is the blasting time. On the other hand, if the consumable is a part constituting the air type blasting mechanism 21b, T3 is the injection time. The input condition of T3 is the blasting time or injection time after the replacement of the consumable.
-
α indicates the safety factor of delivery time. The "safety factor of delivery time" is an index that is set based on the buyer's concepts, the distance from the delivery destination to the facility, and the like. The input condition of α is the safety factor of delivery time.
-
β indicates the inventory quantity at the delivery destination. The input condition of β is the inventory quantity at the delivery destination.
-
γ indicates a predetermined order quantity.
-
In Fig. 9, the period from t1 to t2 represents T3, and the period from t2 to t3 represents T2'. T2' = T2 × α. Further, α > 1. As shown in Condition 1, when T3 + T2' is not less than T1, the consumable is replaced. At this time, if Condition 2 is satisfied, the processor 51 of the management device 50 may compute the required quantity as γ. In this case, the processor 51 of the management device 50 may carry out a process of automatically placing an order of γ, which is the predetermined quantity.
-
Next, the blade 72, which is one of consumables, will be described with reference to Fig. 10.
-
T1 illustrated in Fig. 10 indicates the life of the blade 72 (600 h). T2 indicates the delivery time (120 h) of the blade 72. T3 indicates a blasting time (450 h). In Fig. 10, α is set to 1.5. Thus, T2' becomes 180 h. The inventory quantity at the buyer, β, shall be five sets. The predetermined order quantity γ is set to 8 sets.
-
In the example illustrated in Fig. 10, T1 - (T3 + (T2 × α)) is equal to -30, so that Condition 1 is satisfied. Further, it is assumed that Condition 2 is satisfied. In this case, the processor 51 of the management device 50 can compute the required quantity of the blade 72 as γ and carry out the process of automatically placing an order at a timing indicated by t4.
-
Next, another example of the method of computing a required quantity of each part will be described with reference to Fig. 11. In the flowchart illustrated in Fig. 11, a flow of data exchange carried out between the user device 40 and the management device 50 is omitted. Further, it is assumed that the flowchart illustrated in Fig. 11 starts with the blasting time reset.
-
In step S201, the shot process is carried out in the shot process facility 10. Next, the processor 51 of the management device 50 determines whether or not the blasting time is not less than a predetermined value. Here, the predetermined value is "T1 - T2 × α" described in Fig. 9. If the determination result in step S202 is NO, the operation returns to step S201. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S202 is YES, the operation proceeds to step S203.
-
In step S203, the processor 51 of the management device 50 determines whether or not the inventory quantity of a freely chosen part is not more than a replacement requirement. If the determination result in step S203 is YES, the processor 51 of the management device 50 carries out a process of automatically placing an order for the freely chosen part. The processor 51 of the management device 50 can compute a difference between the inventory quantity and the replacement requirement as a required quantity of the freely chosen part. If the determination result in the step S203 is NO, the process proceeds to step S205.
-
In step S205, the processor 51 of the management device 50 determines whether or not the blasting time is not less than T1. The operation waits until the blasting time becomes T1 or more (NO in step S205). When the blasting time becomes T1 or more, the operation proceeds to step S206, and the freely chosen part is replaced.
-
In step S207, the processor 51 of the management device 50 determines whether or not the inventory quantity of the freely chosen part is not more than the required inventory quantity. If the determination result in step S207 is YES, the processor 51 of the management device 50 carries out a process of automatically placing an order for the freely chosen part. The processor 51 of the management device 50 can compute a difference between the inventory quantity and the required inventory quantity as a required quantity of the freely chosen part. If the determination result in step S207 is NO, the series of processes ends.
-
The process flow described in Fig. 11 is merely an example, and additional steps may be newly added without departing from the scope. The processes in steps S207 and S208 may be omitted.
-
Here, in Embodiment 2, similarly to Embodiment 1, the processor 51 of the management device 50 may notify the user device 40 of information on the required quantity of each part, instead of the automatic ordering process.
(Advantageous effects)
-
As described above, Embodiment 2 achieves the following advantageous effects.
-
The processor 51 of the management device 50 obtains information on a blasting condition of the blasting medium 26, obtains information on a blasting time of the blasting medium 26, and obtains information on an initial value of an inventory quantity of a part that wears out in a shot process. The processor 51 of the management device 50 computes a required quantity of the part that wears out in the shot process, based on the information on the blasting condition, the information on the blasting time, and the information on the initial value of the inventory quantity. The processor 51 of the management device 50 outputs information on a result of the computing.
-
If the information on the result of the computing is outputted to the user device 40 disposed in the shot process facility 10, users engaged in the shot process facility 10 do not need to check the inventory of parts that wear out in the shot process themselves, resulting in a reduction in the labor of the users on the inventory management.
-
The blasting mechanism 21 may be an impeller type blasting mechanism 21a. In this case, the information on the blasting condition includes one or both of information on a rotational speed of the impeller and information on an electric power of the impeller. The information on the electric power is one of a value of electric current flowing in the motor for rotating the impeller, a voltage value applied to the motor, and an electric power value supplied to the motor, described above. Use of the information on the rotational speed of the impeller or the information on the electric power of the impeller allows the processor 51 of the management device 50 to compute a required quantity of the distributor 70, the control cage 71, the blade 72, or the like.
-
The blasting mechanism 21 may be an air type blasting mechanism 21b. In this case, the information on the blasting condition includes one or both of information on an injection pressure of compressed air injected through the nozzle 75 and information on an injection quantity of the blasting medium 26. Use of the information on the injection pressure or the information on the injection quantity of the blasting medium 26 allows the processor 51 of the management device 50 to compute the required quantity of the nozzle 75, the air jet 76, the nozzle body 77, or the like.
Embodiment 3
-
Next, the following description will discuss Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure. Note that, for convenience of description, members having functions identical to those described in Embodiment 1 are assigned identical reference symbols, and their descriptions are not repeated.
-
Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of the schematic configuration of the management system 200 in accordance with Embodiment 3. Embodiment 3 differs from Embodiment 1 in that a sensor 28 is connected to the bucket elevator 24.
-
For example, the sensor 28 may be a current sensor that measures a value of electric current flowing in a motor that drives the bucket elevator 24. The sensor 28 converts the measured electric current value into an electrical signal and transmits the signal to the user device 40. Here, instead of the current sensor, the sensor 28 may be a voltage sensor that measures a voltage value applied to the motor or may be an electric power sensor that measures electric power supplied to the motor.
-
In a case where the blasting medium 26 is recovered and reused, the amount of current flowing in the motor to drive the bucket elevator 24 varies in accordance with the recovered quantity. This makes it possible to estimate the recovered quantity of the blasting medium 26 based on the electric current value. To compute the required quantity of the blasting medium 26, it is necessary to set a quantity of reusable particles of the blasting medium 26 to be recovered. That is, the removed quantity of the blasting medium 26 worn out by the shot process is considered in the setting. The removed quantity may be calculated with reference to the processing capacity of the abovementioned sorting mechanism (suction air volume in wind force sorting, opening and vibrating force of a sieve, etc.), or may be set based on experiments or simulations. By adding information on a recovery condition of the blasting medium 26 to the information described in Embodiment 1, the processor 51 of the management device 50 can compute the required quantity of the blasting medium 26 with high accuracy.
(Flow of automatic ordering process)
-
An example of the flow of an automatic ordering process that is carried out in the management system 200 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Here, the processes in steps S301 to S303 are the same as the processes in steps S101 to S103, respectively, illustrated in Fig. 4, so that explanations thereof will be omitted.
-
In step S304, the processor 41 of the user device 40 obtains information on the recovery condition from the sensor 28 and stores the information in the storage device 44. The information on the recovery condition is information indicating an electric current value measured by the sensor 28.
-
In step S305, the processor 41 of the user device 40 transmits, to the management device 50, the information on the blasting condition, the blasting time, the initial value of the inventory quantity, and the recovery condition of the blasting medium 26 obtained in steps S301 to S304.
-
In step S306, the processor 51 of the management device 50 obtains the information on the blasting condition, the blasting time, the initial value of the inventory quantity, and the recovery condition of the blasting medium 26 from the user device 40.
-
In step S307, the processor 51 of the management device 50 computes a required quantity of the blasting medium 26 based on the information on the blasting condition, the blasting time, the initial value of the inventory quantity, and the recovery condition of the blasting medium 26 obtained in step S306.
-
In step S308, the processor 51 of the management device 50 carries out a process of automatically placing an order of the required quantity for the blasting medium 26 computed in step S307.
-
Here, in Embodiment 3, similarly to Embodiment 1, the processor 51 of the management device 50 may notify the user device 40 of information on the required quantity of the blasting medium 26, instead of the automatic ordering process.
(Advantageous effects)
-
As described above, the management system 200 in accordance with Embodiment 3 achieves the following advantageous effects.
-
The processor 51 of the management device 50 further obtains information on the recovery condition for reusing the blasting medium 26 after being used in blasting, and the processor 51 computes a required quantity of the blasting medium 26 based on the information on the blasting condition, the information on the blasting time, the information on the initial value of the inventory quantity, and the information on the recovery condition. By adding the information on the recovery condition to the information on the blasting condition, the information on the blasting time, and the information on the initial value of the inventory quantity, it is possible to compute the required quantity of the blasting medium 26 with high accuracy.
-
The processor 51 of the management device 50 may add the information on the recovery condition also when the processor 51 computes a required quantity of each part described in Embodiment 2.
-
The processor 51 of the management device 50 may compute the consumed quantity of the blasting medium 26 from a random numbers table in which the information on the blasting condition and the information on the recovery condition are combined.
Embodiment 4
-
Next, the following description will discuss Embodiment 4 of the present disclosure. Note that, for convenience of description, members having functions identical to those described in Embodiment 1 are assigned identical reference symbols, and their descriptions are not repeated.
-
Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of the schematic configuration of the management system 300 in accordance with Embodiment 4. Embodiment 4 differs from Embodiment 1 in that a sensor 29 for detecting the number of processed workpieces W is provided in the cabinet 22.
-
For example, the sensor 29 may be an infrared sensor. The sensor 29 counts the number of processed workpieces W to be subjected to the shot process in the cabinet 22. The sensor 29 converts the counted number of the processed workpieces W into an electrical signal and transmits the signal to the user device 40. In Embodiment 4, the number of the processed workpieces W is used instead of the blasting time of the blasting medium 26. This is because the information on the blasting time is information obtained by computing carried out based on the number of the processed workpieces W.
(Flow of automatic ordering process)
-
An example of the flow of an automatic ordering process that is carried out in the management system 300 will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Here, the processes in steps S401 and S403 are the same as the processes in steps S101 and S103, respectively, illustrated in Fig. 4, so that explanations thereof will be omitted.
-
In step S402, the processor 41 of the user device 40 obtains information on the number of the processed workpieces W from the sensor 29 and stores the obtained information in the storage device 44.
-
In step S404, the processor 41 of the user device 40 transmits, to the management device 50, the information indicating the blasting condition of the blasting medium 26, the number of the processed workpieces W, and the initial value of the inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26 obtained in steps S401 to S403.
-
In step S405, the processor 51 of the management device 50 obtains, from the user device 40, the information indicating the blasting condition of the blasting medium 26, the number of the processed workpieces W, and the initial value of the inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26.
-
In step S406, the processor 51 of the management device 50 computes a required quantity of the blasting medium 26 based on the information indicating the blasting condition of the blasting medium 26, the number of the processed workpieces W, and the initial value of the inventory quantity of the blasting medium 26 obtained in step S405.
-
In step S407, the processor 51 of the management device 50 carries out a process of automatically placing an order of the required quantity for the blasting medium 26 computed in step S406.
-
Here, in Embodiment 4, similarly to Embodiment 1, the processor 51 of the management device 50 may notify the user device 40 of information on the required quantity of the blasting medium 26, instead of the automatic ordering process.
(Advantageous effects)
-
As described above, Embodiment 4 achieves the following advantageous effects.
-
The processor 51 of the management device 50 computes a required quantity of the blasting medium 26 by using the number of the processed workpieces W, instead of the blasting time of the blasting medium 26. If the required quantity thus computed is outputted to the user device 40 disposed in the shot process facility 10, users engaged in the shot process facility 10 do not need to check the inventory of the blasting medium 26 themselves, resulting in a reduction in the labor of the users on the inventory management.
-
The processor 51 of the management device 50 may use the number of the processed workpieces W instead of the blasting time of the blasting medium 26 even in a case where the required quantity of each part described in Embodiment 2 is computed.
[Software implementation example]
-
The functions of the management device 50 can be implemented by a program for causing a computer to function as the management device 50, the program causing the computer to function as each of the control blocks of the management device 50.
-
In this case, the management device 50 includes a computer which is hardware for executing the program, the computer including at least one device (e.g. processor) and at least one storage device (e.g. memory). The computer executes the program, and each of the functions described in the above embodiments is implemented accordingly.
-
One or more non-transitory computer-readable recording media may have the program recorded thereon. These recording media may or may not be included in the management device 50. In the latter case, the program may be supplied to or made available to the management device 50 via any wired or wireless transmission medium.
-
Furthermore, some or all of the functions of each control block can also be implemented by a logic circuit. For example, an integrated circuit having formed therein the logic circuit which functions as each control block is also within the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the functions of each control block can be implemented via, for example, a quantum computer.
-
Each of the processes described in the embodiments above may be carried out by artificial intelligence (AI). In this case, the AI may operate in the management device 50, or may operate in another device (e.g. an edge computer or a cloud server).
-
The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments above, but can be altered by a skilled person in the art within the scope of the claims. The present disclosure also encompasses, in its technical scope, any embodiment derived by combining technical means disclosed in differing embodiments.
[Additional remarks]
-
The present disclosure can be expressed as follows.
-
A management system in accordance with Aspect 1 of the present disclosure is a management system for managing a blasting medium or a shot process device for use in a shot process, and is configured so that the system includes: the shot process device that propels the blasting medium from a blasting mechanism to a workpiece, to perform a surface treatment of the workpiece; and a processor capable of processing information on the blasting medium or the shot process device, the processor obtaining information on a blasting condition of the blasting medium, obtaining information on a blasting time of the blasting medium; obtaining information on an initial value of an inventory quantity of the blasting medium or a part that wears out in the shot process, computing a required quantity of the blasting medium or the part, based on the information on the blasting condition, the information on the blasting time, and the information on the initial value of the inventory quantity, and outputting information on a result of the computing.
-
The management system in accordance with Aspect 2 of the present disclosure may be configured, in Aspect 1, so that the information on the blasting condition includes one or both of a discharge velocity and a discharge quantity of the blasting medium.
-
The management system in accordance with Aspect 3 of the present disclosure may be configured, in Aspect 1 or 2, so that the blasting mechanism is an impeller type blasting mechanism, and the information on the blasting condition includes one or both of information on a rotational speed of an impeller and information on an electric power of the impeller.
-
The management system in accordance with Aspect 4 of the present disclosure may be configured, in Aspect 1 or 2, so that the blasting mechanism is an air type blasting mechanism, and the information on the blasting condition includes one or both of information on an injection pressure of a compressed air injected through a nozzle and information on an injection quantity of the blasting medium.
-
The management system in accordance with Aspect 5 of the present disclosure may be configured, in any one of Aspects 1 or 4, so that the processor further obtains information on a recovery condition for reusing the blasting medium after being used in blasting, and the processor computes a required quantity of the blasting medium or the part, based on the information on the blasting condition, the information on the blasting time, the information on the initial value of the inventory quantity, and the information on the recovery condition.
-
The management system in accordance with Aspect 6 of the present disclosure may be configured, in any one of Aspects 1 to 5, so that the information on the blasting time is information obtained by computing carried out based on the number of processed workpieces.
-
The management system in accordance with Aspect 7 of the present disclosure may be configured, in any one of Aspects 1 to 6, so that the processor carries out a process of displaying information on the required quantity on a display.
-
The management system in accordance with Aspect 8 of the present disclosure may be configured, in any one of Aspects 1 to 7, so that the processor carries out a process of providing a notification of information on the required quantity to a remote location.
-
The management system in accordance with Aspect 9 of the present disclosure may be configured, in any one of Aspects 1 to 8, so that the processor carries out a process of placing an order for the blasting medium or the part based on the information on the required quantity.
-
A management method in accordance with Aspect 10 of the present disclosure is a management method of managing a blasting medium or a shot process device for use in a shot process in which the blasting medium is propelled to a workpiece to perform a surface treatment of the workpiece, and is configured so that the method includes: a process of setting a blasting condition of the blasting medium; a process of propelling the blasting medium from a blasting mechanism to the workpiece; a process of obtaining information on the blasting condition of the blasting medium; a process of obtaining information on a blasting time of the blasting medium; a process of obtaining information on an initial value of an inventory quantity of the blasting medium or a part that wears out in the shot process; a process of computing a required quantity of the blasting medium or the part, based on the information on the blasting condition, the information on the blasting time, and the information on the initial value of the inventory quantity, and a process of outputting information on a result of the computing.
Reference Signs List
-
- 100, 200, 300
- Management system
- 20
- Shot process device
- 21
- Blasting mechanism
- 26
- Blasting medium
- 51
- Processor
- 50
- Management device