Injection molding machine management system
The injection molding machine management system addresses unnecessary production halts by displaying container and material shortages, facilitating timely replenishment to maintain continuous operation and prevent delays.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2021198192
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2021-12-07
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-20
- Estimated Expiration
- 2041-12-07
AI Technical Summary
Existing injection molding systems often halt production due to factors other than mold or machine abnormalities, leading to potential delays in production without proper detection of material or container shortages.
An injection molding machine management system that includes a display unit showing operation, container shortage, and material shortage information, allowing timely replenishment to prevent unnecessary stops and delays.
The system enhances production efficiency by enabling proactive replenishment of materials and containers, reducing delays and potential damage from continued operation during shortages or abnormalities.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present disclosure relates to an injection molding machine management system. [Background technology]
[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a management system for managing injection molding machines that displays the operating status of the injection molding machine in real time on the display of a host computer. A specific example of the operating status is given as "mold abnormality." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 7-90582 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] When an abnormality occurs in the mold or the injection molding machine, the production of molded products in the injection molding machine is usually temporarily stopped. However, the production of molded products in the injection molding machine may also be stopped due to factors other than abnormalities, such as a shortage of material. If the state in which the production of molded products is stopped due to such factors other than abnormalities is left unattended, there is a possibility that the production of molded products will be delayed even if there is no abnormality in the injection molding machine or the mold. [Means for solving the problem]
[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an injection molding machine management system that includes an injection molding machine and manages one or more injection molding units that manufacture molded products. The injection molding machine management system includes a display unit that displays a display screen for each injection molding unit, which displays at least one of operation information regarding the operating status of the injection molding unit, container shortage information regarding a shortage of containers for accommodating the molded products, and material shortage information regarding a shortage of material for molding the molded products. The container shortage information is displayed on the display screen in correspondence with the operation information when the injection molding unit runs out of containers, and the material shortage information is displayed on the display screen in correspondence with the operation information when the injection molding unit runs out of material. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of an injection molding machine management system. [Figure 2] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display screen in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the operating status represented by the colors of various marks and icons. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display screen in the second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display screen in the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0007] A. First embodiment: 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of an injection molding machine management system 10 in a first embodiment. The injection molding machine management system 10 manages one or more injection molding units 50. The injection molding machine management system 10 in this embodiment includes a display unit 450 and a management device 500.
[0008] The injection molding unit 50 is a unit equipped with an injection molding machine 100 that molds molded products. In this embodiment, as will be described later, a total of seven injection molding units 50 are managed by the injection molding machine management system 10, but FIG. 1 shows only one of the seven injection molding units 50. Each injection molding unit 50 in this embodiment has the same configuration, and in addition to the injection molding machine 100 described above, includes a take-out machine 200 and an inspection device 300.
[0009] 1, the flow of molded products manufactured by injection molding unit 50 is indicated by solid arrows. In injection molding unit 50, injection molding machine 100 molds molded products, and removes the molded products from injection molding machine 100 using remover 200, transports them to inspection device 300, and inspects the molded products using inspection device 300.
[0010] The injection molding machine 100 includes a first control unit 110, an injection device, and a mold clamping device, both not shown. A molding die having a cavity is attached to the mold clamping device. The molding die may be made of metal, ceramic, or resin. A metal molding die is called a metal mold. The first control unit 110 is configured by a computer equipped with one or more processors, a storage device, and an input / output interface for inputting and outputting signals from and to the outside. The first control unit 110 may also be configured by multiple computers. The second control unit 210 of the extractor 200 and the third control unit 310 of the inspection device 300, both of which will be described later, are configured in the same manner as the first control unit 110.
[0011] First control unit 110 controls each unit of injection molding machine 100 to perform injection molding and form a molded product. More specifically, first control unit 110 controls the clamping device to clamp the mold, and controls the injection device to plasticize the material and inject it into the mold, thereby forming a molded product having a shape corresponding to the shape of the cavity provided in the mold.
[0012] The first control unit 110 transmits physical quantity information indicating physical quantities related to injection molding to the management device 500. The physical quantity information includes measurement values measured by various sensors provided in the injection molding machine 100 and various command values related to injection molding. The command values are values set in the injection molding machine 100, such as the injection filling time, injection pressure, and set temperature, and the measurement values are values obtained by measuring these actual values using the sensors.
[0013] The material used to form molded articles in the injection molding machine 100 is, for example, a resin material such as ABS formed into pellets. In this embodiment, the material is stored in a material storage unit (not shown) provided in the injection molding machine 100 and is supplied from the material storage unit to the above-mentioned injection device. The material storage unit is formed, for example, by a hopper. The material is replenished to the material storage unit from the outside via, for example, a loader.
[0014] During the production of a molded product, if the remaining amount of material in the material storage unit falls short of the amount of material required to form the molded product, the first control unit 110 stops injection molding by the injection molding machine 100. This temporarily stops the production of the molded product in the injection molding unit 50. In this case, the production of the molded product is resumed by resuming injection molding after the material storage unit is replenished with material.
[0015] In this embodiment, the remaining amount of material stored in the material storage unit is detected based on the detection value of a weight sensor (not shown) provided in the material storage unit. The weight sensor detects the weight of the material stored in the material storage unit, and the detected value is sent to the first control unit 110. In other embodiments, the first control unit 110 may detect the remaining amount of material by measuring the height of the material stored in the material storage unit using, for example, a non-contact or contact distance measuring sensor.
[0016] The take-out machine 200 of this embodiment is composed of a second control unit 210, a take-out robot, and a cutting machine. The second control unit 210 controls the operation of the take-out robot and the cutting machine. The take-out robot is, for example, a horizontal articulated robot or a vertical articulated robot. The take-out robot removes a molded product from the molding die of the injection molding machine 100. The cutting machine is a device that removes sprues and runners, which are formed together with the molded product in the molding die, from the molded product by cutting. In this embodiment, the take-out robot grasps and removes the molded product released from the molding die by the ejector pin of the injection molding machine 100 using an end effector attached to the tip of the take-out robot's arm. The sprues and runners are then removed from the molded product by the cutting machine, and the molded product from which the sprues and runners have been removed is transported to the inspection device 300 by the take-out robot. Note that in other embodiments, the take-out robot may be, for example, a robot that grasps the molded product by vacuum suction. The extractor 200 does not necessarily have to include a cutter.
[0017] The inspection device 300 in this embodiment is composed of a third control unit 310 and a camera. The third control unit 310 controls the camera to capture an image of the molded product, and analyzes the captured image of the molded product to perform a visual inspection and a dimensional inspection of the molded product.
[0018] The third control unit 310 transmits inspection result data representing information about the inspection results of the molded product molded by the injection molding machine 100 to the management device 500. The inspection result data includes the dimensions of the molded product measured using a camera, the pass / fail judgment result, and the type of defect.
[0019] In this embodiment, the molded products that have undergone the visual inspection and dimensional inspection are placed in a container for storing molded products by a robot that constitutes the above-mentioned take-out machine 200. In this embodiment, the container is configured as a box-shaped tray having multiple recesses on its bottom surface and is configured to be able to store multiple molded products. The molded products are stored in the tray while being positioned by the recesses provided on the bottom surface of the tray. In other embodiments, the container may not have recesses. Also, the container may not be box-shaped and may be, for example, flat and capable of supporting a molded product. Also, the container may store only a single molded product, rather than multiple molded products.
[0020] In this embodiment, containers are stored in a stacking mechanism 400 provided in the inspection device 300. The stacking mechanism 400 includes a first lifting device 401 for stacking and raising and lowering containers that have completed the storage of molded products, and a second lifting device 402 for stacking and raising and lowering empty containers that do not contain molded products. The robot described above places a predetermined number of molded products in a container placed on the first lifting device 401. When the predetermined number of molded products have been placed in the container, the first lifting device 401 lowers the container. The container placed at the top of the second lifting device 402 is slid and placed above the lowered container by a sliding mechanism (not shown). The container may be moved from the first lifting device 401 to the second lifting device 402, for example, by a robot. A plurality of empty containers are stacked and stored on the second lifting device 402, and when the top container is moved onto the first lifting device 401, the second lifting device 402 lifts the remaining containers.
[0021] If the remaining number of empty containers becomes insufficient during the production of molded products, the production of molded products in the injection molding unit 50 is temporarily stopped. More specifically, if the number of stored containers stacked on the first lifting device 401 exceeds a predetermined number, or if the remaining number of empty containers stacked on the second lifting device 402 becomes zero, the second control unit 210 stops the robot from transporting molded products to the stacking mechanism 400, and the first control unit 110 stops injection molding by the injection molding machine 100. This temporarily stops the production of molded products. In this case, after the stored containers are removed from the stacking mechanism 400 and the stacking mechanism 400 is replenished with empty containers, the robot resumes transporting molded products to the stacking mechanism 400 and injection molding, thereby resuming the production of molded products. Hereinafter, the remaining number of empty containers will also be simply referred to as the "remaining number of containers."
[0022] In this embodiment, the remaining amount of empty containers is detected based on the detection value of a weight sensor (not shown) provided on the first lifting device 401, etc. This weight sensor detects the weight of the empty containers stacked on the first lifting device 401, and the detected value is transmitted to the third control unit 310. The third control unit 310 then calculates the number of empty containers as the remaining amount of empty containers based on the detection value of the sensor. The third control unit 310 transmits the calculated number of empty containers to the first control unit 110 and the second control unit 210. In other embodiments, the third control unit 310 may measure the height of the containers stacked on the first lifting device 401 using, for example, a non-contact or contact distance sensor, and detect the remaining amount of empty containers based on the measured height.
[0023] The injection molding unit 50 stops production of molded products not only when there is a shortage of containers or materials as described above, but also when an abnormality occurs in the injection molding unit 50. Continuing production of molded products while ignoring an abnormality in the injection molding unit 50 could result in damage to various components of the injection molding machine 100 or the mold, or in the continuous production of defective products that do not meet standards for appearance or dimensional accuracy. Abnormalities in the injection molding unit 50 include, for example, abnormalities in various components of the injection molding machine 100, such as the injection device and mold clamping device, the molds attached to the injection molding machine 100, the take-out unit 200, the inspection device 300, etc. In the injection molding unit 50, for example, the first control unit 110, the second control unit 210, and the third control unit 310 detect abnormalities based on physical quantity information, inspection data, and detection values from various sensors. The first control unit 110 and the like also detect an abnormality in the injection molding unit 50 when an emergency stop button (not shown) is pressed.
[0024] The display unit 450 in this embodiment is configured by a liquid crystal display provided in the management device 500. Various types of information output from the management device 500 are displayed on the display unit 450. The display unit 450 may be provided with, for example, a touch panel function. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the display unit 450 does not need to be provided in the management device 500, and may be, for example, a display of a device such as a computer, tablet terminal, or smartphone that is separate from the management device 500.
[0025] The management device 500 is configured by a computer including a CPU 501 and a storage unit 502. The storage unit 502 includes a main storage unit and an auxiliary storage unit.
[0026] The management device 500 is configured to be able to communicate with each injection molding unit 50. More specifically, in this embodiment, the management device 500 is communicatively connected to the injection molding machine 100, the take-out machine 200, and the inspection device 300 included in each injection molding unit 50. In this embodiment, the management device 500 is configured to be able to communicate with the injection molding machine 100, the take-out machine 200, and the inspection device 300 via a network NT. The network NT may be, for example, a LAN, a WAN, or the Internet. The management device 500 communicates with the injection molding machine 100, the take-out machine 200, and the inspection device 300 via the network NT, thereby transmitting and receiving data to and from the injection molding machine 100, the take-out machine 200, and the inspection device 300.
[0027] The management device 500 includes an operation status detection unit 510, an abnormality detection unit 520, a container shortage detection unit 530, a material shortage detection unit 535, and an output unit 540. The operation status detection unit 510, the abnormality detection unit 520, the container shortage detection unit 530, the material shortage detection unit 535, and the output unit 540 are realized by the CPU 501 executing a program stored in the storage unit 502. Note that these may also be realized by circuits.
[0028] The operating status detection unit 510 detects the operating status of each injection molding unit 50. In this embodiment, the operating status detection unit 510 detects whether the injection molding unit 50 is in a stopped state, an operating state, a paused state, or a power-off state, as the operating status. The operating status detection unit 510 stores the detection result of the operating status in the storage unit 502.
[0029] The stopped state refers to a state in which the production of molded products in the injection molding unit 50 has temporarily stopped. In this embodiment, the injection molding unit 50 enters the stopped state when an abnormality occurs in the injection molding unit 50, or when there is a shortage of material or containers as described above. The operating state refers to a state in which the injection molding unit 50 is operating and a molded product is being produced in the injection molding unit 50. The paused state differs from the stopped state described above and refers to a state in which the production of molded products has not yet started in the injection molding unit 50. The injection molding unit 50 pauses, for example, between the end of production of one lot and the start of production of the next lot, or while regular maintenance is being performed.
[0030] The operating status detection unit 510 may detect the operating status, for example, by acquiring the operating status from the injection molding unit 50. Furthermore, the operating status detection unit 510 may detect the operating status of the injection molding unit 50 based on, for example, physical quantity information and inspection result data received from the injection molding unit 50.
[0031] The abnormality detection unit 520 detects an abnormality in each injection molding unit 50. For example, the abnormality detection unit 520 detects an abnormality in an injection molding unit 50 by receiving a signal indicating an abnormality from the injection molding unit 50. The abnormality detection unit 520 stores the abnormality detection result in the storage unit 502.
[0032] The container shortage detection unit 530 detects a shortage of containers for holding molded products for each injection molding unit 50. In this embodiment, the container shortage detection unit 530 acquires information regarding the remaining amount of containers from the injection molding unit 50 and detects a shortage of containers based on the acquired information regarding the remaining amount of containers. In this embodiment, the container shortage detection unit 530 determines that there is a shortage of containers when the remaining amount of containers is equal to or less than a predetermined first amount. In this embodiment, the first amount is represented by a value indicating the number of empty containers and is set to a value of 1 or greater. The container shortage detection unit 530 stores the detection result of the shortage of containers in the memory unit 502. In other embodiments, the container shortage detection unit 530 may detect a shortage of containers by, for example, acquiring information indicating a shortage of containers from the injection molding unit 50.
[0033] The material shortage detection unit 535 detects a shortage of material for molding a molded product for each injection molding unit 50. In this embodiment, the material shortage detection unit 535 acquires information regarding the remaining amount of material from the injection molding unit 50 and detects a shortage of material based on the acquired information regarding the remaining amount of material. In this embodiment, the material shortage detection unit 535 determines that a material shortage exists when the remaining amount of material is equal to or less than a predetermined second amount. In this embodiment, the second amount is expressed by weight and is expressed as a weight equal to or greater than the weight of material required to mold one molded product. The material shortage detection unit 535 stores the detection result of the material shortage in the memory unit 502. In other embodiments, the material shortage detection unit 535 may detect a shortage of material by, for example, acquiring information indicating a shortage of material from the injection molding unit 50.
[0034] The output unit 540 generates display data including data for rendering a display screen, which will be described later, based on the detection results of the operating status, the detection results of the shortage of materials, and the detection results of the shortage of containers. The output unit 540 displays a display screen on the display unit 450 based on the generated display data.
[0035] 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display screen SC displayed on the display unit 450 in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the display screen SC displays the availability rate and defect rate for each production line, along with the status of each injection molding unit 50 included in that production line, all arranged horizontally. These injection molding units 50 are managed by the injection molding machine management system 10, as described above.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, a total of seven injection molding units 50 are managed by the injection molding machine management system 10, and their statuses are displayed on the display screen SC. In this embodiment, the first unit U1 and the second unit U2 are arranged on the first production line L1. The third unit U3 and the fourth unit U4 are arranged on the second production line L2. The fifth unit U5 is arranged on the third production line L3. The sixth unit U6 and the seventh unit U7 are arranged on the fourth production line L4. Note that in other embodiments, the number of injection molding units 50 managed by the injection molding machine management system 10 may be one, two to six, or eight or more.
[0037] On the display screen SC, for example, as information related to the first production line L1, the identification information of the first production line L1, the availability rate and defect rate of the first production line L1, and the status of the first unit U1 and the second unit U2 included in the first production line L1 are displayed side by side. In this embodiment, the identification information of the production line is represented by a character string including the production line number. For example, the display screen SC shown in FIG. 2 displays the character string "L1" as the identification information of the first production line L1. The identification information of the production line may be input via an input unit provided in the management device 500, or may be obtained from the injection molding machine 100 of the injection molding unit 50, for example.
[0038] The display screen SC displays, as the status of each injection molding unit 50, operation information of each injection molding unit 50 and at least one of container shortage information and material shortage information of each injection molding unit 50. The operation information is information relating to the operating status of the injection molding unit 50, and is, for example, information indicating whether the injection molding unit 50 is in a stopped state or an operating state. The container shortage information is information relating to a shortage of containers. The material shortage information is information relating to a shortage of material. The display screen SC in this embodiment displays, as the status of each injection molding unit 50, both operation information and container shortage information and material shortage information.
[0039] In this embodiment, the operation information of each injection molding unit 50 is represented by various marks arranged on a substantially rectangular icon representing each injection molding unit 50 and the color of the icon. In this embodiment, in addition to the marks, identification information of the injection molding unit 50 represented by the icon is displayed on the icon. In other embodiments, other information related to the injection molding unit 50, such as the model number of the injection molding unit 50, may be displayed on the icon.
[0040] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operating status of the injection molding unit 50, as represented by various marks arranged on the icon and the color of the icon in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the display of a first mark Mk1 on the icon and the color of the icon representing the injection molding unit 50 being red indicate that the injection molding unit 50 is stopped. For example, the display screen SC in FIG. 2 indicates that the first unit U1 is currently stopped. The display of a second mark Mk2 on the icon and the color of the icon being blue indicate that the injection molding unit 50 is in an operating state. The display of a third mark Mk3 on the icon and the color of the icon being gray indicate that the injection molding unit 50 is paused. The display of a fourth mark Mk4 on the icon and the color of the icon being yellow indicate that the power to the injection molding unit 50 is off. In this embodiment, the first mark Mk1 to the fourth mark Mk4 are represented by figures. In this way, the operational status of the injection molding unit 50 is displayed by means of graphics and colors, thereby improving the visibility of the operational status on the display screen SC.
[0041] When the operating status is displayed using icons or marks, the color of the icons, the shape of the marks, and the like do not have to be the same as those shown in FIG. 3 . For example, the shape of the icons does not have to be substantially rectangular, and may be, for example, circular, elliptical, or a substantially polygonal shape other than a rectangle. Furthermore, the operating status displayed on the display screen SC as the operating information does not have to include all of the above-described stopped state, operating state, hibernated state, and power-off state. For example, only information indicating the stopped state and information indicating the operating state may be displayed on the display screen SC as the operating information. Furthermore, information indicating states other than the above-described states may be displayed on the display screen SC as the operating information. Furthermore, for example, the operating state may be distinguished from other states by not displaying a mark on the icon when the operating state is displayed, and a mark when the other operating state is displayed. Similarly, the stopped state may be distinguished from other states by not displaying a mark on the icon when the stopped state is displayed.
[0042] In this embodiment, container shortage information is displayed on the display unit 450 in association with operation information when there is a shortage of containers in the injection molding unit 50. For example, in the example of FIG. 2, the display screen SC indicates that the first unit U1 is stopped by the red color of the icon representing the first unit U1 and the first mark Mk1, and also displays container shortage information for the first unit U1 on the icon representing the first unit U1. More specifically, in an area on the icon representing the first unit U1 different from the area where the first mark Mk1 is displayed, the character string "CONTAINER REPLACEMENT" and a fifth mark with a symbol resembling the letter "i" inside a circle are displayed as container shortage information. In other words, when the display screen SC shown in FIG. 2 is displayed, the first unit U1 is stopped and there is a shortage of containers. In this case, in this embodiment, the management device 500 determines that the first unit U1 is stopped due to a shortage of containers.
[0043] In the example of FIG. 2, the display screen SC indicates that the second unit U2 is in operation, and also displays container shortage information for the second unit U2. That is, when the display screen SC of FIG. 2 is displayed, the second unit U2 continues to manufacture molded products, and the remaining number of containers in the second unit U2 is equal to or less than the first amount described above. Since the first amount in this embodiment is defined as a value of 1 or greater representing the number of containers, as described above, the container shortage information is displayed on the display screen SC before the injection molding unit 50 stops manufacturing molded products due to a container shortage. If the operation of the second unit U2 continues without replenishing containers from this state, the remaining number of containers in the second unit U2 will eventually reach 0. In this case, manufacturing of molded products in the second unit U2 is stopped, and the display screen SC displays information indicating that the second unit U2 is in a stopped state. In this embodiment, during this time, the text string "Container Shortage" described above remains displayed on the display screen SC as the container shortage information.
[0044] The above-mentioned first amount is preferably determined as an amount that can prevent the injection molding unit 50 from stopping due to a shortage of containers and can reduce the number of times containers need to be replenished. In this case, the first amount is determined based on, for example, the time required for a user to replenish containers in an injection molding unit 50 that is running low on containers after confirming the container shortage information displayed on the display unit 450.
[0045] In this embodiment, when there is a shortage of material in the injection molding unit 50, the material shortage information is displayed on the display unit 450 in association with the operation information. For example, in the example of FIG. 2, the display screen SC indicates that the third unit U3 is stopped, and also displays the material shortage information for the third unit U3. More specifically, the character string "Material Replenishment" and the fifth mark are displayed as the material shortage information in an area different from the area where the first mark Mk1 is displayed on the icon representing the third unit U3. In other words, when the display screen SC shown in FIG. 2 is displayed, the third unit U3 is stopped and there is a shortage of material. In this case, in this embodiment, the management device 500 determines that the third unit U3 has stopped due to a shortage of material.
[0046] In the example of FIG. 2, the display screen SC indicates that the fourth unit U4 is in operation and displays information about the shortage of material in the fourth unit U4. In other words, when the display screen SC of FIG. 2 is displayed, the fourth unit U4 continues to manufacture molded products, and the remaining amount of containers in the fourth unit U4 is equal to or less than the second amount described above. As described above, the second amount in this embodiment is defined as a weight equal to or greater than the weight of material required to mold one molded product. Therefore, the material shortage information is displayed on the display screen SC before the injection molding unit 50 stops manufacturing molded products due to a shortage of material. If the fourth unit U4 continues to operate without being refilled with material from this state, the remaining amount of material in the fourth unit U4 will eventually fall below the amount of material required to mold one molded product. In this case, the manufacturing of molded products in the fourth unit U4 is stopped, and the display screen SC displays information indicating that the fourth unit U4 is in a stopped state. In this embodiment, during this time, the above-mentioned character string "insufficient material" is kept displayed on the display screen SC as the material shortage information.
[0047] The second amount is preferably determined as an amount that can prevent the injection molding unit 50 from stopping due to a shortage of material and can reduce the number of times the material needs to be replenished. In this case, the second amount is determined based on, for example, the time required for the user to replenish the material in the injection molding unit 50 that is running low on material after checking the material shortage information displayed on the display unit 450.
[0048] Although not shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, when a certain injection molding unit 50 is short of containers and materials, container shortage information and material shortage information for that injection molding unit 50 are displayed on the display screen SC. In this case, the container shortage information and material shortage information may be displayed simultaneously in different areas of the display screen SC, or may be displayed alternately in the same area of the display screen SC. Also, in this embodiment, the display screen SC may indicate that a certain injection molding unit 50 is in a stopped state, and neither container shortage information nor material shortage information for that injection molding unit 50 is displayed. In this case, the injection molding unit 50 has stopped due to a cause other than a container shortage or a material shortage, such as an abnormality.
[0049] According to the first embodiment described above, the display unit 450 is provided to display a display screen SC that displays operation information and at least one of container shortage information and material shortage information for each injection molding unit 50. The container shortage information is displayed on the display screen SC in association with the operation information when an injection molding unit 50 runs out of containers. The material shortage information is displayed on the display screen SC in association with the operation information when an injection molding unit 50 runs out of material. This allows the user to replenish containers or materials based on the container shortage information or material shortage information while referring to the operation information displayed on the display screen SC. This increases the likelihood of suppressing delays in the production of molded products due to container or material shortages being left unattended in the injection molding unit 50.
[0050] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, container shortage information is displayed on the display screen SC when the remaining amount of containers in the injection molding unit 50 is less than a first amount, and material shortage information is displayed on the display screen SC when the remaining amount of material in the injection molding unit 50 is less than a second amount. Therefore, with simple control, container shortage information or material shortage information can be displayed on the display screen SC at the timing when the remaining amount of material or containers reaches a desired amount.
[0051] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, container shortage information is displayed on the display screen SC before the injection molding unit 50 stops producing molded products due to a shortage of containers, and material shortage information is displayed on the display screen SC before the injection molding unit 50 stops producing molded products due to a shortage of material. This increases the likelihood that containers or materials can be replenished before the injection molding unit 50 stops or at an earlier timing after the injection molding unit 50 stops, compared to when container shortage information or material shortage information is displayed only when the injection molding unit 50 stops due to a shortage of containers or material, for example. This further increases the likelihood that delays in the production of molded products can be suppressed.
[0052] B. Second embodiment: 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display screen SC2 displayed on the display unit 450 in the second embodiment. Unlike the first embodiment, the display unit 450 in this embodiment displays, for each injection molding unit 50, abnormality information relating to an abnormality in the injection molding unit 50 in addition to container shortage information and material shortage information. Portions of the display screen SC2 and the configuration of the injection molding machine management system 10 in this embodiment that are not particularly described are the same as those in the first embodiment.
[0053] In this embodiment, when an abnormality occurs in the injection molding unit 50, the abnormality information is displayed on the display screen SC2 in correspondence with the operation information. For example, in the example of FIG. 4, the display screen SC2 indicates that the first unit U1 is stopped, and displays abnormality information for the first unit U1. More specifically, the character string "abnormal" and the fifth mark are displayed as abnormality information in an area on the icon representing the first unit U1 that is different from the area where the first mark Mk1 is displayed. In other words, when the display screen SC shown in FIG. 2 is displayed, the first unit U1 is stopped and an abnormality is occurring. In this case, in this embodiment, the management device 500 determines that the first unit U1 has stopped due to an abnormality.
[0054] In this embodiment, when a shortage of containers and an abnormality occur in the injection molding unit 50, the container shortage information and the abnormality information for that injection molding unit 50 are displayed in different areas of the display screen SC2. For example, in the example of Fig. 4, the abnormality information for the fourth unit U4 and the container shortage information for the fourth unit U4 are displayed vertically on the icon representing the fourth unit U4. Note that when a shortage of material and an abnormality occur in the injection molding unit 50, the material shortage information and the abnormality information for that injection molding unit 50 are displayed in different areas of the display screen SC2, similar to the above case.
[0055] According to the second embodiment described above, the display unit 450 displays abnormality information for each injection molding unit 50. When an abnormality occurs in an injection molding unit 50, the abnormality information is displayed on the display screen SC2 in association with the operation information. This allows the user to take action to resolve the abnormality based on the displayed abnormality information when abnormality information is displayed on the display screen SC2. On the other hand, when container shortage information or material shortage information is displayed, the user can replenish containers or materials based on the displayed information. In particular, for example, if the person responsible for resolving the abnormality is different from the person responsible for replenishing containers or materials, the information displayed on the display unit 450 can be used to determine which person should handle the situation. This increases the likelihood that abnormalities in the injection molding unit 50 and shortages of materials or containers can be resolved more quickly, thereby further reducing delays in the production of molded products.
[0056] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when a container shortage and an abnormality occur in the injection molding unit 50, the container shortage information and the abnormality information are displayed in different areas of the display screen SC2. When a material shortage and an abnormality occur, the material shortage information and the abnormality information are displayed in different areas of the display screen SC2. This improves the visibility of the container shortage information, material shortage information, and abnormality information on the display screen SC2, compared to, for example, when the container shortage information, material shortage information, and abnormality information are alternately displayed in the same area of the display screen SC2. Therefore, for example, overlooking the container shortage information or material shortage information can prevent the injection molding unit 50 from stopping again due to a shortage of containers or materials immediately after completing measures to resolve the abnormality in the injection molding unit 50 and resuming production of molded products. This further increases the likelihood of preventing delays in the production of molded products.
[0057] C. Third embodiment: 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display screen SC3 displayed on the display unit 450 in the third embodiment. In this embodiment, the container shortage information is expressed by the quantity of containers, unlike in the first embodiment. Parts of the display screen SC3 and the configuration of the injection molding machine management system 10 in this embodiment that are not particularly described are the same as those in the first embodiment.
[0058] In this embodiment, the container shortage information is represented by the number of empty containers in the injection molding unit 50. More specifically, in this embodiment, the container shortage information is represented by the current number of empty containers calculated based on a sensor provided in the stacking mechanism 400 for detecting the remaining amount of containers. In the example of FIG. 5, the display screen SC3 indicates that the first unit U1 is in a stopped state, and displays the character string "0 containers remaining," which is a character string including the number "0," along with a fifth mark, as the container shortage information for the first unit U1. Furthermore, the display screen SC3 indicates that the second unit U2 is in an operating state, and displays the character string "10 containers remaining," which is a character string including the number "10," along with a fifth mark, as the container shortage information for the second unit U2.
[0059] According to the third embodiment described above, the container shortage information is represented by the number of empty containers. This increases the possibility of replenishing containers at a more appropriate time. In other embodiments, the container shortage information may be represented, for example, by the number of filled containers. Furthermore, both the number of empty containers and the number of filled containers may be displayed on the display unit 450 as container shortage information. Even in these embodiments, as in the third embodiment, the possibility of replenishing containers at a more appropriate time increases.
[0060] In other embodiments, for example, material shortage information may be expressed by the quantity of material, similarly to the container shortage information being expressed by the quantity of containers in the third embodiment. Furthermore, container shortage information or material shortage information may be displayed by the predicted time until containers or materials run out, the number of molded products that can be manufactured until containers or materials run out, or the like.
[0061] D. Other Embodiments: (D1) In the above embodiment, the display unit 450 displays both the container shortage information and the material shortage information, but it may display only either the container shortage information or the material shortage information. Therefore, for example, an injection molding unit 50 that does not use containers to transport molded products may be managed by the injection molding machine management system 10.
[0062] (D2) In the above embodiment, when a container shortage and an abnormality occur in the injection molding unit 50, the container shortage information and the abnormality information are displayed in different areas of the display screen SC2, but they may also be displayed in the same area. For example, they may be displayed alternately in the same area of the display screen SC2. Similarly, the material shortage information and the abnormality information may also be displayed in the same area of the display screen SC2.
[0063] (D3) In the above embodiment, the container shortage information is displayed on the display screen SC when the remaining amount of containers is equal to or less than a first amount. In contrast, for example, the container shortage information may be displayed when the amount of stored containers is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. Furthermore, the container shortage information may be displayed when the number of molded products that can be produced before the remaining amount of containers reaches zero, calculated based on the amount of empty containers and stored containers, falls below a predetermined number, or when the time that can be used to produce molded products before the remaining amount of containers reaches zero falls below a predetermined time. Similarly, the material shortage information does not need to be displayed on the display screen SC when the remaining amount of material is equal to or less than a second amount.
[0064] (D4) In the above embodiment, the container shortage information is displayed on the display screen SC before production of molded products is stopped due to a shortage of containers in the injection molding unit 50. In contrast, the container shortage information may be displayed, for example, only when production of molded products is stopped due to a shortage of containers in the injection molding unit 50. Similarly, the material shortage information may be displayed, for example, only when production of molded products is stopped due to a shortage of material in the injection molding unit 50.
[0065] (D5) In the above embodiment, the display screen SC displays various information such as operation rates for each production line in a single display. In contrast, the various information does not have to be displayed for each production line on the display screen SC, and may be displayed simply for each injection molding unit 50 or for each factory.
[0066] (D6) In the above embodiment, the operating status of the injection molding unit 50 is represented by the color of the mark and the icon. However, the operating status may be represented only by the mark or only by the color of the icon. Furthermore, the operating status may be represented, for example, by a character string or the shape of the icon, rather than by the color of the mark or icon. Furthermore, the operating status does not have to be displayed on the icon, and may be displayed, for example, by a character string or a mark only.
[0067] (D7) In the above embodiment, the container shortage information is represented by the fifth mark and the character string "CONTAINER REPLACEMENT." However, the container shortage information may be represented by a mark other than the fifth mark or a character string other than "CONTAINER REPLACEMENT." Furthermore, for example, the container shortage information may be displayed by changing the color of the character string or the mark. In this case, for example, when there is no container shortage in the injection molding unit 50, the container shortage information may be displayed by displaying a character string such as "CONTAINER REPLACEMENT" in white, and when there is a container shortage, the character string may be displayed in red. Similarly, for example, when there is no container shortage, the container shortage information may be displayed by displaying a mark such as the fifth mark in white, and when there is a container shortage, the mark in red. Furthermore, when there is a container shortage, one or both of the mark and the character string may be flashed. Furthermore, the container shortage information may be displayed by displaying a mark of a different shape depending on whether there is a container shortage or not. Similarly, the material shortage information may be displayed by a mark other than the fifth mark or a character string other than "MATERIAL REPLACEMENT," and the abnormality information may be displayed by a mark other than the fifth mark or a character string other than "ABNORMAL." Furthermore, when the operating status is not represented by the color of the icon, for example, container shortage information, material shortage information, and abnormality information may be represented by the color of the icon.
[0068] (D8) In the above embodiment, when there is a shortage of material or containers in the injection molding unit 50, a control unit provided in the injection molding unit 50, such as the first control unit 110, stops injection molding, etc., thereby stopping the production of molded products. In contrast, when there is a shortage of material or containers, the production of molded products in the injection molding unit 50 may be stopped, for example, by stopping injection molding, etc., through a user operation.
[0069] (D9) In the above embodiment, when there are insufficient containers in the injection molding unit 50, the robot transports molded articles to the stacking mechanism 400, and injection molding by the injection molding machine 100 is stopped. In contrast, when there are insufficient containers, injection molding does not have to be stopped immediately. For example, when injection-molded articles are transported to a temporary storage location by a belt conveyor or the like and then transported by a robot, injection molding may be continued as long as the temporary storage location can accept the molded articles. In this case, production of molded articles in the injection molding unit 50 is stopped, but injection molding continues.
[0070] (D10) In the above embodiment, the injection molding unit 50 includes the injection molding machine 100, the take-out machine 200, and the inspection device 300. In contrast, the injection molding unit 50 only needs to include the injection molding machine 100. It does not have to include the take-out machine 200 or the inspection device 300. Also, in the above embodiment, the injection molding units 50 managed by the injection molding machine management system 10 are all the same. In contrast, the configurations of the injection molding units 50 may be different from each other. For example, an injection molding unit including only the injection molding machine 100 and an injection molding unit 50 including the injection molding machine 100, the take-out machine 200, and the inspection device 300 as in the above embodiment may both be managed by the injection molding machine management system 10.
[0071] E. Other forms: The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be realized in various forms without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the present disclosure can also be realized in the following forms. The technical features in the above embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each form described below can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the problems of the present disclosure or to achieve some or all of the effects of the present disclosure. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.
[0072] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an injection molding machine management system that includes an injection molding machine and manages one or more injection molding units that manufacture molded products. The injection molding machine management system includes a display unit that displays a display screen that displays, for each injection molding unit, at least one of operation information regarding the operating status of the injection molding unit, container shortage information regarding a shortage of containers for accommodating the molded products, and material shortage information regarding a shortage of material for molding the molded products. The container shortage information is displayed on the display screen in correspondence with the operation information when the injection molding unit runs out of containers, and the material shortage information is displayed on the display screen in correspondence with the operation information when the injection molding unit runs out of material. According to this configuration, the user can replenish containers and materials based on the container shortage information and material shortage information while referring to the operation information displayed on the display screen, which increases the possibility of suppressing delays in the production of molded products due to container or material shortages being left unattended in the injection molding unit.
[0073] (2) In the above embodiment, the display screen may display abnormality information for each injection molding unit, and the abnormality information may be displayed on the display screen in association with the operation information when an abnormality occurs in an injection molding unit. According to this embodiment, when abnormality information is displayed on the display unit, the user can take action to resolve the abnormality based on the displayed abnormality information. On the other hand, when container shortage information or material shortage information is displayed, the user can replenish containers or materials based on the displayed information. This increases the likelihood of more quickly resolving injection molding unit abnormalities and shortages of materials or containers, thereby further reducing delays in the production of molded products.
[0074] (3) In the above embodiment, when a container shortage and an abnormality occur in the injection molding unit, the container shortage information and the abnormality information may be displayed in different areas of the display screen, and when a material shortage and an abnormality occur in the injection molding unit, the material shortage information and the abnormality information may be displayed in different areas of the display screen. This embodiment improves the visibility of the container shortage information, material shortage information, and abnormality information on the display screen compared to, for example, a case where the container shortage information, material shortage information, and abnormality information are alternately displayed in the same area of the display screen. This further increases the likelihood of suppressing delays in the production of molded products.
[0075] (4) In the above embodiment, the container shortage information may be displayed on the display screen when the remaining amount of the container is equal to or less than a predetermined first amount, and the material shortage information may be displayed on the display screen when the remaining amount of the material is equal to or less than a predetermined second amount. According to this embodiment, the container shortage information and material shortage information can be displayed on the display screen by simple control at a timing when the remaining amount of the material and the remaining amount of the container reach a desired amount.
[0076] (5) In the above embodiment, the container shortage information may be displayed on the display screen before production of the molded product is stopped in the injection molding unit due to a shortage of the container, and the material shortage information may be displayed on the display screen before production is stopped in the injection molding unit due to a shortage of the material. This embodiment increases the likelihood of replenishing containers or materials before or sooner after the injection molding unit is stopped, compared to a case where the container shortage information or material shortage information is displayed only when the injection molding unit is stopped due to a shortage of containers or material, for example. This further increases the likelihood of suppressing delays in the production of molded products.
[0077] (6) In the above embodiment, the display screen may display the container shortage information, and the container shortage information may be expressed by at least one of the number of containers that have completed containing the molded products and the number of containers that do not contain the molded products. This embodiment increases the possibility of replenishing containers at a more appropriate time. [Explanation of symbols]
[0078] 10...injection molding machine management system, 50...injection molding unit, 100...injection molding machine, 110...first control unit, 200...take-out machine, 210...second control unit, 300...inspection device, 310...third control unit, 400...stacking mechanism, 401...first lifting device, 402...second lifting device, 450...display unit, 500...management device, 501...CPU, 502...storage unit, 510...operation status detection unit, 520...abnormality detection unit, 530...container shortage detection unit, 535...material shortage detection unit, 540...output unit
Claims
1. An injection molding machine management system that is equipped with an injection molding machine and manages one or more injection molding units that manufacture molded products, a display unit that displays a display screen that displays, for each injection molding unit, at least one of operation information relating to the operation status of the injection molding unit, container shortage information relating to a shortage of containers for accommodating the molded product, and material shortage information relating to a shortage of material for molding the molded product; the container shortage information is displayed on the display screen in correspondence with the operation information when the containers are in short supply in the injection molding unit, the material shortage information is displayed on the display screen in correspondence with the operation information when the material is insufficient in the injection molding unit, An injection molding machine management system, wherein the operation information includes information indicating that the injection molding unit is stopped and information indicating that the injection molding unit is operating.
2. An injection molding machine management system that is equipped with an injection molding machine and manages one or more injection molding units that manufacture molded products, a display unit that displays a display screen that displays, for each injection molding unit, at least one of operation information relating to the operation status of the injection molding unit, container shortage information relating to a shortage of containers for accommodating the molded product, and material shortage information relating to a shortage of material for molding the molded product; the container shortage information is displayed on the display screen in correspondence with the operation information when the containers are in short supply in the injection molding unit, the material shortage information is displayed on the display screen in correspondence with the operation information when the material is insufficient in the injection molding unit, the display screen displays abnormality information regarding abnormalities in the injection molding units for each of the injection molding units, The injection molding machine management system is configured such that, when an abnormality occurs in the injection molding unit, the abnormality information is displayed on the display screen in correspondence with the operation information.
3. 3. The injection molding machine management system according to claim 2, When a shortage of the containers and an abnormality occur in the injection molding unit, the container shortage information and the abnormality information are displayed in different areas of the display screen, An injection molding machine management system in which, when a shortage of material and an abnormality occur in the injection molding unit, the material shortage information and the abnormality information are displayed in different areas of the display screen.
4. An injection molding machine management system that is equipped with an injection molding machine and manages one or more injection molding units that manufacture molded products, a display unit that displays a display screen that displays, for each injection molding unit, at least one of operation information relating to the operation status of the injection molding unit, container shortage information relating to a shortage of containers for accommodating the molded product, and material shortage information relating to a shortage of material for molding the molded product; the container shortage information is displayed on the display screen in correspondence with the operation information when the containers are in short supply in the injection molding unit, the material shortage information is displayed on the display screen in correspondence with the operation information when the material is insufficient in the injection molding unit, The display screen displays the container shortage information, An injection molding machine management system in which the container shortage information is represented by at least one of the number of containers that have completed containing the molded products and the number of containers that do not contain the molded products.
5. 5. The injection molding machine management system according to claim 1, The container shortage information is displayed on the display screen when the remaining amount of the container is equal to or less than a predetermined first amount, The material shortage information is displayed on the display screen when the remaining amount of the material is equal to or less than a predetermined second amount.
6. 6. The injection molding machine management system according to claim 1, the container shortage information is displayed on the display screen before production of the molded product is stopped due to a shortage of the container in the injection molding unit; The material shortage information is displayed on the display screen in the injection molding unit before the production is stopped due to the shortage of the material.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Substrate holder
JP1995090582A
Injection molding machine with tape conveying device
JP2013086351A