Molded article removal apparatus

Abstract

A molded article taking-out apparatus is provided that is capable of displaying information that is useful for adjustment on a display screen when adjustment for shortening of taking-out time and cycle time is performed. The molded article taking-out apparatus includes a set condition storage section, an operation time calculation section operable to calculate actual operation time from a time when a plurality of set operations are started until a time when the operations are completed, an operation time storage section operable to store a plurality of actual operation times calculated by the operation time calculation section, a display section including a display screen, a display control section, and a data calculation section. The display control section displays on the display screen an identification indication of the plurality of set operations, set values of the set operations, and the actual operation times stored in the operation time storage section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a molded article removal device that displays information on a display screen that is conducive to teaching. Background Technology

[0002] JPA 2019-018349 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technique for storing multiple operation times in sequence, measuring multiple loop times, calculating the difference between loop times, and displaying the difference on a display screen in sequence.

[0003] In addition, JPA 2006-305932 (Patent Document 2) discloses a technique for indicating how monitoring targets (filling time, measurement time of molten resin in the barrel, removal time of the molded article from the mold, etc.) change relative to reference values ​​during the cycle time required for molding a molded article.

[0004] In addition, Japanese Patent No. 4815077 (Patent Document 3) discloses a technique for detecting the operation time of a moving object and comparing the detected value with an upper limit and a lower limit set based on the operation value obtained in advance through trial operation.

[0005] Patent documents 1 to 3 disclose a portion of information that is useful when performing adjustments to shorten extraction and cycle times. However, these publications do not disclose any techniques suitable for teaching when performing adjustments to shorten extraction and cycle times. As a procedure for shortening extraction time, firstly, consider setting the speed to a high speed. However, since this may increase vibration, adjustments are performed to simultaneously reduce acceleration and deceleration. Furthermore, when the travel distance is short, even if the speed is set to a high speed, the actual speed may not increase to the set value, and therefore the extraction time may not be shortened. In this case, it is acceptable to perform adjustments to increase acceleration and deceleration to the point of vibration. Therefore, simply increasing the speed to shorten the extraction time is difficult, and multiple parameters such as speed, acceleration, and deceleration need to be adjusted while checking the degree of vibration. Besides extraction time, there may also be situations where it is desirable to shorten the cycle time. For example, considering the process of conveying the product to a subsequent processing machine on the release side, it is necessary to operate the molded article extraction device so that the timing of conveying to the subsequent processing machine matches the timing of release. After the product is extracted, a lateral operation and a descent operation are performed, and then the product is released. When the robot's retrieval operation is mismatched with the subsequent processing, it is necessary to accelerate the lateral and descent operations. Here, accelerating the lateral operation results in a larger movable mass, thus increasing power consumption. On the other hand, accelerating the vertical operation increases arm vibration during transport. Therefore, adjustments need to be made while balancing these operations. That is, the adjustment to shorten the retrieval time or cycle time is not a simple matter of setting a specific operation to be faster, but a complex operation performed while checking for vibration and retrieval or transport errors caused by that vibration, matching the desired time.

[0006] Therefore, under current conditions, the operator observes the vibration status, errors during extraction, etc., adjusts the speed of each operation, and performs acceleration and deceleration, while simultaneously monitoring the extraction time or cycle time. However, in related technologies, although the extraction time typically includes the operation time for descent, pull-out forward movement, pull-out backward movement, and elevation, the time spent on each operation is not displayed. Therefore, the operator cannot know which operation adjustment contributes most to time reduction during the adjustment process. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a molded article removal device that can display information on a display screen that is beneficial to the adjustment when adjustments are made to shorten the removal time and cycle time.

[0008] The molded article removal device according to the present invention includes: a storage unit operable to store an operation sequence predetermined by teaching; an operation control unit operable to control the following operations: removing a molded article from an open mold of a molding machine by moving a removal head according to the operation sequence, transporting the removed molded article to a predetermined position, and releasing the molded article at the predetermined position; an operation time calculation unit operable to calculate actual operation time from the time when multiple set operations begin according to the operation sequence until the time when the operations are completed; an operation time storage unit operable to store multiple actual operation times calculated by the operation time calculation unit based on a time sequence; a display unit including a display screen; and a display control unit. The display control unit is operable to cause the display unit to display data used when the teaching is performed and when the setting conditions of the operation sequence stored in the storage unit are changed on the display screen. In this invention, the display control unit displays on the display screen at least: an identifier of a plurality of setting operations set in the operation sequence, a setting value of the plurality of setting operations, and at least one of the actual operation time corresponding to the plurality of setting operations and the increment or decrement of the actual operation time stored in the operation time storage unit.

[0009] In this invention, when setting values ​​for multiple setting operations are displayed on the display screen, and at least one of the actual operating time corresponding to the multiple setting operations and the increase / decrease of the actual operating time is stored in the operation time storage unit, in each cycle after setting is completed, at least one of the actual operating time and the increase / decrease of the actual operating time is displayed on the display screen corresponding to the setting value of the setting operation taught by the operator. When adjustments are performed to shorten the extraction time and cycle time, the operator can check the actual operating time or the increase / decrease to determine whether the setting value helps to shorten the actual operating time. As a result, even if the operator is not skilled, the operator can immediately check whether the time can be shortened in each setting operation according to the setting method. In the case of displaying the difference in cycle time as shown in Patent Document 1, unless the operator has a certain level of skill, it is impossible to understand the setting value of the setting operation that helps to shorten the cycle time. However, according to the present invention, since at least one of the actual operating time and the increase / decrease of the actual operating time is displayed corresponding to the setting value of the setting operation, the setting for shortening the time can be easily optimized.

[0010] The molded product removal device may further include a data processing unit capable of calculating the increase or decrease in the actual operation time from timing data stored in the operation time storage unit, and the display control unit may display an indication of the calculated increase or decrease in the actual operation time on the display screen. The increase or decrease corresponds to the difference between the actual operation time of the previous cycle and the actual operation time of the next cycle. If this increase or decrease is displayed, the set quality can be quickly determined based on this increase or decrease, even if no previous set value is stored.

[0011] The identifier for the setting operation can be at least one of an instruction indicating the operation and a symbol representing the operation.

[0012] The display control unit allows the setting values ​​of the plurality of setting operations to be changed via the display screen or other display screens. In this way, the setting values ​​of the setting operations can be changed while viewing the display results on the display screen, thereby improving operability.

[0013] The settings of the multiple setting operations can be displayed as percentages, whereby the maximum value of the physical setting of the target setting operation (or the operation to be set) is defined as 100%. In this way, the quality of the setting adjustment can be visually identified.

[0014] Setting multiple target setting operations is effective in reducing teaching time. For example, the target setting operation can selectively include the speed of the setting operation, the acceleration and deceleration of the setting operation, the retrieval of position information, and the setting time of the timer. In particular, selecting or adjusting the speed, acceleration and deceleration of the setting operation, or the timer is effective in reducing time.

[0015] The setting values ​​for the multiple setting operations can be set independently of each other. In this way, detailed settings can be performed, thereby improving convenience.

[0016] The display control unit can display the currently active setting operation so that it can be distinguished from other setting operations. In this way, the setting value for the next cycle can also be adjusted during one cycle of operation.

[0017] Each time a cycle is completed, the display control unit can display on the display screen the increase or decrease between the actual cycle time of the current cycle and the actual cycle time of the previous cycle. In this way, it is possible to identify how the setting value of each setting operation affects a cycle time, and thus even if the operator is not skilled, they can gradually master the technique of selecting or adjusting the effective setting value. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing the main components of the molded article removal device according to this embodiment, which removes the molded article from the molding machine.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the operation stages defined by the operation sequence.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of a display screen.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of the input screen for changing settings. Detailed Implementation

[0022] In the following description, embodiments of the molded article removal device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing the main components of the molded article removal device 1 according to this embodiment, which removes a molded article from a molding machine. The molded article removal device 1 includes: a removal head 3 including a suction nozzle, etc.; a moving mechanism 5 configured to move the removal head 3; a drive device 7 configured to drive the moving mechanism 5; and an operation control unit 9 configured to issue operation commands to the drive device 7. In the case where the moving mechanism 5 is a known three-axis moving mechanism (i.e., an XYZ type moving mechanism), as... Figure 2 As shown, when performing the removal operation of the molded article, the moving mechanism 5 moves the removal head 3 in the sequence of standby position (start of descent) → descent position → removal position → pull-out position → rise position. The removal head 3 moves along the Z and Y axes and includes a suction nozzle. At the removal position, the moving mechanism 5 uses the suction nozzle to suction and remove the molded article, which is extruded from the mold of the molding machine by the extension operation of the push rod. Afterward, the moving mechanism 5 moves the removal head 3 equipped with the suction nozzle from the rise position to the release position (not shown). At the release position, the suction of the suction nozzle is released, and the molded article is released at the release position.

[0023] The operation control unit 9 includes a computing device such as a CPU, and performs operation control on the nozzle and control on the drive device 7 that drives the moving mechanism 5. In this embodiment, the operation control unit 9 controls the following operation: the moving mechanism 5 is operated to move the extraction head 3 according to the operation sequence preset by the operation setting unit 11 during teaching and stored in the operation sequence storage unit 13, so that the molded article is extracted from the open mold of the molding machine through the extraction head 3, and the extracted molded article is transported to a predetermined position and released.

[0024] In addition, to assist in teaching, the molded article removal device 1 in this embodiment further includes: a setting condition storage unit 15, which is configured to store a portion of the operating conditions set by the operation setting unit 11, as described later; an operation time calculation unit 17, which is configured to calculate the actual operation time from the time when multiple set operations begin in the operation sequence until the time when the operations are completed; an operation time storage unit 19, which is configured to store multiple actual operation times calculated by the operation time calculation unit 17 in a time sequence; a display unit 23, which includes a display screen or screen 21; a display control unit 25; and a data processing unit 27. In this embodiment, the display unit 23 has a touch switching function, which allows the switcher to be turned on and off by touching a button (switching unit) on the display screen 21. In this embodiment, the display unit 23 also serves as the display unit of the controller of the molded article removal device.

[0025] In this embodiment, the head 3 is removed in Figure 2 The operation of moving between multiple positions is called "multiple setup operations", and the time from when the movement between these positions begins until the movement is completed is called "actual operation time".

[0026] The operation time calculation unit 17 calculates the actual operation time t of the extraction head 3 moved by the moving mechanism 5 based on, for example, the output of an encoder mounted on the servo motor in the drive device 7 and the calculation information of the mounted CPU. Specifically, the operation time t is calculated by detecting the movement of the servo motor from the start position to the target position through the encoder output and calculating the CPU clock until the operation stops. The display control unit 25 causes the display screen 21 to display data used at least when teaching is performed and when the operation sequence stored in the operation sequence storage unit 13 and the setting conditions stored in the setting condition storage unit 15 change. In this embodiment, the display control unit 25 displays on the display screen 21 at least the identification indications of multiple setting operations set in the operation sequence, the setting values ​​for the multiple setting operations, and the actual operation time t corresponding to the multiple setting operations stored in the operation time storage unit 19.

[0027] Figure 3 This is an example of the display on screen 21 during auxiliary teaching. In this example, the setting item column 21A describes symbols such as "P00" and "S00" as indicators for setting operations; and items such as "Removal Position", "Conditions for Waiting to Remove from Lower Side", and "Waiting for Product to Move Forward".

[0028] Additionally, setting values ​​for setting operations set by the operation setting unit 11 and stored in the setting condition storage unit 15 are described in setting value column 21B. Here, each setting value is displayed as a percentage, thus defining the maximum physical setting value of the setting operation to be set as 100%. In this embodiment, setting values ​​used as setting conditions for multiple setting operations are set by the operation setting unit 11 and stored in the setting condition storage unit 15. These setting values ​​include physical setting values ​​such as the speed, acceleration, and deceleration of the target setting operation, the retrieval of position information, and the setting time of the timer. For example, when the setting value is speed, acceleration, or deceleration, the setting value is displayed as the maximum value of speed, acceleration, and deceleration being defined as 100%. In this embodiment, when pressed... Figure 3 After pressing the independent setting button 23G, pressing any one of the "Accelerate" button 23G1, "Speed" button 23G2, or "Decelerate" button 23G3 selects the physical setting value for the setting operation. When no independent setting button is pressed, a pre-determined physical setting value for each setting operation is automatically selected. Since the setting value is displayed as a percentage, the magnitude of the setting value can be intuitively determined.

[0029] exist Figure 3 In the "S04 Pull Forward" setting operation, when the "Speed" is set independently, the "50%" setting value means setting a speed of "50%" when the maximum settable speed is defined as 100%. Setting values ​​for multiple setting operations are effective in shortening teach time. In particular, selecting or adjusting the speed, acceleration, deceleration, or timer for the setting operation is effective in shortening cycle time.

[0030] In addition, Figure 3 The measurement value column 21C displays the actual measured operation time t for each set operation. In the case of the "S04 Pull Out Forward" set operation, the measured value (actual operation time) of "1.50 seconds" is the time for the head to be removed from... Figure 2 The actual time required for the "descend position" to move to the "retrieve position". By identifying the actual operation time, it is possible to determine whether the setting is advantageous using real time intervals.

[0031] In addition, Figure 3In the increment / decrease (increase or decrease) value column 21D, the result obtained by the data calculation unit 27 from the timing data stored in the operation time storage unit 19 in a timing sequence by calculating the increment or decrement of the actual operation time t is displayed as an increment / decrement value (increase / decrease amount). The increment / decrement value is the amount equivalent to the difference (tf-tl) between the actual operation time tf of the previous cycle and the actual operation time tl of the next cycle. If the increment / decrement value (amount) is displayed, the quality of the setting can be quickly determined based on the increment / decrement value even if the previous setting value is not stored. Although both the actual operation time (measured value) and the increment / decrement value (increase / decrease amount) are displayed on the display screen in this embodiment, at least one of the actual operation time (measured value) and the increment / decrement value (increase / decrease amount) can be displayed in this invention. It goes without saying that displaying both the actual operation time and the increment / decrement value improves the convenience for the user.

[0032] exist Figure 3 In the loop time column 21E, each time a loop is completed, the actual loop time of the current loop is displayed, along with the increase or decrease in the actual loop time compared to the previous loop. Figure 3 In the example, "10.56 seconds" is the current actual loop time, and "-0.13 seconds" is the increase or decrease in the current loop time relative to the previous loop time. This increase or decrease is also calculated by the data processing unit 27. In this example, it can be identified that the loop time has shortened by 0.13 seconds.

[0033] In this embodiment, the display control unit 25 displays the currently active setting operation so that it can be distinguished from other setting operations. Figure 3 In the example, to indicate that the setting "T00 waits for the product to be pulled out and move forward" is the currently moving item, the background color of this displayed portion is changed. In this way, since the currently moving item is identified in a loop operation, the setting value for the next loop can also be adjusted during the operation for items executed before the currently moving item.

[0034] refer to Figure 3 The display shown can identify how the settings of each setting operation affect a cycle time, and thus even if the operator is not proficient, they can gradually master the techniques for selecting or adjusting effective settings.

[0035] According to this embodiment, in each cycle after setting is completed, the following are displayed on the display screen: the setting value for the teaching setting operation performed by the operator, the actual operation time t corresponding to the setting value, the increase or decrease in the operation time of the setting operation, the cycle time, and the increase or decrease in the cycle time. When adjustments are made to shorten the retrieval time and cycle time, the operator can check the actual operation time t to determine whether the setting value helps to shorten the actual operation time. As a result, even if the operator is not skilled, the operator can immediately check whether the time can be shortened in each setting operation according to the setting method. In the case where only the difference in cycle time is displayed as in PTL 1, unless the operator has a certain level of skill, it is impossible to understand the setting value of the setting operation that helps to shorten the cycle time. However, according to this embodiment, since the actual operation time t is displayed corresponding to the setting value of the setting operation, the setting for shortening the time can be easily optimized.

[0036] In this embodiment, the display control unit 25 allows the setting values ​​of multiple setting operations to be changed via a display screen or other display screen. Figure 4 An example of an input screen for changing settings is shown. Figure 4 The display in is used to change Figure 3 The screen displays the input value for the "Drag to Move Forward" setting. This screen can be used with... Figure 3 The displayed screens are shown separately, or can be displayed and overlaid. Figure 3 On the screen, it makes Figure 3 A portion of the displayed image is retained. In this embodiment, when the image is displayed... Figure 4 When the settings in the input screen are changed, the user can do so by touching the screen. Figure 3 The "Change Setting" button 23F is located in the center. Touching the setting item and then "pulling forward" will display a setting value change input screen on the display screen. In this way, the setting value can be changed while viewing the display screen's output, thereby improving operability. Figure 4 The input screen displays the setpoint and correction values ​​as percentages. Select "Unit" to determine the unit increment or decrement when the "+" or "-" toggle is pressed once. When percentage display is selected, pressing "Unit" will display 100 in the display.

[0037] Although in the above embodiments, the increase / decrease value is displayed together with the measured value, only the measured value or the increase / decrease value may be displayed on the display screen 21.

[0038] In addition, in the above embodiments, the setting value is displayed as a percentage of the maximum value of the conditions in the setting item, but it goes without saying that the actual setting value can also be displayed.

[0039] According to the present invention, in each cycle after multiple settings are completed, since the actual operation time is displayed on the display screen corresponding to the setting value of the teaching setting operation performed by the operator, the operator can view the actual operation time so as to determine whether the setting value helps to shorten the actual operation time when adjustments are made to shorten the retrieval time and cycle time. As a result, even if the operator is not skilled, the operator can immediately check whether the time can be shortened in each setting operation according to the setting method.

Claims

1. A molded article removal device, comprising: A storage unit, operable to store an operation sequence predetermined by teaching; The operation control unit is operable to control the following operations: according to the operation sequence, by moving the extraction head to extract a molded article from the open mold of the molding machine, transporting the extracted molded article to a predetermined position, and releasing the molded article at the predetermined position. An operation time calculation unit is operable to calculate the actual operation time from the time when multiple set operations begin according to the operation sequence to the time when the operation is completed. An operation time storage unit is operable to store multiple actual operation times calculated by the operation time calculation unit based on timing. The display unit includes a display screen; and A display control unit is operable to cause the display unit to display data on the display screen, at least when performing the teaching and when changing the setting conditions for the operation order stored in the storage unit; wherein: The display control unit displays on the display screen at least: an identifier of a plurality of setting operations set in the operation sequence, a setting value of the plurality of setting operations, and at least one of the actual operation time corresponding to the plurality of setting operations and the increment or decrement of the actual operation time stored in the operation time storage unit.

2. The molded article removal device according to claim 1 further includes a data calculation unit, which is operable to calculate the increase or decrease of the actual operation time from timing data stored in the operation time storage unit, wherein the display control unit displays an indication of the calculated increase or decrease of the actual operation time together with the actual operation time on the display screen.

3. The molded article removal device according to claim 2, wherein, The increase or decrease is equivalent to the difference between the actual operating time of the previous cycle and the actual operating time of the next cycle.

4. The molded article removal device according to claim 1, wherein, The identifier for the setting operation is at least one of an instruction indicating the operation and a symbol representing the operation.

5. The molded article removal device according to claim 1, wherein, The display control unit is configured to allow the setting values ​​of the plurality of setting operations to be changed via the display screen or other display screens.

6. The molded article removal device according to claim 1, wherein, The setting values ​​of the plurality of setting operations are displayed as percentages, whereby the maximum value of the physical setting value of the target setting operation is defined as 100%.

7. The molded article removal device according to claim 6, wherein, The target setting operation includes at least one of the following: the speed of the setting operation, the acceleration and deceleration of the setting operation, the retrieval of position information, and the timer limit of the timer.

8. The molded article removal device according to claim 7, wherein, The setting values ​​of the multiple setting operations can be set independently of each other.

9. The molded article removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The display control unit displays the currently active setting operation so that it can be distinguished from other setting operations.

10. The molded article removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, Each time a cycle is completed, the display control unit displays on the display screen the increase or decrease between the actual cycle time of the current cycle and the actual cycle time of the previous cycle.

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