Abstract: When a granular object is determined to have to be sorted out two or more times in two or more of sort-out necessity/unnecessity determination results determined by a determination portion, a sort-out signal setting portion of an optical sorting apparatus sets a sort-out actuation signal that contains information for actuating an ejector when the granular object advancing in the air passes through a sorting region based on a combination of the sort-out necessity/unnecessity determination results from a predetermined signal setting table.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to setting an operation parameter of a grain milling machine appropriately according to the characteristics of grain targeted for processing. An operation aid apparatus for a grain milling facility including a grain milling machine and a color sorter includes a first acquisition portion configured to acquire first information regarding characteristics of grain that should be processed in the grain milling facility, and a second acquisition portion configured to acquire second information regarding an evaluation of a sorting result acquired by milling first grain by the grain milling machine and sorting them by the color sorter after that. The second information is associated with the first information regarding the first grain.

Abstract: A paddy discriminator includes a downflow gutter in which mixed grains including paddy and brown rice are aligned and flow down, a light emission source that irradiates the mixed grains discharged from the downflow gutter with light, and light receiving means capable of receiving reflected light and transmitted light from the mixed grains irradiated with light by the light emission source, wherein the light emission source includes first illumination means that is provided on a light receiving means side of the mixed grains and is capable of irradiating the mixed grains with light of a red component, and second illumination means that is provided on a side away from the light receiving means of the mixed grains and is capable of irradiating the mixed grains with light of a green component.

Abstract: An optical sorter includes a transport means for transporting sorting targets, a discrimination means for optically discriminating the sorting targets, a sorting means for sorting the sorting targets based on the result of discrimination of the discrimination means, and a guide plate adapted to be contacted by the sorting targets thrown out from the transport means so as to guide the sorting targets to fall in a given falling direction, in which the guide plate includes a guide face and an opening, the guide face being capable of being contacted by the sorting targets, and the opening being provided to the guide face and penetrating the guide plate, the sorting means is arranged around the opening, and the position of the guide plate relative to the fall-down path of the sorting targets is adjustable together with the sorting means.

Abstract: Controller of an optical sorter is configured to receive an input of a candidate for a target quality condition regarding an allowable mix rate of defective products in sorting targets discharged from the optical sorter as acceptable products, receive an input of quality information indicating a mix rate of the defective products regarding at least a part of the sorting targets, simulate, based on the information, a sorting result regarding a quantity and/or a yield of the sorting targets discharged as the acceptable products that is expected to be acquired when sorting is conducted by a sorting device to achieve the candidate for the target quality condition and output a result of the simulation, receive an input of a final target quality condition to be employed when conducting the sorting, and conduct the sorting based on a sorting control parameter that allows the final target quality condition to be achieved.

Abstract: Provided is a monitoring system for a milling facility, which includes a plurality of grinders including roll mills for grinding a material to be milled and sifting machines for sifting, according to grain size, the material to be milled as ground by the roll mills; and a plurality of pulverizers including roll mills for pulverizing the material to be milled and sifting machines for sifting, according to grain size, the material to be milled as pulverized by the roll mills. The material to be milled is milled by each of the grinders and pulverizers. A plurality of flow rate measuring devices are provided on respective flow paths for product flours discharged from the respective sifting machines in the respective grinders and pulverizers, and a monitoring device capable of monitoring presence or absence of an abnormality based on measurement results on respective flow rates of the product flours is provided.

Abstract: An optical sorter includes an intermittent light source configured to intermittently emit light toward a plurality of sorting targets in transit, an optical sensor configured to detect the light associated with one sorting target among the plurality of sorting targets in transit during a plurality of intermittent light scan periods, a determination part configured to determine a foreign object and/or a defective product with respect to the one sorting target based on a signal acquired by the optical sensor, and a light source control part configured to control the intermittent light source.

Abstract: In an optical sorter that includes an optical detection unit to detect a to-be-sorted material at a detection position, a determining unit to determine a to-be-sorted material to be removed, based on a detection result by the optical detection unit, and an air-jetting unit to blow off and remove the to-be-sorted material to be removed using jet air of a compressed gas, based on a determination result by the determining unit, the air-jetting unit includes a piezoelectric valve to perform valve opening and closing by driving a valve disc utilizing displacement of a piezoelectric element, and a valve driving unit to apply a drive voltage to the piezoelectric element, and the valve driving unit controls the drive voltage applied to the piezoelectric element in accordance with the to-be-sorted material to be removed to thus control a jet-air pressure of the compressed gas for removing the to-be-sorted material.

Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric valve in which the valve is opened/closed utilizing a displacement of a laminated piezoelectric element, including: a valve main body having a gas pressure chamber that receives compressed gas supplied externally; and an actuator having a valving element, the laminated piezoelectric element that generates a driving force required for operating the valving element as the displacement, and a displacement enlarging mechanism that enlarges the displacement of the laminated piezoelectric element to be acted on the valving element, the actuator being disposed in the valve main body, in which a surface of the laminated piezoelectric element is coated with silicone in a state in which the laminated piezoelectric element is integrated into the actuator.

Abstract: A sieving device includes a mount, and a vibration unit configured to perform reciprocating vibration relative to the mount in one direction in plan view and including a sieve frame. The vibration unit includes a first sensor unit and a vibration state measurement unit. The first sensor unit includes a vibration-unit acceleration sensing unit capable of sensing acceleration of the vibration unit, and a vibration-unit angular velocity sensing unit capable of sensing angular velocity of the vibration unit. The vibration state measurement unit measures a vibration state of the vibration unit based on the acceleration and the angular velocity of the vibration unit, which are sensed by the first sensor unit.

Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric actuator that can reduce a risk of air leakage due to weakening of pressing force of a valve element against a valve seat surface and airtightness. The piezoelectric actuator is used for a piezoelectric valve that opens and closes a valve utilizing displacement of a laminated piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric actuator includes: a valve element; a laminated piezoelectric element that generates a driving force, required for operation of the valve element, as a displacement; and a displacement enlargement mechanism that enlarges a displacement of a laminated piezoelectric element and causes the enlarged displacement to act on the valve element. In the piezoelectric actuator, a surface of the valve element to be in contact with a valve seat of the piezoelectric valve is made flat and smooth in a state in which a tensile load is applied to the laminated piezoelectric element.

Abstract: Included are a chute arranged in an inclined manner to allow sorting targets to flow downward, optical detection means for detecting the sorting targets at a detection position, and ejector means for sorting and removing the sorting targets based on a result of detection of the optical detection means. The chute is provided with an optical detection slit in a direction orthogonal to a flow-down direction of the sorting targets, a slit width of the optical detection slit is adjustable, and the optical detection means images the sorting targets flowing downward on the chute with the imaging means at a position where the optical detection slit is provided as the detection position.

Abstract: A method for discriminating a sorting target includes transferring the sorting target, imaging the sorting target during the transferring, and discriminating the sorting target based on imaging information acquired in the imaging. The imaging information includes adjacency information between sorting targets, and classification information of the sorting target.

Abstract: When a granular object is determined to have to be sorted out two or more times in two or more of sort-out necessity/unnecessity determination results determined by a determination portion, a sort-out signal setting portion of an optical sorting apparatus sets a sort-out actuation signal that contains information for actuating an ejector when the granular object advancing in the air passes through a sorting region based on a combination of the sort-out necessity/unnecessity determination results from a predetermined signal setting table.

Abstract: An optical sorter includes a light source, a color sensor, a determination part configured to determine a foreign object and/or a defective product, a color shift amount calculation part configured to calculate, based on a color image acquired by the color sensor, an amount of a color shift that occurs due to the fact that at least two element groups out of an R element group, a G element group, and a B element group are spaced apart from each other in a transit direction of a sorting target, a speed calculation part configured to calculate a transit speed of the sorting target based on a separation distance between the at least two element groups in the transit direction, the color shift amount, and a scan time, which is a time required for the color sensor to scan the sorting target once, and a sorting device configured to perform a trajectory change operation for changing a trajectory of a specific sorting target determined based on a result of the determination by the determination part at a timing determ

Abstract: A piezoelectric valve including actuators that are respectively adapted to drive valve elements, and a valve body including a gas inlet port, and a plurality of gas outlet ports, the piezoelectric valve is attachable to and detachable from a fluid device via a connector unit including an inlet passage that is communicable at one end with the gas inlet port, and is communicable at another end with an air supply passage of the fluid device, and a plurality of discharge passages that are respectively communicable at one end with the plurality of gas outlet ports, and are respectively communicable at another end with a plurality of gas outlet passages of the fluid device, and a pitch of openings of the plurality of discharge passages on the other end side is greater than a pitch of openings of the plurality of discharge passages on the one end side.

Abstract: A piezoelectric valve including an actuator that drives a valve body; a valve seat plate including a valve seat that is adapted to be positioned in contact with and away from the valve body, and a discharge passage; and a body case that houses the valve seat plate, in which the actuator includes a proximal portion fixed to the valve seat plate, a piezoelectric element having one end portion connected to an attachment face of the proximal portion and extending in a first longitudinal direction, a support portion integrally formed with the proximal portion, the support portion being arranged side-by-side with the piezoelectric element and extending in a second longitudinal direction crossing the first longitudinal direction, an operating portion connected to another end portion of the piezoelectric element and to a distal end portion of the support portion.

Abstract: To provide an optical grain sorter that can reduce the proportion of non-defective grains blown off collaterally, and even in a case in which a plurality of defective grains or the like fall down in a state overlapping each other, can blow off all the defective grains or the like.

Abstract: The present invention includes a conveyance step of conveying an object to be sorted, an image information acquisition step of, at least either during the conveyance step or after the conveyance step, acquiring image information on the object to be sorted, and dividing the image information into a plurality of pieces of cell data, and an identification step of identifying the object to be sorted based on the cell data and a learning model trained by inputting learning information concerning the object to be sorted, in which the learning information at least includes good part information, defective part information, and background information concerning the object to be sorted, and the good part information at least includes contour information on the object to be sorted.

Abstract: In an optical sorter that includes an optical detection unit to detect a to-be-sorted material at a detection position, a determining unit to determine a to-be-sorted material to be removed, based on a detection result by the optical detection unit, and an air-jetting unit to blow off and remove the to-be-sorted material to be removed using jet air of a compressed gas, based on a determination result by the determining unit, the air-jetting unit includes a piezoelectric valve to perform valve opening and closing by driving a valve disc utilizing displacement of a piezoelectric element, and a valve driving unit to apply a drive voltage to the piezoelectric element, and the valve driving unit controls the drive voltage applied to the piezoelectric element in accordance with the to-be-sorted material to be removed to thus control a jet-air pressure of the compressed gas for removing the to-be-sorted material.