Injection molding machine, control device used in injection molding machine, and control method of injection molding machine

Abstract

To improve the efficiency of the OS updating work of a servo amplifier in an injection molding machine loaded with a plurality of servo amplifiers.SOLUTION: The injection molding machine 100 includes a plurality of servo amplifiers 160 and a control device 140 configured to be able to communicate with the plurality of servo amplifiers 160. The plurality of servo amplifiers 160 include a servo amplifier 161,162. When the version of the operation system (OS) of the servo amplifier 162 is different from the version of the OS of the servo amplifier 161, the control device 140 updates the OS of the servo amplifier 161 to the version of the OS of the servo amplifier 162.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an injection molding machine, a control device used in the injection molding machine, and a control method for the injection molding machine, and more particularly to a method for updating the operation system (OS) of a servo amplifier mounted in the injection molding machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2018-008397 (Patent Document 1) discloses an electric injection molding machine in which each device, such as a clamping device that clamps a mold and an injection device that melts and injects resin into the mold, is operated by a servo motor. In the injection molding machine disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2018-008397 (Patent Document 1), the servo motors that drive each device are driven by a servo amplifier. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-008397 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A servo amplifier for driving a servo motor includes a control circuit for performing servo control, and this control circuit generally includes a storage device that stores software including an operating system (OS), and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for executing the software.

[0005] This OS is updated to new versions as needed to add new features or fix bugs discovered in the program.

[0006] Previously, this OS update was sometimes performed by physically replacing the servo amplifier installed in the injection molding machine with a servo amplifier running a newer version of the OS. This required disconnecting the wiring and replacing the servo amplifier every time an OS update was performed, and in the case of an injection molding machine equipped with multiple servo amplifiers, the replacement work was required for each servo amplifier. This required time and effort for the replacement work, which led to a decrease in operation rate and / or increased costs.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and its purpose is to improve the efficiency of OS update work for servo amplifiers in an injection molding machine equipped with multiple servo amplifiers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an injection molding machine including a plurality of servo amplifiers and a control device configured to be able to communicate with the plurality of servo amplifiers. The plurality of servo amplifiers include a first servo amplifier and a second servo amplifier. When the version of an operating system (OS) of the first servo amplifier is different from the version of the OS of the second servo amplifier, the control device updates the OS of the second servo amplifier to the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier.

[0009] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an injection molding machine including a first servo amplifier and a second servo amplifier configured to be able to communicate with each other, and when the version of an OS of the first servo amplifier is different from the version of an OS of the second servo amplifier, the first servo amplifier updates the OS of the second servo amplifier to the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier.

[0010] A control device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is used in an injection molding machine including a plurality of servo amplifiers. The control device includes a processor and a communication circuit configured to be able to communicate with the plurality of servo amplifiers. The plurality of servo amplifiers include a first servo amplifier and a second servo amplifier. If the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier is different from the version of the OS of the second servo amplifier, the processor updates the OS of the second servo amplifier to the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier.

[0011] A control method according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is applied to an injection molding machine including a plurality of servo amplifiers. The plurality of servo amplifiers include a first servo amplifier and a second servo amplifier. The control method includes the steps of (1) acquiring information on OS versions from the first servo amplifier and the second servo amplifier, (2) comparing the OS version of the first servo amplifier with the OS version of the second servo amplifier, and (3) updating the OS of the second servo amplifier to the OS version of the first servo amplifier if the OS version of the first servo amplifier differs from the OS version of the second servo amplifier. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] In the injection molding machine according to the present disclosure, when the OS versions of the servo amplifiers installed in the injection molding machine are different, the OS of one servo amplifier can be updated to the version of the other servo amplifier using communication within the device. This eliminates the need to replace the servo amplifier to update its OS. This therefore makes it possible to efficiently update the OS of the servo motors in the injection molding machine. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram for illustrating a configuration of an injection molding machine according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram showing a first example of a communication form between a control device and a servo amplifier in the injection molding machine of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a second example of a communication format between a control device and a servo amplifier. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a third example of a communication format between a control device and a servo amplifier. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen for updating an OS of a servo amplifier. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an OS update performed by a manual operation. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating automatic OS update control by the control device. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart for explaining automatic update control when the OS is automatically updated by a servo amplifier. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating manual control of updating an OS. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

[0015] [Configuration of injection molding machine] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an injection molding machine 100 according to an embodiment. For ease of explanation, the floor on which injection molding machine 100 is placed is defined as an XY plane, and the direction perpendicular to the floor is defined as the Z-axis direction. The positive direction of the Z-axis may be referred to as the upper side or upward, and the negative direction as the lower side or downward. Although injection molding machine 100 in the embodiment is shown as a horizontal injection molding machine, it is not limited to a horizontal type and may be a vertical injection molding machine.

[0016] 1, injection molding machine 100 includes a mold clamping unit 110 for clamping a mold, an injection unit 120 for melting and injecting an injection material, an operation panel 130, a control unit 140, and a servo amplifier 160. In Fig. 1, mold clamping unit 110 is disposed on the negative side of the X-axis relative to injection unit 120.

[0017] The mold clamping device 110 includes a bed 111, a fixed platen 112, a mold clamping housing 113, a movable platen 114, tie bars 115, a mold clamping mechanism 116, and a ball screw 119. The bed 111 is placed on the floor surface, and devices such as the fixed platen 112, the mold clamping housing 113, and the movable platen 114 are mounted on the upper surface of the bed 111.

[0018] The fixed platen 112 is fixed to the end of the bed 111 that is closer to the injection unit 120 (i.e., in the positive direction of the X-axis). The mold clamping housing 113 is disposed at the end of the bed 111 that is in the negative direction of the X-axis. The fixed platen 112 and the mold clamping housing 113 are connected by tie bars 115 that include a plurality of bars. The mold clamping housing 113 is movable on the bed 111 in the X-axis direction.

[0019] The movable platen 114 is disposed on the bed 111 between the fixed platen 112 and the clamping housing 113. The movable platen 114 is configured to be movable in the X-axis direction. The clamping housing 113 and the movable platen 114 are connected by a clamping mechanism 116. The clamping mechanism 116 has a toggle mechanism including a link structure. A ball screw 119 is connected to the toggle mechanism, and by driving a servo motor 151 disposed in the clamping housing 113 to rotate the ball screw 119, the movable platen 114 can be moved in the X-axis direction relative to the clamping housing 113. Note that a direct-acting cylinder driven by hydraulic pressure may be used as the clamping mechanism 116.

[0020] Molds 117 and 118 are disposed on the movable platen 114 and the fixed platen 112, respectively. The mold 117 and the mold 118 are disposed facing each other between the movable platen 114 and the fixed platen 112. By moving the mold 117 in the X-axis direction using the mold clamping mechanism 116, the mold 117 and the mold 118 can be brought into close contact with each other or moved away from each other. In the following description, the process of transitioning the molds 117 and 118 from a spaced-apart state to a close-contact state is referred to as "mold closing." The process of clamping the molds with a large force from the mold closed state so that they do not open due to the injection pressure is referred to as "mold clamping." Furthermore, the process of transitioning the molds 117 and 118 from a close-contact state to a spaced-apart state is referred to as "mold opening."

[0021] With the mold 117 and mold 118 clamped together in the mold clamping process, a molten molding material (resin) is filled into the mold and cooled to solidify, thereby molding a product of a desired shape. After the product has been molded, with the mold 117 separated from the mold 118 in the mold opening process, the molded product can be removed from the mold 117 by operating an ejector mechanism (not shown) arranged on the movable platen 114. The ejector mechanism is driven by a servo motor 152 arranged on the movable platen 114. The process of removing the product using the ejector mechanism is referred to as the "ejection" process.

[0022] The injection device 120 includes a base 121, a heating cylinder 122, a drive device 124, a hopper 125, an injection moving device 127, and a temperature sensor 128. The base 121 is placed on the floor surface on the positive side of the X-axis of the bed 111, and the drive device 124 is mounted on the upper surface thereof. Servo motors 153 and 154 are arranged in the drive device 124.

[0023] A heating cylinder 122 extending in the X-axis direction is disposed in the driving device 124. The heating cylinder 122 is provided with a heater (not shown) for heating the interior, a screw 123, and an injection nozzle 126. The screw 123 is driven by a servo motor 153 in the driving device 124 and is configured to be rotatable around the X-axis direction as its rotation axis. The screw 123 is also configured to be movable in the X-axis direction by the servo motor 154. The injection nozzle 126 is disposed at the end of the heating cylinder 122 on the mold clamping device 110 side (i.e., the end in the negative direction of the X-axis). The heating cylinder 122 heats and melts beads of resin material fed from a hopper 125, and kneads the material using the screw 123 to produce a molten molding material. This process of melting the resin material is referred to as a "plasticization" process.

[0024] The injection moving device 127 is configured, for example, by a mechanism using a hydraulic cylinder or a mechanism using a ball screw, and connects the drive device 124 to the fixed platen 112 of the mold clamping device 110. When the injection moving device 127 is configured by a mechanism using a ball screw, the injection moving device 127 is driven by the drive device 124 to move the drive device 124 and the heating cylinder 122 in the X-axis direction. The injection moving device 127 brings the injection nozzle 126 into contact with the sprue bushing of the mold 118 in the mold clamping device 110, and injects the molten molding material from the injection nozzle 126, thereby filling the cavities of the molds 117, 118 with the molten molding material. The servo motor 154 applies pressure to the molten molding material by moving the screw 123 in the heating cylinder 122 in the negative direction of the X-axis, thereby injecting the molten molding material into the molds 117, 118 and maintaining a constant pressure of the molten molding material after injection.

[0025] The configuration of the injection movement mechanism is not limited to the above-described configuration in which the entire injection device is moved by a ball screw disposed between the fixed platen 112 and the drive device 124, but may be other configurations. For example, a configuration in which a ball screw is used to connect the device frame to a fixed member at the rear of the heating cylinder, and the heating cylinder itself is moved toward the mold, may be used. Alternatively, a configuration in which a ball screw is used to connect a slide base on which the injection device is mounted to the device frame, and the injection device is moved together with the slide base to bring the injection nozzle into contact with the mold may be used.

[0026] The process of injecting the molten molding material into the molds 117, 118 is called the "injection" process. After the injection process, the process of maintaining the molten molding material filled in the molds 117, 118 at a constant pressure to adjust the amount of shrinkage is called the "holding" process. After the holding process is completed, a cooling process, in which the molten molding material is left to solidify in the mold, and a plasticization process, in which the material for the next injection is melted, kneaded, and measured, are carried out in parallel.

[0027] Temperature sensors 128 are arranged at several locations from the base of the heating cylinder 122 to the injection nozzle 126. The temperature sensors 128 detect the temperature of the heating cylinder 122 and output the detected temperature to the control device 140. The control device 140 controls the heater based on the detected value of the temperature sensor 128 to adjust the temperature of the heating cylinder 122 to a desired temperature.

[0028] Once the cooling and plasticizing steps are complete, the mold opening and ejection steps are carried out to remove the molded product.

[0029] The injection molding machine 100 can continuously mold products by cyclically repeating a mold closing process, a mold clamping process, an injection process, a pressure holding process, a cooling and plasticizing process, a mold opening process, and an ejection process.

[0030] A control panel mounted on the base 121 houses a control device 140 and a servo amplifier 160 for driving the servo motors 151-154. The control device 140 includes a CPU 141 and a storage device 142. The control device 140 acquires detection values ​​from various sensors arranged in the injection molding machine 100 and comprehensively controls the injection molding machine 100. The storage device 142 includes memories such as a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM), as well as large-capacity storage devices such as a hard disk drive (HDD) and a solid state drive (SSD). The storage device 142 stores various programs and data for automatic operation, as well as setting values ​​of various parameters and measurement values ​​of the sensors during operation. Although not shown in the figure, the servo amplifier 160 includes multiple servo amplifiers (servo amplifiers 161-164, which will be described later in FIG. 2) provided corresponding to the servo motors 151-154, respectively.

[0031] The operation panel 130 is a device used by an operator to operate the injection molding machine 100, and includes a display device 135 such as a liquid crystal display, and an input device 136 such as a keyboard or operation switches. The operation panel 130 is connected to the control device 140, and can acquire and display the status of the injection molding machine 100, and output user operation signals from the input device 136 to the control device 140. The operation panel 130 may be a touch panel in which the display device 135 and the input device 136 are integrated. The operation panel 130 may be attached to the bed 111 or base 121 of the injection molding machine 100, or may be located in a position independent of the injection molding machine 100.

[0032] [Communication network inside injection molding machine] Next, a description will be given of the communication mode within injection molding machine 100. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the communication mode between control device 140 and servo amplifier 160 in injection molding machine 100 of Fig. 1.

[0033] 2, in injection molding machine 100 of the embodiment, control device 140 further includes a communication circuit 143 configured to be able to communicate with servo amplifiers 161 to 164. Control device 140 and servo amplifiers 161 to 164 are connected to a ring-type communication network 170. Data can be exchanged between control device 140 and each servo amplifier, and between the servo amplifiers, via communication network 170.

[0034] Each of the servo amplifiers 161 to 164 has a control circuit (not shown) for performing servo control, which includes a storage device storing software including an operating system (OS), and a CPU for executing the software.

[0035] This OS is updated to new versions as needed to add new features or fix bugs discovered in the program.

[0036] Previously, this OS update was performed by physically replacing the servo amplifier installed in the injection molding machine with a servo amplifier with a new version of the OS. This required disconnecting the wiring and replacing the servo amplifier every time the OS was updated, and in the case of an injection molding machine equipped with multiple servo amplifiers, the replacement work had to be done for each servo amplifier.

[0037] This requires time and effort to perform the replacement work, which can lead to a decrease in availability and / or increased costs.Furthermore, the replacement work requires manual labor, which increases the likelihood of incorrect wiring and other installation errors, which can lead to breakdowns or other problems.

[0038] In the injection molding machine 100 of this embodiment, a new version of the OS is acquired for the control device 140 or one of the servo amplifiers via an external device 20, such as a terminal computer or USB memory, and the new version of the OS is then deployed to the other servo amplifiers to be updated via the communication network 170. This configuration eliminates the need to replace the servo amplifier to update the OS, thereby reducing the time and labor required for the replacement work. This not only makes the OS update work for the servo motors more efficient, but also prevents problems such as wiring errors that occur during the replacement work.

[0039] In addition, when the control device 140 is connected to an external communication network 50, a new version of the OS may be downloaded via the communication network 50 from an external server 10, such as a server of a servo amplifier manufacturer or an in-house equipment management server.

[0040] (Modified communication format) In FIG. 2, an example has been described in which the control device 140 and the servo amplifier 160 can communicate with each other via the ring-type communication network 170, but the mode of communication between the devices is not limited to this.

[0041] For example, the communication format may be a bus-type configuration in which the control device 140 and the servo amplifiers 160 are connected to each other via a common bus 170A, as in the example shown in Fig. 3. In this case, the configuration may be such that the servo amplifiers can communicate directly with each other, or such that the control device 140 controls the servo amplifiers 160 in an integrated manner without direct communication between the servo amplifiers.

[0042] Furthermore, the communication configuration may be a so-called star configuration, as shown in FIG. 4, in which the control device 140 and each servo amplifier communicate individually, and no communication is performed between the servo amplifiers.

[0043] [Display screen] Next, the OS update method in the injection molding machine 100 according to the embodiment will be described in detail using an example of a display screen for updating the OS of the servo amplifier displayed on the display device 135.

[0044] 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen 200 for updating the OS of a servo amplifier. The display screen 200 includes a display area 210 for OS information, a selection button 220, and expansion buttons 231-234.

[0045] The selection button 220 is a button for selecting the automatic OS update mode. When the automatic update mode is selected by the selection button 220, the control device 140 automatically updates the OS when a predetermined condition is met.

[0046] The predetermined condition includes, for example, turning on the power of the injection molding machine 100. When the power of the injection molding machine 100 is turned on at the start of work, the control device 140 checks the OS version of each servo amplifier and updates it to the latest OS version.

[0047] Other examples of the predetermined condition include, for example, when the OS of any of the servo amplifiers 161 to 164 is updated and / or when a predetermined time arrives. The predetermined time may be a predetermined time every day, or a predetermined time on a specific day (for example, the 1st, 10th, or 20th of every month) or a specific day of the week (for example, every Friday).

[0048] The deployment buttons 231 to 234 are buttons for the user to manually execute an OS update, and are provided corresponding to each servo amplifier. For example, when the deployment button 231 corresponding to the servo amplifier 161 is selected by the user, if the OS version of the servo amplifier 161 is the latest version, the control device 140 updates the OS of the other servo amplifiers to the same OS as the servo amplifier 161. Note that if the OS version of the servo amplifier 161 is not the latest version, deployment to the other servo amplifiers is not performed.

[0049] The OS information displayed in the display area 210 includes information indicating the version of the OS currently applied to each servo amplifier, an update permission flag, and an expansion permission flag. In the example of Fig. 5, the OS version of servo amplifier 1 is "1.03," the OS version of servo amplifier 2 is "2.00," and the OS versions of servo amplifier 3 and servo amplifier 4 are "1.01."

[0050] Here, OS version "1.03" is a new version that is an upgrade of OS version "1.01." Also, OS version "2.00" is a version in a different series from OS versions "1.01" and "1.03," and is, for example, an OS version with special specifications that are compatible with a specific servo motor.

[0051] The update permission flag indicates whether automatic or manual OS updates are possible. If the update permission flag is "YES," it indicates that updating to a new OS version is possible. On the other hand, if the update permission flag is "NO," it indicates that OS updates are prohibited, and the OS update process for the servo motor will not be executed even when the time for an automatic update arrives or when a manual update operation is performed by the user.

[0052] In the example in Figure 5, the update permission flag for servo amplifier 2, whose OS version is "2.00," is "NO," while the update permission flags for the other servo amplifiers 1, 3, and 4 are "YES." In other words, changing the OS version for servo amplifier 2 is prohibited.

[0053] 5, as described above, servo amplifier 2 has a special OS, and OSes compatible with servo amplifiers 1, 3, and 4 cannot be applied. Therefore, by setting the update permission flag to "NO," it is possible to prevent the OS of servo amplifier 2 from being accidentally updated in conjunction with an automatic update or a manual update operation by the user.

[0054] On the other hand, the update permission flags for servo amplifiers 1, 3, and 4 are set to "YES." Therefore, when an automatic update or a manual update is performed by the user, the OS version of these servo amplifiers is updated if certain requirements are met. For example, this requirement is met when there is a servo amplifier with an OS version newer than the OS version of the servo amplifier itself.

[0055] In the example of Figure 5, among servo amplifiers 1, 3, and 4, the OS version of servo amplifier 1 is newer than the OS versions of servo amplifiers 3 and 4. Therefore, when an automatic update or a manual update is performed by the user, the OS version of servo amplifiers 3 and 4 is updated from "1.01" to "1.03." Conversely, because the OS versions of servo amplifiers 3 and 4 are older than the OS version of servo amplifier 1, the OS of servo amplifier 1 is not updated.

[0056] The deployment permission flag indicates whether the OS of the target servo amplifier can be used to update other servo amplifiers when the user manually updates the OS. If the deployment permission flag is "YES," the OS of the target servo amplifier can be deployed to other servo amplifiers and the OS of the other servo amplifiers updated if certain requirements are met. On the other hand, if the deployment permission flag is "NO," deployment of the OS to other servo amplifiers is prohibited.

[0057] For example, as shown in Figure 6, if the user selects the deployment button 231 corresponding to servo amplifier 1, the deployment permission flag for servo amplifier 1 is "YES" and the OS version "1.03" is newer than the OS version "1.01" of servo amplifiers 3 and 4, so the OS of servo amplifiers 3 and 4 is updated to the OS version "1.03" that is the same as that of servo amplifier 1.

[0058] Note that because the deployment permission flag for servo amplifier 2 is set to "NO," even if the user selects deployment button 232, the OSs of the other servo amplifiers 1, 3, and 4 will not be updated to the version "2.00" of servo amplifier 2. Also, if deployment button 233 for servo amplifier 3 or deployment button 234 for servo amplifier 4 is selected, the deployment permission flags for servo amplifiers 3 and 4 are "YES," but because the OS version "1.03" of servo amplifier 1 is newer than the OS version "1.01" of servo amplifiers 3 and 4, the OSs of servo amplifiers 3 and 4 will not be deployed to the other servo amplifiers.

[0059] Each servo amplifier contains an installer for the OS as part of its OS information. When deploying its own OS to another servo amplifier, this installer is sent to the servo amplifier to be updated. The servo amplifier to be updated then starts the installer, which updates to the new OS.

[0060] The above installer may be stored in the storage device 142 of the control device 140 and managed centrally, rather than in each servo amplifier. In this case, the control device 140 selects the installer for the servo amplifier to be deployed and transmits it to the servo amplifier to be updated. The servo amplifier to be updated starts the transmitted installer, thereby updating to the new OS.

[0061] [Control Flow] Next, specific processing in each update mode will be described.

[0062] (Automatic update) First, the processing when the automatic update mode is selected by the selection button 220 will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a flowchart when the OS is automatically updated in the control device 140. On the other hand, Figure 8 is a flowchart when the OS is automatically updated in each servo amplifier. The processing in Figures 7 and 8 is called from the main routine and executed when a predetermined condition is met.

[0063] 7, the control device 140 determines whether or not it is time for automatic update in step (hereinafter, step will be abbreviated as S) 100. The automatic update timing is, for example, the timing when the injection molding machine 100 is turned on.

[0064] If it is not the timing for automatic update (NO in S100), the OS update process is not necessary, and therefore control device 140 skips the subsequent processes and returns the process to the main routine.

[0065] If it is time for an automatic update (YES in S100), the process proceeds to S110, where the control device 140 acquires OS information from each servo amplifier. Then, in S120, the control device 140 determines whether the deployment permission flag in any of the servo amplifiers is "YES."

[0066] If the deployment permission flags in all the servo amplifiers are "NO" (NO in S120), there is no OS that can be deployed, so the control device 140 skips the subsequent processing and returns to the main routine.

[0067] On the other hand, if the deployment permission flag of any servo amplifier is "YES" (YES in S120), the process proceeds to S130, where the control device 140 compares the OS versions of the servo amplifiers and determines the latest version of the OS for the servo amplifier whose deployment permission flag is "YES". Then, in S140, the control device 140 deploys the latest version of the OS determined in S130 to the servo amplifier whose update permission flag is "YES", and causes the corresponding servo amplifier to update the OS.

[0068] By performing the above-described control process in the control device 140 that performs overall control, the OS of the servo amplifier can be automatically updated to the latest version, thereby improving the efficiency of the OS update work for the servo motor in the injection molding machine.

[0069] Next, a case where an automatic OS update is determined and performed in a servo amplifier will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The process in Fig. 8 is executed by a CPU provided in a specific servo amplifier or in each servo amplifier.

[0070] In S200, the servo amplifier 160 determines whether it is time for an automatic update. If it is not time for an automatic update (NO in S200), the OS update process is not necessary, and the servo amplifier 160 skips the subsequent processes and returns to the main routine.

[0071] If it is time for automatic update (YES in S200), the process proceeds to S210, where the servo amplifier 160 acquires its own OS information. Then, in S220, the servo amplifier 160 determines whether its own deployment permission flag is "YES".

[0072] If the deployment permission flag is "NO" (NO in S220), the servo amplifier 160 cannot deploy the OS to other servo amplifiers, so the servo amplifier 160 skips the subsequent processing and returns to the main routine. On the other hand, if its own deployment permission flag is "YES" (YES in S220), the servo amplifier 160 acquires OS information from other servo amplifiers (S230), compares the acquired OS version of the other servo amplifier with its own OS version (S240), and determines whether its own OS is the latest version (S250).

[0073] If the version of the OS of one of the other servo amplifiers is newer and the servo amplifier's own OS is not the latest version (NO in S250), the servo amplifier 160 skips the subsequent process and returns to the main routine.

[0074] On the other hand, if its own OS is the latest version (YES in S250), processing proceeds to S260, and servo amplifier 160 deploys its own OS to the other servo amplifiers whose update permission flags are set to "YES" and causes them to perform an OS update.

[0075] As described above, when communication between servo amplifiers is possible, the CPU installed in each servo amplifier can automatically update the OS of each servo amplifier to the latest version, thereby improving the efficiency of OS updates for servo motors in injection molding machines.

[0076] (manual update) The process of manually updating the OS of the servo amplifier by a user operation will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart for explaining manual OS update control. This process is executed by the CPU included in the control device 140 or the servo amplifier 160 when the "Expand button" on the display screen 200 described in Fig. 5 is operated. In the following, the case where the process is executed by the control device 140 will be described as an example.

[0077] When a user operates the "Expand button" corresponding to a certain servo amplifier on the display screen 200, the control device 140 acquires the OS information of the servo amplifier to be operated in S300, and determines in S310 whether the expansion permission flag of the servo amplifier is "YES".

[0078] If the deployment permission flag is "NO" (NO in S310), the OS of the servo amplifier cannot be deployed to other servo amplifiers, so the control device 140 skips the subsequent processing and returns to the main routine. On the other hand, if the deployment permission flag is "YES" (YES in S310), the control device 140 acquires OS information of other servo amplifiers in S320.

[0079] Next, in S330, the control device 140 determines whether there is a servo amplifier whose update permission flag is set to "YES" based on the acquired OS information. If there is no servo amplifier whose update permission flag is set to "YES" (NO in S330), there is no other servo amplifier to which the data can be deployed, so the control device 140 skips the subsequent processing and returns the processing to the main routine.

[0080] On the other hand, if there is a servo amplifier whose update permission flag is set to "YES" (YES at S330), the control device 140 compares the OS version of the target servo amplifier with the OS version of the servo amplifier in question (S340) and determines whether the OS of the servo amplifier in question is the latest version (S350).

[0081] If the version of the OS of one of the target servo amplifiers is newer and the OS of that servo amplifier is not the latest version (NO in S350), control device 140 skips the subsequent process and returns to the main routine.

[0082] On the other hand, if the OS of the servo amplifier is the latest version (YES in S350), the process proceeds to S360, where control device 140 loads the OS of the servo amplifier into the target servo amplifier and causes the OS to be updated.

[0083] By performing control according to the above process, the user simply selects the servo amplifier to be deployed, and the system automatically determines whether the OS of that servo amplifier needs to be deployed, and updates the OS of the servo amplifier that needs to be deployed. This makes it possible to efficiently update the OS of the servo amplifier in the injection molding machine.

[0084] The "deployment permission flag" and the "update permission flag" in the embodiments correspond to the "first information" and the "second information" in the present disclosure, respectively. One of the "servo amplifiers 161 to 164" in the embodiments corresponds to the "first servo amplifier" in the present disclosure, and the other servo amplifiers correspond to the "second servo amplifier" in the present disclosure.

[0085] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above embodiments, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 10 external server, 20 external equipment, 50, 170 communication network, 100 injection molding machine, 110 mold clamping device, 111 bed, 112 fixed platen, 113 mold clamping housing, 114 movable platen, 115 tie bar, 116 mold clamping mechanism, 117, 118 mold, 120 injection unit, 121 base, 122 heating cylinder, 123 screw, 124 drive unit, 125 hopper, 126 injection nozzle, 127 injection moving unit, 128 temperature sensor, 130 operation panel, 135 display device, 136 input device, 140 control device, 142 storage device, 143 communication circuit, 151 to 154 servo motor, 160, 161 to 164 servo amplifier, 170A bus, 200 display screen, 210 Display area, 220 Selection button, 231-234 Expand button.

Claims

1. 1. An injection molding machine, A plurality of servo amplifiers, a control device configured to be able to communicate with the plurality of servo amplifiers; the plurality of servo amplifiers include a first servo amplifier and a second servo amplifier; The control device, when the version of the operating system (OS) of the first servo amplifier is different from the version of the OS of the second servo amplifier, updates the OS of the second servo amplifier to the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier.

2. 2. The injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein the control device updates the OS of the second servo amplifier to the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier when the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier is newer than the version of the OS of the second servo amplifier.

3. Each OS includes first information indicating whether or not deployment of the OS to another servo amplifier is permitted, 3. The injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein the control device updates the OS of the second servo amplifier to the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier when the first information in the OS of the first servo amplifier allows deployment to other servo amplifiers.

4. Each OS includes second information indicating whether or not updating of the OS is permitted; 3. The injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein the control device updates the OS of the second servo amplifier to the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier when the second information in the OS of the second servo amplifier indicates that an OS update is permitted.

5. further comprising an input device for receiving an operation input from a user; 3. The injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein the control device updates the OS of the second servo amplifier to the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier when the control device receives an operation input from a user at the input device indicating an instruction to deploy the OS of the first servo amplifier.

6. 3. The injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein the control device automatically updates the OS of the second servo amplifier to the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier in response to a predetermined condition being met.

7. The injection molding machine is configured so that whether or not the OS is to be automatically updated can be set in advance by a user's selection, 7. The injection molding machine according to claim 6, wherein the control device automatically updates the OS of the second servo amplifier to the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier in response to the predetermined condition being met when automatic updating of the OS is permitted.

8. 7. The injection molding machine according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined condition includes that the injection molding machine is turned on.

9. The injection molding machine according to claim 6 , wherein the predetermined condition includes that an OS of the first servo amplifier has been updated by an external device.

10. The injection molding machine according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined condition includes the arrival of a predetermined time.

11. 1. An injection molding machine, a first servo amplifier and a second servo amplifier configured to be able to communicate with each other; an injection molding machine, wherein the first servo amplifier updates the OS of the second servo amplifier to the OS version of the first servo amplifier when the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier is different from the version of the OS of the second servo amplifier;

12. 12. The injection molding machine according to claim 11, wherein the first servo amplifier updates the OS of the second servo amplifier to the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier when the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier is newer than the version of the OS of the second servo amplifier.

13. Each OS includes first information indicating whether deployment of the OS to another servo amplifier is permitted, and second information indicating whether updating of the OS is permitted, 13. The injection molding machine according to claim 11, wherein the first servo amplifier updates the OS of the second servo amplifier to the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier when the first information in the OS of the first servo amplifier allows deployment to other servo amplifiers and the second information in the OS of the second servo amplifier allows OS updating.

14. A control device used in an injection molding machine including a plurality of servo amplifiers, a processor; a communication circuit configured to be able to communicate with the plurality of servo amplifiers; the plurality of servo amplifiers include a first servo amplifier and a second servo amplifier; The processor updates the OS of the second servo amplifier to the OS version of the first servo amplifier when the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier is different from the version of the OS of the second servo amplifier.

15. 15. The control device according to claim 14, wherein the control device updates the OS of the second servo amplifier to the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier when the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier is newer than the version of the OS of the second servo amplifier.

16. Each OS includes first information indicating whether deployment of the OS to another servo amplifier is permitted, and second information indicating whether updating of the OS is permitted, The control device according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the control device updates the OS of the second servo amplifier to the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier when the first information in the OS of the first servo amplifier allows deployment to other servo amplifiers and the second information in the OS of the second servo amplifier allows OS updating.

17. A control method for an injection molding machine including a plurality of servo amplifiers, comprising: the plurality of servo amplifiers include a first servo amplifier and a second servo amplifier; The control method includes: acquiring information on OS versions from the first servo amplifier and the second servo amplifier; comparing the version of an OS of the first servo amplifier with the version of an OS of the second servo amplifier; and if the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier is different from the version of the OS of the second servo amplifier, updating the OS of the second servo amplifier to the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier.

18. 18. The control method for an injection molding machine according to claim 17, wherein the updating step includes a step of updating the OS of the second servo amplifier to the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier when the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier is newer than the version of the OS of the second servo amplifier.

19. Each OS includes first information indicating whether deployment of the OS to another servo amplifier is permitted, and second information indicating whether updating of the OS is permitted, the control method further includes the step of acquiring the first information and the second information from each servo amplifier; 19. The control method for an injection molding machine according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the updating step updates the OS of the second servo amplifier to the version of the OS of the first servo amplifier when the first information in the OS of the first servo amplifier allows deployment to other servo amplifiers and when the second information in the OS of the second servo amplifier allows OS updating.

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