System and method for determining components of a blended plastic material

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for determining plastic components of a blended plastic material. According to a method of the present invention, a blending computer access supply data describing characteristics of each of a plurality of plastic components. The blending computer receives specification data which identifies at least one desired characteristic of the blended plastic material. The blending computer processes the supply data and the specification data to determine combinations of certain of the plastic components that may produce the blended plastic material having the at least one desired characteristic. The blending computer determines, for each combination, a preferred percentage of each of the plastic components of the combination, and reports the combinations and preferred percentages.

1 . A method for determining plastic components of a blended plastic material, the method comprising: 
 accessing supply data describing characteristics of each of a plurality of plastic components;    receiving specification data identifying at least one desired characteristic of the blended plastic material;    processing the supply data and the specification data to determine a plurality of different combinations of plastic components that may produce the blended plastic material having the at least one desired characteristic;    determining, for at least one combination, a preferred percentage of each of the plastic components of the combination; and    reporting at least one selected combination and the corresponding preferred percentages;    wherein the supply data includes a cost associated with each plastic component and the step of determining a preferred percentage of each of the plastic components is based on a total cost of the blended plastic material produced by the combination, the total cost being the sum of the percentage cost of each plastic component of the combination, the percentage cost of each plastic component of the combination being the cost of the plastic component multiplied by the preferred percentage of the plastic component.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the steps for processing and determining are performed on a remote computer.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the blended plastic material includes a characteristic reflecting a physical property of the blended plastic material.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 determining that no combination of the plastic components produces a blended plastic material having the at least one desired characteristic; and    processing the supply data and the specification data to determine at least one combination plastic components that produce a blended plastic material having a characteristic approximating the at least one desired characteristic; and;    determining, for the at least one combination, a preferred percentage of each of the plastic components of the combination.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein reporting at least one selected combination and the corresponding preferred percentages includes sorting and presenting the selected combinations according to a cost associated with each selected combination.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , further including: 
 receiving target blended plastic material data defining the plastic components and percentages of a target blended plastic material; and    wherein the step of determining includes calculating comparative cost data associated with each combination and the reporting includes reporting preferred percentages based at least in part on the target blended plastic material data.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 4 , further including: 
 receiving target blended plastic material data defining the plastic components and percentages of a target blended plastic material; and    wherein the step of determining includes calculating comparative cost data associated with each combination and the reporting includes reporting preferred percentages based at least in part on the target blended plastic material data.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 determining that no combination of the plastic components produces a blended plastic material having the at least one desired characteristic; and    processing the supply data and the specification data to determine at least one combination plastic components that produce a blended plastic material having a characteristic approximating the at least one desired characteristic; and;    determining, for the at least one combination, a preferred percentage of each of the plastic components of the combination.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic is a physical property relating to density.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 determining that no combination of the plastic components produces a blended plastic material having the at least one desired characteristic; and    processing the supply data and the specification data to determine at least one combination plastic components that produce a blended plastic material having a characteristic approximating the at least one desired characteristic; and;    determining, for the at least one combination, a preferred percentage of each of the plastic components of the combination.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein reporting at least one selected combination and the corresponding preferred percentages includes sorting and presenting the selected combinations according to a cost associated with each selected combination.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further including: 
 receiving target blended plastic material data defining the plastic components and percentages of a target blended plastic material; and    wherein the step of determining includes calculating comparative cost data associated with each combination and the reporting includes reporting preferred percentages based at least in part on the target blended plastic material data.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10 , further including: 
 receiving target blended plastic material data defining the plastic components and percentages of a target blended plastic material; and    wherein the step of determining includes calculating comparative cost data associated with each combination and the reporting includes reporting preferred percentages based at least in part on the target blended plastic material data.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein reporting at least one selected combination and the corresponding preferred percentages includes sorting and presenting the selected combinations according to a cost associated with each selected combination.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , further including: 
 receiving target blended plastic material data defining the plastic components and percentages of a target blended plastic material; and    wherein the step of determining includes calculating comparative cost data associated with each combination and the reporting includes reporting preferred percentages based at least in part on the target blended plastic material data.    
   
   
       16 . A method for determining plastic components of a blended plastic material, the method comprising: 
 accessing supply data describing characteristics of each of a plurality of plastic components;    receiving specification data identifying at least one desired characteristic of the blended plastic material;    processing the supply data and the specification data to determine a plurality of different combinations of plastic components that may produce the blended plastic material having the at least one desired characteristic;    determining, for at least one combination, a preferred percentage of each of the plastic components of the combination; and    reporting at least one selected combination and the corresponding preferred percentages;    wherein the steps for processing and determining are performed on a remote computer.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the blended plastic material includes a characteristic reflecting a physical property of the blended plastic material.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 determining that no combination of the plastic components produces a blended plastic material having the at least one desired characteristic; and    processing the supply data and the specification data to determine at least one combination plastic components that produce a blended plastic material having a characteristic approximating the at least one desired characteristic; and;    determining, for the at least one combination, a preferred percentage of each of the plastic components of the combination.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one characteristic is a physical property relating to density.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein reporting at least one selected combination and the corresponding preferred percentages includes sorting and presenting the selected combinations according to a cost associated with each selected combination.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 16 , further including: 
 receiving target blended plastic material data defining the plastic components and percentages of a target blended plastic material; and    wherein the step of determining includes calculating comparative cost data associated with each combination and the reporting includes reporting preferred percentages based at least in part on the target blended plastic material data.    
   
   
       22 . A method for determining plastic components of a blended plastic material, the method comprising: 
 accessing supply data describing characteristics of each of a plurality of plastic components;    receiving specification data identifying at least one desired characteristic of the blended plastic material;    processing the supply data and the specification data to determine a plurality of different combinations of plastic components that may produce the blended plastic material having the at least one desired characteristic;    determining, for at least one combination, a preferred percentage of each of the plastic components of the combination; and    reporting at least one selected combination and the corresponding preferred percentages;    wherein the at least one characteristic of the blended plastic material includes a characteristic reflecting a physical property of the blended plastic material.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 determining that no combination of the plastic components produces a blended plastic material having the at least one desired characteristic; and    processing the supply data and the specification data to determine at least one combination plastic components that produce a blended plastic material having a characteristic approximating the at least one desired characteristic; and;    determining, for the at least one combination, a preferred percentage of each of the plastic components of the combination.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one characteristic is a physical property relating to density.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein reporting at least one selected combination and the corresponding preferred percentages includes sorting and presenting the selected combinations according to a cost associated with each selected combination.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 22 , further including: 
 receiving target blended plastic material data defining the plastic components and percentages of a target blended plastic material; and    wherein the step of determining includes calculating comparative cost data associated with each combination and the reporting includes reporting preferred percentages based at least in part on the target blended plastic material data.    
   
   
       27 . A method for determining plastic components of a blended plastic material, the method comprising: 
 accessing supply data describing characteristics of each of a plurality of plastic components;    receiving specification data identifying at least one desired characteristic of the blended plastic material;    processing the supply data and the specification data to determine a plurality of different combinations of plastic components that may produce the blended plastic material having the at least one desired characteristic;    determining, for at least one combination, a preferred percentage of each of the plastic components of the combination;    reporting at least one selected combination and the corresponding preferred percentages;    determining that no combination of the plastic components produces a blended plastic material having the at least one desired characteristic;    processing the supply data and the specification data to determine at least one combination plastic components that produce a blended plastic material having a characteristic approximating the at least one desired characteristic; and    determining, for the at least one combination, a preferred percentage of each of the plastic components of the combination.    
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the at least one characteristic is a physical property relating to density.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein reporting at least one selected combination and the corresponding preferred percentages includes sorting and presenting the selected combinations according to a cost associated with each selected combination.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 27 , further including: 
 receiving target blended plastic material data defining the plastic components and percentages of a target blended plastic material; and    wherein the step of determining includes calculating comparative cost data associated with each combination and the reporting includes reporting preferred percentages based at least in part on the target blended plastic material data.    
   
   
       31 . A method for determining plastic components of a blended plastic material, the method comprising: 
 accessing supply data describing characteristics of each of a plurality of plastic components;    receiving specification data identifying at least one desired characteristic of the blended plastic material;    processing the supply data and the specification data to determine a plurality of different combinations of plastic components that may produce the blended plastic material having the at least one desired characteristic;    determining, for at least one combination, a preferred percentage of each of the plastic components of the combination; and    reporting at least one selected combination and the corresponding preferred percentages;    wherein the at least one characteristic is a physical property relating to density.    
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein reporting at least one selected combination and the corresponding preferred percentages includes sorting and presenting the selected combinations according to a cost associated with each selected combination.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 31 , further including: 
 receiving target blended plastic material data defining the plastic components and percentages of a target blended plastic material; and    wherein the step of determining includes calculating comparative cost data associated with each combination and the reporting includes reporting preferred percentages based at least in part on the target blended plastic material data.    
   
   
       34 . A method for determining plastic components of a blended plastic material, the method comprising: 
 accessing supply data describing characteristics of each of a plurality of plastic components;    receiving specification data identifying at least one desired characteristic of the blended plastic material;    processing the supply data and the specification data to determine a plurality of different combinations of plastic components that may produce the blended plastic material having the at least one desired characteristic;    determining, for at least one combination, a preferred percentage of each of the plastic components of the combination; and    reporting at least one selected combination and the corresponding preferred percentages;    wherein reporting at least one selected combination and the corresponding preferred percentages includes sorting and presenting the selected combinations according to a cost associated with each selected combination.    
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , further including: 
 receiving target blended plastic material data defining the plastic components and percentages of a target blended plastic material; and    wherein the step of determining includes calculating comparative cost data associated with each combination and the reporting includes reporting preferred percentages based at least in part on the target blended plastic material data.    
   
   
       36 . A method for determining plastic components of a blended plastic material, the method comprising: 
 accessing supply data describing characteristics of each of a plurality of plastic components;    receiving specification data identifying at least one desired characteristic of the blended plastic material;    processing the supply data and the specification data to determine a plurality of different combinations of plastic components that may produce the blended plastic material having the at least one desired characteristic;    determining, for at least one combination, a preferred percentage of each of the plastic components of the combination;    reporting at least one selected combination and the corresponding preferred percentages; and    receiving target blended plastic material data defining the plastic components and percentages of a target blended plastic material;    wherein the step of determining includes calculating comparative cost data associated with each combination and the reporting includes reporting preferred percentages based at least in part on the target blended plastic material data.