Injection molding machine and injection molding system

Abstract

An injection molding machine according to the present disclosure is provided with at least a storage unit, a reception unit, and a display unit. The storage unit of the injection molding machine according to the present disclosure stores at least a first message character string relating to an operating state of the injection molding machine. The reception unit of the injection molding machine according to the present disclosure receives at least a second message character string relating to an injection molding operation. The display unit of the injection molding machine according to the present disclosure displays the first message character string corresponding to an operating state of the injection molding machine and the second message character string corresponding to an injection molding operation in a list form.

Description

Injection molding machines and systems

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an injection molding machine and an injection molding system that have a function for later defining message strings such as alarm messages and self-diagnostic messages.

[0002] An injection molding machine is a device capable of producing plastic molded products through basic operations such as mold clamping, injection, pressure holding, metering, cooling, mold opening, and ejection. Injection molding machines are equipped with a function to display an alarm message when an abnormality occurs in the mechanisms that make up the injection molding machine, and a function to stop the mechanisms as necessary. Some injection molding machines are also equipped with a function to display the cause of the malfunction as a self-diagnosis message, and a function that allows the user to customize the display as needed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Special Publication No. 2004-503039

[0004] Typically, an injection molding machine is used as part of an injection molding system together with peripheral devices such as a mold temperature controller, a resin dryer, a hot runner controller, and a molded product remover. Some of these peripheral devices are equipped with a display device and have the function of displaying a message string, such as an alarm, when an abnormality occurs. However, while an injection molding machine has the function of displaying a predefined message string, it does not have the function of allowing a user to define the message string at any time after delivery from the manufacturer. Therefore, for example, a message string displayed on a display device of a peripheral device cannot be displayed on the injection molding machine. Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in the injection molding system, an operator must check the display devices of the injection molding machine and the peripheral devices to determine where the abnormality occurred, which is a significant hassle. Therefore, a technology is desired that allows a message string to be defined later for the injection molding machine so that a message displayed on a display device of a peripheral device can be displayed on the display device of the injection molding machine.

[0005] The injection molding machine of the present disclosure includes a memory unit that stores a first message string related to the operating status of the injection molding machine, a reception unit that receives a second message string related to the injection molding operation, and a display unit that displays a list of the first message string corresponding to the operating status of the injection molding machine and the second message string corresponding to the injection molding operation.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an injection molding system including an injection molding machine according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a control device constituting the injection molding machine of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the control device constituting the injection molding machine of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a second definition file stored in a storage unit of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for displaying messages related to peripheral devices by the injection molding machine of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a management screen displayed on the injection molding machine by the display process of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating alarm messages of the injection molding machine and alarm messages of peripheral devices displayed in the alarm message display area of ​​FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating another example of a method for defining a second message string for the injection molding machine of FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating another example of a procedure for displaying messages related to peripheral devices by the injection molding machine of FIG. 1. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a management screen displayed on the injection molding machine by the display process of FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an injection molding machine according to a first modified example of this embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an injection molding machine according to a second modified example of this embodiment. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a management screen displayed on the injection molding machine of Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing the configuration of an injection molding machine according to a third modified example of this embodiment. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a history screen displayed on a management server connected to the injection molding machine according to this embodiment.

[0007] The injection molding machine according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be given only when necessary.

[0008] Generally, an injection molding machine has a function of displaying an alarm message, a self-diagnosis message, etc. on a display device provided in the injection molding machine when an abnormality is detected in the injection molding machine or when a failure or the like is detected by self-diagnosis. Similarly, a peripheral device connected to the injection molding machine has a function of displaying an alarm message, a self-diagnosis message, etc. on a display device provided in the peripheral device when an abnormality is detected in the peripheral device or when a failure or the like is detected by self-diagnosis.

[0009] One feature of the injection molding machine according to this embodiment is that it has a function for defining message strings to be displayed on the display device of the injection molding machine after delivery from the manufacturer. By utilizing this function, arbitrary message strings can be defined for the injection molding machine later, allowing message strings that could not be displayed at the time of delivery from the manufacturer, such as message strings displayed on peripheral devices, to be displayed on the injection molding machine. This allows message strings corresponding to abnormalities occurring in peripheral devices connected to the injection molding machine and self-diagnosis results to be displayed in a consolidated list on the display device of the injection molding machine. Furthermore, by being able to later define message strings related to components, such as servo motors and ejector mechanisms, that are not predefined in the injection molding machine, the injection molding machine can flexibly accommodate the retrofitting of components, improving the extensibility of the injection molding machine. The function for later defining message strings for the injection molding machine is clearly distinguished from the function for customizing message strings pre-stored in the injection molding machine. Typically, the injection molding machine according to this embodiment is configured as follows.

[0010] In this embodiment, a message string related to the operating status of the injection molding machine is referred to as a first message string, a definition file that defines the first message string is referred to as a first definition file, and a message number that is unique identification information for the first message string is referred to as a first message number. Also, a message string related to the injection molding operation is referred to as a second message string, a definition file that defines the second message string is referred to as a second definition file, and a message number that is unique identification information for the second message string is referred to as a second message number. These notations are used as needed.

[0011] The first message string regarding the operating status of the injection molding machine is a message string that is predefined for the injection molding machine, and includes, for example, a message string regarding the success or failure of the operation of the injection molding machine, a message string regarding various setting conditions of the injection molding machine, a message string regarding the status of the parts that make up the injection molding machine, etc.

[0012] The second message string related to the injection molding operation is a message string that is defined for the injection molding machine later, and is typically a message string related to the operating status of a peripheral device connected to the injection molding machine. However, the second message string related to the injection molding operation is not limited to a message string related to the operating status of a peripheral device, and can be any message string related to the injection molding operation that is not predefined. Note that a message string that is defined for the injection molding machine later refers to a message string that is defined for the injection molding machine based on a user operation at any timing, and is clearly distinguished from a message string that is pre-stored in the injection molding machine.

[0013] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which a message string related to a peripheral device is defined later for the injection molding machine as the second message string. However, this embodiment can also be applied to a case in which a message string related to a part or the like of the injection molding machine is defined later as the second message string.

[0014] In this embodiment, a message number is used as identification information to identify a message string, but the identification information is not limited to the message number, and the name of the message string, a message ID, etc. can be used as long as the message string can be identified.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an injection molding system 1 including an injection molding machine 2 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1 , the injection molding system 1 includes a management server 9. Multiple injection molding machines 2 are connected to the management server 9 via a communication line 100, such as the Internet. Peripheral devices 8 are connected to the injection molding machines 2 via wired or wireless connections. The injection molding system 1 includes, as peripheral devices 8, a robot device (molded product removal device) 8a for removing a molded product from the injection molding machine 2 and transporting it to a predetermined location, a temperature controller 8b for adjusting the temperature of the mold, and a resin dryer 8c for drying the molding material. The peripheral devices 8 are not limited to these, and may include various devices used in conjunction with the injection molding machine 2, such as a resin supply device and a device for removing burrs from the molded product. Although the peripheral devices 8 are shown as separate from the injection molding machine 2 in this embodiment, some or all of the mechanisms and functions of the peripheral devices 8 may be integrated into the injection molding machine 2.

[0016] 2, the injection molding machine 2 has a control device in which hardware such as an operation device 12, a display device 13, a communication device 14, and a storage device 15 are connected to a processor 11 such as a CPU. Typically, the control device is provided by an information processing device such as a PC.

[0017] The operation device 12 is provided by a keyboard, a mouse, a jog, etc. The operation device 12 may be provided by a touch panel that also serves as the display device 13. A user can input various information to the injection molding machine 2 via the operation device 12. The display device 13 is provided by an LCD, etc. A management screen of the injection molding machine 2, etc. is displayed on the display device 13. The communication device 14 controls the transmission and reception of data between the robot device 8a, the temperature regulator 8b, the resin dryer 8c, and the management server 9. The storage device 15 is provided by a flash ROM, an HDD, an SSD, etc. A control program for overall control of the injection molding machine 2 is stored in the storage device 15. The control program includes a sequence program 300 for controlling the operation of the injection molding machine 2 and a display program 400 for controlling the display of the injection molding machine 2.

[0018] When the processor 11 executes the control programs (sequence program 300, display program 400) stored in the storage device 15, the injection molding machine 2 functions as an input unit (reception unit) 22, a display unit 23, a transmission / reception unit 24, a storage unit 25, an operation control unit 31, an abnormality detection unit 32, a diagnosis unit 33, a first message number identification unit 34, a display request unit 35, a first message string identification unit 41, a second message string identification unit 42, a screen creation unit 43, and a display control unit 44. The functions related to the operation control unit 31, the abnormality detection unit 32, the diagnosis unit 33, the first message number identification unit 34, and the display request unit 35 are main functions of the sequence program 300. The functions related to the first message string identification unit 41, the second message string identification unit 42, the screen creation unit 43, and the display control unit 44 are main functions of the display program 400.

[0019] The input unit 22 is an interface for directly inputting user operations to the injection molding machine 2. In this embodiment, the input unit 22 inputs user operations via the operation device 12 to the injection molding machine 2. Specifically, a second definition file (a message string definition file for a peripheral device) is created by the user operations via the operation device 12.

[0020] FIG. 4 shows an example of a second definition file. The second definition file is a data file for defining second message strings for the injection molding machine 2 so that second message strings, such as alarm messages and self-diagnosis messages of the peripheral device 8, can be displayed on the injection molding machine 2. As shown in FIG. 4 , the second definition file is provided as a text file. For example, a second message string is defined on each line of the text file. The second message strings are written in the text file along with device identification information and second message numbers according to a predetermined rule. The device identification information is information for identifying the peripheral device 8 that is the source of the second message string, and is provided, for example, by the device name of the peripheral device 8 or an ID assigned to the peripheral device 8. The second message number identifies the second message string and also identifies the attributes of the second message string. For example, if the second message number includes the prefix "alm," the second message string corresponding to the second message number represents an alarm message. If the second message number includes the prefix "dgn," the second message string corresponding to the second message number represents a self-diagnosis message. In this embodiment, the second message string is defined together with the device identification information and the second message number. However, the device identification information can be omitted if the second message string can be identified. Instead of the device identification information, the program name of the second display program (described later) may be written. In this case, the second message string can be displayed only when the second display program is present and running.

[0021] Returning to the explanation of Fig. 3, the transmitter / receiver 24 is an interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from devices connected by wire or wirelessly. In this embodiment, the transmitter / receiver 24 transmits and receives data to and from the peripheral device 8 and the management server 9 via the communication device 14 of Fig. 2. The display unit 23 has the display device 13 of Fig. 2 and displays the management screen created by the screen creation unit 43 under the control of the display control unit 44.

[0022] The storage unit 25 corresponds to the storage device 15 in FIG. 2 . The storage unit 25 stores a first definition file (a message string definition file for the injection molding machine) and a second definition file (a message string definition file for a peripheral device). The first definition file is included in the injection molding machine 2 when it is delivered from the manufacturer. On the other hand, the second definition file is not included in the injection molding machine 2 when it is delivered from the manufacturer and is created by the user after delivery. The second definition file is stored in a predetermined folder. The storage unit 25 also stores a message history database. In the message history database, the first and second message strings displayed on the display unit 23 are recorded in association with time information indicating the time when the first and second message strings were generated or a time corresponding to the time. The storage unit 25 also stores screen templates for the management screens displayed on the display unit 23.

[0023] The operation control unit 31 controls the operation of the injection molding machine 2 in accordance with a preset operation sequence. The abnormality detection unit 32 detects the occurrence of an abnormality in the injection molding machine 2 using a known abnormality detection technique. For example, the abnormality detection unit 32 detects the occurrence of an abnormality by comparing output data of a sensor equipped in the injection molding machine 2 or a value derived from the output data with a preset threshold value. The diagnosis unit 33 diagnoses the injection molding machine 2 based on a preset diagnostic program. The first message number identification unit 34 identifies a first message number corresponding to the content of the abnormality detected by the abnormality detection unit 32 or the diagnosis result by the diagnosis unit 33. The display request unit 35 sends the first message number identified by the first message number identification unit 34 to the display program 400 together with a display request.

[0024] The first message string identification unit 41 searches the first definition file using the first message number passed from the sequence program 300 and identifies the first message string. The second message string identification unit 42 searches the second definition file stored in a predetermined folder using the second message number received from the peripheral device 8 via the transmission / reception unit 24 and identifies the second message string. The screen creation unit 43 uses a screen template for the management screen stored in the storage unit 25 to create a management screen in which the first and second message strings are written in a predetermined display area. The display control unit 44 displays the management screen created by the screen creation unit 43 on the display unit 23 in accordance with a preset display mode.

[0025] 5 and 6, a processing procedure will be described below from when an abnormality is detected in the peripheral device 8 until an alarm message corresponding to the abnormality is displayed on the management screen of the injection molding machine 2. Fig. 5 shows an example of the procedure for displaying an alarm message of the peripheral device 8 by the injection molding machine 2 according to this embodiment.

[0026] 6 shows an example of a management screen 50 displayed on the injection molding machine 2 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the management screen 50 includes a display area 50a for displaying information related to the settings and operating status of the injection molding machine 2, a display area 50b for displaying alarm messages, and a display area 50c for displaying self-diagnosis messages. The alarm message display area 50b displays not only alarm messages related to abnormalities occurring in the injection molding machine 2 but also alarm messages related to abnormalities occurring in the peripheral devices 8. Similarly, the self-diagnosis message display area 50c displays not only self-diagnosis messages related to the self-diagnosis results of the injection molding machine 2 but also self-diagnosis messages related to the self-diagnosis results of the peripheral devices 8. Furthermore, by clicking a message history tab 50d included in the management screen 50, a history of previously displayed message strings is displayed together with date and time information.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5 , when an abnormality occurs in the peripheral device 8, the injection molding machine 2 receives alarm information from the peripheral device 8 (S11). This alarm information includes at least a second message number corresponding to the nature of the abnormality. The injection molding machine 2 acquires device identification information for identifying the peripheral device 8 based on the communication connection settings of the peripheral device 8 in the injection molding machine 2, and records time information based on clock information stored in the injection molding machine 2 (S12). The injection molding machine 2 then searches the second definition file using the device identification information and the second message number (S13) to identify one second message string (S14). For example, the second definition file shown in FIG. 4 is searched using the device identification information “Temperature Controller” and the second message number “alm4201,” and the second message string “4201 Temperature is higher than the upper limit” is identified as the alarm message.

[0028] The injection molding machine 2 then associates the identified second message string, the device identification information, and the time information and records them in the message history database (S15), creates a management screen 50 in which the identified second message string is entered as an alarm message in the alarm message display area 50b (S16), and updates the management screen 50 currently displayed on the display device 13 (S17). As a result of the processing in step S17, as shown in the alarm message display area 50b of the management screen 50 in Fig. 6, the alarm message of the injection molding machine 2, "026 Die height backward OT alarm," and the alarm message of the peripheral device 8 identified in step S14, "4201 Temperature higher than upper limit," are displayed in a list. Here, the first message string related to the injection molding machine 2 and the second message string related to the peripheral device 8 are displayed in the same display area of ​​the management screen 50, but they may be displayed in different display areas of the management screen or on the same pop-up screen.

[0029] According to the injection molding machine 2 according to the present embodiment described above, the second message character string related to the peripheral device 8 connected to the injection molding machine 2 can be defined later in the injection molding machine 2. As a result, messages related to each device constituting the injection molding system 1 can be collected in the injection molding machine 2 and displayed as a list on the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2. An operator or maintenance worker of the injection molding system 1 can check alarm messages and self-diagnosis messages of the injection molding machine 2 and its peripheral devices 8 simply by viewing the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2. This allows the operator or maintenance worker to efficiently understand the details of an abnormality and the self-diagnosis results without having to go through the trouble of checking the display devices of each peripheral device 8, thereby enabling more appropriate operation and maintenance work.

[0030] The first message string related to the injection molding machine 2 and the second message string related to the peripheral device 8 displayed on the management screen 50 may be displayed separately. For example, to distinguish between the alarm message for the injection molding machine 2 and the alarm message for the peripheral device 8, as shown in FIG. 7 , the alarm message for the peripheral device 8, "4201 Temperature is higher than the upper limit," is displayed with the prefix "EX." This allows the user to immediately recognize that the device in which the abnormality occurred is the injection molding machine 2 or the peripheral device 8 when the alarm message is displayed, thereby shortening the time required to resolve the abnormality. Of course, in addition to distinguishing between the first message string related to the injection molding machine 2 and the second message string related to the peripheral device 8 displayed on the management screen 50, the second message string related to the peripheral device 8 may be displayed with a different prefix for each peripheral device, or device identification information or a peripheral device name may be added to the second message string so that the type of peripheral device 8 that generated the abnormality can be identified. This allows the user to identify the device in which the abnormality occurred when the alarm message is displayed, thereby further shortening the time required to resolve the abnormality. Here, the method of adding a character string such as a prefix is ​​used as a method of distinguishing messages, but known methods such as changing the font color, size, type, or display method can also be used.

[0031] In this embodiment, the second definition file is created by the user entering device identification information, second message numbers, and second message strings in a text file according to a predetermined rule. However, the method for defining second message strings for peripheral devices in the injection molding machine 2 is not limited to this. For example, a reception screen for receiving second message strings may be displayed on the injection molding machine 2, and the received second message strings may be defined on the reception screen. FIG. 8 shows an example of a reception screen for receiving second message strings. As shown in FIG. 8, the reception screen 60 is configured to allow alarm messages and self-diagnosis message strings to be individually registered. Furthermore, the input field for inputting alarm messages is associated with the unique alarm numbers of the alarm messages, and the input field for inputting self-diagnosis messages is associated with the unique self-diagnosis numbers of the self-diagnosis messages. The alarm numbers and self-diagnosis numbers displayed on the reception screen 60 are associated with second message numbers within the injection molding machine 2. Therefore, the user can define the second message strings and the second message numbers in the injection molding machine 2 simply by inputting and registering the second message strings in the input fields. This contributes to saving the user time and effort compared to when the user has to input the device identification information, second message number, and second message character string according to a predetermined rule, as shown in FIG.

[0032] In this embodiment, a second definition file that associates device identification information, second message numbers, and second message strings is created and saved in a predetermined folder in the injection molding machine 2. As a result, for example, when an abnormality occurs, the second definition file saved in the predetermined folder is searched for using the second message number received from the peripheral device 8, thereby identifying one second message string and displaying it as an alarm message on the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2. However, as long as the second message string related to the peripheral device 8 can be displayed on the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2, the injection molding machine 2 does not need to have a second definition file for defining the second message string.

[0033] Another method for displaying a second message string related to the peripheral device 8 on the injection molding machine 2 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. As shown in FIG. 9, when an abnormality occurs in the peripheral device 8, the injection molding machine 2 receives alarm information from the peripheral device 8 (S21). This alarm information includes an alarm ID and a message string. The injection molding machine 2 acquires device identification information and a control channel for identifying the peripheral device 8 based on the communication connection settings of the peripheral device 8 in the injection molding machine 2, and acquires time information corresponding to the time the abnormality was detected based on clock information stored in the display device of the injection molding machine 2 (S22). The alarm information may also include the importance of the alarm. In this case, when multiple abnormalities occur in the same device and on the same control channel, a message string with a higher priority can be displayed based on the importance of the alarm.

[0034] The injection molding machine 2 creates a second message string using the device identification information, control channel, alarm ID, and character string (S23). For example, the injection molding machine 2 creates a second message string "MOLD1 TCD1-E151 Flow late too law" using the device identification information "MOLD1," the control channel "TCD1," the alarm ID "E151," and the character string "Flow late too law." The injection molding machine 2 then associates the created second message string with the device identification information and time information and records them in the message history database (S24). The injection molding machine 2 then creates a management screen in which the created second message string is displayed as an alarm message in the alarm message display area (S25), and updates the management screen currently displayed on the display device 13 (S26). As a result of the processing in step S26, the alarm message "026 Die height backward OT alarm" of the injection molding machine 2 and the alarm message "MOLD1 TCD1-E151 Flow late too law" of the peripheral device 8 created in step S23 are displayed, as shown in the alarm message display area 51b of the management screen 51 in FIG. 10 .

[0035] In this way, even if the injection molding machine 2 does not have a second definition file, second message strings related to the peripheral devices 8 connected to the injection molding machine 2 can be collected in the injection molding machine 2 and displayed as a list on the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2, as in the present embodiment. According to this method, it is sufficient to prepare a program that creates second message strings using received alarm information, and there is no need to create a second definition file. This significantly reduces the operator's workload and reduces memory usage in the injection molding machine 2. This effect is greater the more peripheral devices 8 connected to the injection molding machine 2. Furthermore, by displaying not only the strings received from the peripheral devices 8 but also the device identification information along with the strings, the user can instantly determine which peripheral device 8 has experienced an abnormality. Displaying the alarm ID along with the string allows the user to immediately identify the nature of the abnormality from the alarm ID, thereby shortening the time required to resolve the abnormality.

[0036] As long as the second message string related to the peripheral device 8 can be displayed on the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2, the configuration of the injection molding machine 2 is not limited to that of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11 , a sequence program (another sequence program) 500 for controlling the operation of the peripheral device 8 and a display program (another display program) 600 for controlling the display of the peripheral device 8 may be installed later in the injection molding machine 2. The display program 600 for the peripheral device 8 has a second definition file related to the peripheral device 8. In other words, the second definition file is defined for the injection molding machine 2 by installing the display program 600 in the injection molding machine 2. In FIG. 11 , the sequence program for controlling the operation of the injection molding machine 2 and the display program for controlling the display of the injection molding machine 2 are denoted as a first sequence program 300 and a first display program 400, respectively, and the sequence program for controlling the operation of the peripheral device 8 and the display program for controlling the display of the peripheral device 8 are denoted as a second sequence program 500 and a second display program 600, respectively.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 11 , the second display program 600 provides the first display program 400 with a second message string related to the peripheral device 8 together with identification information for identifying the message. As a result, the first display program 400 stores the second message string related to the peripheral device 8 together with the identification information. The second sequence program 500 receives output data from a sensor equipped in the peripheral device 8. The second sequence program 500 monitors for the occurrence of an abnormality based on the output data. When the second sequence program 500 detects an abnormality in the peripheral device 8, the second sequence program 500 sends a message display request to the first sequence program 300 along with identification information of a message corresponding to the detected abnormality. The first sequence program 300 sends the display request received from the second sequence program 500 to the first display program 400. The first display program 400 uses the identification information received from the first sequence program 300 to search for messages previously passed from the second display program 600 and identify messages associated with the identification information. Then, the first display program 400 displays the identified message on the display device 13 .

[0038] 11 , the same effects as those of this embodiment can be achieved. Because the first sequence program 300 is configured to manage all message display requests, messages having any character string can be displayed at any timing by the second sequence program 500 simply by storing a message string definition file in a predetermined folder and installing the second sequence program 500. There is no need to modify the first sequence program 300 and the first display program 400, and any message can be added or changed flexibly.

[0039] In the injection molding machine 2 shown in Figure 11, the first display program 400 displays messages received from the second display program 600 on the display device 13. However, as shown in Figure 12, a configuration is possible in which the first display program 400 displays messages related to the injection molding machine 2 on the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2 in response to a display request from the first sequence program 300, and the second display program 600 displays messages related to the peripheral device 8 on the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2 in response to a display request from the second sequence program 500. In this case, as shown in Figure 13, an integrated screen 53, which is an integration of a screen 53a created by the first display program 400 and a screen 53b created by the second display program 600, is displayed on the display device 13 of the injection molding machine 2. The display of the integrated screen 53 is mainly controlled by the first display program 400. The display layout of the integrated screen is created by the first display program 400, and a part of the layout is allocated as a display area for the second display program 600. According to this configuration, it is sufficient to prepare a program that integrates the screen 53a created by the first display program 400 and the screen 53b created by the second display program 600 and outputs them as a single screen. This eliminates the need to modify the first sequence program 300 and the first display program 400, allowing for flexible addition and modification of arbitrary messages. In particular, the second display program 600 is defined later by the user and can be created according to the user's preferences. This improves the degree of display flexibility compared to a system that can only display messages in an area defined by the existing first display program 400. Furthermore, by installing second display programs corresponding to peripheral devices 8, such as the robot device 8a, the temperature controller 8b, and the resin dryer 8c, in the injection molding machine 8, the screens of the peripheral devices 8 can be switched by operating the tabs 53d, 53e, and 53f.

[0040] As described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12 , the second message string related to the peripheral device 8 can be displayed by the first display program 400 or the second display program 600 under the control of the second sequence program (another sequence program) 500. However, to further improve the degree of freedom in display, the user may select whether to display the message by either or both of the first display program 400 and the second display program 600. For example, as shown in FIG. 14 , the injection molding machine 2 is configured to have a configuration that integrates the configuration described in FIG. 11 and the configuration described in FIG. 12 . This allows the second message string to be displayed on both the screen 53 a created by the first display program 400 and the screen 53 b created by the second display program 600 in FIG. 13 .

[0041] The content displayed on the injection molding machine 2 according to this embodiment can also be displayed on the management server 9 that manages the injection molding machine 2. The management server 9 receives the operating status, history information, and molding data of the injection molding machine 2 from the injection molding machine 2, and displays a history screen that combines these on a single screen.

[0042] FIG. 15 shows an example of a history screen displayed on the management server 9. The history screen 70 includes an area 70a that displays information related to changes in the operating status, an area 70b that displays history information, and an area 70c that displays molding data. The injection molding machine 2 to be displayed can be switched by a user operation on the history screen 70. The area 70a that displays information related to changes in the operating status displays information related to the operating time period and the resting time period of the injection molding machine 2. The area 70b that displays history information displays, as history information, messages related to the injection molding machine 2, messages related to the peripheral device 8, operation information for the injection molding machine 2, and changes in molding conditions stored in the injection molding machine 2. The area 70c that displays molding data displays information related to the molding conditions of the injection molding machine 2, such as the molding date and time, cycle time, injection time, metering time, peak injection pressure, and metering torque for each cycle.

[0043] By viewing the history screen 70 displayed on the management server 9, the administrator who manages the entire injection molding machine 2 can check the molding data together with the message history generated by the injection molding machine 2 and the peripheral devices 8 connected to it, the molding condition change history, and the operation history of the injection molding machine 2. By knowing the date and time when a message was generated, the date and time when the molding conditions were changed, and the date and time when an operation was performed on the injection molding machine 2, the administrator can take care to check the molded products that were produced on that date and time, check the molding data, etc., and reduce the possibility of overlooking the presence or absence of an abnormality in the molded products, which contributes to improving the quality of the molded products.

[0044] Furthermore, by being connected to the injection molding machine 2, the management server 9 can obtain messages from each of the peripheral devices 8 connected to the injection molding machine 2, so there is no need for the management server 9 to be connected to each of the peripheral devices 8, thereby reducing the labor required for complicated tasks such as setting up connections for each of the peripheral devices 8.

[0045] The following supplementary notes are further disclosed regarding this embodiment and its modified examples. (Supplementary Note 1) The injection molding machine 2 connected to the peripheral device 8 includes a storage unit 25 that stores a first message string related to the operating status of the injection molding machine 2, a reception unit 22 that receives a second message string related to the injection molding operation, and a display unit 23 that displays a list of the first message string corresponding to the operating status of the injection molding machine 2 and the second message string corresponding to the injection molding operation. (Supplementary Note 2) The display unit 23 described in Supplementary Note 1 displays a list of the first message string and the second message string on the same screen, the same screen area, or the same pop-up screen. (Supplementary Note 3) The second message string described in Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2 is consecutively written together with a message number unique to the second message string according to a predetermined rule and stored as a text file. (Supplementary Note 4) The display unit 23 described in Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2 displays a reception screen in which input fields and numbers are associated with each other, and the reception unit 22 receives a message string entered in the input field of the reception screen as a second message string, and stores the received second message string together with the number. (Supplementary Note 5) The reception unit 22 described in Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2 receives a second message string from the peripheral device 8. (Supplementary Note 6) The display timing of the first message string described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 5 is controlled by a sequence program 300 for controlling the operation of the injection molding machine 2, and the display timing of the second message string is controlled by another sequence program 500. (Supplementary Note 7) The second message string described in Supplementary Note 6 is passed from another display program 600. (Supplementary Note 8) The second message string described in Supplementary Note 6 is displayed by another display program in response to a display request from the other sequence program.

[0046] (Supplementary Note 9) The second message string described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 8 is displayed to be distinguished from the first message string. (Supplementary Note 10) The second message string displayed on the display unit 23 described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 9 is saved in common history data together with the first message string displayed on the display unit 23. (Supplementary Note 11) In an injection molding system 1 including the injection molding machine 2 described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 10 and an information processing device 9 connected to the injection molding machine 2, the injection molding machine 2 further includes a transmission unit 24 that transmits the first message string and the second message string displayed on the display unit 23 to the information processing device 9, and the information processing device 9 includes a reception unit that receives the first message string and the second message string from the injection molding machine 2, a storage unit that stores the received first message string and the second message string, and a display unit that displays the received first message string and the second message string.

[0047] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, the present disclosure is not limited to the individual embodiments described above. Various additions, substitutions, modifications, partial deletions, etc. are possible in these embodiments without departing from the gist of the invention or the concept and spirit of the present invention derived from the content of the claims and their equivalents. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the order of each operation and the order of each process are shown as examples and are not limited to these. The same applies when numerical values ​​or mathematical expressions are used in the description of the above-described embodiments.

[0048] 1...injection molding system, 2...injection molding machine, 8...peripheral device, 9...management server, 11...processor, 12...operation device, 13...display device, 14...communication device, 15...storage device, 22...input unit, 23...display unit, 24...transmitting / receiving unit, 25...storage unit, 31...operation control unit, 32...abnormality detection unit, 33...diagnosis unit, 34...first message number identification unit, 35...display request unit, 41...first message string identification unit, 42...second message string identification unit, 43...screen creation unit, 44...display control unit, 300, 500...sequence program, 400, 600...display program.

Claims

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

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

3. The injection molding machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second message character string is continuously written according to a predetermined rule together with a message number unique to the second message character string and stored as a text file.

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

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

6. The display timing of the first message character string is controlled by a sequence program for controlling the operation of the injection molding machine, The injection molding machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display timing of the second message character string is controlled by another sequence program.

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

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

9. The injection molding machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second message character string is displayed separately from the first message character string.

10. The injection molding machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second message character string displayed on the display unit is stored in a common history database together with the first message character string displayed on the display unit.

11. The injection molding machine according to claim 1 or 2, and An injection molding system comprising an information processing apparatus connected to the injection molding machine, wherein the injection molding machine, further comprises a transmission unit that transmits a first message string and a second message string displayed on the display unit to the information processing apparatus, wherein the information processing apparatus, comprises a reception unit that receives the first message string and the second message string from the injection molding machine, a storage unit that stores the received first message string and the second message string, and a display unit that displays the received first message string and the second message string.