Molded product removal machine

Abstract

To provide a molded product removing machine capable of reliably confirming whether or not a combination of a selected mold and a removal head and selected teaching data are correct when replacing the mold. [Solution] When teaching data is created by teaching data creation unit 13, an image including at least a part of the molding mold mounted on the molding machine, an image including at least a part of the take-out head, or an image including at least a part of the molded product taken by the take-out head is automatically taken by an imager, and stored as image data corresponding to the teaching data in data storage unit 12. When performing the replacement work of exchanging molding mold M and take-out head 7, data display unit 17 displays on display 18 an image based on the image data corresponding to the teaching data selected by teaching data selection unit 13.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a molded product remover that can prevent the use of an erroneous combination of teaching data with at least one of a molding die and a remover head. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent No. 3760245 (Patent Document 1) discloses a known technology that allows for the selection of a mold, the selection of molding conditions for an injection molding machine, the setting of teaching data for properly operating the molded product removal machine, the selection of a molded product removal head, and the setting of a sample image for determining the quality of the molded product, all based on a molding requirement image displayed on an image display device, all by operating only the controller of the molded product removal machine. Specifically, with this known technology, by selecting a mold from the molding requirement image, an image of the molded product to be molded and an image of the removal head of the molded product removal machine used to remove the molded product are displayed on the image display device. Also with this technology, the teaching data for the molded product removal machine are displayed on the image display device along with the images of the molded product and the removal head. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3760245 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, images of the molded product and the take-out head, as well as teaching data, are collected in advance, but it is not possible to confirm whether they have been registered in the correct combination. Therefore, if incorrect information is registered due to a registration error or combination error, there is a problem that molding and take-out operations will be started based on that incorrect information. This problem occurs when changing the mold, when it is necessary to confirm whether the combination of the mold to be replaced and the take-out head to be used is correct, and whether the teaching data set when the replaced mold was first used has been correctly selected again.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a molded product removal machine that can reliably confirm whether the selected combination of mold and removal head and the selected teaching data are correct when replacing the mold. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The molded product removal machine of the present invention includes a teaching data creation unit that creates teaching data for the molded product removal machine, a data storage unit that stores the teaching data created by the teaching data creation unit, a teaching data selection unit that selects desired teaching data from multiple teaching data stored in the data storage unit, a control unit that performs removal operations based on the teaching data, and an input unit that inputs operation signals to at least the teaching data creation unit, the teaching data selection unit, and the control unit. To solve the above problems, the molded product removal machine of the present invention also includes an automatic imaging unit and a data display unit. When creating the teaching data, the automatic imaging unit automatically captures, using one or more imagers, images including at least a portion of the molding mold installed in the molding machine, images including at least a portion of the removal head installed in the molded product removal machine, or images including at least a portion of the molded product removed by the removal head installed in the molded product removal machine, and stores the captured images in the data storage unit as image data corresponding to the teaching data. The image captured by the imaging device may, of course, be an image including both at least a portion of the molding mold mounted on the molding machine and at least a portion of the take-out head mounted on the molded product take-out machine, or an image including both at least a portion of the take-out head mounted on the molded product take-out machine and at least a portion of the molded product taken by the take-out head. The data display unit is equipped with a display and, when performing replacement work to replace at least the molding mold and the take-out head, displays on the display an image based on image data corresponding to the teaching data selected by the teaching data selection unit.

[0007] Images including the molded product can be taken when confirming the completion of the creation of teaching data or when performing test molding work after completion.

[0008] According to the present invention, when replacing at least the molding machine and the take-out head, an image including at least a portion of the molding mold installed in the molding machine, an image including at least a portion of the take-out head installed in the molded product take-out machine, and / or an image including at least a portion of the molded product taken by the take-out head installed in the molded product take-out machine, which were automatically captured when initially creating teaching data corresponding to the teaching data selected by the teaching data selection unit, are displayed on the display of the data display unit. As a result, by visually comparing the images of at least a portion of the molding mold, at least a portion of the take-out head, and at least a portion of the molded product, or a combination of these components, based on the image data corresponding to the teaching data selected by the teaching data selection unit with the replaced molding mold and take-out head, the operator can confirm whether the replaced molding mold or take-out head is incorrect or whether the selected teaching data is incorrect. As a result, selection errors during mold replacement can be reliably prevented.

[0009] The timing at which the data display unit displays images on the display includes before, during and after the replacement work, at least when the replacement work is performed to replace the molding die and the extraction head, so that images can be displayed at various times during the replacement work, providing the worker with an opportunity to check for any mistakes in selection that may occur when replacing the molding die.

[0010] Furthermore, if a start command is input from the input unit after a predetermined period longer than the scheduled shutdown period has elapsed since an operation signal to stop the operation of the molded product remover during molding has been input to the input unit, and no new teaching data has been selected by the teaching data selection unit, the system may further include a data selection prompting unit that issues an alarm together with an image based on image data corresponding to the previous teaching data on the display to prompt the user to select teaching data with the teaching data selection unit. The provision of a data selection prompting unit not only prevents the mistake of replacing the molding die without changing the teaching data, but also prevents the occurrence of a situation in which operation is carried out without changing the teaching data.

[0011] The automatic imaging unit has a function of automatically capturing an image of at least one of the molding die being replaced and the extraction head being replaced using an imager and outputting the image data for confirmation, and the data display unit may display an image based on the confirmation image data on the display together with an image based on the image data corresponding to the selected teaching data. In this way, the operator can check for selection errors that may occur during molding die replacement by looking only at the display, thereby reducing the burden of the operator's confirmation work.

[0012] The automatic imaging unit preferably automatically captures an image when preparations for creating the teaching data are complete, during creation of the teaching data, or when creation of the teaching data is completed. The timing of the image capture can be set arbitrarily as long as the necessary images can be obtained. For example, during creation of the teaching data, an image may be automatically captured after an operation signal indicating that the initial positions of the molding die and the take-out head have been set is input from the input unit. After creation of the teaching data is completed, an image may be automatically captured after the control device outputs a signal indicating that the take-out head has moved to the standby position after operation confirmation has begun. By capturing images at such timings, data combining the captured image and the created teaching data can be reliably and automatically stored in the data storage unit.

[0013] The data display unit may have a function of selectively displaying a correspondence relationship between the teaching data stored in the data storage unit and the image data on the display of the data display unit when the teaching data selection unit selects teaching data, thereby facilitating the work of selecting teaching data.

[0014] After issuing a display advance warning alarm, the data display unit displays a pair of identification marks for identifying the teaching data and images based on the image data corresponding to the teaching data on the display as a correspondence display. By adopting this display mode, the user can select teaching data while looking at the images, preventing selection errors.

[0015] The device may further include a replacement completion detection unit that detects the completion of the replacement work. If no new teaching data is selected by the teaching data selection unit between the time the replacement completion detection unit detects the completion of the replacement work and the start of the removal operation, the data display unit may display an image based on image data corresponding to the previous teaching data on the display together with an alarm. This prevents the removal operation from being performed using the previous teaching data. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1A is a schematic perspective view of a molding system in which a molded product removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to a molding machine, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged schematic perspective view of a state in which a removal head and an imager are attached to an entry frame that moves vertically to enter the molding mold of the molding machine and is driven to remove the molded product. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3](A) shows a front view of the molding system before the approach frame inserts the removal head into the space between the fixed and movable molds of the molding die, and (B) shows an image captured by the imager. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are perspective and front views of the molding system showing the relative positions of the entry frame and take-out head and the mold when the molding machine is closing the fixed mold and the movable mold. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing an algorithm of a program when an example of image capture timing is executed by a computer. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a program algorithm when another example of imaging timing is executed by a computer. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an algorithm of a program when a computer displays an image based on image data corresponding to teaching data selected by a teaching data selection unit on a display. [Figure 8] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a correspondence display showing the correspondence between teaching data and image data stored in a data storage unit on a display. FIG. [Figure 9] 1A is a diagram showing an example of a display having a display field that displays the names of selectable teaching data, a selection switch, and an image including a mold and removal head based on image data corresponding to the selected teaching data, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of a display field that displays an image including a mold and removal head based on image data corresponding to the selected teaching data. [Figure 10] (A) is a diagram showing an example in which the names of four selectable teaching data and a selection switch are displayed on the display, and next to these displays is a display field showing an image including a mold and removal head based on image data corresponding to the selected teaching data, and (B) is a diagram showing an example in which a different image is displayed on the display. [Figure 11]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which an image based on confirmation image data is displayed on a display together with an image based on image data corresponding to selected teaching data. [Figure 12] (A) and (B) are figures used to explain how an image based on image data corresponding to the selected teaching data and an image based on confirmation image data are displayed separately on the display at a time interval. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing a program algorithm for performing an operation for acquiring confirmation image data using a computer after a setup change is completed. [Figure 14] FIG. 10A is a diagram showing an example of an operation start screen, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing an example of an image based on image data corresponding to previous teaching data being displayed on a display together with an alarm display. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing an algorithm of a program for a computer to perform detection and display operations on a display. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing a program algorithm when the function of the data selection prompting unit is realized using a computer. [Figure 17] (A) is a perspective view showing the state of the molded product removal machine when an image capturer captures an image of at least a portion of a molded product released on a pallet, (B) is a diagram showing an example of an image of a cylindrical molded product captured by the image capturer, and (C) is a diagram showing an example of an image of a prismatic molded product. [Figure 18] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of images obtained by automatically capturing images of at least a portion of different molding dies. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] An embodiment of the molded product removal machine of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1(A) is a schematic perspective view of a molding system in which a molded product removal machine 1 according to this embodiment is mounted on a molding machine 3. FIG. 1(B) is an enlarged schematic perspective view of an entry frame 5C, which moves vertically to enter the mold M of the molding machine 3 and remove a molded product (not shown), to which a removal head 7 and an imager 9 are attached. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the molding system. The movement mechanism 50 shown in FIG. 2 is the three-axis movement mechanism, i.e., the XYZ-type movement mechanism, shown in FIG. 1(A). The movement mechanism 50 includes a traverse frame 5A extending in the Y direction shown in FIG. 1(A), a pull-out frame 5B movably mounted on the traverse frame 5A and extending in the X direction, and an entry frame 5C that moves in the Y direction along the pull-out frame 5B and in the Z direction. The entry frame 5C includes a vertical movement mechanism 51 that moves the removal head 7 and a vertical drive device 61 that drives the vertical movement mechanism 51. 2 includes a pull-out frame drive device for the pull-out frame 5B, which includes a vertical drive device 61. An imaging device 9 consisting of a camera is attached to the entrance frame 5C adjacent to the vertical drive device 61.

[0018] FIG. 1(A) shows a state in which the extraction frame 5B is positioned at one end of the traverse frame 5A, the extraction frame 5B extends along the molding machine, and the entry frame 5C inserts the removal head 7 into the space between the fixed mold M1 and the movable mold M2 of the molding mold M [FIGS. 3(A) and 3(B)]. FIG. 3(A) shows a front view of the molding system before the entry frame 5C inserts the removal head 7 into the space between the fixed mold M1 and the movable mold M2 of the molding mold M, and FIG. 3(B) shows an example of an image captured by the imager 9 in the state shown in FIG. 3(A). FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B) are a perspective view and a front view of a portion of the molding system showing the relative positions of the entry frame 5C and the removal head 7 and the mold M when the molding machine 3 is closing the fixed mold M1 and the movable mold M2.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1(B), a position change mechanism 53 for changing the position of the take-out head 7 is attached to the tip of the slide frame 51A included in the vertical movement mechanism 51. The position change mechanism 53 has the function of swinging the take-out head 7 relative to the slide frame 51A included in the vertical movement mechanism 51 and rotating the take-out head 7 around the Z axis extending in the vertical direction as the central axis (θ axis). Of course, depending on the configuration of the movement mechanism 50 (Figure 2) including the vertical movement mechanism 51, the position of the take-out head 7 may be changed by controlling the movement mechanism 50 including the vertical movement mechanism 51 without using the position change mechanism 53.

[0020] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3(B), an image capturer 9 is provided on the entry frame 5C so that at least a portion of the mold M mounted on the molding machine 3 and at least a portion of the take-out head 7 mounted on the molded product take-out machine 1 can be captured when creating teaching data. FIG. 3(B) shows an example of an image captured by the image capturer 9 in the state shown in FIG. 3(A). FIGS. 3(A) and 3(B) show the platen P and four tie bars T of the molding machine 3. The platen P moves together with the movable mold M2 while being guided by the tie bars T. Note that the image captured by the image capturer 9 when creating teaching data is not limited to that of this embodiment, and may be an image including at least a portion of the mold mounted on the molding machine, an image including at least a portion of the take-out head 7 mounted on the molded product take-out machine 1, an image including at least a portion of a molded product (not shown) to be taken out by the take-out head 7, or an image including at least a portion of the take-out head and at least a portion of the molded product.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, a molding system including the molded product extractor 1 of this embodiment includes an automatic imaging unit 8 with an imaging device 9. A teaching data creation unit 11, a data storage unit 12, and a teaching data selection unit 13 are provided to provide imaging commands to the automatic imaging unit 8. The molding system also includes a control unit 14 that provides drive commands to the drive unit 6 and exchanges necessary commands with the molding machine 3, an exchange completion detection unit 15, a data selection prompting unit 16, and a data display unit 17 with a display 18. The display command generation function of the data display unit 17 is realized by a control computer (not shown) that is primarily composed of a central processing unit (CPU) and various memories. The control computer is implemented in the control unit 10 shown in FIG. 1(A) or the data display unit 17. Some inputs to this control computer are entered through an input unit 19. In this embodiment, the input unit 19 is configured using the touch input function of the display 18 of the data display unit 17. Therefore, in the following description, the various touch switches displayed on the screen of the display 18 constitute at least a part of the input unit 19.

[0022] The teaching data creation unit 11 in Fig. 2 creates an operation sequence for the molded product removal device 1 required to manufacture a specific molded product with the molding machine 3, based on instructions input from the input unit 19 by an operator and the actual movement of the movement mechanism 50. The data storage unit 12 stores the teaching data created by the teaching data creation unit 11 in a writable and readable manner. The teaching data selection unit 13 selects desired teaching data from the multiple teaching data stored in the data storage unit 12, based on selection instructions input from the input unit 19 by the operator, and stores the selected teaching data in storage means 14A of the control device 14. The control device 14 outputs a control command to execute a removal operation based on the teaching data stored in storage means 14A.

[0023] When the teaching data creation unit 11 creates teaching data, the automatic imaging unit 8 automatically captures images including at least a portion of the molding mold M (M1, M2) installed in the molding machine 3, an image including at least a portion of the take-out head 7 installed in the molded product removal device 1, an image including at least a portion of the take-out head 7 installed in the molded product removal device 1, an image including at least a portion of the mold to be removed by the take-out head 7, an image including at least a portion of the molding mold and at least a portion of the take-out head, and an image including at least a portion of the take-out head and at least a portion of the molded product using the imager 9, and stores these images in the data storage unit 12 as image data corresponding to the teaching data created by the teaching data creation unit 11. An example of this image is shown in FIG. 3(B). As will be described later, images including the molded product can be captured when or after confirming completion of the creation of the teaching data, or during test molding operations.

[0024] The imaging timing of the automatic imaging unit 8 can be set to automatically capture an image when preparation for creating teaching data is complete, during creation of the teaching data, or when creation of the teaching data is complete. The imaging timing can be set arbitrarily as long as the necessary images can be obtained. For example, as shown in the flowchart of the computer program algorithm in FIG. 5, during creation of the teaching data, the imaging timing is set to automatically capture an image after an operation signal indicating that the initial positions of the casting mold M and the take-out head 7 have been set is input from the input unit 19. As shown in the flowchart of the computer program algorithm in FIG. 6, after creation of the teaching data is completed, the imaging timing is set to automatically capture an image after the control device 14 outputs a signal indicating that the take-out head 7 has moved to the standby position after operation confirmation has begun. By capturing images at such timing, data combining (linking) the captured image with the created teaching data can be automatically and reliably stored in the data storage unit 12. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the "standby position" refers to the state in which the entry frame 5C is in the position shown in FIG. 3(A). 5 and 6, the term "robot" refers to the control device 14 of the molded product removing machine 1.

[0025] Data display unit 17 is equipped with a display 18. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 7, when replacement work is performed to replace casting mold M and extraction head 7 (during changeover), data display unit 17 displays on display 18 an image based on image data corresponding to the teaching data selected by teaching data selection unit 13 (changed teaching data). Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the algorithm of a program when this display operation is realized by a computer.

[0026] With this molding system configuration, the operator can visually compare the replaced mold M and take-out head 7 with an image including at least a portion of the mold M, an image including at least a portion of the take-out head 7, or an image including at least a portion of the molded product, based on image data corresponding to the teaching data selected by the teaching data selection unit 13. As a result, the operator can confirm whether the replaced mold M or take-out head 7 is incorrect, or whether the selected teaching data is incorrect, thereby reliably preventing selection errors during mold replacement. In this embodiment, the display 18 is placed as a monitor away from the main body of the molded product take-out machine 1 in a location that is easy for the operator to operate. The main body of the display 18 can also be equipped with the aforementioned control computer that creates and outputs various commands in addition to the data instructions and commands of the data display unit 17.

[0027] In this embodiment, the timing at which data display unit 17 displays an image on display 18, "when the replacement work of replacing the forming mold M and extraction head 7 is performed," includes before, during, and after the replacement work. In this way, the image can be displayed at any timing during the replacement work, providing the worker with an opportunity to check for any mistakes in selection that may occur when replacing the forming mold.

[0028] When teaching data is selected by the teaching data selection unit 13, the data display unit 17 has the function of selectably displaying on the display 18 a correspondence display showing the correspondence between the teaching data stored in the data storage unit 12 and image data. For example, FIG. 8 shows an example of a display on the display 18 showing the correspondence between the teaching data stored in the data storage unit 12 and image data. In this example, the names of the teaching data selectable by the teaching data selection unit 13 and an image including a portion of the mold M and a portion of the take-out head 7 based on the image data corresponding to the teaching data are displayed together on a single screen. The image in FIG. 8 displays the name of the selectable teaching data, an image including a portion of the mold M and a portion of the take-out head 7 based on the image data corresponding to the teaching data, and selection switches S1 and S2 on the display 18, along with the message "Please select teaching data." This simplifies the process of selecting teaching data. The form of the image displayed on the display 18 by the data display unit 17 is arbitrary. After issuing a display advance warning alarm, the data display unit 17 preferably displays, as a correspondence display, a pair of an identification display for identifying the teaching data and an image based on the image data corresponding to the teaching data on the display 18. By adopting such a display mode, it is possible to select teaching data while looking at the image, thereby preventing selection errors.

[0029] When there are many pieces of teaching data selectable by the teaching data selection unit 13, as in the example display shown in Fig. 9(A), the names of the four selectable teaching data and selection switches S1 to S4 may be simultaneously displayed on the display 18, with a display field next to these displays displaying an image including the forming mold M and the take-out head 7 based on image data corresponding to the selected teaching data, and when any of selection switches S1 to S4 is pressed, an image including a portion of the forming mold M and a portion of the take-out head 7 based on image data corresponding to the selected teaching data may be displayed in the display field as shown in Fig. 9(B). Alternatively, as in the example display shown in Fig. 10(A), the names of the four selectable teaching data and selection switches S1 to S4 may be simultaneously displayed on the display 18, and when any of selection switches S1 to S4 is pressed, another image as shown in Fig. 10(B) may be displayed on the display 18, displaying an image including a portion of the forming mold M and a portion of the take-out head 7 based on image data corresponding to the selected teaching data, along with switches SD and SC for deciding whether or not to finally select this teaching data. Switch SD is a decision switch that decides the selection of the displayed teaching data, and switch SC is a cancel switch that cancels the selection of the displayed teaching data. When the cancel switch SC is pressed, the display returns to Fig. 10(A) and the selection operation is performed again.

[0030] The automatic imaging unit 8 also has the function of automatically capturing an image of at least a portion of at least one of the molding die M and the take-out head 7 being replaced during a changeover using the imaging device 9 and outputting the captured image data as confirmation image data. The data display unit 17 used in this embodiment has the function of displaying an image based on the confirmation image data (the combination image during the replacement operation) on the display 18 along with an image based on the image data corresponding to the selected teaching data (the combination image when the teaching data was created), as shown in FIG. 11 . In the example display in FIG. 11 , the aforementioned decision switch SD and cancel switch SC, which determine whether or not to finally select the teaching data, are displayed below the question "Is the combination correct?" This allows the operator to check for selection errors that may occur during mold replacement by looking only at the display 18, thereby reducing the operator's burden with the confirmation operation. Furthermore, the data display unit 17 may be configured to separately display an image based on the image data corresponding to the selected teaching data (the combination image when the teaching data was created) and an image based on the confirmation image data (the combination image during the replacement operation) on the display 18 at time intervals, as shown in FIGS. 12(A) and 12(B). FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a program algorithm for carrying out the operation of acquiring confirmation image data using a computer after the changeover is completed.

[0031] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the device includes a replacement completion detection unit 15 that detects the completion of the replacement work and a data selection prompting unit 16. The replacement completion detection unit 15 detects the completion of the replacement work when the operation start screen shown in FIG. 14(A) appears on the display 18 after the decision switch SD shown in FIG. 10(B) is pressed, and the operation start switch (operation button) OS is displayed for a test run. If no new teaching data is selected by the teaching data selection unit 13 between the time the replacement completion detection unit 15 detects the completion of the replacement work and the start of the removal operation (operation), the data selection prompting unit 16 displays an alarm and an image based on image data corresponding to the previous teaching data on the display 18, as shown in FIG. 14(B). FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the algorithm of a program used when the detection and display operations are performed by a computer. The alarm displayed in FIG. 14(B) prompts the operator to confirm, "This teaching data is to be used in combination with the displayed images. Is the teaching data correct?" By displaying an alarm in this manner, it is possible to prevent the removal operation from being started and carried out using the previous teaching data.

[0032] Furthermore, because a changeover may be performed by another operator during a shutdown period (T1) longer than a predetermined scheduled shutdown period, the data selection prompting unit 16 has a function for checking for incorrect teaching data selection during this period. Figure 16 shows a flowchart of a program algorithm used when the data selection prompting unit 16 implements this function using a computer. In this algorithm, in step ST1, an operation signal (stop signal) for stopping the operation of the molded product extractor during molding is input from the input unit 19. Then, in step ST2, when the operation start switch OS is pressed from the input unit 19 to input a start command, it is determined whether the shutdown period T1 has elapsed for a predetermined period T longer than the scheduled shutdown period (step ST3). If the shutdown period T1 is shorter than the predetermined period T, the process proceeds to step ST4, where operation is initiated. If the shutdown period T1 is longer than the predetermined period T in step ST3, the process proceeds to step ST5, where it is determined whether an image was displayed during the shutdown. If an image is displayed, the process proceeds to step ST4; if an image is not displayed, the process proceeds to step ST6. In step ST6, an image associated with the teaching data (an image of the teaching data) is displayed on display 18 (for example, an image similar to that shown in FIG. 11 or 12 is displayed). Whether the combination in step ST7 is correct is determined by pressing the decision switch SD or the cancel switch SC on an image similar to that displayed in FIG. 11 or 12. If the combination is correct, the process proceeds to step ST4; if the combination is incorrect, the process proceeds to step ST8, where the selected teaching data is changed. The selected teaching data is changed by displaying an image similar to that shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 on display 18. Providing such a data selection prompting unit 16 not only prevents the mistake of replacing the forming mold without changing the teaching data, but also prevents the occurrence of an operation being performed without changing the teaching data.

[0033] In the above embodiment, when creating teaching data, the image capturer 9 automatically captures images including at least a portion of the molding mold installed in the molding machine and at least a portion of the take-out head installed in the molded product remover. However, the images automatically captured in the present invention are not limited to the above embodiment. Figure 17(A) shows the state of the molded product remover 1 when the image capturer 9 captures at least a portion of a molded product MP1 (or MP2) released onto a pallet PT. Figure 17(B) shows an example image of a cylindrical molded product MP1 captured by the image capturer 9. A skilled worker would instantly recognize that the replaced mold was incorrect by looking at the molded product MP1 molded during the trial run after teaching. Figure 17(C) is an image of a rectangular columnar molded product MP2, and the difference in shape is immediately apparent. As is clear from the two images, the present invention can be fully implemented even if the automatically captured image is only an image of the molded product. When using a single camera, the camera's zoom function can be used to capture only the molded product. Furthermore, when only the take-out head is imaged, it is possible to image only the take-out head when the take-out head is moved from the opening side of the molded product to the take-out side.

[0034] 18(A) and 18(B) are examples of images obtained by automatically capturing images of at least a portion of a different mold MA and mold MB. The mold MA or MB has bolt holes BT formed therein for use during mold replacement. However, since the mold must be properly lifted during mold replacement, the positions of the bolt holes BT for each mold often differ. Furthermore, the surface of the mold may display identification marks, numbers, or other such marks. Therefore, the present invention can be fully implemented even if the automatically captured image only shows at least a portion of the mold. This is because a worker with some experience in the work can imagine the combination of the mold and the extraction head just by looking at an image of a molded product or a portion of the mold.

[0035] In the above embodiment, automatic imaging unit 8 uses only one imaging device 9 attached to entrance frame 5C, but it is of course also possible to use images captured by multiple imaging devices installed in multiple locations. When multiple imaging devices are used, it is sufficient to install imaging devices in locations suitable for automatic imaging during teaching and imaging after mold replacement, and capture preferred images. [Industrial Applicability]

[0036] According to this invention, an image including at least a portion of the mold installed in the molding machine, an image including at least a portion of the take-out head installed in the molded product removal machine, or an image including at least a portion of the molded product removed by the take-out head is automatically captured by an imager based on image data corresponding to the teaching data selected by the teaching data selection unit, and an operator can visually compare the captured image with the replaced mold and take-out head to determine whether the replaced mold or take-out head is incorrect, or whether the selected teaching data is incorrect. As a result, selection errors that occur when replacing molds can be reliably prevented. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1...Molded product removal machine 3…Molding machine 5A...Traverse frame 5B...Pulling frame 5C…Entry frame 6...Driver 7...Extraction head 8...Automatic imaging unit 9...Image capture device 11...Teaching data creation section 12...Data storage unit 13...Teaching data selection section 14...Control device 14A…Storage means 15…Replacement completion detection unit 16...Data Selection and Reminder Department 17...Data display section 18...Display 19...Input section 50...Movement mechanism 51...Up / down movement mechanism 51A...Slide frame 53...Attitude change mechanism 61...Up / down drive device M…Mold M1...Fixed mold M2…Movable mold OS: Operation start switch P...Platen S1...Selection switch SC...Cancel switch SD...Decision switch

Claims

1. a teaching data creation unit that creates teaching data for the molded product removal machine; a data storage unit that stores the teaching data created by the teaching data creation unit; a teaching data selection unit that selects desired teaching data from the plurality of teaching data stored in the data storage unit; a control device that executes a take-out operation based on the teaching data; A molded product removing machine comprising an input unit that inputs operation signals to at least the teaching data creation unit, the teaching data selection unit, and the control device, an automatic imaging unit that, when the teaching data creation unit creates the teaching data, automatically captures an image including at least a part of the molding mold installed in the molding machine, an image including at least a part of the take-out head installed in the molded product take-out machine, or an image including at least a part of the molded product taken out by the take-out head using one or more imagers, and stores the image data in the data storage unit as image data corresponding to the teaching data; A molded product removal machine having a display and a data display unit that displays on the display the image based on the image data corresponding to the teaching data selected by the teaching data selection unit when performing replacement work to replace at least the molding die and the removal head.

2. The molded product removal machine according to claim 1, wherein the automatic imaging unit automatically captures the image when preparations for creating the teaching data are complete, while the teaching data is being created, or when creation of the teaching data is completed.

3. During creation of the teaching data, after an operation signal indicating that setting of the initial positions of the forming mold and the extraction head has been completed is input from the input unit, the image is automatically captured; The molded product removal machine according to claim 2, wherein after the creation of the teaching data is completed, operation confirmation is started, and the control device outputs a signal indicating that the removal head has moved to a standby position, and then the image is automatically captured.

4. The molded product removal machine according to claim 1, wherein the time of performing the replacement work of replacing at least the molding mold and the removal head includes before performing the replacement work, during the replacement work, after performing the replacement work, or before starting operation for the first time after performing the replacement work.

5. the automatic imaging unit has a function of automatically capturing an image of at least one of the molding die being replaced and the extraction head being replaced using an imaging device and outputting the image data for confirmation; The molded product removal machine according to claim 1, wherein the data display unit displays an image based on the confirmation image data on the display together with the image based on the image data corresponding to the selected teaching data.

6. 2. The molded product extractor according to claim 1, wherein the data display unit has a function of, when the teaching data is selected by the teaching data selection unit, selectively displaying on the display of the data display unit a correspondence relationship indicating the correspondence between the teaching data stored in the data storage unit and the image data.

7. The molded product removal machine according to claim 6, wherein after issuing a display warning alarm, the data display unit displays on the display a pair of an identification display for identifying the teaching data and the image based on the image data corresponding to the teaching data in the correspondence relationship display.

8. Further provided is a replacement completion detection unit that detects the completion of the replacement work, 2. The molded product removal machine according to claim 1, wherein if no new teaching data is selected by the teaching data selection unit between the time when the replacement completion detection unit detects the end of the replacement work and the start of the removal operation, the data display unit displays on the display the image based on the image data corresponding to the previous teaching data together with an alarm.

9. 2. The molded product removal machine according to claim 1, further comprising a data selection prompting unit that, when a start command is input from the input unit after a predetermined period longer than a regular shutdown period has elapsed since an operation signal to stop the operation of the molded product removal machine during molding has been input to the input unit, displays on the display, together with an alarm, the image based on the image data corresponding to the previous teaching data if no new teaching data has been selected by the teaching data selection unit.

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