JP4180493B2 - Process construction and execution method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a process construction and execution method. The process used here is not limited to a normal manufacturing process, but has a broad meaning including all general business execution processes such as design, management, and the like. The present invention relates to a process construction and execution method capable of performing a process easily and extremely efficiently with the aid of a computer in such a process, and reducing the lead time of the entire process.

  Conventionally, reduction of process lead time has been planned and actually attempted in various fields. Previously attempted lead time reduction methods attempt to shorten each operation or process that constitutes a process individually. Review the overall process configuration, rearrange the processes as necessary, and eliminate unnecessary processes. It was not intended to shorten the lead time by such methods. In other words, the conventional process involves many hidden and difficult-to-recognize wasteful operations, and the work that can be performed in parallel is also performed in series, and there is a wasteful residence time between each process. Met. In addition, the conventional process has many determination processes that require innumerable parameters, and the determination usually depends on the hands of skilled craftsmen. Further, the conventional process has a problem that the same process is frequently repeated. Conventionally, since there is no means for detecting such a problem, the entire process cannot be efficiently shortened.

  The present invention can significantly reduce the process lead time compared to the prior art by thoroughly analyzing the conventional process execution method and reorganizing and reorganizing all the steps constituting the process. This is the main issue to be solved.

  Another problem of the present invention is that thorough standardization simplifies the judgment that has been entrusted to experts in the past, and the number of processes that require judgment can be greatly reduced compared to the prior art. It is to provide a process construction and execution method.

  Yet another object of the present invention is to drastically eliminate unnecessary steps in the conventional process execution method and greatly reduce the process execution time.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention classifies a process into a determination process and a work process depending on whether or not each process constituting the process is a process that requires a determination. Here, whether or not it is necessary to determine whether or not it is necessary to set an unknown condition when performing work.

  The process is subdivided into a plurality of minimum unit steps. In this case, all the processes that can be performed using the conditions set in a certain determination process are classified into work processes and are made to follow the determination process. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the number of determination steps and to significantly reduce the lead time. The information created in this way is all stored in the storage unit of the computer as computer-readable data. In addition, based on these data, one or a series of judgment steps and one or a series of work steps that can be executed on condition that the judgment step is completed are combined into one unit process, and are included in this one unit process. A work execution computer program is created so that a plurality of processes can be continuously performed with computer assistance. In the determination process, the worker in charge sets all unknown conditions as computer inputs with computer assistance, and executes the computer program, all based on the computer program created above with computer assistance. To complete the process. The program can be constructed so that a series of processes are continuously performed, or can be constructed so that each process is performed by an operator's execution operation.

  This subdivided minimum unit process may include a copy making operation by an office worker and a transportation operation for sending a document from one department to another. If there is a dwell time during which no work is performed between the minimum unit process and another minimum unit process, it is also checked. That is, it is also within the scope of the idea of the present invention to extract a useless work and construct a computer program so as to eliminate the useless work. In this case, the minimum unit process is classified into a work process that can be performed without the need for judgment and a judgment process that requires some kind of judgment, and whether the work process is essential for performing the process is checked. The process determined to be unnecessary is deleted from the process. The decision process uses the necessary conditions for the process as unknown variables, creates the results for various variables in the form of digital data in the form of a map or other type of table, and inputs the preconditions to create a digital A work flow is constructed so that the data is automatically read and the determination work of the determination process is performed. This makes it possible to perform the determination process, which required the expert's determination in the conventional process, with relative ease.

  In addition, multiple processes that can be performed based on common data are extracted from a plurality of subdivided minimum unit work processes, and these processes can be started at substantially the same time. Build parallel workflows so you can. Then, the determination process and the work process associated therewith are set as one unit process, and the above-described work flow is taken in to assemble the work order of each unit process. In this case, a work execution program is created so that all the steps can be executed continuously with computer assistance. Based on this work program, by inputting the initial conditions of the judgment work, it becomes possible to carry out all unit processes continuously and without wasteful stay with the aid of a computer.

  The concept of the present invention described above can be summarized as follows. That is, the present invention, in one aspect, (a) the process is a computer-aided process in a predetermined procedure without a determination step and determination that requires setting unknown conditions when performing work. Data stored in a computer storage section as computer-readable data that is subdivided into a plurality of unit processes consisting of work processes capable of performing the work, and (b) a condition set in a determination process. All of the processes that can be performed with computer support are classified as work processes and are made to be computer readable data that can be followed by the determination process, and the data stored in the storage unit of the computer. Based on (c) one or a series of judgment steps and one or a series of work steps that can be performed on the condition that the judgment steps are completed, The process execution condition is established by storing in the computer storage unit a work execution computer program created so that a plurality of steps included in this single unit process can be performed continuously with the aid of a computer. (D) reading the work execution computer program on a computer, and in the determination step, setting the unknown condition as a computer input and operating the computer based on the work execution computer program, under computer assistance The process construction and execution method is characterized in that the process is completed by continuously performing all work steps included in the one unit process.

  In addition, the present invention also intends to reduce the number of determination steps by enabling the steps that should be the determination steps to be work steps that do not require determination. In other words, in one aspect of the present invention, a single standardization condition is determined in advance as a condition for determination, and work is performed so that whether the standardization condition is satisfied can be determined and displayed with computer assistance. By constructing a program, it is possible to handle a process that should originally be a determination process as a work process, and reduce the number of determination processes. Furthermore, in another aspect of the present invention, in a specific determination step, in a situation where a plurality of options can be prepared as standardization conditions, one of the options is preset as a determination condition. It is possible to handle the process to be determined as a work process and reduce the number of determination processes. Furthermore, in the present invention, for each process, input information necessary for starting the work and output information formed after the work is specified, and the output information in one process is input information for starting the work. In other processes, the work flow can be constructed by connecting the processes so as to follow the one process.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process execution method in which (a) a plurality of minimum unit steps in a subdivided process are not determined as a determination step that requires a determination for performing an operation. Data stored in a computer storage unit as computer-readable digital data classified into work steps that can be performed with computer assistance in a predetermined procedure, and (b) The condition values of the plurality of parameters and the standard work contents corresponding to the plurality of standard work contents determined so as to correspond to the plurality of condition values for the parameters related to the initial conditions of the judgment work in each are digital data. And (c) the initial condition of the judgment work based on the data stored in the storage unit of the computer and the digital data of the standard work content. A work flow that allows the determination process of the determination process to be performed with the assistance of a computer by setting it as a computer input, and is stored as computer-readable digital data and stored in a storage unit of the computer (d The minimum unit process that can be performed based on common data among the plurality of subdivided minimum unit processes is classified into computer-readable digital data and stored in a computer storage unit, and (e ) Multiple processes that can be performed based on the common data categorized in step (d) can be started substantially simultaneously with computer assistance, and the work can be performed in parallel with computer assistance. The work flow to be performed is stored as computer-readable digital data in a computer storage unit. And (f) said A work execution computer program that reads the data from (a) to step (e) from the storage unit of the computer, assembles the work order of each work unit process, and performs all the processes continuously with computer support. (G) reading the work execution computer program on the computer and inputting the initial conditions of the determination work to the computer, and making the computer into the work execution computer program. By operating on the basis, it completes the process by performing all unit processes under computer assistance.

  According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process construction and execution method comprising: (a) a computer-aided process in accordance with a predetermined procedure without a determination step and determination that requires determination for performance of work; Storing the computer-readable data that has been subdivided into a plurality of unit processes consisting of a work process that can simply perform the work under the computer, and (b) the computer A unit process comprising one or a series of the above-described determination steps and one or a series of the above-described operation steps that can be performed with computer assistance on the condition that the readable data is read out on a computer and the determination step is completed. The determination steps included in the process are continuously performed with computer assistance, and a plurality of unit processes are performed in a predetermined order with computer assistance. A process execution computer program constructed so as to be executed next is stored in a storage unit of the computer, thereby constructing process execution conditions; and (c) operating the computer based on the program to assist the computer. The unit process is executed under the control of the computer and the subsequent unit process following the executed unit process is executed in the same manner based on the program with the assistance of the computer to complete the entire process.

Furthermore, the above-described method of the present invention can be realized by a computer program for performing the above-described method. A work execution computer program according to a preferred aspect of the present invention includes: (a) a process including a determination step that requires setting an unknown condition at the time of performing a work, and a predetermined procedure without determination. Computer-readable data that is subdivided into a plurality of unit processes consisting of work processes that can be performed, and (b) all processes that can be performed using the conditions set in a certain determination process are classified as work processes and the determination process. A computer-readable data arranged to be followed by one or a series of determination steps based on the data of (a) and (b), and a step that can be performed on the condition that the determination step ends. Alternatively, a series of work steps are combined into a single unit process, and a plurality of steps included in the single unit process can be continuously performed.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a work execution computer program comprising: (a) subdividing an existing process into a plurality of minimum unit steps, and determining the plurality of subdivided minimum unit steps for performing the work. A computer-readable digital data classified into a determination process that requires a determination process and a work process that can be performed in a predetermined procedure without determination, and (b) for each of the determination processes, A computer-readable digital data in which a plurality of standard work contents corresponding to each of a plurality of condition values are defined for the parameters related to the initial condition, and the condition values of the plurality of parameters and the standard work contents corresponding thereto are represented. And (c) based on the digital data of the standard work content, by setting the initial condition of the judgment work as a computer input Computer-readable digital data with a workflow constructed so that the determination process of the disconnection process is performed, and (d) the plurality of subdivided minimum unit processes can be analyzed and performed based on common data Computer-readable digital data that has been extracted and classified as a minimum unit process, and (e) a plurality of processes capable of performing work based on the common data can be started substantially simultaneously, and work can be performed in parallel. And the computer-readable digital data for which the work flow is constructed, and based on the work flow data, the work order of each work unit process is assembled, and all the processes are continuously performed. The
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a work execution computer program that: (a) simply performs a process in accordance with a determination step that requires a determination for performing the operation and a predetermined procedure without determination. Computer-readable data that is subdivided into a plurality of unit processes consisting of work processes that can be performed, (b) one or a series of the determination processes, and one or a series of the processes that can be performed on the condition that the determination process is completed A process is defined as one unit process, and a determination process and a work process included in one unit process are continuously performed, and a plurality of unit processes can be sequentially performed in a predetermined order.
Furthermore, the above-described work execution computer program of the present invention can be configured to display on the computer screen a prompt for the user to input conditions necessary for performing the determination process.
The present invention also provides a method performed by executing the above-described work execution computer program on a computer.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1A and 1B are flowcharts showing a process for estimating a manufacturing price of an optically shaped product. The optically shaped product is a technique for forming a three-dimensional stereoscopic image of a product by placing a liquid ultraviolet curable resin in a tank and exposing and curing the resin based on product data. The exposure is sequentially performed for each layer obtained by slicing the three-dimensional shape of the product by a predetermined thickness along the height direction. A support substrate movable in the vertical direction is provided in the tank, and the first exposure is performed on the resin located on the liquid surface in the tank, and then the support substrate is lowered by one layer for the next exposure. After that, the support substrate is sequentially lowered stepwise for each exposure, and each layer corresponding to the three-dimensional shape of the product is exposed. When one exposure is completed and the support substrate is lowered by one layer, a recoating operation is performed in order to form a liquid resin layer for one layer on the support substrate.

  Such a method for producing an optically shaped article is described in detail in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 56-144478, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-246025, US Pat. No. 4,575,330, and the like. Conventionally, when receiving a request for manufacturing an optical modeling product and estimating its cost, the amount of resin used to manufacture the optical modeling product and the man-hours required for modeling are all predicted based on drawings by experienced personnel Was used as the basis for the calculation. However, such an estimate largely depends on the experience and intuition of the staff in charge, and when the estimate staff is absent, the preparation of the estimate is greatly delayed.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 1 according to the present invention, the process for estimating the cost of manufacturing an optically shaped article can be accurately performed by simple computer operation without relying on an experienced person as in the prior art. Data regarding each step of the process shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B is stored in a computer storage unit as computer-readable digital data. The process flow for performing the process is stored in the storage unit of the computer as a work execution computer program.

  In this embodiment, first, as shown in step S1 in FIG. 1A, product design data is input to a computer as digital data. Digital data for product design can be generated by appropriate software of a three-dimensional CAD system.

  In step S2, the computer calculates the volume V, the surface area S, the projected area P, and the height h of the modeled product based on the input digital data. Next, in step S3, the number of parts of the optical modeling product to be manufactured is read out. For example, when the shaped product is a container composed of a case body and a lid, the number of parts is calculated as 2. The number of parts of the shaped product can be read from the product design digital data.

  Based on the number of parts of the shaped product read in step S3, the data processing time of product design data is calculated in step S4. For this calculation, a map A shown in FIG. 2 created based on the standardization concept of the present invention is used. In the map A in FIG. 2, the man-hour for data processing is standardized, and the number of parts is 2 hours up to 2 points, and 1 hour per point after 3 points. The number of parts is input as an initial condition in step S1, and the calculation is performed by a computer based on the input initial condition and the map A. When the reading of the processing man-hour is completed, the data processing cost is calculated by the following calculation formula I in step S5.

Data processing cost = basic fee + (processing man-hour x labor) ··· Formula I
Here, the basic fee is a predetermined amount regardless of the number of parts of the shaped product. The wage is a wage per hour and is also predetermined. In this way, by standardizing so that the data processing time of the product design data can be calculated according to the number of parts of the shaped product, anyone who can operate the computer can calculate the data processing time. .

  Next, in step S6, the volume V of the shaped product is read out. Based on the read volume V of the modeled article, the material cost of the modeling material is obtained by calculation in step S7. This calculation is performed in two stages based on the following arithmetic expressions II- (1) and II- (2).

Material weight (W) = Volume (V) x Specific gravity x Coefficient a ... Formula II- (1)
Material cost = Material weight (W) x Price per unit weight ... Formula II- (2)
Here too, since the material cost can be calculated by a standardized method using a predetermined calculation formula based on the volume V of the shaped product read from the product design digital data, anyone who can operate the computer can perform this calculation. can do.

Next, moving to FIG. 1B, in step S8, the projection area P viewed from the planar shape of the shaped product is read. The projected area P is obtained from the product design data input in step S1. Furthermore, in step S9, the specified specification of the shaped product is read out. The designated specification relates to the designation of the customer regarding the finish level of the optically shaped product, and is input to the computer in advance as a designated condition in step S1. Thereafter, in step S10, a recoat time t ₁ per layer related to exposure is obtained by calculation. Please refer to the description of the patent publication mentioned above about the recoating operation | work in optical modeling article manufacture.

A map B in FIG. 2 is prepared for calculating the recoat time. The recoat time per layer is determined based on the projected area P previously obtained in step S8. In the map B, the columns displayed as traps and quick casts relate to the specified specifications read out in step S9 and are one of the initial conditions based on the customer's specifications. The recoat time t ₁ per layer is composed of a basic portion and an area corresponding portion. The area corresponding part is read from the map B and added to the basic time according to the specified specification. Next, in step S11, an exposure time per layer, that is, a laser irradiation time t ₂ is calculated. This also operation of the laser irradiation time t ₂ is map B are used. These step S10 and step S11 can be calculated based on the projection area V and the specified specification which are the same data. Therefore, these steps S10 and S11 may be executed in parallel. In the case of the present embodiment, neither step S10 nor step S11 is a time-consuming step, so there is little merit of executing the two steps in parallel, but depending on the case, the time can be significantly reduced. It may become.

  Next, in step S12, the height h of the shaped product is read out. On the basis of the height h of the shaped product read in this step, the number n of layers is calculated in step S13. For this calculation, the following calculation formula III is used.

n = (h + H) / b ............ Operation Formula III
Here, H is the thickness of the support part formed at the base of the shaped article. In the production of a normal stereolithographic product, a value of about 10 mm is adopted as the thickness of the support part. Further, b is a single layer thickness. Next, in step S14, the modeling time T is calculated. For this calculation, the following calculation formula IV is used.

T = (t ₁ + t ₂ ) n ............ Operational formula IV
Here, the process moves to step S15, and the optical modeling cost is calculated. For this calculation, the following calculation expression v is used.

Stereolithography cost = modeling time Tx unit price per hour ... formula v
The process then moves to step S16, the calculation of steps t ₃ finishing steps are performed. This calculation is based on the following arithmetic expression VI.

t ₃ = finishing man-hour + 2 hours ·························· VI
Here, the breakdown of the finishing man-hour calculation is as follows.

Finishing process 1. Wash 30 minutes Removal of support nx 10 minutes x 0.5 (for 10 to 200 angles)
nx 10 minutes x 1.0 (when 200 corners or more)
3. Post cure 60 minutes (in case of 10 to 200)
90 minutes (over 200 squares)
4). Surface finishing (polishing) Surface area x Finishing level The finishing level consists of 5 stages of A, B, C, D and E, and the finishing man-hour is determined according to the finishing surface area based on the finishing level table shown in the map C of FIG. .

  By combining the results obtained by the calculation steps described above, an estimate of the optical modeling product manufacturing price can be obtained. According to this embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to standardize the estimation work that has conventionally relied on the experience and intuition of a skilled person, and to perform the estimation work more quickly than in the past. In particular, by standardizing operations that require judgment, it is possible to create an estimate without relying on a skilled person.

  FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3A is a chart simply illustrating a conventional method for performing a series of processes including a work A performed by a person, a work B performed by a machine, a work C performed by a person, and a work D performed by a machine. FIG. 3B is a chart corresponding to FIG. 3A showing the result of subdividing each operation in the process shown in FIG. 3A into a plurality of minimum unit steps based on the idea of the present invention. The unit of subdivision is determined by distinguishing between a work process that can be performed without judgment and a judgment process that requires judgment for performing the work. For example, an operation in which a clerk sends a received document to a predetermined user belongs to a work process.

  As an example of the process shown in FIG. 3, there is an injection molding process of a plastic product manufactured using, for example, a mold. In such a manufacturing process, a mold is first designed. Work A corresponds to the mold design process in this case. Work A begins with receiving business instructions and product data such as product drawings and product specifications. The business instructions and these product data are handed over to the mold basic design staff by the clerks (step a). The person in charge of basic design of the mold compiles a plan for the basic design of the mold (step b). Therefore, the mold basic design plan is circulated to the mold designer (step c), and the mold design is performed by the mold designer (step d). The completed mold design is handed over to the manager's direct supervisor for approval (process e). Here, when the direct supervisor is absent or busy due to other work, a residence time (g) is generated until approval (step f). When the design manager's direct manager's approval is obtained, the mold design is further circulated to the manager for approval (step h). Again, there is a high probability that residence time (j) will occur before approval (step i) is obtained.

  The operation B corresponds to a mold manufacturing process. In this operation, processes such as material preparation, preparation of a processing apparatus, setting of a material in the processing apparatus, processing of a mold, and polishing are performed. Usually, since the arrangement of materials is started after receiving the design data of the mold, there is a time gap between the end of the operation A and the start of the operation B. Further, since the arrangement of materials for mold production is started after receiving the design data of the mold, the completion of the mold is delayed.

  The operations C and D are operations for performing injection molding of a plastic product using a completed mold, and the operations C include various preparation operations performed manually. The operation D is a molding operation performed using an injection molding apparatus. Also in this case, the work has a residence time (k), and actually includes unnecessary work.

  FIG. 4 shows an improved process according to the present invention, in which all design and manufacturing data is stored as computer-readable digital data in a storage unit provided in the central processing unit 10 for each work process. It is effectively utilized in The data stored in the storage unit of the central processing unit 10 can be accessed from any terminal device 11 connected to the central processing unit 10.

  FIG. 4A shows the resulting process with the number of steps reduced by standardization and automation. In designing a mold, product design data is prepared as digital data by a three-dimensional CAD, and the mold is designed using the data. Parts such as slides and insert cores used in the mold are standardized, and parts to be selected based on product dimensions and shapes are predetermined. This technique is described in detail in Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-396690. In the present invention, the technique of the prior invention can be used as it is. If a mold design method performed using the three-dimensional digital data is adopted, approval by the supervisor as in the operation A in FIG. 3A is no longer necessary. As described in the above-mentioned prior application, the mold developed by the present applicant is now able to perform sufficiently accurate machining by mechanical grinding, as described in the previous application. This is possible, and the number of steps in operation B can be reduced.

  FIG. 4B shows a state in which the period of the entire process is further shortened by the present invention. For example, between work A and work B, the materials required for work B can be arranged before work A is completed. In addition, the design of the slide and the insert core can proceed in parallel as shown by m, n, and o in FIG. 4B even before the operation A is completed. Further, even between the work B and the work C, as shown by p and q in FIG. 4B, a part of the process of the work C can be started before the work B is completed. Similarly, between the work C and the work D, as shown by r, s, and t in FIG. 4B, a part of the process D can be started before the work C is completed. In order to enable the steps r, s, and t included in the operation D to be started before all the steps included in the operation C are completed, in this embodiment of the present invention, for each step, the operation is started. The input information necessary for the operation and the output information formed after the work is completed, and one process included in the work C, for example, the process in the work D requiring the output information in the process q to start the work, for example, In steps r, s, and t, a work flow is constructed so that it can be started at any time after the end of step q, and stored as computer-readable digital data in a storage unit of the computer. This point will be described in more detail later in connection with another embodiment.

  As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a conventional process execution method can be thoroughly analyzed and reconstructed so that all the steps constituting the process can be performed completely automatically. Further, according to the present invention, a process execution method that does not require any expert judgment can be obtained through thorough standardization. Furthermore, the present invention makes it possible to drastically reduce the process execution time by thoroughly eliminating unnecessary steps in the conventional process execution method.

  FIG. 5 is a process diagram showing a design stage of a mold used for injection molding of a plastic product. This process diagram can be thought of as applying the process of FIG. 4B to the actual mold design process. The horizontal axis represents the elapsed time consumed for work (one scale of 5 minutes).

  In the process diagram shown in FIG. 5, each process divided into processes P1 to P15 is given a unique code. That is, a work process that does not require judgment can be performed according to a predetermined procedure even if it is not a skilled person by having necessary elements. This type of process is marked with a triangular “GO” symbol at the start of the process, followed by a horizontal bar representing the length corresponding to the standard working time. A work completion position at which the standard work time ends is marked with a flag indicating work completion. In this work process, when the conditions for starting the process are ready, the work is started by clicking the execution button on the computer screen, and then the operation is performed by following the instructions that appear on the computer screen. A computer program is constructed so that it can be performed.

  In FIG. 5, a determination process requiring a determination is given a diamond symbol at the start position of the process indicating that it is a determination determination process. In this essential determination step, an operation of determining everything from the beginning based on the conventional experience value, or an operation of selecting an optimum one from several options based on the experience value is performed. This operation is performed by a user operation on the screen of the computer terminal device. The final determination step is a final check step for determining whether or not to proceed to the next step, and involves the most important determination, and therefore, a diamond symbol with an outline is attached. This operation is also performed by the user's operation on the screen of the computer terminal device.

  In this process diagram, since each process is displayed with a different code according to the classification of the work contents, it is easy to distinguish between the work process and the determination process. In addition, it is possible to know at a glance the ratio of the determination-necessary process in the entire work content, and it can be used as a guideline for the subsequent process improvement.

In the mold design shown in FIG. 5, the process P1 to the process P4 are simple preparation steps, and judgment is not necessary. The subsequent layout determination process P5 is a full-scale design work. In the layout determination step P5 that requires judgment, in addition to the arrangement of the product data in the mold block, the parting line PL, that is, the mold parting surface is also determined. Subsequently, as a simple process that does not involve a determination, a thin surface tensioning process P6 and an upper mold / lower mold dividing process P7 are performed. These processes P6 and P7 are processes that can be performed as simple operations following the completion of the layout determination process P5, which is a necessary determination process involving determination. In the present invention, a work process that can be performed by completing the determination process is considered as one process unit. That is,
(One or a series of judgment necessary unit steps) + (One or a series of work steps) = One process. This process unit data is stored in a computer storage unit in the form of computer-readable digital data.

In the following description, all the information related to each process is stored as computer-readable digital data in the storage unit of the central processing unit 10 of the computer, and each process is performed with computer assistance. A work execution program is constructed and stored in the storage unit of the central processing unit 10.
FIG. 6 shows the interlocking relationship between the processes P5 and P6 constituting one process unit, and one rule is required to interlock these processes. That is, when the process P5 is completed, decision information on the parting line PL is output as output information, a process that requires this output information as input information is searched, and a thinning process P6 is detected. In this way, the layout determination process P5 and the thin surface tensioning process P6 are linked via the output information about the parting line PL output when the work is completed in the layout determination process P5.

  The upper die / lower die dividing step P7 is executed using the output information of the thin surface tensioning step P6 as input information. When the upper mold / lower mold division process P7 is completed, mold division information indicating that the upper mold / lower mold has been divided is output as output information. Based on the output information, the upper mold design process A and the lower mold division process P7 are output. The mold design process B is registered in the computer as a separate process, and both processes A and B are advanced in parallel. In FIG. 5, the process after the process P8 is for designing one of the upper mold and the lower mold, and the same process is performed in the design of the other of the upper mold and the lower mold.

  Next, a determination process of a gate / sprue position determination process P8, a runner path and bend radius determination process P9, a sleeve pin position determination process P10, and a slide type / stroke determination process P11 follows. When these steps are regarded as one or a series of determination steps, the operation steps of the slide core creation step P12, the spring core creation step P13, and the nesting creation step P14 follow along with the determination step. These processes P8, P9, P10, P11, P12, P13, and P14 can be regarded as one unit process.

  For further understanding based on FIG. 5, in order to facilitate understanding, a normal mold design and manufacturing process will be described in relation to an outer case molding mold of a mobile phone.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the shape of the front case 1 of the mobile phone. The case of the cellular phone includes a front case 1 shown in FIG. 7 and a back case (not shown) fitted to the front case 1. Design digital data representing the shapes of the front case 1 and the back case is created by three-dimensional CAD. Three-dimensional CADs that are currently in widespread use include CATIA, UG, Pro / E, and I-DEAS, and any of these three-dimensional CADs can be used for mobile phone case design. As shown in FIG. 7, the front case 1 has a window hole 2 for attaching a liquid crystal display screen, a number button and # button, a hole 3 for fitting a * button, and a hole 4 for other operation buttons on the front side. Have. Further, although not clearly shown in FIG. 7, an opening from the lateral direction is formed in the side wall portion of the front case 1. A large number of protrusions, ribs, and the like are formed on the back side, and undercut portions that are obstructed in die cutting when the front case 1 is manufactured by plastic injection molding are also formed at several locations.

  The three-dimensional shape of the front case 1 shown in FIG. 7 can be displayed on the computer screen based on the design digital data.

  The first step of the mold design consists of determining the mold dividing surface, that is, the divided surface of the upper mold and the lower mold. The mold splitting surface is most commonly determined along a line connecting points that protrude outwardly in the outer shape of the product. With a specific point on the product as the origin o, as shown in FIG. 7, the x-axis is defined in the product length direction, the y-axis is defined in the product width direction, and the z-axis is defined in the vertical direction. By displaying the coordinates of the point on the outer surface of the product that passes through, the position of the parting surface can be determined by the coordinates. This parting surface can be displayed as a candidate for a parting line, that is, a parting line PL, in a specific color or the like, such as red, for example, on the display showing the product shape. One example is shown in phantom lines in FIG.

  In order to avoid obscuring the figure, the parting line PL is drawn away from the product drawing in FIG. 7, but actually, on the computer screen, the parting line PL is displayed above the three-dimensional view representing the product. Is done. The computer program for determining the parting plane may be configured to display not only one but a plurality of parting line candidates.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing molding surface shapes formed on the upper die and the lower die after determining the parting line. In FIG. 8, the front case 1 which is a product is shown in the center, and an upper mold-forming concave portion 5 is shown above, and a convex portion 6 constituting the lower mold-forming surface is shown below. . The upper mold recess 5 and the lower mold protrusion 6 form a molding cavity when the upper mold and the lower mold are closed.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram in which the upper mold block 7 is drawn so as to overlap the recess 5. FIG. 10 is a view in which a lower mold block 8 is drawn on the convex portion 6.

  If there is a part having a shape that obstructs punching, such as a hole, on the side wall of the product, it is necessary to place a slide core at that position. FIG. 11 shows the concept of the slide core. A molding cavity 9 is formed between the concave portion 5 of the upper die block 7 and the convex portion 6 of the lower die block 8 and is injected into the molding cavity 9. The molten plastic is cooled and hardened into a product. Here, when forming the hole 10 in the side wall of a product, the slide 11 which can move to the arrow direction is arrange | positioned. A hole forming core 11 a is formed at the tip of the slide 11, and the core 11 a is projected into the forming cavity 9. After the product is cooled and hardened, the product can be taken out of the mold by moving the upper mold block 7 upward and moving the slide 11 in the retracting direction.

  One of the slide cores can be configured as the slide unit 12 having the structure shown in FIGS. In FIG. 12, the slide unit 12 includes a slide guide 13, and the slide guide 13 is fixed to the lower mold block 8. A movable member 14 that is guided in a guide groove 13 a formed in the slide guide 13 and slides in the direction of the arrow is provided, and the slide 11 is detachably fixed to the tip of the movable member 14. A molding core 11 b having a required shape is formed at the tip of the slide 11. Further, the slide unit 12 includes a locking block 15 fixed to the upper mold block 7. As clearly shown in FIG. 13, the locking block 15 has an inclined cam groove 15a that opens downward. The inclination direction of the cam groove 15a is a direction away from the tip of the slide 11 downward. An inclined cam follower member 14 a that engages with the cam groove 15 a of the locking block 15 is formed on the upper surface of the movable member 14.

  Therefore, in a state where the upper die block 7 is aligned with the lower die block 8, the movable member 14 and the slide 11 are pushed out toward the molding cavity 9, and the molding core 11 b at the tip of the slide 11 is required for the molding cavity 9. Inserted in position. When the upper die block 7 is raised upward, the movable member 14 and the slide 11 move in the retracting direction, and the molding core 11b is retracted from the molding cavity.

  FIG. 14 shows a state in which the slide unit 12 is arranged at a required position of the lower mold block 8 in a mold for molding the front case 1 for the mobile phone shown in FIG.

  FIG. 15 shows a cross section of the slide unit 12 incorporated in a mold.

  A loose core or a similar molding core is disposed in a mold portion corresponding to the undercut portion of the product. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a loose core. A molding cavity 9 is formed between the molding concave portion 5 of the upper mold block 7 and the molding convex portion 6 of the lower mold block 8. An undercut portion 18 may be required for a product obtained by cooling and hardening the molten plastic filled in the molding cavity 9. If the undercut portion 18 is left as it is, it becomes an obstacle when the die is cut after molding. The structure shown in FIG. 16 is an example of the loose core 20 taken as a countermeasure. The loose core 20 includes an elongated rod-shaped core member 19, and a convex portion 19 a having a shape corresponding to the undercut portion 18 and a molding surface 19 b around the convex portion 19 a are formed on the core member 19.

  The lower mold block 8 is formed with a guide surface 21 that is inclined inwardly upward at a position corresponding to the loose core 20. The back surface of the loose core 20 is disposed along the guide surface 21 of the lower mold block 8.

  Below the lower mold block 8, a movable plate 22 that is movable in the vertical direction with an interval in the vertical direction with respect to the lower mold block 8 is disposed. The lower end of the core member 19 is coupled to the movable plate 22 by pin coupling.

  FIG. 16 shows a state in which the mold is closed. After the molten plastic material is injected into the molding cavity 9 and cooled and hardened, the mold is removed. An ejector pin 23 is attached to the movable plate 22 for die cutting. At the time of die cutting, the lower mold block 8 is moved downward. By this movement, the movable plate 22 moves upward relative to the lower mold block 8, and as a result, the molded product is pushed upward by the ejector pins 23 to form the lower mold block 8. It leaves | separates from the convex part 6 for use. At this time, the core member 19 of the loose core 20 also moves upward relative to the lower mold block 8 together with the molded product. Since the core member 19 moves along the guide surface 21 of the lower mold block 8, the convex portion 19a and the molding surface 19b move inward away from the molded product, and the molded product is completely separated from the mold. Typed.

  In FIG. 14, reference numeral 24 indicates a position where the loose core 20 is disposed.

  The ejector pins indicated by reference numeral 23 in FIG. 16 need to be arranged at a plurality of locations of the molded product. The position of the ejector pin 23 is preferably arranged at a portion having high rigidity in consideration of the shape of the molded product. In the shape of the molded product shown in FIG. 7, a large number of ejector pins are actually arranged. Of these, only four ejector pins 23 are shown in FIG.

  When the design of the upper mold block 7 and the lower mold block 8 of the mold and the design of the insert core including the slide core and the loose core are completed, numerical control for determining a tool path for performing cutting based on the design data. It is necessary to create data, that is, NC data. FIGS. 17 and 18 are examples of numerical control data creation for cutting an upper block of a mold for molding a product that is different from the front case for the mobile phone shown in FIG. FIG. In the figure, the thin line is a contour line representing a part having the same height. First, the surface of the mold block is cut to the height of the two contour lines 26 corresponding to the highest portion indicated by the one-dot chain line. This cutting is performed by appropriately determining the reciprocating path of the cutting tool. Numerical control data is created so as to define a reciprocating path of the cutting tool as a first step. Next, the cutting tool path is controlled so that cutting is performed so that the surface smoothly continues to the position of the contour line 27 adjacent to the contour line 26, and the cutting is performed by sequentially moving to the adjacent contour line. The numerical control data is created so as to define the path of such a cutting tool, and is stored in the form of digital data.

  When numerical control data for cutting is created, the numerical control data is sent to a numerically controlled cutting machine, and a die block and a material are cut based on this data.

  FIG. 19 shows a sectional view of a typical mold assembly. This structure is substantially the same as that shown in FIG. 16, but FIG. 19 shows the components in more detail. In the structure of FIG. 19, the movable plate 22 that supports the ejector pins 23 includes an upper plate 22 a and a lower plate 22 b. The loose core 20 includes a core member 19 and a spring member 19 a that attaches the core member 19 to the movable plate 22. The lower end of the spring member 19a is held between the upper plate 22a and the lower plate 22b of the movable plate 22. Since the loose core 20 is supported by the spring member 19a, it may be called a spring core.

  In the structure of FIG. 19, a sleeve pin 50 is provided in addition to the normal ejector pin 23. The sleeve pin 50 includes a sleeve 50a and a center pin 50b slidably disposed in the sleeve 50a. The upper end of the sleeve 50 a is in a position that is lowered below the surface of the molding convex portion 6 of the lower mold block 8. The center pin 50b passes through the sleeve 50a and protrudes upward from the upper end of the sleeve 50a. The role of the sleeve pin 50 is to form a hollow cylindrical inward projection as shown in the figure on the molded product. The lower end of the sleeve pin 50a is held between the upper plate 22a and the lower plate 22b of the movable plate 22. The lower end of the center pin 50b protrudes below the lower end of the sleeve 50a and is held between a center pin stopper plate 51 disposed below the movable plate 22 and the ejector support plate 52.

  In the structure of FIG. 19, a core pin 53 is further provided. The lower end of the core pin 53 is supported by a receiving plate 54 that supports the lower die block 8 below, extends upward through the molding cavity 9 through the lower die block 8, and has an upper end at the upper die block 7. In contact with the surface of the molding recess 5. The core pin 53 is for forming a hole in the molded product.

  In the structure of FIG. 19, the slide core 11 has two cores 11c and 11d arranged on the upper and lower sides, but the structure is the same as the slide core described above with reference to FIGS. You can think of it.

  Returning to the process chart of FIG. 5 again, the details of the mold design process reconstructed based on the idea of the present invention will be described.

  When a mold is ordered, an order sheet is issued. When receiving an order, product design data is supplied from the orderer as three-dimensional digital data. This product design data is converted into CAD data corresponding to software used for mold design. These processes are indicated by P1 and P2 in FIG. 5, and both are simple operations that do not require judgment. The mold design is started from the time when the data conversion is completed.

  The first process in the mold design is a data correction process P3. This data correction step P3 is for examining and correcting defects that may exist in the three-dimensional CAD data after data conversion. The three-dimensional image displayed based on the data is checked whether there are any gaps such as gaps. If there is a defect, the person in charge of the operation operates the computer and manually corrects the defect. The correction data is stored in the computer. FIG. 20 shows an example of a three-dimensional image for checking. A defect such as data discontinuity is present in the surface 1 and a gap is formed in the surface 1, and a non-closed portion appears at the corner. Yes. The software for checking, for example, when there is a data discontinuity such as a gap on the surface 1, the entire product is displayed in light blue to indicate that there is a data defect, and the defective part, that is, the part where the corner is not closed If it is configured to display in purple, it is easy for the worker who performs the work to find the defect. In this way, items to be checked, such as surface defects, are standardized to be determined as surface defects when there is discontinuity in the data, and the check results are displayed to the person in charge of work with computer assistance. By constructing the software so that it can be performed, a process that should be a determination process in a visual check becomes a work process that does not require a determination. The work is performed by the mold designer, and the data defect is immediately corrected at the time of checking, so that this process can be performed as a simple work process. As described above, in this embodiment of the present invention, the data correction process, which has been conventionally considered as a determination process, can be a work process that does not require a determination, and the number of determination processes is reduced as a whole. be able to.

  The next step P4 is a shrinkage rate adding step. In the injection molding of plastic products, due to the shrinkage of the resin material, the dimensions of the final product are smaller than the dimensions immediately after molding. In the mold design, information about the resin material used is provided from the orderer side at the time of receiving an order, and this information is stored as history information of the order. In step P4, the history information is first confirmed, and the shrinkage rate is read out. And the dimension before shrinkage | contraction of a resin material and the dimension after shrinkage | contraction are calculated about three directions of X, Y, and Z. FIG. 21A is an example of a computer display screen used in step P4. In this example, the shrinkage rate of the resin material is 0.5%. The data to which the shrinkage rate is added is stored as correction data. FIG. 21B shows an image of the correction data. This process P4 is classified into simple work which does not require judgment.

  Subsequent to the shrinkage rate adding process P4, the layout determining process P5 is executed. In this process, a worker or user of the terminal computer places product data in a standardized mold block and checks whether the product fits within the block. Product data and the shape of the mold block are displayed as images on the computer screen. In this process, the layout is determined by considering not only whether the product data fits in the mold block but also whether the required slide core can be placed without any problems. Is done. Therefore, this process is an important determination process that affects the subsequent processes. Further, in this step, it is determined whether to adopt a hot runner or a cold runner for the runner that is the path of the molding resin. This determination is made based on the product shape.

  If a hot runner is selected, a hot runner hole is placed in the block. FIG. 9 shows an arrangement of sprue 55a, runner 55b, and gate 55c as an example. Furthermore, the parting line PL between the upper mold and the lower mold, that is, the parting plane is also determined.

  22 shows the form of the gate, FIG. 22A shows the side gate 55d, and FIG. 22B shows the direct gate 55e. FIG. 23 shows a state in which the product data 5 is laid out in the mold block 7. In FIG. 23, a rectangular line 7a indicates the possible layout range of product data and is displayed on the computer screen. Product data is laid out in this layout possible range 7a in consideration of the form of the runner and gate.

  If the candidate for the parting line PL displayed on the screen is satisfactory, the surface along the displayed parting line PL is displayed by clicking the “OK” button displayed on the computer screen. It is determined as a facet. When the parting line displayed on the screen is not satisfactory, the parting line as the second candidate is displayed by clicking the “next candidate” button on the display screen. In this way, by displaying several candidates, the most preferable mold dividing line PL can be determined.

  When the mold parting line PL is determined, the optimum mold blocks 7 and 8 for the size and shape of the concave portion 5 and the convex portion 6 are automatically determined and displayed on the display screen as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, for example. The

  Once the layout has been determined, we next consider whether the slide core can be placed. This examination will be conducted regarding whether or not the slide core can be arranged without difficulty, particularly with respect to the height dimension. If there is no room in the height direction where the slide core can be arranged without difficulty, the arrangement of the product data is corrected in the height direction so that the slide core can be arranged.

Next, for example, whether or not the loose core, that is, the spring core 20 shown in FIG. The points to consider are whether the escape hole 54a for the spring core 20 formed in the receiving plate 54 does not interfere with the passage hole of the temperature adjusting medium also formed in the receiving plate 54, and from the mold center. Whether the horizontal distance is within an allowable range. FIG. 24 shows this relationship. The distance L from the center of the lower end of the hole 19a formed in the lower mold 8 for disposing the core member 19 to the center of the lower mold 8 should be a predetermined value in the width direction and the length direction of the mold. is required. In the example of the outer case of the mobile phone shown in FIG. 26, the distance L is required to be 23.4 mm in the width direction of the mold and 73.9 mm in the length direction. Further, the amount of lateral displacement between the lower end center of the hole 19a of the lower mold 8 and the escape hole 54a formed in the receiving plate 54 is set to 2.0 mm. The distance between edges between the escape hole 54a and the temperature control medium passage hole 54b must be at least 1.0 mm.

  The product data layout is determined in consideration of the various requirements described above. In this way, when determining the layout, it is possible to avoid problems that may occur in the subsequent process in advance by considering all the conditions that affect various component arrangements in the subsequent process.

  Subsequent to the layout determination process P5, a thin surface stretching process P6 is executed. This is to prevent data discontinuity on the surface by adding data corresponding to the thin surface to the digital data corresponding to the part where the hole of the product is formed, and extending the thin surface. . 25A and 25B show examples of thin surface ta and tb tension.

  Next, the upper mold / lower mold dividing step P7 is executed. In this step, as described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the upper mold and the lower mold are divided, and the data is divided into upper mold data and lower mold data and registered on the computer. It is to be processed as a flow of. Processes P6 and P7 are classified as work processes that do not require judgment.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 26, the width A of the lower mold 8 and the width B of the upper mold 7 on the mating surface between the upper mold 7 and the lower mold 8 and the margin gap C on the divided general surface are set. A specific mold, for example, an injection mold for an outer case of a mobile phone, is set to a certain size, so that determination work for dividing the upper mold and the lower mold becomes unnecessary. In this way, by setting a single condition as a condition to be determined, the process that should originally be the determination process can be a work process, and the number of determination processes can be reduced.

  The subsequent process is a gate / sprue position determination process P8. In this step, the arrangement of the sprue 55a, the runner 55b, and the gate 55c for injecting the molten resin into the molding cavity 9 is determined. The gate shown in FIG. 9 is an example of a side gate.

  In the gate / sprue position determination step P8, the gate design data is created, for example, for the side gate, as shown in FIG. 27, the width d1 of the runner, the width w of the gate, the thickness t of the gate, and the inclination of the gate. The number of judgments can be greatly reduced by pre-determining the presence or absence of the resin to be used.

  Following the gate / sprue position determination step P8, a runner path and bend radius determination step P9 is executed. In this process P9, the arrangement and shape of the runner 55b are determined. These processes P8 and P9 are classified as judgment processes that require judgment. Depending on the shape and size of the product, the sprue, runner and gate are limited to one type, and the runner path and bend radius are limited to one type. In addition, by using the bend radius, the processes P8 and P9 that should originally be the determination process can be made into work processes.

  The next step is the sleeve pin position determination step P10. In this process, in addition to the arrangement of the ejector pins 23, it is determined whether or not the sleeve pins described with reference to FIG. Is done. Next, a slide type / stroke determining step P11 for determining whether or not a slide core and a loose core are necessary and, if necessary, a type and a moving stroke is executed. Steps P10 and P11 are determination steps that require determination.

When the process P11 is completed, a slide core creation process P12 and a spring core creation process P13 are sequentially performed.
The operation can be performed by an artificial operation in which the required size and type of the slide unit 12 are first determined, and then the cursor is clicked to the required position while viewing the computer display screen. The program incorporated in the computer determines the size and type of the slide unit 12, and when the position is designated, the concave portion 16 for fitting the slide guide 13 into the designated position of the lower mold block 8, and the movable member 14 And the groove | channel 17 for the slide 11 to slide is comprised so that it may be drawn automatically. The design for the slide core in the lower mold block 8 of the mold is completed by drawing a recess 16 for fitting the slide guide 13 in the lower mold block 8 and a groove 17 in which the movable member 14 and the slide 11 slide. To do.

The design of the slide unit 12 is performed as a separate work flow. Standard parts are applied to the slide guide 13, the movable member 14, and the locking block 15 in the slide unit 12. That is, several slide units having different sizes, shapes, and types are prepared, and the most appropriate one is artificially selected according to the size, size, and position of the molding core 11b required for molding the product. Select The result of this selection is also used to form the recess 16 and the groove 17 in the lower mold block 8 of the mold described above. In designing the slide unit 12, an appropriate one is selected from the standard slide units according to the size of the undercut. FIG. 28A shows an example of a slide blank that has been standardized and registered in advance as three-dimensional data in a computer. In the table described in the upper part of FIG. 28A, the numbers in the dimension column represent the length, width, and thickness of the blank from the left. As shown in the figure below the table, a blank having a length of 150 mm and a width of 15 mm is a standard blank, and three types of blanks having different thicknesses are prepared. Normally, an appropriate one is selected from these standard blanks. When a standard blank cannot be used, an appropriate one is selected from blanks having a length of 300 mm and a width of 300 mm, and a slide is created by cutting with a wire cut as shown as a wire cut blank at the bottom. The standard slide unit includes a slide guide 13, a movable member 14, and a locking block 15 that are combined in advance. Further, a material for the slide 11 having a size and shape that can be engaged with the movable member 14 is selected. Next, a molding core 11b having a required shape and size is formed at the tip of the material. Formation of the molding core 11b is performed by computer processing based on information from design data regarding the front case 1 as a product.
The design of the core member 19 of the loose core 20 is prepared in advance as a plurality of core member materials, and the optimum one is selected from standard products of different sizes and types registered as three-dimensional data in the computer. This is achieved by forming the convex portion 19a and the molding surface 19b. The design data of the convex portion 19a and the molding surface 19b can be created based on the data on the product shape shown in FIG. FIG. 28B shows an example of the shape of the core member 19 of the loose core 20 that has been standardized and registered as three-dimensional data in the computer, and FIG. 28C shows a table for determining dimensions. As can be seen from FIG. 28C, an appropriate loose core design can be performed according to the amount of undercut.

When the size and type of the core member 19 of the loose core 20 are determined and the position thereof is designated, the shape of the required guide surface 21 is written in the lower mold block 8 on the display screen and stored as digital design data. .
Several types of ejector pins 23 with different diameters are prepared in advance as standard parts, and after determining the position of the ejector pins 23, the optimum shape is selected from the prepared standard products according to the product shape and size. The pin with the right diameter is selected. The length of the ejector pin 23 is automatically determined when the diameter is determined. At the same time, a hole 25 corresponding to the ejector pin 23 is formed in the lower mold block 8, and the data is stored as design data. In this way, by determining the position of the ejector pin 23 and selecting the diameter from standard parts, not only the design of the ejector pin 23 is completed, but also the design of the associated part, for example, the passage of the ejector pin 23 is passed. Even the design of the hole 23 and the groove is automatically performed.

  In this step P13, an ejector pin groove for passing the ejector pin 23 is also formed. Since the design data of the ejector pin groove is determined at the stage of determining the position of the ejector pin 23 and the core position and standard are also determined in the previous process, the processes P12 and P13 are both in the previous process. This is a process in which the condition based on the determination set in the determination process is simply executed on the computer based on the work execution computer program. Accordingly, these processes P12 and P13 are classified as work processes that do not require judgment. When the core creation steps P12 and P13 are completed, the data of these cores are registered as separate parts.

  As a subsequent process, a nesting process P14 is performed. In this process P14, for example, data of the nesting arranged in the molding cavity 9 such as the core pin 53 described with reference to FIG. 19 is created, and the parts are registered on the computer.

  Finally, a parting check process P15 is performed. In this step, it is checked whether the design data is appropriate for each of the upper mold and the lower mold. This process is classified as the most important process among the determination processes as the final determination process.

  FIG. 29 schematically shows a management system for managing the mold design and production data creation work. A large number of terminal computers 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 61E, 61F are connected to the central processing unit 60 via a network. A work distribution server 60a is provided in the central processing unit 60. The work distribution server 60a is connected to a work management database 60b, a work skill level management database 60c, and a file management server 60d.

  The work management database 60b stores a process table 62 for a plurality of orders, as shown in a partially enlarged view in FIG. The process table 62 may be of the format shown in FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 29, the 01, 02, 03 process charts are prepared with numbers assigned in order of order. This number represents the priority of work. In addition, each work process is also numbered in one process chart. This number represents the order of starting, and the process with the same number means that any may be started first. The process for which work has been completed is recorded in the work management list attached to the corresponding process table 62 to that effect.

  The work skill level management database 60c stores a list describing data about work processes that can be performed by the user of each terminal computer 61, that is, a work skill level list. For example, when the skill level of the user of the terminal computer 61A is shown using the display of the process table 62, it has the ability to perform the operations of the second process, the third process, and the fourth process. In that case, that fact is stored in the work skill level management database as the work skill level of the terminal computer A. Similarly, for other terminal computers, the work skill level of the user is stored in the database as data.

  FIG. 30 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mold design system constructed by the central processing unit 60 and the terminal computer 61. Among these, FIG. 30A shows a login process of the system. The system interface in FIG. 30A is further enlarged and shown in FIG. 30E. First, when the user goes to work and is ready for work, the user inputs a login ID via the system interface and presses the login button. Then, the software recognizes that the login button has been pressed, and confirms the user ID. If the ID is correct, the attendance registration of the user is performed, and the user status is registered. The central processing unit 60 includes a terminal status list in the work distribution server 60a that records the status of the terminal computer that the user is in charge of as the user status. At this time, the status of the user is “BREAK (break)”, and this is recorded in the terminal status list.

If the user is ready to start work, the user presses the “READY (standby)” button in the system interface. So the software
Recognizing that the standby button has been pressed, the status of the user in the terminal status list is changed from “BREAK (break)” to “READY (standby)”. Next, the software acquires the work skill level of the user from the work skill level management database, and searches the work management database 60b for work that can be performed by the user. The work is first selected based on the priority of the order, and then the arrival procedure position in the process table, that is, the process with the smallest number is selected as the work most suitable for the user. The selected work is distributed to the terminal computer of the user, and the user is ready to perform the assigned work. Next, the software writes the work results in the result management table provided in the work management database 60b. This records the time taken by the user to perform the assigned task. In addition, the software sets the user status to "READY
(Standby) "to" ACTIVE (Working) ".

  FIG. 30B is a flowchart illustrating a data correction process for correcting product data. The system interface in FIG. 30B is further enlarged and shown in FIG. 30F. The user presses the system start button via the system interface. In response, the software activates a data correction system having a solid check command and obtains a file number to be opened based on the order number. The software further searches the work management database 60b based on the acquired file number, and opens the three-dimensional model of the corresponding product from the file management server 60d.

  Next, the user presses a send button to indicate the completion of the work. At the same time, the user informs the software whether his / her status is “READY (waiting)” or “BREAK (break)”. Upon receiving the transmission from the terminal computer, the software writes the result indicating that the process is completed in the result management table. Further, the software rewrites the status of the user to “READY (waiting)” or “BREAK (break)” in accordance with the status notified by the user. This completes the data correction work.

  30C and 30D are flowcharts showing the layout determination process to the upper mold / lower mold division process. The system interface in FIG. 30C is enlarged and shown in FIGS. 30I, 30J, and 30K, and the system interface in FIG. 30D is enlarged in FIG. 30L. First, the user clicks a work history (History) tab in the system interface to display a work history (History) screen on the system interface. Next, the shrinkage rate confirmation table is activated by double-clicking the shrinkage rate confirmation table on the screen. The software recognizes that the shrinkage rate confirmation table has been double-clicked, and selects the work history (History) table of the corresponding process and displays it on the system interface. The shrinkage rate is predetermined based on the resin used, and in the example shown in the figure, the shrinkage rate is 0.5%. The user performs an operation of adding the shrinkage rate in order to reflect the displayed shrinkage rate on the product shape.

  The user activates the layout determination system by pressing a layout determination system button via the system interface. The software recognizes that the layout determination system button has been pressed, acquires a file based on the order number, and opens a model from the file management server 60d. The model to be opened is, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, and is displayed together with the mold material block to be used as shown in FIG. Next, correction data is created by adding the shrinkage rate of the resin to the displayed model. The corrected data is as shown in FIG. 21B. Thereafter, the parting line PL is determined. The parting line PL is determined by the same method as described with reference to FIG. Next, the type of runner for resin injection and the type of gate which is a resin injection port are determined. This determination takes into account the product shape and the type of resin used. The determination of the runner type is about whether to be a hot runner or a cold runner, and the determination of the gate type is about whether to use a side gate or a direct gate. The layout is determined in consideration of the type of runner and gate determined in this way.

  Once the layout is determined, the user can suspend work on this order. In this case, the created data is stored in the file management server 60d, and a transmission operation is performed with information on the subsequent status of the user.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated in detail about specific embodiment, this invention is not limited to the specific process and program demonstrated as embodiment. That is, the present invention includes in its scope all aspects included in the scope of the technical idea described in the claims.

It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process performance method in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process following the process of FIG. 1A. It is a figure which shows the example of the map A, the map B, and the map C which are used for the calculation in embodiment of FIG. It is a graph which shows the subdivision of the conventional process in other embodiment of this invention, a shows a conventional process and b shows subdivision, respectively. FIG. 3 shows an example in which the process shown in FIG. 3 is improved by the present invention, in which a is the number of processes reduced by standardization and automation, and b is a process execution period by performing several processes in parallel. Each abbreviation is shown. It is a process table | surface which decomposes | disassembles the process of a metal mold | die into a some process and shows the progress along a time-axis. It is a figure which shows the interlocking relationship between several processes. It is a perspective view of the front case of the mobile telephone which is an example of the product shape | molded with the metal mold | die manufactured by applying this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the recessed part and the convex part for a design of the upper mold | type and lower mold | die after a mold split in a metal mold design process. It is a perspective view which shows the block determination stage of an upper mold | type. It is a perspective view which shows the block determination stage of a lower mold | type. It is sectional drawing which shows a slide core notionally. It is a perspective view which shows an example of a slide unit. It is a side view of a slide unit. It is a perspective view which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the slide unit to a lower mold | type block. It is sectional drawing of the metal mold | die which attached the slide unit. It is sectional drawing which shows a loose core, ie, a spring core notionally. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the creation process of numerical control data. It is a top view of the type | mold block shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing in the assembly state of a metal mold | die. It is a perspective view of the product for demonstrating the data correction process in metal mold design. It is a perspective view which shows the process of adding the layout of product data and the shrinkage | contraction rate of resin in metal mold design. It is a top view which shows the form and arrangement | positioning of a gate, Comprising: A shows a side gate and B shows a direct gate. It is a schematic top view which shows arrangement | positioning of the product data in a type | mold block. It is sectional drawing which shows the layout possible range of a loose core or a spring core. It is sectional drawing which shows notionally the thin surface tension in opening parts, such as a hole, A shows thin surface tension in openings, such as a button hole, and B shows thin surface tension of the opening in a level | step-difference part. It is sectional drawing which shows the combined state of an upper mold | type and a lower mold | type. It is a figure which shows an example of the normalization of a gate. It is a figure which shows the example of the standardized slide blank. It is a figure which shows the example of the normalized loose core. It is a figure which shows the example of the table which determines the dimension of a loose core. It is a schematic diagram which shows the system of the work delivery in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the login process in the system of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows a data correction process. It is a flowchart which shows a layout process. It is a flowchart following FIG. 30C. It is a figure which expands and shows the system interface shown by the flowchart of FIG. 30A. It is a figure which expands and shows the system interface shown by the upper stage in the flowchart of FIG. 30B. It is a figure which expands and shows the system interface shown by the middle stage in the flowchart of FIG. 30B. It is a figure which expands and shows the system interface shown by the lower stage in the flowchart of FIG. 30B. It is a figure which expands and shows the system interface shown by the upper stage in the flowchart of FIG. 30C. It is a figure which expands and shows the system interface shown by the middle stage in the flowchart of FIG. 30C. It is a figure which expands and shows the system interface shown by the lower stage in the flowchart of FIG. 30C. It is a figure which expands and shows the system interface shown by the flowchart of FIG. 30D.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Front case of a mobile phone, 2 ... Window hole, 3, 4 ... Hole,
5 ... concave part for molding of the upper mold, 6 ... convex part of the lower mold, 7 ... mold block of the upper mold,
8 ... Lower mold block, 11 ... Slide, 11b ... Molding core,
12 ... slide unit, 20 ... loose core,
23 ... Ejector pin

Claims (6)

A central processing unit;
For each of the subdivision processes that are further subdivided into a series of processes that are sequentially processed using a computer, information on input data necessary for starting the processing related to the subdivision process, and the subdivision process A storage unit for storing each of the segmentation process information for specifying the information about the output data based on the processing,
Based on the input data necessary for starting the process related to the subdivision process and / or the input data from the user, the process related to the subdivision process for outputting the output data,
Subsequent to the process related to one subdivision process, the process related to the subdivision process corresponding to the subdivision process information searched by the postscript search step based on the one subdivision process information is performed,
When the subdivision process information retrieved in the retrieval step is retrieved from a plurality of subdivision process information, output of output data based on processing related to all the subdivision processes corresponding to the plurality of subdivision process information Is a process management method executed in a computer system in which processing related to a subdivision process corresponding to the subdivision process information searched by the search step is performed on the condition that
The central processing unit, with respect to one subdivision process information stored in the storage unit, information about output data based on the process related to the one subdivision process specified in the one subdivision process information; matching, and have a search step of searching the fragmentation process information is information about the input data required are identified for processing start of the subdivision process,
The subdivision process information includes the required subdivision process information corresponding to the determination subdivision process that requires judgment based on experience regarding the subdivision process for input of input data from the user, and input from the user Including work subdivision process information corresponding to a work subdivision process that does not require judgment based on experience regarding the subdivision process for data input;
The information about the input data necessary for starting the processing related to the work subdivision process specified in the work subdivision process information relates to the determination subdivision process required specified in the determination subdivision process information. A process management method comprising information about output data based on processing . A central processing unit;
For each of the subdivision processes that are further subdivided into a series of processes that are sequentially processed using a computer, information on input data necessary for starting the processing related to the subdivision process, and the subdivision process A storage unit for storing each of the segmentation process information for specifying the information about the output data based on the processing,
Based on the input data necessary for starting the process related to the subdivision process and / or the input data from the user, the process related to the subdivision process for outputting the output data,
Subsequent to the process related to one subdivision process, the process related to the subdivision process corresponding to the subdivision process information searched by the postscript search step based on the one subdivision process information is performed,
When the subdivision process information retrieved in the retrieval step is retrieved from a plurality of subdivision process information, output of output data based on processing related to all the subdivision processes corresponding to the plurality of subdivision process information The processing related to the subdivision process corresponding to the subdivision process information searched by the search step is performed on the condition that has already been made,
If there are a plurality of subdivision process information searched in the search step, after outputting the output data based on the process related to the one subdivision process, the subdivision process information related to the plurality of subdivision processes searched in the search step Any of the processes is a process management method executed in a computer system capable of performing the process,
The central processing unit, with respect to one subdivision process information stored in the storage unit, information about output data based on the process related to the one subdivision process specified in the one subdivision process information; matching, and have a search step of searching the fragmentation process information is information about the input data required are identified for processing start of the subdivision process,
The subdivision process information includes the required subdivision process information corresponding to the determination subdivision process that requires judgment based on experience regarding the subdivision process for input of input data from the user, and input from the user Including work subdivision process information corresponding to a work subdivision process that does not require judgment based on experience regarding the subdivision process for data input;
The information about the input data necessary for starting the processing related to the work subdivision process specified in the work subdivision process information relates to the determination subdivision process required specified in the determination subdivision process information. A process management method comprising information about output data based on processing . The searching step includes process control method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that is carried out for all the subdivision process information. A central processing unit;
For each of the subdivision processes that are further subdivided into a series of processes that are sequentially processed using a computer, information on input data necessary for starting the processing related to the subdivision process, and the subdivision process A storage unit for storing each of the segmentation process information for specifying the information about the output data based on the processing;
Based on the input data necessary for starting the process related to the subdivision process and / or the input data from the user, the process related to the subdivision process for outputting the output data is stored in the storage unit. For the subdivision process information, the input necessary for starting the process related to the subdivision process that matches the information about the output data based on the process related to the one subdivision process specified in the one subdivision process information A search means for searching for segmentation process information in which information about data is specified;
With
Subsequent to the process related to one subdivision process, the process related to the subdivision process corresponding to the subdivision process information searched by the search means for the one subdivision process is performed,
When the segmentation process information retrieved by the retrieval means is retrieved from a plurality of segmentation process information, output of output data based on processing related to all the segmentation processes corresponding to the plurality of segmentation process information The processing related to the subdivision process corresponding to the subdivision process information searched by the search means is performed on the condition that is already made ,
The subdivision process information includes the required subdivision process information corresponding to the determination subdivision process that requires judgment based on experience regarding the subdivision process for input of input data from the user, and input from the user Including work subdivision process information corresponding to a work subdivision process that does not require judgment based on experience regarding the subdivision process for data input;
The information about the input data necessary for starting the processing related to the work subdivision process specified in the work subdivision process information relates to the determination subdivision process required specified in the determination subdivision process information. A process management system comprising information about output data based on processing . A central processing unit;
For each of the subdivision processes that are further subdivided into a series of processes that are sequentially processed using a computer, information on input data necessary for starting the processing related to the subdivision process, and the subdivision process A storage unit for storing each of the segmentation process information for specifying the information about the output data based on the processing;
Based on the input data necessary for starting the process related to the subdivision process and / or the input data from the user, the process related to the subdivision process for outputting the output data is stored in the storage unit. For the subdivision process information, the input necessary for starting the process related to the subdivision process that matches the information about the output data based on the process related to the one subdivision process specified in the one subdivision process information A search means for searching for segmentation process information in which information about data is specified;
With
Subsequent to the process related to one subdivision process, the process related to the subdivision process corresponding to the subdivision process information searched by the search means for the one subdivision process is performed,
When the segmentation process information retrieved by the retrieval means is retrieved from a plurality of segmentation process information, output of output data based on processing related to all the segmentation processes corresponding to the plurality of segmentation process information The processing related to the subdivision process corresponding to the subdivision process information searched by the search means is performed on the condition that is already made,
When there are a plurality of subdivision process information searched by the search means, after outputting the output data based on the process related to the one subdivision process, the information related to the plurality of subdivision processes searched by the search means For any of the processes, the process can be performed ,
The subdivision process information includes the required subdivision process information corresponding to the determination subdivision process that requires judgment based on experience regarding the subdivision process for input of input data from the user, and input from the user Including work subdivision process information corresponding to a work subdivision process that does not require judgment based on experience regarding the subdivision process for data input;
The information about the input data necessary for starting the processing related to the work subdivision process specified in the work subdivision process information relates to the determination subdivision process required specified in the determination subdivision process information. A process management system comprising information about output data based on processing . 6. The process management system according to claim 4 , wherein the search means searches for all the subdivided process information.

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