Injection molding machine and injection molding system

Abstract

An injection molding machine includes at least a storage unit, a receiving unit, and a display unit. A storage unit of an injection molding machine of the present disclosure stores at least a first message character string relating to an operation state of the injection molding machine. A receiving unit of an injection molding machine of the present disclosure receives at least a second message character string relating to an injection molding operation. A display unit of an injection molding machine displays a list of a first message character string corresponding to an operation state of the injection molding machine and a second message character string corresponding to an injection molding operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an injection molding machine and an injection molding system having functions such as post - defined alarm messages and message strings such as self - diagnosis messages. Background Art

[0002] An injection molding machine is a device that can produce plastic molded products through basic operations such as mold clamping, injection molding, holding pressure, metering, cooling, mold opening, and ejection. The injection molding machine has a function of displaying an alarm message when an abnormality occurs in the mechanism or the like constituting the injection molding machine, or a function of stopping the operation of the mechanism or the like as needed. In addition, some injection molding machines also have a function of displaying the cause of their operation failure as a self - diagnosis message, or a function that allows the user to customize the display as needed (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid - Open No. 2004 - 503039 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] Generally, an injection molding machine, together with peripheral devices such as a mold temperature controller, a resin dryer, a hot runner control device, and a molded product take - out machine, constitutes an injection molding system and is used. Each of these peripheral devices has a display device and has a function of displaying message strings such as alarms when an abnormality occurs. However, although the injection molding machine has a function of displaying message strings pre - defined by the injection molding machine, it does not have a function for the user to define message strings at any time after the manufacturer's delivery. Therefore, for example, it is impossible to display the message strings displayed on the display devices of the peripheral devices on the injection molding machine. Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in the injection molding system, in order for the operator to grasp where the abnormality has occurred, it is necessary to confirm the display devices of the injection molding machine and the display devices of the peripheral devices, etc., which consumes a great deal of energy. Therefore, in order to be able to display the messages displayed on the display devices of the peripheral devices on the display devices of the injection molding machine, a technique for post - defining message strings is required for the injection molding machine.

[0008] Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] The injection molding machine of the present disclosure includes: a storage unit that stores a first message string related to the operation state of the injection molding machine; a receiving unit that receives a second message string related to the injection molding operation; and a display unit that displays a list of the first message string corresponding to the operation state of the injection molding machine and the second message string corresponding to the injection molding operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 FIG. is an example of a diagram showing an injection molding system including the injection molding machine of the present embodiment.

[0011] Figure 2 is a component of Figure 1 the hardware structure diagram of the control device of the injection molding machine.

[0012] Figure 3 is a component of Figure 2 the functional block diagram of the control device of the injection molding machine.

[0013] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of Figure 2 the second definition document stored in the storage unit.

[0014] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of Figure 1 the display processing sequence of messages related to the peripheral devices of the injection molding machine.

[0015] Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of Figure 5 the management screen of the injection molding machine displayed by the display processing.

[0016] Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of Figure 6 the alarm messages of the injection molding machine and the alarm messages of the peripheral devices displayed in the alarm message display area.

[0017] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of Figure 1 the method of defining the second message string for the injection molding machine.

[0018] Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of Figure 1 the display processing sequence of messages related to the peripheral devices performed by the injection molding machine.

[0019] Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of Figure 9 the management screen of the injection molding machine displayed by the display processing.

[0020] Figure 11It is a diagram showing the structure of an injection molding machine according to a first modification of the present embodiment.

[0021] Figure 12 It is a diagram showing the structure of an injection molding machine according to a second modification of the present embodiment.

[0022] Figure 13 It is a diagram showing Figure 12 an example of a management screen displayed on the injection molding machine.

[0023] Figure 14 It is a diagram showing the structure of an injection molding machine according to a third modification of the present embodiment.

[0024] Figure 15 It is a diagram showing an example of a history screen displayed on a management server connected to the injection molding machine of the present embodiment. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0025] Hereinafter, an injection molding machine according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having substantially the same functions and structures are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be made only when necessary.

[0026] Generally, an injection molding machine has the following functions: when an abnormality is detected in the injection molding machine or a failure is detected through self-diagnosis, an alarm message, a self-diagnosis message, etc. are respectively displayed on a display device provided in the injection molding machine. Similarly, a peripheral device connected to the injection molding machine has the following functions: when an abnormality is detected in the peripheral device or a failure is detected through self-diagnosis, an alarm message, a self-diagnosis message, etc. are respectively displayed on a display device provided in the peripheral device.

[0027] One of the features of the injection molding machine according to this embodiment is that it has the following function: after being delivered by the manufacturer, message strings displayed on the display device of the injection molding machine are defined for the injection molding machine. With this function, by later defining arbitrary message strings for the injection molding machine, message strings such as those that cannot be displayed at the time of manufacturer delivery can be made to be displayed on the injection molding machine. As a result, the abnormal contents that occur in the peripheral devices connected to the injection molding machine and the message strings corresponding to the self-diagnosis results can be centralized and displayed at a glance on the display device of the injection molding machine. In addition, message strings related to components such as the servo motor and ejector mechanism unit that the injection molding machine has and that are not predefined by the injection molding machine can be defined later, so that it is also possible to flexibly respond to modifications of the components of the injection molding machine, and the scalability of the injection molding machine can be improved. The function of later defining message strings for the injection molding machine is clearly distinguished from the function of customizing the message strings pre-stored in the injection molding machine. Typically, the injection molding machine according to this embodiment is configured in the following manner.

[0028] In addition, in this embodiment, the message strings related to the operation state of the injection molding machine are referred to as the first message strings, the definition documents for defining the first message strings are referred to as the first definition documents, and the message numbers, which are the inherent identification information of the first message strings, are referred to as the first message numbers. In addition, the message strings related to the injection molding operation are referred to as the second message strings, the definition documents for defining the second message strings are referred to as the second definition documents, and the message numbers, which are the inherent identification information of the second message strings, are referred to as the second message numbers. These expressions are applied as needed.

[0029] The first message strings related to the operation state of the injection molding machine are message strings predefined by the injection molding machine. For example, they include message strings related to whether the operation of the injection molding machine is successful, message strings related to various setting conditions of the injection molding machine, message strings related to the states of the components constituting the injection molding machine, and the like.

[0030] The second message strings related to the injection molding operation are message strings defined later for the injection molding machine. Typically, they are message strings related to the operation states of the peripheral devices connected to the injection molding machine. However, the second message strings related to the injection molding operation are not limited to the strings related to the operation states of the peripheral devices, and can be any arbitrary message strings related to the injection molding operation that are not predefined. In addition, the message strings defined later for the injection molding machine indicate message strings that can be defined for the injection molding machine based on user operations at any time, and are clearly distinguished from the message strings pre-stored in the injection molding machine.

[0031] In this embodiment, an example is described in which a message string related to a peripheral device is defined as a second message string for a later stage for an injection molding machine. However, this embodiment can also be applied to a case where, as the second message string, a message string related to components or the like of the injection molding machine is defined at a later stage.

[0032] In this embodiment, a message number is used as identification information for identifying a message string. However, as long as the message string can be identified, the identification information is not limited to the message number, and the name of the message string, a message ID, or the like can be used.

[0033] Figure 1 FIG. is a diagram showing the structure of an injection molding system 1 including the injection molding machine 2 of this embodiment. As Figure 1 shown, the injection molding system 1 has a management server 9. A plurality of injection molding machines 2 are connected to the management server 9 via a communication line 100 such as a network. The peripheral device 8 is connected to the injection molding machine 2 by wire or wirelessly. The injection molding system 1 has, as the peripheral device 8, a robot device (molded product take-out machine) 8a for taking out a molded product from the injection molding machine 2 and transporting it to a specified position, a temperature controller 8b for adjusting the temperature of a mold, and a resin dryer 8c for drying a molding material. The peripheral device 8 is not limited thereto, and can be various devices used together with the injection molding machine 2, such as a resin supply device and a device for removing burrs from a molded product. Further, in this embodiment, the peripheral device 8 is shown as being separate from the injection molding machine 2, but a part or all of the mechanisms and functions of the peripheral device 8 may also be integrally incorporated into the injection molding machine 2.

[0034] As Figure 2 shown, the injection molding machine 2 has a control device formed by connecting hardware such as an operation device 12, a display device 13, a communication device 14, and a storage device 15 to a processor 11 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Typically, the control device is provided by an information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer).

[0035] The operating device 12 is provided by a keyboard, a mouse, a fine motion mechanism, etc. The operating device 12 may be provided by a touch panel that also serves as the display device 13. The user can input various information into the injection molding machine 2 via the operating device 12. The display device 13 is provided by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), etc. A management screen of the injection molding machine 2 and the like is displayed on the display device 13. The communication device 14 controls data transmission and reception among the robot device 8a, the temperature controller 8b, the resin dryer 8c, and the management server 9. The storage device 15 is provided by a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drives), an SSD (SolidState Drive), etc. A control program for overall control of the injection molding machine 2 is stored in the storage device 15. The control program includes a sequence program 300 for controlling the operation of the injection molding machine 2 and a display program 400 for controlling the display of the injection molding machine 2.

[0036] By the processor 11 executing the control programs (sequence program 300, display program 400) stored in the storage device 15, the injection molding machine 2 functions as an input unit (reception unit) 22, a display unit 23, a transceiver unit 24, a storage unit 25, an operation control unit 31, an abnormality detection unit 32, a diagnosis unit 33, a first message number determination unit 34, a display request unit 35, a first message string determination unit 41, a second message string determination unit 42, a screen generation unit 43, and a display control unit 44. The functions of the operation control unit 31, the abnormality detection unit 32, the diagnosis unit 33, the first message number determination unit 34, and the display request unit 35 are the main functions of the sequence program 300. The functions of the first message string determination unit 41, the second message string determination unit 42, the screen generation unit 43, and the display control unit 44 are the main functions of the display program 400.

[0037] The input unit 22 is an interface for directly inputting user operations into the injection molding machine 2. In the present embodiment, the input unit 22 inputs the user operations performed via the operating device 12 into the injection molding machine 2. Specifically, by the user operations performed via the operating device 12, a second definition document (message string definition document for use by peripheral devices) is generated.

[0038] Figure 4 An example of the second definition document is shown. The second definition document is a data document for defining second message strings for the injection molding machine 2 in such a way that alarm messages, self-diagnosis messages, etc. of the peripheral device 8 can be displayed on the injection molding machine 2. As Figure 4As shown, the second definition document is provided by a text document. For example, each line of the text document defines a second message string. According to the specified rules, the second message string is continuously recorded in the text document together with the device identification information and the second message number. The device identification information is information used to identify the peripheral device 8 that is the source of the second message string. For example, it is provided by the device name of the peripheral device 8 or the ID (Identity Document) assigned to the peripheral device 8. The second message number identifies the second message string and the attributes of the second message string. For example, when the second message number contains the prefix "alm", the second message string corresponding to the second message number represents an alarm message, and when the second message number contains the prefix "dgn", the second message string corresponding to the second message number represents a self-diagnosis message. In the present embodiment, the second message string, the device identification information, and the second message number are defined together, but as long as the second message string can be identified, the device identification information can be omitted. The program name of the second display program described later can also be recorded instead of the device identification information. In this case, the second message string can be displayed only when the second display program exists and operates.

[0039] Description returns to Figure 3 , the transceiver unit 24 is an interface for transceiving data between devices connected in a wired or wireless manner. In the present embodiment, the transceiver unit 24 transceives data between the peripheral device 8 and the management server 9 via Figure 2 the communication device 14. The display unit 23 has Figure 2 the display device 13, and displays the management screen generated by the screen generation unit 43 under the control of the display control unit 44.

[0040] The storage unit 25 corresponds to Figure 2 the storage device 15. The storage unit 25 stores a first definition document (a message string definition document for the injection molding machine) and a second definition document (a message string definition document for the peripheral device). The first definition document is a document that the injection molding machine 2 has at the time of delivery by the manufacturer. On the other hand, the second definition document is not possessed by the injection molding machine 2 at the time of delivery by the manufacturer and is generated by the user after delivery. The second definition document is placed in a pre-determined folder. In addition, the storage unit 25 stores a message history database. In the message history database, the first and second message strings displayed by the display unit 23 are recorded in association with the time when the first and second message strings are generated or time information indicating the corresponding time. In addition, the storage unit 25 stores the screen template of the management screen displayed on the display unit 23.

[0041] The motion control unit 31 controls the motion of the injection molding machine 2 according to a preset motion sequence. The abnormality detection unit 32 uses known abnormality detection techniques to detect the occurrence of an abnormality in the injection molding machine 2. For example, the abnormality detection unit 32 compares the output data of the sensors equipped on the injection molding machine 2 or the values derived from the output data with preset thresholds, thereby detecting the occurrence of an abnormality. The diagnosis unit 33 diagnoses the injection molding machine 2 based on a preset diagnosis program. The first message number determination unit 34 determines the first message number corresponding to the abnormality content detected by the abnormality detection unit 32 or the diagnosis result of the diagnosis unit 33. The display request unit 35 sends the first message number determined by the first message number determination unit 34 together with a display request to the display program 400.

[0042] The first message string determination unit 41 uses the first message number passed from the sequence program 300 to retrieve the first definition document and determines the first message string. The second message string determination unit 42 uses the second message number received from the peripheral device 8 via the transceiver unit 24 to retrieve the second definition document placed in a specified folder and determines the second message string. The screen generation unit 43 generates a management screen in which the first and second message strings are described in a specified display area using the screen template of the management screen stored in the storage unit 25. The display control unit 44 displays the management screen generated by the screen generation unit 43 on the display unit 23 according to a preset display mode.

[0043] Hereinafter, with reference to Figure 5 、 Figure 6 , the processing sequence from the detection of an abnormality in the peripheral device 8 to the display of an alarm message corresponding to the abnormality on the management screen of the injection molding machine 2 will be described. Figure 5 An example of the display processing sequence of the alarm message of the peripheral device 8 implemented by the injection molding machine 2 of the present embodiment is shown.

[0044] Figure 6 An example of the management screen 50 displayed on the injection molding machine 2 of the present embodiment is shown. As Figure 6As shown, the management screen 50 includes a display area 50a for displaying information related to the setting information and the operation state of the injection molding machine 2, a display area 50b for displaying alarm messages, and a display area 50c for displaying self-diagnosis messages. In the display area 50b for alarm messages, not only alarm messages related to the abnormal contents occurring in the injection molding machine 2 but also alarm messages related to the abnormal contents occurring in the peripheral device 8 are displayed. Similarly, in the display area 50c for self-diagnosis messages, not only self-diagnosis messages related to the self-diagnosis results of the injection molding machine 2 but also self-diagnosis messages related to the self-diagnosis results of the peripheral device 8 are displayed. In addition, by clicking the tab 50d for the message history included in the management screen 50, the history of message character strings displayed in the past and date and time information are displayed together.

[0045] like Figure 5 As shown, if an abnormality occurs in the peripheral device 8, the injection molding machine 2 receives an alarm message from the peripheral device 8 (S11). The alarm message contains at least a second message number corresponding to the abnormality that occurred. The injection molding machine 2 obtains the device identification information for identifying the peripheral device 8 based on the communication connection setting of the peripheral device 8 in the injection molding machine 2, and also records the time information based on the clock information possessed by the injection molding machine 2 (S12). Then, the second definition document is retrieved using the device identification information and the second message number (S13), and a second message string is determined (S14). For example, using the device identification information "Temperature Controller" and the second message number "alm4201", the second definition document is retrieved. Figure 4 The second definition document shown defines the second message character string "4201 Temperature is higher than the upper limit" as an alarm message.

[0046] Then, the injection molding machine 2 associates the determined second message string, the device identification information, and the time information, and records them in the message history database (S15), generates a management screen 50 in which the determined second message string is recorded as an alarm message in the display area 50b of the alarm message (S16), and refreshes the management screen 50 currently displayed on the display device 13 (S17). The processing result of step S17 is as follows: Figure 6 As shown in the display area 50b of the alarm message of the management screen 50, the alarm message "026 Backward OT alarm of mold height" of the injection molding machine 2 and the alarm message "4201 Temperature exceeds upper limit" of the peripheral device 8 determined by step S14 are displayed at a glance. The first message string related to the injection molding machine 2 and the second message string related to the peripheral device 8 are displayed in the same display area of ​​the management screen 50, or in another display area of ​​the management screen, or in the same pop-up screen.

[0047] According to the injection molding machine 2 of the present embodiment described above, a second message character string related to the peripheral device 8 connected to the injection molding machine 2 can be defined later in the injection molding machine 2. As a result, messages related to the various devices constituting the injection molding system 1 can be concentrated in the injection molding machine 2 and displayed at a glance on the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2. The operator (Operator) or maintenance personnel of the injection molding system 1 can confirm the alarm messages and self-diagnosis messages of the injection molding machine 2 and its peripheral devices 8 only by reading the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2. There is no need to waste energy to look back and forth at the display devices of each peripheral device 8, etc., and can efficiently grasp the abnormal content and self-diagnosis results, and can perform more appropriate operations and maintenance work.

[0048] In addition, the first message string related to the injection molding machine 2 and the second message string related to the peripheral device 8 displayed on the management screen 50 can be displayed separately. For example, in order to distinguish the alarm message of the injection molding machine 2 from the alarm message of the peripheral device 8, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, the alarm message "4201 Temperature is higher than the upper limit" of the peripheral device 8 is displayed with the prefix "EX". Thus, when the alarm message is displayed, the user can quickly understand whether the device where the abnormality occurs is the injection molding machine 2 or the peripheral device 8, and the time taken to eliminate the abnormality can be shortened. Of course, it is also possible to distinguish not only the first message string related to the injection molding machine 2 and the second message string related to the peripheral device 8 displayed on the management screen 50, but also to understand the type of the peripheral device 8 from which the second message string related to the peripheral device 8 is derived, for example, the prefix attached to the second message string is different for each peripheral device, and the device identification information or the peripheral device name can be attached to the second message string. Thus, when the alarm message is displayed, the device where the abnormality occurs can be understood, and the time taken to eliminate the abnormality can be further shortened. Here, as a method of distinguishing messages, a method of adding a string such as a prefix is ​​adopted, and a known method such as changing the color, size, type, and display method of the font can also be adopted.

[0049] In this embodiment, the user continuously records the device identification information, the second message number, and the second message string in a text document according to a predetermined rule, thereby generating a second definition document. However, the method of defining the second message string for the peripheral device in the injection molding machine 2 is not limited to this. For example, a receiving screen for receiving the second message string can be displayed on the injection molding machine 2, and the received second message string can be defined on the receiving screen. Figure 8 An example of an acceptance screen for accepting the second message character string is shown. Figure 8As shown, the reception screen 60 is configured to be able to register alarm messages and self-diagnosis message strings separately. In addition, the input field for inputting an alarm message corresponds to the inherent alarm number of the alarm message, and the input field for inputting a self-diagnosis message corresponds to the inherent self-diagnosis number of the self-diagnosis message. The alarm number and self-diagnosis number displayed on the reception screen 60 correspond to the second message number inside the injection molding machine 2. Therefore, the user can define the second message string and the second message number together in the injection molding machine 2 by simply inputting and registering the second message string in the input field. As Figure 4 shown, this situation helps to save the energy consumption of the user compared with the situation of inputting the device identification information, the second message number, and the second message string according to a predetermined rule.

[0050] In the present embodiment, a second definition document associating the device identification information, the second message number, and the second message string is generated and saved in a predetermined folder of the injection molding machine 2. Thus, for example, taking an abnormality as an opportunity, the second message number received from the peripheral device 8 can be used to retrieve the second definition document saved in the predetermined folder, and a second message string can be determined and displayed as an alarm message on the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2. However, as long as the second message string related to the peripheral device 8 can be displayed on the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2, the injection molding machine 2 may not have a second definition document for defining the second message string.

[0051] Hereinafter, with reference to Figure 9 、 Figure 10 , another method of displaying the second message string related to the peripheral device 8 on the injection molding machine 2 will be described. As Figure 9 shown, if an abnormality occurs in the peripheral device 8, the injection molding machine 2 receives alarm information from the peripheral device 8 (S21). This alarm information includes an alarm ID and a string. The injection molding machine 2 obtains the device identification information and the control channel for identifying the peripheral device 8 based on the communication connection setting of the peripheral device 8 in the injection molding machine 2, and obtains time information corresponding to the time when the abnormality is detected based on the clock information possessed by the display device of the injection molding machine 2 (S22). In addition, the alarm information may also include the importance level of the alarm. In this case, when multiple abnormalities occur in the same device and the same control channel, the message string with a higher priority can be displayed according to the importance level of the alarm.

[0052] The injection molding machine 2 uses the device identification information, control channel, alarm ID and character string to generate a second message character string (S23). For example, the second message character string "MOLD1TCD1-E151Flow late too law" is generated using the device identification information "MOLD1", the control channel "TCD1", the alarm ID "E151", and the character string "Flowlatetoolaw". Then, the injection molding machine 2 associates the generated second message character string, the device identification information and the time information and records them in the message history database (S24), and generates a management screen (S25) in which the generated second message character string is recorded as an alarm message in the alarm message display area, and refreshes the management screen being displayed on the display device 13 (S26). The processing result of step S26 is as follows: Figure 10 As shown in the alarm message display area 51b of the management screen 51, the alarm message "026 Mold height retreat OT alarm" of the injection molding machine 2 and the alarm message "MOLD1TCD1-E151Flowlatetoolaw" of the peripheral device 8 generated in step S23 are displayed.

[0053] In this way, even if the injection molding machine 2 does not have the second definition document, the second message character strings related to the peripheral devices 8 connected to the injection molding machine 2 can be concentrated in the injection molding machine 2 and displayed at a glance on the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2, as in the present embodiment. According to this method, it is sufficient to prepare in advance a program for generating the second message character string using the received alarm message, and there is no need to generate the second definition document, so the operator's energy consumption can be greatly reduced, and the memory usage of the injection molding machine 2 can be reduced. The more peripheral devices 8 connected to the injection molding machine 2, the better the effect. In addition, not only the character string received from the peripheral device 8 is displayed, but also the device identification information is displayed together with the character string, thereby allowing the user to instantly understand which peripheral device 8 has an abnormality, and by displaying the alarm ID together with the character string, the abnormal content can be immediately investigated based on the alarm ID, which can shorten the time consumed to eliminate the abnormality.

[0054] As long as the second message string related to the peripheral device 8 can be displayed on the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2, the structure of the injection molding machine 2 is not limited to this embodiment. Figure 11 As shown in FIG. 1 , a sequence program (another sequence program) 500 for controlling the operation of the peripheral device 8 and a display program (another display program) 600 for controlling the display of the peripheral device 8 may be installed in the injection molding machine 2 at a later time. The display program 600 for the peripheral device 8 has a second definition file related to the peripheral device 8. That is, by installing the display program 600 in the injection molding machine 2, a second definition file is defined for the injection molding machine 2. Figure 11In this case, the sequence program that controls the operation of the injection molding machine 2 and the display program that controls the display of the injection molding machine 2 are respectively expressed as the first sequence program 300 and the first display program 400, and the sequence program that controls the operation of the peripheral device 8 and the display program that controls the display of the peripheral device 8 are respectively expressed as the second sequence program 500 and the second display program 600.

[0055] As Figure 11 shown, a second message string related to the peripheral device 8 and identification information for identifying the message are provided in advance from the second display program 600 to the first display program 400. Thus, the first display program 400 holds the second message string related to the peripheral device 8 and the identification information. Output data of sensors equipped in the peripheral device 8 is input to the second sequence program 500. The second sequence program 500 monitors the occurrence of an abnormality based on the output data. If an abnormality of the peripheral device 8 is detected by the second sequence program 500, the second sequence program 500 sends the identification information of the message corresponding to the detected abnormality content and a display request for the message to the first sequence program 300. The first sequence program 300 sends the display request input from the second sequence program 500 to the first display program 400. The first display program 400 uses the identification information input from the first sequence program 300 to retrieve the message previously transmitted from the second display program 600, and determines the message associated with the identification information. Then, the first display program 400 displays the determined message on the display device 13.

[0056] According to Figure 11 the structure of the injection molding machine 2 shown, the same effect as in this embodiment is achieved. Since the first sequence program 300 is configured to manage all message display requests, by simply placing the definition document of the message string in a specified folder and installing the second sequence program 500, it is possible to display a message with an arbitrary string at an arbitrary timing by the second sequence program 500. Without modifying the first sequence program 300 and the first display program 400, it is possible to flexibly respond when adding or changing any message.

[0057] In Figure 11 the injection molding machine 2 shown, the first display program 400 displays the message transmitted from the second display program 600 on the display device 13. However, as Figure 12 shown, it can be configured such that the first display program 400 responds to a display request from the first sequence program 300 and displays a message related to the injection molding machine 2 on the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2, and the second display program 600 responds to a display request from the second sequence program 500 and displays a message related to the peripheral device 8 on the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2. At this time, as Figure 13As shown, on the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2, an integrated screen 53 is displayed, which is formed by integrating the screen 53a generated by the first display program 400 and the screen 53b generated by the second display program 600 into one screen. The main body of the display control of the integrated screen 53 is the first display program 400. The display layout of the integrated screen is generated by the first display program 400, and a part of the area is allocated as the display area of the second display program 600. According to this structure, it is only necessary to prepare in advance a program that integrates the screen 53a generated by the first display program 400 and the screen 53b generated by the second display program 600 and outputs them as one screen, without modifying the first sequence program 300 and the first display program 400, and it can flexibly respond when adding or changing any messages. In particular, the second display program 600 is defined by the user later and can be generated according to the user's preferences. Therefore, compared with the case where it can only be displayed in the area specified by the existing first display program 400, the display freedom can be improved. In addition, for example, by installing the second display program corresponding to the peripheral devices 8 such as the robot device 8a, the thermostat 8b, and the resin dryer 8c in the injection molding machine 8, the screens of the respective peripheral devices 8 can be switched by operating the labels 53d, 53e, and 53f.

[0058] As described with reference to Figure 11 , Figure 12 , according to the control of the second sequence program (another sequence program) 500, the second message string related to the peripheral device 8 can be displayed through the first display program 400 or the second display program 600. However, in order to further improve the display freedom, it can also be set by the user to select to display through either one or both of the first display program 400 and the second display program 600. For example, as Figure 14 shown, the injection molding machine 2 is configured to have a structure that integrates the Figure 11 structure described and Figure 12 the structure described. Thus, for example, the second message string can be displayed on both the screen 53a generated by the first display program 400 and the screen 53b generated by the second display program 600 in Figure 13 .

[0059] The content displayed on the injection molding machine 2 of the present embodiment can also be displayed on the management server 9 that manages the injection molding machine 2. The management server 9 receives the operating status, history information, and molding data of the injection molding machine 2 from the injection molding machine 2 and displays a history screen that summarizes these data on one screen.

[0060] Figure 15An example of the history screen displayed by the management server 9 is shown. The history screen 70 includes an area 70a for displaying information related to changes in the operating status, an area 70b for displaying history information, and an area 70c for displaying molding data. According to the user operation on the history screen 70, it is possible to switch the injection molding machine 2 to be displayed. In the area 70a for displaying information related to changes in the operating status, information related to the operating time period and the stationary time period of the injection molding machine 2 is displayed. In the area 70b for displaying history information, histories such as messages related to the injection molding machine 2, messages related to the peripheral device 8, operation information on the injection molding machine 2, and change information on the molding conditions stored in the injection molding machine 2 are displayed as history information. In the area 70c for displaying molding data, information related to the molding conditions of the injection molding machine 2 such as the molding date and time, cycle time, injection time, metering time, peak injection pressure, and metering torque for each cycle is displayed.

[0061] The manager who manages the entire injection molding machine 2 can summarize and confirm the molding data together with the message history, change history of the molding conditions, and operation history of the injection molding machine 2 that occur in the injection molding machine 2 and the peripheral device 8 connected thereto by viewing the history screen 70 displayed on the management server 9. By grasping the date and time when the message occurred, the date and time when the molding conditions changed, and the date and time when the injection molding machine 2 was operated, the manager can pay attention to confirm the molded products produced at that date and time, confirm the molding data, etc., which can reduce the possibility of ignoring abnormalities in the molded products and contribute to improving the quality of the molded products.

[0062] In addition, since the management server 9 is connected to the injection molding machine 2 and can obtain the messages of the respective peripheral devices 8 connected to the injection molding machine 2, it is possible to reduce cumbersome operations such as connection settings for each of the peripheral devices 8 without connecting to each of the peripheral devices 8.

[0063] Regarding this embodiment and the modification example, the following supplementary notes are further disclosed.

[0064] (Supplementary Note 1)

[0065] The injection molding machine 2 connected to the peripheral device 8 has:

[0066] a storage unit 25 that stores a first message string related to the operation state of the injection molding machine 2;

[0067] a receiving unit 22 that receives a second message string related to the injection molding operation; and

[0068] a display unit 23 that displays the first message string corresponding to the operation state of the injection molding machine 2 and the second message string corresponding to the injection molding operation in a list.

[0069] (Supplementary Note 2)

[0070] The display unit 23 described in Supplementary Note 1 displays the first message string and the second message string in the same screen, the same screen area, or the same pop-up screen in a list.

[0071] (Supplementary Note 3)

[0072] The second message string described in Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2 is continuously recorded according to a specified rule with the message number inherent to the second message string, and is stored as a text document.

[0073] (Supplementary Note 4)

[0074] The display unit 23 described in Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2 displays an acceptance screen in which an input field is associated with a number, and the acceptance unit 22 accepts the message string input in the input field of the acceptance screen as the second message string, and the accepted second message string is stored together with the number.

[0075] (Supplementary Note 5)

[0076] The acceptance unit 22 described in Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2 accepts the second message string from the peripheral device 8.

[0077] (Supplementary Note 6)

[0078] The display timing of the first message string described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 5 is controlled by the sequence program 300 for controlling the operation of the injection molding machine 2, and the display timing of the second message string is controlled by another sequence program 500.

[0079] (Supplementary Note 7)

[0080] The second message string described in Supplementary Note 6 is transmitted from another display program 600.

[0081] (Supplementary Note 8)

[0082] The second message string described in Supplementary Note 6 is displayed by another display program in response to a display request from another sequence program.

[0083] (Supplementary Note 9)

[0084] The second message string described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 8 is displayed separately from the first message string.

[0085] (Supplementary Note 10)

[0086] The second message string displayed on the display unit 23 described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 9 is saved in a common history database together with the first message string displayed on the display unit 23.

[0087] (Supplementary Note 11)

[0088] An injection molding system 1 includes: an injection molding machine 2 as described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 10; and an information processing device 9 connected to the injection molding machine 2. The injection molding machine 2 further includes a transmission unit 24 that transmits a first message string and a second message string displayed on a display unit 23 to the information processing device 9. The information processing device 9 includes: a reception unit that receives the first message string and the second message string from the injection molding machine 2, a storage unit that stores the received first message string and second message string, and a display unit that displays the received first message string and second message string.

[0089] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described respective embodiments. These embodiments can be variously added, replaced, changed, or partially deleted within the scope without departing from the gist of the invention or within the scope of the content described in the claims and the idea and gist of the present invention derived from its equivalents. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the order of each operation and the order of each process are shown as an example and are not limited thereto. The same applies to the cases where numerical values or formulas are used in the description of the above-described embodiments.

[0090] Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0091] 1 injection molding system, 2 injection molding machine, 8 peripheral device, 9 management server, 11 processor, 12 operation device, 13 display device, 14 communication device, 15 storage device, 22 input unit, 23 display unit, 24 transceiver unit, 25 storage unit, 31 action control unit, 32 abnormality detection unit, 33 diagnosis unit, 34 first message number determination unit, 35 display request unit, 41 first message string determination unit, 42 second message string determination unit, 43 screen generation unit, 44 display control unit, 300, 500 sequence programs, 400, 600 display programs.

Claims

1. An injection molding machine, wherein, comprising: a storage unit that stores a first message string related to the operation state of an injection molding machine; a reception unit that receives a second message string related to an injection molding operation; and a display unit that displays in a list the first message string corresponding to the operation state of the injection molding machine and the second message string corresponding to the injection molding operation.

2. The injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein, The display unit displays the first message string and the second message string in a list on the same screen or in the same screen area or in the same pop-up screen.

3. The injection molding machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, According to a prescribed rule, the second message string and the message number inherent to the second message string are continuously recorded and stored as a text document.

4. The injection molding machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The display unit displays an acceptance screen in which an input field is associated with a number, and the reception unit accepts the message string input to the input field of the acceptance screen as the second message string. The accepted second message string is stored together with the number.

5. The injection molding machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The reception unit receives the second message string from a peripheral device connected to the injection molding machine.

6. The injection molding machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The display timing of the first message string is controlled by a sequence program for controlling the operation of the injection molding machine. The display timing of the second message string is controlled by another sequence program.

7. The injection molding machine according to claim 6, wherein, The second message string is transferred from another display program.

8. The injection molding machine according to claim 6, wherein, In response to a display request from the other sequence program, the second message string is displayed by another display program.

9. The injection molding machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The second message string is displayed separately from the first message string.

10. The injection molding machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The second message string displayed on the display unit and the first message string displayed on the display unit are saved together in a common history database.

11. An injection molding system, wherein, comprising: an injection molding machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and an information processing device connected to the injection molding machine; The injection molding machine further has a transmission unit that transmits the first message string and the second message string displayed on the display unit to the information processing device. The information processing device has: a reception unit that receives the first message string and the second message string from the injection molding machine, a storage unit that stores the received first message string and second message string, and a display unit that displays the received first message string and second message string.

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