Injection molding system and program for injection molding system

Abstract

This invention provides an injection molding system and a program for the injection molding system that can efficiently and automatically determine parameters related to material supply. [Solution] The injection molding system (1) comprises a material supply device (10) that supplies material (2), a supply path (20), an injection molding machine (30), and a control device (50) that controls the supply operation of the material supply device. The supply path discharges material from the material supply device through either a first discharge port (22A) or a second discharge port (22B). The injection molding machine melts and injects the material discharged from the first discharge port. The control device determines supply parameters for supplying the same amount of thermoplastic material to the injection molding machine each time, using a predicted value of the material supply amount calculated by a predictive model that takes supply parameters related to the control of the material supply operation as input and outputs the material supply amount, and an actual value of the supply amount obtained from the material discharged from the second discharge port.

Description

【Technical Field】 【0001】 The present invention relates to an injection molding system including an injection molding machine for injection molding a thermoplastic material and a program for the injection molding system. 【Background Art】 【0002】 Conventionally, an injection molding system including an injection molding machine that heats, pushes, and melts a thermoplastic material for injection has been known. 【0003】 Regarding this, Patent Document 1 discloses an injection molding machine including a material supply unit that supplies a thermoplastic material to a barrel, a plunger that extrudes the thermoplastic material in the barrel, a rod that is axially movable through the plunger, and a torpedo connected to the rod. 【Prior Art Documents】 【Patent Documents】 【0004】 【Patent Document 1】 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-148242 【Summary of the Invention】 【Problems to be Solved by the Invention】 【0005】 In the technique described in Patent Document 1, the injection molding machine measures the mass of the thermoplastic material every cycle of injecting the thermoplastic material when the material supply unit supplies the thermoplastic material to the barrel. However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, when replacing the thermoplastic material, it is necessary to manually find parameters related to material supply due to differences in characteristics such as the size for each type of thermoplastic material, and there is a problem that it takes time to determine the parameters. 【0006】 The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide an injection molding system and a program for the injection molding system that can determine parameters related to material supply efficiently and automatically. [Means for solving the problem] 【0007】 To solve the above problems, the injection molding system of the present invention comprises: a material supply device for supplying a thermoplastic material; a supply path for discharging the thermoplastic material supplied from the material supply device from either a first outlet or a second outlet; an injection molding machine for melting and injecting the thermoplastic material discharged from the first outlet; and a control device that determines the supply parameters for supplying the same amount of thermoplastic material to the injection molding machine each time using a predicted value of the amount of thermoplastic material supplied calculated by a prediction model that takes supply parameters relating to the control of the supply operation of the thermoplastic material as input and outputs the amount of thermoplastic material supplied as output, and an actual value of the amount of supply obtained from the thermoplastic material discharged from the second outlet, and controls the supply operation of the material supply device according to the determined supply parameters. 【0008】 Furthermore, in the injection molding system of the present invention, the control device receives input of material parameters relating to the type of thermoplastic material and calculates the supply parameters from the prediction model associated with the material parameters. 【0009】 Furthermore, in the injection molding system of the present invention, the control device accepts input of material parameters related to the type of thermoplastic material when the type of thermoplastic material supplied to the material supply device is changed. 【0010】 Furthermore, in the injection molding system of the present invention, the material supply device has a supply port that has an opening and closing section and supplies the thermoplastic material to the supply path, and an opening and closing control member that controls the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing section, and the supply parameter includes one of the following conditions: the shape of the supply port, the size of the supply port, and the driving speed of the opening and closing control member, the number of opening and closing cycles, the opening and closing pressure, and the flow rate of the fluid used for opening and closing. 【0011】 Furthermore, the program for the injection molding system of the present invention causes the computer to function as a calculation unit that calculates a predicted value of the amount of thermoplastic material to be supplied by a predictive model that takes supply parameters relating to the control of the supply operation of thermoplastic material by a material supply device as input and outputs the amount of thermoplastic material to be supplied as input; a determination unit that determines the supply parameters for supplying the same amount of thermoplastic material to the injection molding machine each time using the predicted value of the amount of thermoplastic material to be supplied calculated by the calculation unit and the measured value of the amount of thermoplastic material to be supplied discharged from the material supply device; and a supply control unit that controls the supply operation of the material supply device according to the supply parameters determined by the determination unit. [Effects of the Invention] 【0012】 According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an injection molding system and a program for an injection molding system that can efficiently and automatically determine parameters related to material supply. [Brief explanation of the drawing] 【0013】 [Figure 1A] This figure shows the overall configuration of the injection molding system according to this embodiment. [Figure 1B] This figure shows the injection molding system shown in Figure 1A with the destination of the thermoplastic material being switched. [Figure 2] This figure shows the functional configuration of the control device shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a predictive model stored in the control device. [Figure 4] Figure 1A is an example of a flowchart showing the sequence of processes in the injection molding system. [Figure 5A] Figure 1A shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the injection molding machine, illustrating the operation of the feeding process. [Figure 5B] Figure 1A shows a cross-sectional view of a part of the injection molding machine illustrating the operation of the plasticization process. [Figure 5C]FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a cross-section of a part of an injection molding machine to illustrate the operation of the injection process of the injection molding machine shown in FIG. 1A. 【Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention】 【0014】 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. For ease of understanding of the description, the same reference numerals are given to the same components and steps in each drawing as much as possible, and redundant descriptions are omitted. Also, the term "part" may be replaced with other terms such as unit, module, device, or element. 【0015】 <Overall Configuration> FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an injection molding system 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a state in which the discharge destination of the thermoplastic material 2 of the injection molding system 1 shown in FIG. 1A is switched. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the injection molding system 1 mainly includes, for example, a material supply device 10, a supply path 20, an injection molding machine 30, a measuring device 40, and a control device 50. 【0016】 The material supply device 10 is a device for supplying the thermoplastic material 2 to the injection molding machine 30. The material supply device 10 supplies the thermoplastic material 2 to the injection molding machine 30 via the supply path 20 in accordance with a control command transmitted from the control device 50. Specifically, the material supply device 10 supplies the thermoplastic material 2 stored in the material supply device 10 from the supply port 12 to the injection molding machine 30 via the supply path 20 for the period indicated by the control command transmitted from the control device 50 and for the time indicated by the control command. The material supply device 10 mainly includes, for example, a hopper 11, a supply port 12, an opening / closing part 121, and a hydraulic cylinder 122 which is an opening / closing control member. 【0017】 The hopper 11 is formed, for example, in a funnel shape with an upper opening wider than the bottom opening, into which the thermoplastic material 2 is introduced and stored. The supply port 12 is connected to the bottom opening of the hopper 11. 【0018】 The supply port 12 is an outlet for supplying the thermoplastic material 2 from the material supply device 10 to the supply path 20. An opening / closing part 121 is provided at the supply port 12. 【0019】 The opening / closing part 121 is a component that functions as a shutter when supplying the thermoplastic material 2 from the supply port 12 to the supply path 20. The opening / closing part 121 is formed, for example, in a plate shape having an area larger than the cross-section of the supply port 12, and moves so as to cross the flow path of the supply port 12 in conjunction with the operation of the hydraulic cylinder 122. The opening / closing part 121 blocks the passage of the thermoplastic material 2 inside the supply port 12 or allows the thermoplastic material 2 to pass according to the operation of the hydraulic cylinder 122. 【0020】 The hydraulic cylinder 122 is a single-acting hydraulic cylinder that is driven by hydraulic pressure according to a control command from the control device 50. The hydraulic cylinder 122 moves the rod and the piston along the axial direction of the hydraulic cylinder 122 according to the force and flow of the oil flowing in and out. The hydraulic cylinder 122 transmits the force generated by the movement of the piston and the rod to the opening / closing part 121. Also, the hydraulic cylinder 122 operates according to the conditions indicated by the supply parameters described later transmitted from the control device 50. The supply parameters are, for example, the shape of the supply port 12, the size of the supply port 12, the driving speed and the number of opening / closing operations of the opening / closing control part, the opening / closing pressure, the flow rate of the fluid used for opening / closing, etc. Also, the supply parameters regarding the opening / closing control part are, that is, the driving speed of the hydraulic cylinder 122, the flow rate of the oil that drives the hydraulic cylinder 122, the hydraulic pressure of the oil, the number of piston strokes per unit time of the hydraulic cylinder 122, etc. 【0021】 The supply path 20 is a path for supplying the thermoplastic material 2 discharged from the material supply device 10 to the injection molding machine 30. The supply path 20 supplies the thermoplastic material 2 discharged from the supply port 12 of the material supply device 10 to the supply port 311 of the injection molding machine 30 via the first discharge port 22A. The supply path 20 is also configured to allow switching of the discharge destination. Specifically, on the one hand, when the supply path 20 is closed by the opening / closing mechanism 23, the thermoplastic material 2 is supplied to the supply port 311 via the first discharge port 22A. On the other hand, when the supply path 20 is open by the opening / closing mechanism 23, the second discharge port 22B is open, and the thermoplastic material 2 is supplied to the measuring device 40 from the second discharge port 22B instead of the first discharge port 22A. 【0022】 The measuring device 40 is a device for measuring the mass of the thermoplastic material 2. The measuring device 40 stores the thermoplastic material 2 discharged from the second outlet 22B of the supply path 20 in a tray or the like. The measuring device 40 measures the mass of the stored thermoplastic material 2 and displays the measurement result on a scale or display. 【0023】 The injection molding machine 30 heats and melts the thermoplastic material 2 supplied from the material supply device 10 according to the operation control of the control device 50, and then injects it toward the molding die. The main components of the injection molding machine 30 include, for example, a barrel 31, a plunger 32, a torpedo 33, and heaters 34 and 35. 【0024】 The barrel 31 has a supply port 311 on the side of the housing 310 through which the thermoplastic material 2 is supplied, and an injection port 313 on the bottom of the housing 310 through which the thermoplastic material 2 is injected. It is formed in a closed-bottom cylindrical shape that extends along axis A (see Figure 5A). The barrel 31 also has a space 312 inside the housing 310 for pressing, melting, and injecting the thermoplastic material 2. The barrel 31 also has a heater 35 on the outer circumferential side of the housing 310 for heating the barrel 31. 【0025】 The torpedo 33 extends in the direction of axis A and is inserted into the barrel 31, and has a heater 34 built into it. The torpedo 33 conducts the heat generated by the heater 34 to the thermoplastic material 2. The torpedo 33 also injects the thermoplastic material 2, which has been plasticized by the plunger 32, from the injection port 313. The torpedo 33 is provided to be able to move back and forth along the axial direction (direction of axis A) and moves along axis A. 【0026】 The plunger 32 is hollow and is interposed between the barrel 31 and the torpedo 33. Under heating by the heater 35, it pushes and melts the thermoplastic material 2 supplied from the material supply device 10, thereby plasticizing it. The plunger 32 is interposed in the barrel 31 so as to be able to move back and forth along axis A and moves along axis A. 【0027】 The heater 34 is a rod-shaped member located inside the torpedo 33 and heats the torpedo 33 from the inside. The heater 34 heats and stops heating according to control commands transmitted from the control device 50. 【0028】 The heater 35 is located on the outer side of the barrel 31 and heats the barrel 31 from the outside. The heater 35 heats and stops heating according to control commands transmitted from the control device 50. 【0029】 The control device 50 determines the conditions for supplying the thermoplastic material 2 by the material supply device 10 and controls the supply operation of the material supply device 10 according to the determined conditions. The control device 50 also controls the pressing, melting, and injection operations of the thermoplastic material 2 by the injection molding machine 30. The control device 50 also acquires various information transmitted from the material supply device 10 and the injection molding machine 30. The main part of the control device 50 is composed of, for example, a storage device 51, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 52, a memory 53, a communication device 54, and an input / output device 55. The storage device 51 stores various programs, various information, and processing result information necessary for the execution of processing by the CPU 52. The CPU 52 functions as various functional means by executing predetermined programs stored in the memory 53 or storage device 51, etc. The memory 53 temporarily stores predetermined programs and data necessary when the CPU 52 executes predetermined programs. The communication device 54 communicates with external devices. The input / output device 55 receives input from the operator of the injection molding system 1 and outputs information such as screen displays and audio to the operator. The control device 50 can be implemented using an information processing device such as a dedicated or general-purpose computer, and may consist of a single information processing device or multiple information processing devices. 【0030】 In this embodiment, the control device 50 consistently performs operations ranging from determining the conditions for supplying the thermoplastic material 2 to controlling the operation of both the material supply device 10 and the injection molding machine 30, but is not limited to this. For example, the control device 50 may use different information processing devices to determine the conditions for supplying the thermoplastic material 2 and to control the actual operation of the material supply device 10 and the injection molding machine 30. Specifically, the control device 50 may use a personal computer or the like to determine the conditions for supplying the thermoplastic material 2, and the determined conditions may be transmitted from the personal computer to a dedicated control panel for actually operating the material supply device 10 and the injection molding machine 30. 【0031】 <Functional configuration> The overall configuration of the injection molding system 1 has been described above. Next, the functional configuration of the control device 50 in the injection molding system 1 will be described. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device 50 shown in Figure 1A. As shown in Figure 2, the control device 50's main components include, for example, a storage unit 510, an acquisition unit 520, a calculation unit 530, a determination unit 540, a supply control unit 550, and a molding control unit 560. Functional means other than the storage unit 510 are realized by the CPU 52 executing a program stored in a storage device 51 or the like. 【0032】 The memory unit 510 stores the control programs for the material supply device 10 and the injection molding machine 30. The memory unit 510 also stores the prediction model 511 and the molding condition data 512. Furthermore, the memory unit 510 stores various values ​​and information that the control device 50 needs to store in advance. 【0033】 The prediction model 511 is a simulation model capable of reinforcement learning, for example, formed by a neural network. The prediction model 511 takes supply parameters related to the control of the supply operation of thermoplastic material 2 by the material supply device 10 as input and outputs a predicted value of the amount of thermoplastic material 2 to be supplied. The prediction model 511 is defined for each combination of material parameters that indicate the conditions of the type of material, and is stored in the storage unit 510. In addition to functioning as a simulation model, the prediction model 511 also functions as a database that stores the relationship between the supply parameters and the amount of supply obtained as a result of the simulation for each material parameter. 【0034】 Material parameters are parameters that indicate the conditions of the type of material. Material parameters include, for example, the material name, the specific gravity of the material, the dimensions of the pellet on which the material is placed in the length, width, and height directions, the arrangement of the material on the pellet, and the mass of the material after molding. Supply parameters, as described above, include the drive speed of the hydraulic cylinder 122, the flow rate of the oil driving the hydraulic cylinder 122, the hydraulic pressure of the oil, and the number of pistons per unit time of the hydraulic cylinder 122. 【0035】 Referring to Figure 3, the details of the prediction model 511's function as a simulation model will be explained. Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a prediction model 511 stored in the control device 50 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 3, the prediction model 511 is formed by a neural network and consists of an input layer 5111, a hidden layer 5112, and an output layer 5113. Note that this example is merely one example, and the number of nodes and the depth of the hidden layer can be any value. 【0036】 The input layer 5111 includes nodes in1 to in5, which are input nodes of the neural network. Nodes in1 to in5 receive supply parameters as input. Specifically, nodes in1 to in5 receive, for example, the area of ​​the opening of the supply port 12, the driving speed of the hydraulic cylinder 122, the flow rate of the oil driving the hydraulic cylinder 122, the hydraulic pressure of the oil, and the number of pistons per unit time of the hydraulic cylinder 122. Nodes in1 to in5 also output the input values ​​to nodes n12 to n14 of the hidden layer 5112. 【0037】 The hidden layer 5112 is the hidden layer of the neural network. The hidden layer 5112 includes nodes n11-n14 (the second stage), n21-n24 (the third stage), n31-n34 (the fourth stage), and n41-n43 (the fifth stage) of the neural network. Each node in the hidden layer 5112 performs the operation associated with that node on the value input from the preceding node, and outputs the result to the subsequent node. Nodes n12-n14 of the hidden layer 5112 are the earliest node group, receiving the values ​​from nodes in1-in5 of the input layer 5111. Nodes n41-n43 of the hidden layer 5112 are the latest node group, outputting the result to the output layer 5113. Furthermore, nodes n11, n21, and n31 of the 5112 intermediate layer are fixed values ​​indicating the bias, and they output these fixed values ​​to the subsequent nodes. 【0038】 The output layer 5113 includes nodes out1 to out3, which are the output nodes of the neural network. Each node out1 to out3 is associated with a predicted supply amount of thermoplastic material 2. Nodes out1 to out3 output a value representing the probability that the supply operation of thermoplastic material 2 will reach the predicted value associated with each node out1 to out3, using the supply parameters input to the input layer 5111. 【0039】 Returning to Figure 2, the molding condition data 512 is information indicating various setting values ​​used when driving the injection molding machine 30. The molding condition data 512 includes, for example, the pressing force value of the plunger 32, the cycle of one shot in which the injection molding machine 30 presses, melts, and injects the thermoplastic material 2, and the set temperatures of the heaters 34 and 35. The molding condition data 512 also includes information regarding the timing of changing the thermoplastic material 2 supplied to the injection molding machine 30 (for example, the cycle and the number of supply cycles). 【0040】 The acquisition unit 520 receives user input for the injection molding system 1. The acquisition unit 520 acquires whether or not the type of thermoplastic material 2 supplied to the material supply device 10 has been changed. If the type of thermoplastic material 2 has been changed, the acquisition unit 520 acquires material parameters from the user's input. The acquisition unit 520 also acquires responses from the user's input to the predicted amount of thermoplastic material 2 supplied by the prediction model 511 and the actual amount of thermoplastic material 2 supplied by the measuring device 40. 【0041】 The calculation unit 530 calculates a predicted supply amount of thermoplastic material 2 using the prediction model 511 stored in the storage unit 510. Specifically, the calculation unit 530 inputs supply parameters to the prediction model 511. Subsequently, the calculation unit 530 associates the predicted supply amount of thermoplastic material 2 output from the prediction model 511 with the prediction value that has the highest probability with the input supply parameters and stores it in the database of the prediction model 511. 【0042】 Furthermore, the calculation unit 530 calculates supply parameters using the prediction model 511 when the type of thermoplastic material 2 changes. Specifically, the calculation unit 530 refers to the molding condition data 512 and obtains the supply amount of thermoplastic material 2 according to the molded product. Next, the calculation unit 530 refers to the database of the prediction model 511, which is associated with the material parameters indicating the type of material obtained by the acquisition unit 520. Then, the calculation unit 530 extracts the supply parameters from the referenced database of the prediction model 511 that are associated with the predicted supply amount closest to the obtained supply amount of thermoplastic material 2, and uses this as the calculation result. 【0043】 The determination unit 540 determines the supply parameters using the predicted supply amount of thermoplastic material 2 calculated by the prediction model 511 and the measured supply amount of thermoplastic material 2 supplied from the material supply device 10, which operates according to the supply parameters according to the prediction model 511. Specifically, the determination unit 540 obtains the user's response from the acquisition unit 520 to the predicted supply amount of thermoplastic material 2 acquired by the acquisition unit 520 and the measured supply amount of thermoplastic material 2 measured by the measuring device 40. Subsequently, if the user's response indicates that it is satisfactory with respect to the measured supply amount of thermoplastic material 2 and there are no problems, the determination unit 540 determines the currently set supply parameters as they are. In addition, when determining the supply parameters, if the supply parameters are changed, the determination unit 540 updates the prediction model 511 with the changed parameters. On the other hand, if the user's response indicates that it is unsatisfactory with respect to the measured supply amount of thermoplastic material 2, the determination unit 540 suspends the determination of the supply parameters. 【0044】 The supply control unit 550 controls the supply operation of the material supply device 10 according to the supply parameters determined by the determination unit 540. Specifically, the supply control unit 550 controls the supply operation of the material supply device 10 by controlling the operation of the hydraulic cylinder 122 so that the flow rate and hydraulic pressure of the drive oil, as well as the drive speed and the number of pistons per unit time, are in accordance with the supply parameters. 【0045】 The molding control unit 560 controls the operation of the injection molding of the thermoplastic material 2 by the injection molding machine 30. Specifically, the molding control unit 560 refers to the molding condition data 512 in the storage unit 510 and controls the operation of the injection molding machine 30 according to the referenced molding condition data 512. Here, the details of the injection molding operation by the injection molding machine 30 will be explained with reference to Figures 5A to 5C. Figure 5A is a diagram showing a cross-section of a part of the injection molding machine 30 regarding the operation of the supply process of the injection molding machine 30 shown in Figure 1A. Figure 5B is a diagram showing a cross-section of a part of the injection molding machine 30 regarding the operation of the plasticization process of the injection molding machine 30 shown in Figure 1A. Figure 5C is a diagram showing a cross-section of a part of the injection molding machine 30 regarding the operation of the injection process of the injection molding machine 30 shown in Figure 1A. 【0046】 As shown in Figure 5A, the plunger 32 is positioned above during the supply process in which the thermoplastic material 2 is supplied to the supply port 311. The tip of the torpedo 33 is located on the underside of the barrel 31. The injection molding machine 30 receives the thermoplastic material 2 from the material supply device 10 into the space 312 inside the barrel 31 via the supply port 311. 【0047】 As shown in Figure 5B, during the plasticization process, the injection molding machine 30 pushes the plunger 32 downward. This pushes the thermoplastic material 2 in the barrel 31 toward the injection port 313, passing through the gap between the gear-shaped tip of the torpedo 33 and the barrel 31, and moving toward the injection port 313. The thermoplastic material 2 melts as it passes through the gap between the torpedo 33, which is heated to a set temperature by the heaters 34 and 35, and the barrel 31. Subsequently, the injection molding machine 30 drives the torpedo 33 toward the upward direction (away from the injection port 313) due to the back pressure of the thermoplastic material 2 that has moved toward the injection port 313. 【0048】 As shown in Figure 5C, in the injection process, the injection molding machine 30 moves the plunger 32 to the same position as the plunger 32 in the supply process. Subsequently, the injection molding machine 30 moves the torpedo 33 downward along axis A. As a result, the injection molding machine 30 injects the molten thermoplastic material 2 from the injection port 313 into a mold (not shown) located outside. 【0049】 The functional configuration of the control device 50 has been described above. Next, the flow of a series of processes in the injection molding system 1 will be described in detail. Figure 4 is an example of a flowchart showing the flow of a series of processes in the injection molding system 1 shown in Figure 1A. 【0050】 (Step SP10) The injection molding system 1, using the control device 50, determines whether it is time to replace the thermoplastic material 2 supplied to the material supply device 10. Specifically, the control device 50 refers to the molding condition data 512 stored in the storage unit 510 to determine whether it is time to replace the thermoplastic material 2. If the determination is positive, the process proceeds to step SP12. If the determination is negative, the series of processes shown in Figure 4 ends. 【0051】 (Step SP12) The injection molding system 1 accepts the replacement of the thermoplastic material 2. Specifically, the injection molding system 1 controls the operation of the material supply device 10 and the injection molding machine 30 to temporarily stop their operation. Then, the process proceeds to step SP14. 【0052】 (Step SP14) The injection molding system 1 accepts the switching of the thermoplastic material 2 in the supply path 20 from the first outlet 22A to the second outlet 22B. As a result, the supply destination of the thermoplastic material 2 switches from the injection molding machine 30 to the measuring device 40. Then, the process proceeds to the process in step SP16. 【0053】 (Step SP16) The injection molding system 1 receives input of material parameters related to the thermoplastic material 2 to be replaced from the user via the control device 50. The injection molding system 1 acquires the input material parameters via the acquisition unit 520 of the control device 50. Then, the process proceeds to step SP18. 【0054】 (Step SP18) The injection molding system 1, via the control device 50, refers to a database of prediction models 511 associated with the acquired material parameters. The injection molding system 1 also obtains the supply amount of thermoplastic material 2 from the molding condition data 512 via the control device 50. The injection molding system 1 extracts the supply parameters associated with the supply amount of thermoplastic material 2 from the referenced database and uses them as calculation results. Then, the process proceeds to step SP20. 【0055】 (Step SP20) The injection molding system 1 operates the material supply device 10 according to the supply parameters calculated by the control device 50. The injection molding system 1 operates the material supply device 10 by the control device 50 to supply the thermoplastic material 2 from the second discharge port 22B of the supply path 20 to the measuring device 40. Then the process proceeds to step SP22. 【0056】 (Step SP22) The injection molding system 1 measures the amount of thermoplastic material 2 supplied from the material supply device 10 through the second discharge port 22B of the supply path 20 using the measuring device 40. The injection molding system 1 displays the measurement result to the user as the measured value of the amount of thermoplastic material 2 supplied using the measuring device 40. Then, the process proceeds to step SP24. 【0057】 (Step SP24) The injection molding system 1 receives a response from the user via the control device 50 regarding the predicted amount of thermoplastic material 2 supplied by the current prediction model 511 and the actual amount of thermoplastic material 2 supplied measured by the measuring device 40. Then, the process proceeds to step SP26. 【0058】 (Step SP26) The injection molding system 1, using the control device 50, refers to the response received from the user and determines whether the user's response indicates that the measured amount of thermoplastic material 2 supplied is acceptable. If the determination is positive, the process proceeds to step SP28. If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step SP30. 【0059】 (Step SP28) The injection molding system 1, using the control device 50, determines the supply parameters for the replaced thermoplastic material 2 by applying the current supply parameter values. Furthermore, if there is a change in the supply parameters during the process of measuring the supply amount of thermoplastic material 2, the injection molding system 1 updates the prediction model 511 with the changed supply parameters using the control device 50. The prediction model 511 is updated by modifying the calculations of each node in the intermediate layer 5112, among other things. Then, the process moves on to step SP32. 【0060】 (Step SP30) The injection molding system 1 accepts adjustments to the supply parameters by the user via the control device 50. After accepting the user's adjustments to the supply parameters, the injection molding system 1 temporarily operates the material supply device 10 according to the adjusted supply parameters. Then, the process returns to the process of step SP20. 【0061】 (Step SP32) The injection molding system 1 accepts the switching of the thermoplastic material 2 in the supply path 20 from the second outlet 22B to the first outlet 22A. As a result, the supply destination of the thermoplastic material 2 switches from the measuring device 40 to the injection molding machine 30 and returns. Then, the series of processes shown in Figure 4 is completed. 【0062】 <Effects> In this embodiment, the injection molding system 1 obtains an actual value of the amount of thermoplastic material 2 supplied from the second outlet 22B of the supply path 20. The injection molding system 1 also calculates a predicted value of the amount of thermoplastic material 2 supplied using a prediction model 511. The injection molding system 1 then determines the supply parameters related to the supply operation of the material supply device 10 according to the predicted and actual values ​​of the amount of thermoplastic material 2 supplied. Therefore, the injection molding system 1 can significantly reduce the time required for determination because it automatically determines the parameters related to material supply without trial and error through manual adjustment. In other words, the injection molding system 1 can determine the supply parameters with high efficiency and automatically. Furthermore, by using the actual value, the injection molding system 1 can determine the supply parameters while taking into account the environment of the surrounding equipment. 【0063】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the injection molding system 1 updates the prediction model 511 when the supply parameters are changed. Therefore, because the prediction model 511 of the injection molding system 1 is updatable, the supply parameters can be determined efficiently and automatically even if the appropriate supply parameters change due to changes in the environment of the surrounding equipment. 【0064】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the injection molding system 1 uses a predictive model 511 that corresponds to material parameters related to the type of thermoplastic material 2. Therefore, because the injection molding system 1 uses a predictive model 511 that corresponds to the type of thermoplastic material 2, the accuracy of the predictive model 511 is improved, and even when the thermoplastic material 2 is changed, the characteristics of the thermoplastic material 2 can be automatically determined and the supply parameters can be determined efficiently and automatically. 【0065】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the injection molding system 1 accepts input of material parameters when the type of thermoplastic material 2 is changed. Therefore, if the type remains the same, the same prediction model 511 can be used to perform injection molding of the thermoplastic material 2 with high efficiency. 【0066】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the injection molding system 1 controls the supply of thermoplastic material 2 to the injection molding machine 30 by controlling the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing section 121 using the hydraulic cylinder 122 (opening and closing control member) of the material supply device 10. Therefore, the injection molding system 1 supplies the thermoplastic material 2 with a simple mechanism and a small number of parts during the injection molding process, enabling low-cost and high-precision injection molding of the thermoplastic material 2. 【0067】 <Variation> It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. That is, any design modifications made to the above embodiments by those skilled in the art are also included within the scope of the present invention, as long as they retain the features of the present invention. Furthermore, the elements of the above embodiments and the modifications described later can be combined to the extent that it is technically possible, and any combination thereof is also included within the scope of the present invention, as long as it retains the features of the present invention. Alternatively, the execution status or execution order of each step constituting the flowchart may be changed to the extent that no technical inconsistencies arise. 【0068】 For example, in this embodiment, the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing mechanism 23 of the supply path 20 is performed by manual operation, but it is not limited to this, and the opening and closing operation may also be performed by control of the control device 50. With this configuration, the injection molding system 1 performs the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing mechanism 23 by mechanical control rather than manual operation, so that the supply parameters of the material supply device 10 can be determined with high efficiency and automatically. 【0069】 Furthermore, the injection molding system 1 accepts, but is not limited to, the user's response to the measurement results of the measuring device 40. The injection molding system 1 may have the control device 50 acquire the measurement results of the measuring device 40, calculate the deviation of the measured value from the predicted value, and determine whether the calculated deviation is within the reference range. The deviation of the measured value from the predicted value may be, for example, the absolute value of the difference between the predicted value and the measured value, or the ratio of the difference between the predicted value and the measured value to the predicted value. The reference range is a range predetermined for the above-mentioned deviation. If the determination is positive, the injection molding system 1 applies the supply parameters to make a decision. Conversely, if the determination is negative, the injection molding system 1 may adjust each value of the supply parameters by, for example, shifting them by a fixed amount, or it may accept adjustments of the supply parameters by the user. With this configuration, the injection molding system 1 can efficiently and automatically determine the supply parameters of the material supply device 10 in order to determine whether there are any problems when measuring the supply amount in a trial to see if the thermoplastic material 2 is supplied according to the predicted value. 【0070】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the supply path 20 switches the discharge destination of the thermoplastic material 2 to either the first discharge port 22A or the second discharge port 22B by the opening / closing mechanism 23, but is not limited to this. The supply path 20 may be formed in any way as long as the discharge destination is switchable. For example, the supply path 20 may have an openable and closable second discharge port 22B in the middle of the pipeline, and the discharge destination may be switched by opening and closing the second discharge port 22B. Alternatively, the supply path 20 may be formed in a Y-shape with branched discharge destinations, and the discharge destination may be switched by blocking the passage of the thermoplastic material 2 in the discharge direction path by controlling a valve or the like. With this configuration, the injection molding system 1 can efficiently and automatically determine the supply parameters of the material supply device 10 even when various types of supply paths 20 are used, and even when the injection process and the supply process are performed simultaneously. [Explanation of Symbols] 【0071】 1…Injection molding system, 2…Thermoplastic material, 10…Material supply device, 12…Supply port, 20…Supply path, 22A…First discharge port, 22B…Second discharge port, 30…Injection molding machine, 50…Control device (computer), 121…Opening / closing unit, 122…Hydraulic cylinder (opening / closing control member), 530…Calculation unit, 540…Determination unit, 550…Supply control unit, 560…Molding control unit

Claims

[Claim 1] A material supply device that supplies thermoplastic materials, A supply path for discharging the thermoplastic material supplied from the material supply device from either a first outlet or a second outlet, An injection molding machine that melts and injects the thermoplastic material discharged from the first discharge port, A control device that determines the supply parameters for supplying the same amount of thermoplastic material to the injection molding machine each time, using a predicted value of the amount of thermoplastic material supplied calculated by a predictive model that takes supply parameters related to the control of the supply operation of the thermoplastic material as input and outputs the amount of thermoplastic material supplied as output, and an actual value of the amount of thermoplastic material supplied obtained from the thermoplastic material discharged from the second discharge port, and controls the supply operation of the material supply device according to the determined supply parameters, An injection molding system characterized by comprising the following: [Claim 2] The injection molding system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device receives input of material parameters relating to the type of thermoplastic material and calculates the supply parameters from the prediction model associated with the material parameters. [Claim 3] The injection molding system according to claim 2, characterized in that the control device accepts input of material parameters relating to the type of thermoplastic material when the type of thermoplastic material supplied to the material supply device is changed. [Claim 4] The material supply device has a supply port that has an opening / closing section and supplies the thermoplastic material to the supply path, and an opening / closing control member that controls the opening and closing operation of the opening / closing section. The injection molding system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the supply parameter includes one of the following conditions: the shape of the supply port, the size of the supply port, and the driving speed of the opening / closing control member, the number of opening / closing cycles, the opening / closing pressure, and the flow rate of the fluid used for opening and closing. [Claim 5] Computers, A calculation unit calculates a predicted value of the amount of thermoplastic material to be supplied by a predictive model that takes supply parameters related to the control of the supply operation of thermoplastic material by a material supply device as input and outputs the amount of thermoplastic material to be supplied as output. A determination unit determines the supply parameter for supplying the same amount of thermoplastic material to the injection molding machine each time, using the predicted supply amount of the thermoplastic material calculated by the calculation unit and the measured supply amount of the thermoplastic material discharged from the material supply device. A supply control unit controls the supply operation of the material supply device according to the supply parameters determined by the determination unit. A program for an injection molding system to function as such.

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