JP7836667B2 - Production management system, production management method, production method, and program - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a production management system, a production management method, a production method, and a program.

A technique for producing pre-foamed particles by extruding and foaming a foaming resin using an extruder with predetermined operating conditions is known (Patent Document 1).

International Publication No. 2018/016399

For a molded product manufacturer that handles everything from the production of pre-foamed particles to molding, it is preferable to produce pre-foamed particles as efficiently as possible.

This invention was made in view of these circumstances, and aims to improve the efficiency of producing pre-foamed particles by extruding and granulating foaming resin using an extrusion foaming apparatus.

One aspect of the present invention, which solves the above-mentioned problems, is a production management system for managing the production of pre-foamed particles produced by extruding and foaming a raw material for foaming resin. This production management system includes a production condition derivation unit that derives predetermined production conditions to be set when producing pre-foamed particles, according to pre-foamed particle specifications that include at least a foaming ratio for the pre-foamed particles.

One aspect of the present invention is a production management method in a production management system for managing the production of pre-foamed particles produced by extruding and foaming a raw material for foaming resin, the production management method including a production condition derivation step of deriving predetermined production conditions to be set when producing pre-foamed particles according to a pre-foamed particle standard that includes at least a foaming ratio for the pre-foamed particles.

One aspect of the present invention is a production method that includes a pre-foamed particle production step in which pre-foamed particles are produced using the production conditions derived by the above-described production control method.

One aspect of the present invention is a production method comprising a pre-foamed particle production step of producing pre-foamed particles using production conditions derived by the above-described production control method, and a molded product production step of producing a molded product using the pre-foamed particles produced in the pre-foamed particle production step.

One aspect of the present invention is a program for a computer in a production management system that extrudes and foams raw materials for foaming resin to control the production of pre-foamed particles. This program functions as a production condition derivation unit that derives predetermined production conditions to be set when producing pre-foamed particles, according to pre-foamed particle specifications that include at least a foaming ratio for the pre-foamed particles.

As described above, the present invention provides the effect of improving production efficiency in the production of pre-foamed particles using an extrusion foaming apparatus for extruding and granulating foaming resin.

This figure shows an example configuration of the production management system according to this embodiment. This figure shows an example of the configuration of the production control device according to this embodiment. This figure shows an example of a production conditions database according to this embodiment. This flowchart shows an example of a processing procedure for deriving production conditions using the pre-foamed particle production management device and the integrated production management device of this embodiment. This flowchart shows an example of the processing procedure performed by the pre-foamed particle production management device and the integrated production management device of this embodiment to correct the pre-foamed particle production conditions.

Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of the production management system of this embodiment. In the production management system of this embodiment, a foaming resin supplier 10 sells foaming resin 251 to a molded product manufacturer 20, and the molded product manufacturer 20 uses an extrusion foaming device 22 to produce pre-foamed particles 24 from the purchased foaming resin 251. Then, the molded product manufacturer 20 uses a molding device 25 to produce molded products 26 from the pre-foamed particles 24. The molded product 26 is a product obtained by molding foamed polypropylene into a predetermined shape.
In this case, the foaming resin supplier 10 may also sell or lease the extrusion foaming equipment 22 to the molded product manufacturer 20. In this case, the lease of the extrusion foaming equipment 22 may be under a lease agreement.
Furthermore, one foaming resin supplier 10 may have multiple molded product manufacturers 20 as its business partners and cooperate with each molded product manufacturer 20 in the configuration shown in the figure.

The foaming resin supplier 10 has a production management department 11, a foaming resin production department 12, and an equipment management department 13.

The production management department 11 is responsible for managing the production of the foaming resin 251, which is the raw material for the pre-foamed particles 24, as well as managing the production of the pre-foamed particles 24. The foaming resin supplier 10 is contracted by the molded product manufacturer 20 to manage the production of the pre-foamed particles 24 and performs this as part of its business. Furthermore, the management of the production of the pre-foamed particles 24 in this embodiment also includes inventory management of the foaming resin 251, which is the raw material for the pre-foamed particles 24, within the molded product manufacturer 20.
The production management department 11 is equipped with an integrated production management device 100. The integrated production management device 100 performs processes corresponding to the management of the production of pre-foamed particles 24 and the management of the production of foaming resin 251, respectively.

The foaming resin production department 12 is a department whose business is the production of foaming resin 251, which is the raw material for pre-foamed particles 24. The foaming resin production department 12 may be a factory that produces foaming resin 251.
The foaming resin production division 12 is equipped with a foaming resin production apparatus 200 for producing foaming resin, which is the raw material for pre-foamed particles. The foaming resin supplier 10 purchases resin materials from, for example, a resin manufacturer, and modifies the purchased resin materials using the foaming resin production apparatus 200 to make them suitable for extrusion foaming, and then provides the foaming resin to the molded product manufacturer.

The equipment management department 13 is responsible for the management (maintenance) of the extrusion foaming equipment 22 sold or leased to the molded product manufacturer 20. The equipment management department 13 is equipped with an equipment management department terminal 300.

The foaming resin supplier 10 is equipped with a network hub device 400. The network hub device 400 is located on the network and acts as a hub for relaying communication between the integrated production management device 100, foaming resin production equipment 200, equipment management department terminal 300, and storage device 500 at the foaming resin supplier 10, and the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 at the molded product manufacturer 20.

The storage device 500 is a storage device located on the network. For example, the storage device 500 may store training data input by a learning device in a production management system.

Next, the molded product manufacturer 20 will be described. The molded product manufacturer 20 is equipped with a foaming resin storage tank 21, an extrusion foaming device 22, an inspection device 23, a pre-foamed particle storage tank 27, a molding device 25, and a pre-foamed particle production management device 600.
The foaming resin storage tank 21 is a storage tank in which the foaming resin 251, which is the raw material for the pre-foamed particles 24, is stored.
The extrusion foaming apparatus 22 produces pre-foamed particles 24 by extrusion molding using foaming resin 251 stored in the foaming resin storage tank 21 as raw material.
The inspection device 23 inspects (measures) the produced pre-foamed particles 24 against predetermined specifications. Specifically, the inspection device 23 may measure the foaming ratio and size of the produced pre-foamed particles 24. In this case, the size of the pre-foamed particles 24 may be, for example, the diameter of the spherical pre-foamed particles 24, or it may be calculated from the bulk density measurement.
The pre-expanded particle storage tank 27 is a storage tank (silo) in which the pre-expanded particles 24 are stored. Specifically, a certain amount is stored, divided according to the expansion ratio, etc.
The molding apparatus 25 produces molded products of foamed polypropylene from pre-foamed particles 24.

The pre-foamed particle production management device 600 performs management related to the production of pre-foamed particles 24 (pre-foamed particle production management).
The pre-foamed particle production management device 600 may provide the foaming resin supplier 10 with information related to the production of pre-foamed particles 24 (pre-foamed particle production-related information) as part of pre-foamed particle production management. The pre-foamed particle production management device 600 may acquire pre-foamed particle production-related information from the foaming resin storage tank 21, the extrusion foaming device 22, the inspection device 23, and the pre-foamed particle storage tank 27.
The pre-foamed particle production management device 600 may acquire the amount of foaming resin 251 stored in the foaming resin storage tank 21 as information related to the production of pre-foamed particles.
Furthermore, the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 may acquire information indicating the actual operating conditions, such as parameters (pre-foamed particle production conditions) set for the extrusion foaming device 22 when producing the pre-foamed particles 24, and the discharge amount, foaming resin temperature, screw rotation speed, and vibration state detected (measured) in the extrusion foaming device 22.
Furthermore, the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 may acquire the inspection results from the inspection device 23 for the produced pre-foamed particles 24 as pre-foamed particle production-related information.

Referring again to Figure 1, the process from the production of the foaming resin to the production of the molded product 26 will be explained.
The foaming resin supplier 10 purchases resin materials from a resin manufacturer to be used in the production of foaming resin 251. The resin materials used in the production of foaming resin 251 may be, for example, PP (polypropylene). The purchased resin materials are delivered from the resin manufacturer to the foaming resin production department 12. The foaming resin production department 12 uses the delivered resin materials to produce foaming resin 251 using a foaming resin production apparatus 200. The foaming resin production apparatus 200 may, for example, chemically crosslink the resin material to have resin properties suitable for extrusion foaming and produce it in the form of pellets of a predetermined size.

According to this embodiment, the molded product manufacturer 20 can easily obtain pre-foamed particles by introducing an extrusion foaming device, purchasing foaming resin 251 which will be used as raw material for pre-foamed particles 24 from a foaming resin supplier 10, and then using this to perform extrusion foaming and granulation, thereby enabling efficient molding.
On the other hand, if the production of pre-foamed particles is carried out by a batch foaming process, the scale of the equipment used to produce the pre-foamed particles becomes considerably large, making it difficult for the molded product manufacturer 20 to introduce equipment for producing foaming resin due to factors such as installation space and cost. For this reason, the molded product manufacturer 20 has been producing molded products using molding equipment with pre-foamed particles purchased from external suppliers. Furthermore, there was also the problem of low transportation efficiency because the load capacity of the vehicles transporting the pre-foamed particles to the molded product manufacturer 20 was small relative to the cargo bed volume.
In contrast, the extrusion foaming apparatus 22 of this embodiment is small in scale and low in cost, so it can be easily introduced by molded product manufacturers 20.
As a further benefit of introducing the extrusion foaming apparatus 22 to the molded product manufacturer 20, the foaming resin supplier 10 can deliver unfoamed foaming resin 251 instead of pre-foamed particles to the molded product manufacturer 20. This increases the load capacity relative to the vehicle's cargo bed volume, improves transportation efficiency, and significantly reduces transportation costs. In addition, the molded product manufacturer 20 can arbitrarily produce pre-foamed particles 24 of a predetermined ratio within specifications from a single foaming resin 251 to match the foaming ratio of the ordered molded product. This minimizes the pre-foamed particle storage layer 27, allowing for efficient production of molded products.

The molded product manufacturer 20 stores the foaming resin 251 delivered from the foaming resin supplier 10 in the foaming resin storage tank 21. The foaming resin storage tank 21 is equipped with a weighing scale or level sensor to measure the weight of the stored foaming resin 251. Based on the measured weight or level of the stored foaming resin 251, the amount of foaming resin 251 to be used can be derived.
Furthermore, there may be multiple types of foaming resin 251 depending on differences in composition, and the molded product manufacturer 20 may use multiple types of foaming resin 251 depending on the conditions such as the required foaming ratio for each molded product. To accommodate such cases, multiple foaming resin storage tanks 21 may be provided, for example, corresponding to each type of foaming resin 251.

The molded product manufacturer 20 uses the foaming resin 251 stored in the foaming resin storage tank 21 as raw material and produces pre-foamed particles 24 using an extrusion foaming device 22 (extruder).
The extrusion foaming apparatus 22 is configured to produce pre-foamed particles that meet the required foaming ratio and size specifications, and to produce pre-foamed particles of a certain quality or higher. Values are set for each extruder parameter, such as the amount of foaming gas (gas ratio), discharge rate, and resin temperature, as well as for granulator parameters, such as die temperature and cutter rotation speed.

The pre-foamed particles 24 produced by the extrusion foaming apparatus 22 are stored in the pre-foamed particle storage tank 27, and the required amount of pre-foamed particles suitable for the required magnification of the molded product is transported to the molding apparatus 25. The molding apparatus 25 uses the transported pre-foamed particles 24 to produce molded products 26 formed from foamed polypropylene in a predetermined shape. The produced molded products 26 undergo a drying and curing process (not shown) and are then shipped from the molded product manufacturer 20 to the customer who ordered the molded products 26.

Furthermore, the molded product manufacturer 20 may use the inspection device 23 to inspect the pre-foamed particles 24 produced. In this case, the molded product manufacturer 20 does not have to inspect all of the pre-foamed particles 24 produced, but may take a predetermined number of samples from the pre-foamed particles 24 produced and have the inspection device 23 inspect the pre-foamed particles 24 of the samples that were taken.
The inspection device 23 may be configured to measure (inspect) the expansion ratio and size (diameter) of the pre-foamed particles 24 as inspection items. In this case, depending on the inspection device 23, the actual measured values of the expansion ratio and size of the pre-foamed particles 24 can be obtained. The inspection device 23 can output information indicating the inspection results obtained in this way (inspection result information) to the pre-foamed particle production management device 600.
Furthermore, the molded product manufacturer 20 may use the inspection result information to adjust parameters in the extrusion foaming apparatus 22 according to the foaming conditions, etc., within its own operations.

Figure 2 shows an example configuration of an integrated production management system 100 installed in the production management department 11 of a foaming resin supplier 10. The integrated production management system 100 in this figure comprises a communication unit 101, a control unit 102, and a user interface unit 103. The functions of each unit in this figure are realized by the execution of programs by the CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the hardware of the integrated production management system 100.

The communication unit 101 is connected to the network hub device 400 for communication. By connecting the communication unit 101 to the network hub device 400 in this way, the integrated production management device 100 becomes able to communicate with the foam resin production equipment 200, the equipment management department terminal 300, and the storage device 500 at the foam resin supplier 10, as well as the pre-foam particle production management device 600 at the molded product manufacturer 20.

The control unit 102 performs various controls in the integrated production management system 100. The control unit 102 includes a production condition extraction unit 121 and an order processing unit 122.
The production condition deriving unit 121 derives production conditions according to the pre-foamed particle specifications (foaming ratio, size, etc.) specified by the molded product manufacturer 20 for the pre-foamed particles 24. The production conditions derived by the production condition deriving unit 121 according to the pre-foamed particle specifications of the pre-foamed particles 24 may include resin production conditions for the foaming resin 251 and pre-foamed particle production conditions for the pre-foamed particles 24 produced by the extrusion foaming apparatus 22.
The order processing unit 122 performs processing in response to orders for foaming resin 251 from molded product manufacturers.

The user interface unit 103 receives operations from the user (the administrator in the production management department 11) and outputs information to the user through displays, sounds, etc. Hardware supported by the user interface unit 103 includes, for example, input devices such as a mouse, keyboard, and microphone, a display device, and an audio output device.

The integrated production management system 100 stores its corresponding information in the storage device 500 via the network hub device 400. The integrated production management system 100 may also be capable of storing information in its own internal memory unit.

The storage device 500 in this embodiment stores a production condition database as information used by the integrated production management device 100. The production condition database is a database that stores production conditions according to the pre-foamed particle specifications.

Figure 3 is an ER diagram showing an example of the structure of a production conditions database. As shown in the figure, the production conditions database includes a pre-foamed particle specification entity ET1, an equipment type entity ET2, and a production conditions entity ET3.

The pre-foamed particle specification entity ET1 is an entity that stores pre-foamed particle specifications. The pre-foamed particle specification entity ET1 is identified by a pre-foamed particle specification ID, which is uniquely assigned to each pre-foamed particle specification. The pre-foamed particle specification entity ET1 includes information items indicating the corresponding pre-foamed particle specification, such as the required foaming ratio and size for the pre-foamed particle 24.

The equipment type entity ET2 is an entity that stores information about the type of extrusion foaming machine 22. The equipment type entity ET2 is identified by an equipment type ID, which is uniquely assigned to each equipment type. The equipment type entity ET2 includes information items indicating the corresponding equipment type, such as the manufacturer and the model number. In other words, in this example, the equipment type is identified by the manufacturer and the model number defined by that manufacturer.

The production condition entity ET3 is an entity that stores production conditions. The production condition entity ET3 is identified by a production condition ID that is uniquely assigned to each production condition.
One production condition entity ET3 includes resin production conditions and pre-foamed particle production conditions as corresponding production conditions.

Resin production conditions include information items (parameters), such as resin type, type of conjugated diene (conjugated diene type) which is an important monomer for polypropylene crosslinking, conjugated diene mixing ratio, radical initiator type, radical initiator mixing ratio, extrusion foaming equipment temperature profile, and extrusion foaming equipment Q/N.
The resin type indicates the type of resin material used in the production of the foaming resin 251.
The conjugated diene type indicates the type of conjugated diene to be mixed into the resin material.
The conjugated diene mixing ratio indicates the ratio of conjugated dienes to be mixed into the resin material.
The radical initiator type indicates the type of radical initiator to be mixed into the resin material.
The radical initiator mixing ratio indicates the ratio of radical initiators to be mixed into the resin material.
The temperature profile of the extrusion foaming apparatus indicates predetermined temperature-related parameters set in the extrusion foaming apparatus 22.
The Q/N ratio in the extrusion foaming apparatus indicates the resin mixing state based on the screw rotation speed ratio of the extrusion foaming apparatus 22. Q represents the discharge volume of the extrusion foaming apparatus 22, and N represents the screw rotation speed.

The pre-foamed particle production conditions include, as information items (parameters), information items such as the discharge rate of foaming resin, resin temperature, foaming gas ratio, screw rotation speed ratio, additive amount, and temperature profile of the extrusion foaming apparatus.
The discharge volume is the amount of resin (foaming resin 251) discharged from the extrusion foaming device 22.
The resin temperature is the temperature applied to the foaming resin 251 that is placed in the extrusion foaming apparatus 22.
The discharge rate and resin temperature affect, for example, the quality of the pre-foamed particles 24 produced. An increase in the discharge rate generates heat in the foaming resin within the die located downstream of the extrusion foaming apparatus 22, leading to a decrease in melt viscosity and an increase in the time required for the resin to solidify after foaming. This increases the cell-cell ratio of the pre-foamed particles 24 and reduces their moldability.
The foaming gas ratio is the ratio of the amount of foaming gas to the amount of resin (foaming resin 251) discharged from the extrusion foaming device 22. As the gas ratio increases, the foaming force increases, and plasticization of the resin occurs, further reducing its viscosity. Generally, a higher gas ratio tends to result in a higher foaming ratio.
The screw rotation speed ratio is the ratio (Q/N = discharge amount / screw rotation speed) to the rotation speed of the screw rotated to extrude the foaming resin 251 in the extrusion foaming apparatus 22. As the screw rotation speed increases and the Q/N value decreases, the cross-linking structure of the foaming resin 251 deteriorates, and the continuous cell ratio increases.
The amount of additive refers to the amount of additive placed in the extrusion foaming apparatus 22. Examples of additives include weathering agents, stabilizers, foaming nucleating agents, and coloring pigments.

Furthermore, if the device for producing pre-foamed particles is an extrusion foaming device 22 having a granulation device that uses the UWC (Underwater Cut) method, the pre-foamed particle production conditions will include, in addition to the discharge rate, resin temperature, gas rate ratio, and screw rotation speed ratio set in the extrusion foaming device, conditions such as die temperature, cutter rotation speed, water temperature, water volume, and water pressure.
The die temperature is the temperature set for the die.
The cutter rotation speed indicates the rotation speed of the cutter used to cut the foam resin in order to form the pre-foamed particles. The water temperature indicates the temperature of the water used when cutting the foam resin. The water volume indicates the amount of water used when cutting the foam resin. The water pressure indicates the water pressure set when cutting the foam resin.
The particle weight of the pre-foamed particles can be adjusted by controlling the discharge rate and cutter rotation speed as described above. By adjusting the cutter rotation speed, water temperature, and water volume, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of pre-foamed particles produced using the foaming resin 251 produced by the foaming resin production device 200. Furthermore, the foaming ratio of the produced pre-foamed particles can be adjusted depending on the water pressure. The foaming ratio can be increased as the water pressure decreases.

In addition to the UWC method described above, other granulation methods include the HC/WRC (Hot Cut/Water Ring Cut) method.

One pre-foamed particle standard entity ET1 can be associated with one or more device type entities ET2. Conversely, one device type entity ET2 can be associated with one or more pre-foamed particle standard entities ET1.
One device type entity ET2 is associated with one or more production condition entities ET3. Furthermore, one production condition entity ET3 is associated with one or more device type entities ET2.

Referring to the flowchart in Figure 4, an example of a processing procedure for deriving the production conditions (pre-foamed particle production conditions) to be set in the extrusion foaming apparatus 22 according to the specification of a single pre-foamed particle standard will be described.

First, we will explain an example of the processing procedure for the pre-foamed particle production control device 600.
Step S100: When a molded product manufacturer 20 intends to produce pre-foamed particles 24 that conform to a certain pre-foamed particle standard, it requests a foaming resin supplier 10 to provide pre-foamed particle production conditions under production conditions corresponding to the said pre-foamed particle standard.
Such requests for the provision of pre-foamed particle production conditions by the molded product manufacturer 20 may be made by the person in charge of the molded product manufacturer 20 via email, telephone, or by entering the necessary information on the website of the foaming resin supplier 10. Here, we will give an example in which the person in charge of the molded product manufacturer 20 operates the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 to request the provision of pre-foamed particle production conditions from the foaming resin supplier 10.
In this case, the person in charge at the molded product manufacturer 20 will, for example, cause the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 to access the website of the foaming resin supplier 10 that provides pre-foamed particle production conditions, and will input the required pre-foamed particle specifications into the accessed website. The pre-foamed particle production management device 600 will accept the pre-foamed particle specifications entered through this operation.
A website providing pre-foamed particle production conditions may be implemented, for example, by the web server function of a network hub device 400.

Step S102: The person in charge at the molded product manufacturer 20 performs an operation to input the pre-foamed particle specifications and then performs an operation to instruct the transmission of the entered pre-foamed particle specifications. In response to this operation, the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 transmits a pre-foamed particle production condition request. The pre-foamed particle production condition request includes the molded product manufacturer ID indicating the sending molded product manufacturer 20, and the pre-foamed particle specifications entered in step S100. The pre-foamed particle production condition request transmitted by the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 is sent to the integrated production management device 100 via the network hub device 400, which provides a website for providing pre-foamed particle production conditions.

Step S104: In response to the transmission of the pre-foamed particle production condition request in step S102, the pre-foamed particle production conditions are transmitted from the integrated production management device 100 to the pre-foamed particle production management device 600.
The pre-foamed particle production management device 600 may manage pre-foamed particles 24 produced in-house, for example, as a single product, corresponding to each pre-foamed particle production condition. Therefore, the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 may store the received pre-foamed particle production conditions as product information, associating them with the product ID and, for example, the pre-foamed particle production conditions entered in step S100.

In this way, the molded product manufacturer 20 in this embodiment can obtain parameters for an extrusion foaming apparatus 22 that are suitable for the pre-foamed particles 24 that it intends to produce in-house, by specifying the pre-foamed particle specifications to the integrated production management device 100.
When producing the corresponding pre-foamed particles 24, the molded product manufacturer 20 may set the parameters included in the pre-foamed particle production conditions stored in the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 by the process in step S104 to the extrusion foaming device 22.

Next, an example of the processing procedure for the integrated production management system 100 will be described.
Step S200: In the integrated production management device 100, the production condition extraction unit 121 obtains the pre-foamed particle specifications included in the pre-foamed particle production condition request transmitted from the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 in step S102.

Step S202: The production condition extraction unit 121 also retrieves the model number (manufacturer and model number) of the extrusion foaming machine 22, which is associated with the molded product manufacturer ID included in the pre-foamed particle production condition request, from, for example, the customer database stored in the storage device 500. The customer database stores customer information for each molded product manufacturer 20, which is a customer of the foaming resin supplier 10. The customer information includes information indicating the model number of the extrusion foaming machine 22 installed in the corresponding molded product manufacturer 20.

Step S204: The production condition extraction unit 121 searches for a production condition entity ET3 that is associated with a combination of a pre-foamed particle standard entity ET1 that stores the same pre-foamed particle standard as obtained in step S200 and an equipment type entity ET2 that stores the same equipment type as obtained in step S202.
Step S206: The production condition derivation unit 121 obtains the pre-foamed particle production conditions included in the retrieved production condition entity ET3. In this case, the production condition derivation unit 121 thus derives pre-foamed particle production conditions that conform to the pre-foamed particle specifications specified by the pre-foamed particle production condition request.
Step S208: The production condition extraction unit 121 transmits the pre-foamed particle production conditions obtained in step S206 to the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 via the network hub device 400.

When the integrated production management device 100 transmits the pre-foamed particle production conditions to the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 in step S208, it may also transmit a resin production condition identifier that can identify the resin production conditions included in the production conditions retrieved in step S204. The molded product manufacturer 20 may store the resin production condition identifier in the product information.
When a molded product manufacturer 20 orders foaming resin 251 to be used in the production of pre-foamed particles 24 as a corresponding product, it is required to specify a resin production condition identifier corresponding to the ordered foaming resin 251. The foaming resin supplier 10 can fulfill the order by producing the foaming resin 251 according to the resin production conditions indicated by the specified resin production condition identifier.

In this embodiment, as described above, in response to the specified pre-foamed particle specifications, the foaming resin supplier 10 can provide the molded product manufacturer 20 with appropriate pre-foamed particle production conditions that meet the specified specifications. However, errors may occur in the inspection results of the produced pre-foamed particles 24 when compared to the pre-foamed particle production conditions provided by the foaming resin supplier 10. Such errors may be caused by factors such as variations in the extrusion foaming apparatus 22, aging of the extrusion foaming apparatus 22, the environment in which the extrusion foaming apparatus 22 is deployed, and lot variations in the foaming resin 251.

Therefore, in the production management system of this embodiment, errors in the pre-foamed particle production conditions are corrected and made available to the molded product manufacturer 20, as described below.
The flowchart in Figure 5 shows an example of a processing procedure performed by the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 and the integrated production management device 100 of this embodiment to correct the pre-foamed particle production conditions. The processing shown in the figure may be performed at regular intervals or in response to operations by the molded product manufacturer 20.

First, we will explain an example of the processing procedure for the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 at the molded product manufacturer 20.
Step S300: The pre-foamed particle production management device 600 obtains inspection results for the product as the target pre-foamed particle 24 from the inspection device 23. The inspection results obtained by the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 may be a collection of values measured for each of the multiple pre-foamed particle 24 samples, or they may be the average value or representative value of the values measured for each of the multiple pre-foamed particle 24 samples.

Step S302: The pre-foamed particle production management device 600 acquires information (device operation history information) indicating the operation of the extrusion foaming device 22 when it was producing the target pre-foamed particles 24. The device operation history information may include, for example, measurement results such as the pre-foamed particle production conditions, discharge rate, foaming resin temperature, screw rotation speed, and vibration state that were set in the extrusion foaming device 22 when it was operating to produce the target pre-foamed particles 24.

Step S304: The pre-foamed particle production management device 600 transmits production result information, including the inspection results obtained in step S300, the device operation history information obtained in step S302, and the pre-foamed particle specifications, to the integrated production management device 100.

Step S306: In response to the transmission of production result information in step S304, the integrated production management device 100 transmits the corrected pre-foamed particle production conditions to the pre-foamed particle production management device 600. The pre-foamed particle production management device 600 receives the transmitted pre-foamed particle production conditions.
The pre-foamed particle production management device 600 updates the pre-foamed particle production conditions stored in the product information corresponding to the target pre-foamed particle 24 from the product information it stores, based on the received pre-foamed particle production conditions.

Subsequently, when the extrusion foaming apparatus 22 is to produce the target pre-foamed particles 24, for example, the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 sets the updated pre-foamed particle production conditions (parameters) stored in the product information to the extrusion foaming apparatus 22. In other words, the extrusion foaming apparatus 22 produces the target pre-foamed particles 24 according to the parameter settings as corrected pre-foamed particle production conditions. The measured values of the target pre-foamed particles 24 produced in this way, such as the foaming ratio and size, will have a reduced error compared to the required pre-foamed particle specifications.

Next, an example of the processing procedure of the integrated production management system 100 at the foaming resin supplier 10 will be described.
Step S400: The production condition extraction unit 121 in the integrated production management device 100 receives the production result information transmitted by the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 in step S304.

Step S402: The production condition extraction unit 121 corrects the pre-foamed particle production conditions based on the received production result information.
Specifically, the production condition derivation unit 121 may correct the values of each parameter in the pre-foamed particle production conditions by calculating a predetermined formula using the inspection results and device operation history information included in the production result information.
Alternatively, the production condition derivation unit 121 may correct the values of each parameter in the pre-foamed particle production conditions using a trained model into which production result information has been input. In this case, the trained model may be constructed by inputting a set of production result information and the correction amount for each parameter value in the pre-foamed particle production conditions into a learner and performing training.
Specifically, taking the gas ratio in the pre-foamed particle production conditions as an example, the larger the gas ratio, the greater the foaming ratio.

Step S404: The production condition extraction unit 121 transmits the pre-foamed particle production conditions, corrected in step S402, to the pre-foamed particle production management device 600, the source of the production result information.

Furthermore, the integrated production management device 100 may correct the corresponding resin production conditions along with the pre-foamed particle production conditions in step S402. In other words, in this case, the factors that can suppress errors in the pre-foamed particle specifications of the produced pre-foamed particles 24 include predetermined resin production conditions such as the conjugated diene mixing ratio.
In this case, the integrated production management device 100 may update the resin production conditions stored in the production condition entity ET3, which is associated with the corresponding pre-foamed particle standard entity ET1, in the production condition database with the corrected resin production conditions. As a result, when the foaming resin supplier 10 subsequently produces the corresponding foaming resin 251 using the foaming resin production device 200, the foaming resin production device 200 can be operated based on the corrected resin production conditions. The pre-foamed particles 24 produced by the extrusion foaming device 22 using the foaming resin 251 produced in this way will have reduced errors in relation to the pre-foamed particle standard.

Furthermore, in the production management system of this embodiment, the quality control of the pre-foamed particles 24 produced by the molded product manufacturer 20 may be carried out by the foaming resin supplier 10.
Specifically, the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 transmits production result information obtained in relation to the pre-foamed particles 24 subject to quality control to the integrated production management device 100.
In this case, the control unit 102 of the integrated production management device 100 includes a quality control unit (not shown). The quality control unit may perform quality control on the target pre-foamed particles 24 based on the results of comparing the inspection results of the target pre-foamed particles 24 included in the received production result information with the pre-foamed particle specifications. Specifically, the quality control unit may determine whether or not there are quality abnormalities in the target pre-foamed particles 24, or predict quality abnormalities. In managing quality abnormalities of the target pre-foamed particles 24, the quality control unit may also use the device operation history information included in the production result information.
The Quality Control Department may issue a notification regarding the occurrence of a quality abnormality if it determines that one exists. The Quality Control Department may also transmit a notification of the occurrence of a quality abnormality to the pre-foamed particle production control device 600.
Furthermore, the quality control department may adjust production conditions as a countermeasure in response to the occurrence of abnormalities.
Furthermore, the Quality Control Department may predict the occurrence of quality abnormalities in the pre-foamed particles 24 by using the inspection results and pre-foamed particle specifications for the target pre-foamed particles 24 included in the received production result information, as well as the equipment operation history information included in the production result information, etc., to determine whether or not there are any quality abnormalities in the pre-foamed particles 24.
The quality control department may use a pre-trained model to perform each of the quality control processes described above.
The information obtained in this way regarding the occurrence and prediction of quality abnormalities may be used, for example, by the foaming resin supplier 10 to correct (optimize) production conditions or by the molded product manufacturer 20 to develop foaming resins that are compatible with the extrusion foaming equipment 22 used by the manufacturer.

Furthermore, the production management system of this embodiment may be configured so that the maintenance of the extrusion foaming apparatus 22 can be performed by the integrated production management system 100.
In this case, the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 may, for example, transmit production result information to the integrated production management device 100 at predetermined intervals.
The integrated production management device 100 may use the device operation history information in the received production result information to make a determination regarding abnormalities in the extrusion foaming device 22. When making a determination regarding abnormalities in the extrusion foaming device 22, the integrated production management device 100 may use the preliminary foaming particle specifications and inspection results in the production result information as necessary.

As a means of determining abnormalities in the extrusion foaming apparatus 22, the integrated production management device 100 may, for example, determine whether or not an abnormality such as a malfunction has occurred in the extrusion foaming apparatus 22. If an abnormality is determined to have occurred, it may also determine the location of the abnormality and the cause of the abnormality.

The integrated production management system 100 may, if it determines that an abnormality has occurred in the extrusion foaming machine 22, send a notification of the abnormality to the equipment management department terminal 300. The equipment management department terminal 300 may output the received notification by displaying it or other means. The equipment management department staff can then determine which molded product manufacturer 20's extrusion foaming machine 22 has experienced the abnormality based on the notification output by the equipment management department terminal 300, and take appropriate action, such as repairing the extrusion foaming machine 22.

Furthermore, the integrated production management device 100 may transmit a notification to the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 that an abnormality has occurred in the extrusion foaming device 22. In this case, the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 will output a notification, allowing the person in charge at the molded product manufacturer 20 to know that an abnormality has occurred in the extrusion foaming device 22.
Furthermore, the integrated production management device 100 may predict the occurrence of an abnormality in the extrusion foaming device 22 using the device operation history information (and the pre-foamed particle specifications and inspection results in the production result information) in the received production result information.
The integrated production management device 100 may be configured to perform processing to respond to the occurrence of such abnormalities using a pre-trained model.

Furthermore, the integrated production management device 100 may be configured to determine, for example, whether it is time to replace parts of the extrusion foaming machine 22. In this case, the integrated production management device 100 may determine, for example, whether there are any parts that meet the conditions for replacement (part replacement conditions) indicated by the part replacement condition information stored in the storage device 500, based on the machine operation history information, the elapsed usage period, etc. If it determines that there are parts that meet the part replacement conditions, the integrated production management device 100 may send a notification that part replacement is necessary to the machine management department terminal 300 and the pre-foamed particle production management device 600.

The supply of foaming resin 251 to the foaming resin supplier 10 in response to orders for foaming resin 251 from the molded product manufacturer 20 may be carried out as follows, even without the molded product manufacturer 20 placing individual orders.

The foaming resin storage tank 21 measures the amount of foaming resin stored in it and outputs the measured storage amount information to the pre-foaming particle production management device 600. The pre-foaming particle production management device 600 transmits the input storage amount information to the integrated production management device 100.

In the integrated production management system 100, the order processing unit 122 determines whether or not to replenish the foaming resin storage tank 21 with foaming resin based on the received storage amount (inventory amount). If the order processing unit 122 determines that foaming resin should be replenished, it may also determine the amount of foaming resin to be replenished (replenishment amount).
If the order processing unit 122 determines that the foaming resin should be replenished, it processes the order as if it had received (accepted) an order for the foaming resin in the determined replenishment amount from the molded product manufacturer 20. In this case, as processing in response to the order for the foaming resin, the order processing unit 122 may transmit order information, including information such as the ordering party, the type of foaming resin, and the replenishment amount, to, for example, an order terminal (not shown) in the foaming resin production department 12.
In the foam resin production department 12, the order-receiving staff prepare the foam resin according to the order information output from the order terminal and arrange for the prepared foam resin to be transported to the ordering molded product manufacturer 20.

In this embodiment, one foaming resin supplier 10 may correspond to multiple molded product manufacturers 20. In this case, for example, the integrated production management system 100 performs production management corresponding to each molded product manufacturer 20. At this time, the integrated production management system 100 may assign an identifier (molded product manufacturer ID) to each molded product manufacturer 20 and store a production condition database in the storage device 500, corresponding to each molded product manufacturer 20's molded product manufacturer ID. This allows the integrated production management system 100 to perform tasks such as processing orders, notifying of quality abnormalities regarding pre-foamed particles 24, and notifying of abnormalities in the extrusion foaming apparatus 22, corresponding to each molded product manufacturer 20.

Furthermore, in order to ensure redundancy in the molded product manufacturer 20, for example, in the event of equipment failure, multiple production lines equipped with extrusion foaming devices 22 may be provided. In this case, the same pre-foamed particle production conditions, etc., applied to the extrusion foaming devices 22 of the production line that is on standby for the purpose of ensuring redundancy may be applied to the extrusion foaming devices 22 of the production line that is in operation. In this case, when the pre-foamed particle production conditions, etc., applied to the extrusion foaming devices 22 of the production line that is in operation are updated by correction, etc., the pre-foamed particle production conditions, etc., applied to the extrusion foaming devices 22 of the production line that is on standby may also be updated in real time. Such updates of pre-foamed particle production conditions, etc., may be performed, for example, by the integrated production management device 100 transmitting the pre-foamed particle production conditions (or corrected pre-foamed particle production conditions) to the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 in operation during the processing of step S208 in Figure 4 or step S404 in Figure 5, and also transmitting them to the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 that is on standby.
Furthermore, for example, if the pre-foamed particle production management device 600 or the integrated production management device 100 detects that a malfunction has occurred in an operating line, it may stop the operation of the operating line, determine which line to start operating from among the lines that were previously in standby mode according to predetermined conditions, and control the system to start the operation of the determined line.

Furthermore, programs for realizing the functions of the above-mentioned integrated production management device 100, foaming resin production device 200, device management department terminal 300, network hub device 400, storage device 500, pre-foamed particle production management device 600, etc., may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the programs recorded on this recording medium may be loaded into a computer system and executed to perform the processing of each of the above-mentioned devices. Here, "loading the programs recorded on the recording medium into a computer system and executing them" includes installing the programs into the computer system. Here, "computer system" includes hardware such as the OS and peripheral devices. Also, "computer system" may include multiple computer devices connected via a network including communication lines such as the Internet, WAN, LAN, and dedicated lines. Also, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into the computer system. Thus, the recording medium on which the program is stored may be a non-transient recording medium such as a CD-ROM. Furthermore, the recording medium includes internal or external recording media accessible from the distribution server for distributing the program. The program code stored on the distribution server's recording medium may differ from the program code in an executable format on the terminal device. In other words, as long as it can be downloaded from the distribution server and installed in an executable format on the terminal device, the format in which it is stored on the distribution server is irrelevant. Note that the program may be divided into multiple parts, downloaded at different times, and then combined on the terminal device; or different distribution servers may distribute each of the divided programs. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" includes volatile memory (RAM) within computer systems that act as servers or clients when a program is transmitted over a network, which retains the program for a certain period of time. Also, the program may only implement a part of the functions described above. Furthermore, it may be a program that can implement the above functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system, a so-called differential file (differential program).

10. Foaming resin supplier, 11. Production management department, 12. Foaming resin production department, 13. Equipment management department, 20. Molded product manufacturer, 21. Foaming resin storage tank, 22. Extrusion foaming equipment, 23. Inspection equipment, 24. Pre-foamed particles, 25. Molding equipment, 26. Molded products, 100. Integrated production management system, 101. Communication unit, 102. Control unit, 103. User interface unit, 121. Production condition extraction unit, 122. Order processing unit, 200. Foaming resin production equipment, 251. Foaming resin, 300. Equipment management department terminal, 400. Network hub device, 500. Storage device, 600. Pre-foamed particle production management system

Claims (12)

A production management system for managing the production of pre-foamed particles produced by extruding and foaming raw materials for foaming resins,
The system includes a production condition derivation unit that derives predetermined production conditions to be set when producing pre-foamed particles, according to a pre-foamed particle standard that includes at least a foaming ratio for the pre-foamed particles .
The aforementioned production conditions include pre-foamed particle production conditions set for an extrusion foaming apparatus that produces pre-foamed particles,
The aforementioned pre-foamed particle production conditions are:
Discharge volume, which indicates the amount of foaming resin discharged from the aforementioned extrusion foaming apparatus.
The foaming gas amount ratio is the ratio of the foaming gas amount to the aforementioned discharge amount.
The resin temperature is the temperature applied to the foaming resin that is placed into the extrusion foaming apparatus.
The die temperature is the temperature set for the die of the extrusion foaming apparatus.
The cutter rotation speed indicates the rotation speed of the cutter that cuts the foaming resin in order to form pre-foamed particles in the extrusion foaming apparatus.
In the aforementioned extrusion foaming apparatus, the screw rotation speed ratio is the ratio of the discharge volume to the rotation speed of the screw that is rotated to extrude the foaming resin.
Includes at least one of the following
Production management system. The production management system according to claim 1, wherein the production condition extraction unit is provided in an integrated production management device of a foaming resin supplier, and transmits the extracted production conditions to a communication device of a molded product manufacturer that produces the pre-foamed particles. A production management system for managing the production of pre-foamed particles produced by extruding and foaming raw materials for foaming resins,
The system includes a production condition derivation unit that derives predetermined production conditions to be set when producing pre-foamed particles, according to a pre-foamed particle standard that includes at least a foaming ratio for the pre-foamed particles .
The aforementioned production condition extraction unit is installed in the integrated production management system of the foaming resin supplier, and transmits the extracted production conditions to the communication device of the molded product manufacturer that produces the pre-foamed particles.
Production management system. The production management system according to claim 3 , wherein the production conditions include pre-foamed particle production conditions set for an extrusion foaming apparatus that produces pre-foamed particles. The production management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the production conditions include resin production conditions for producing the foaming resin. The production condition extraction unit corrects the production conditions based on production result information indicating the production result of pre-foamed particles by an extrusion foaming apparatus that produces pre-foamed particles, according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . The production management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising an order processing unit that makes a decision regarding the replenishment of foaming resin to a molded product manufacturer that produces pre-foamed particles, based on the inventory amount of foaming resin used as raw material by an extrusion foaming machine that produces pre- foamed particles. The production management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a quality control unit that controls the quality of pre-foamed particles based on information indicating the production results of pre-foamed particles by an extrusion foaming apparatus that produces pre-foamed particles and pre- foamed particle standards indicating the specifications for the pre-foamed particles. A production control method in a production management system that controls the production of pre-foamed particles produced by extruding and foaming raw materials for foaming resin,
The process includes a production condition derivation step for deriving predetermined production conditions to be set when producing pre-foamed particles, according to a pre-foamed particle standard that includes at least a foaming ratio for the pre-foamed particles,
The aforementioned production conditions include pre-foamed particle production conditions set for an extrusion foaming apparatus that produces pre-foamed particles,
The aforementioned pre-foamed particle production conditions are:
Discharge volume, which indicates the amount of foaming resin discharged from the aforementioned extrusion foaming apparatus.
The amount of foaming resin discharged from the extrusion foaming apparatus,
The foaming gas amount ratio is the ratio of the foaming gas amount to the aforementioned discharge amount.
The resin temperature is the temperature applied to the foaming resin that is placed into the extrusion foaming machine.
The die temperature is the temperature set for the die of the extrusion foaming apparatus.
The cutter rotation speed indicates the rotation speed of the cutter that cuts the foaming resin in order to form pre-foamed particles in the extrusion foaming apparatus.
In the aforementioned extrusion foaming apparatus, the screw rotation speed ratio is the ratio of the discharge volume to the rotation speed of the screw that is rotated to extrude the foaming resin.
Includes at least one of the following
Production management methods. A production method comprising a pre-foamed particle production step of producing pre-foamed particles using production conditions derived by the production control method described in claim 9 . A pre-foamed particle production step in which pre-foamed particles are produced using production conditions derived by the production control method described in claim 9 ,
A production method comprising a molded article production step of producing a molded article using the pre-foamed particles produced in the pre-foamed particle production step. A computer in a production management system that controls the production of pre-foamed particles produced by extruding and foaming raw materials for foaming resins,
This program functions as a production condition derivation unit that derives predetermined production conditions to be set when producing pre-foamed particles, according to pre-foamed particle specifications that include at least a foaming ratio for the pre-foamed particles.
The aforementioned production conditions include pre-foamed particle production conditions set for an extrusion foaming apparatus that produces pre-foamed particles,
The aforementioned pre-foamed particle production conditions are:
Discharge volume, which indicates the amount of foaming resin discharged from the aforementioned extrusion foaming apparatus.
The amount of foaming resin discharged from the extrusion foaming apparatus,
The foaming gas amount ratio is the ratio of the foaming gas amount to the aforementioned discharge amount.
The resin temperature is the temperature applied to the foaming resin that is placed into the extrusion foaming machine.
The die temperature is the temperature set for the die of the extrusion foaming apparatus.
The cutter rotation speed indicates the rotation speed of the cutter that cuts the foaming resin in order to form pre-foamed particles in the extrusion foaming apparatus.
In the aforementioned extrusion foaming apparatus, the screw rotation speed ratio is the ratio of the discharge volume to the rotation speed of the screw that is rotated to extrude the foaming resin.
Includes at least one of the following
program.