Flexible Injection Molding Control via Dynamic I/O Assignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing injection molding machines are inflexible, requiring dedicated connections for specific tools and peripheral devices, limiting their adaptability to produce different parts without modifying the machine or replacing hardware.
Innovation Solution
A method to create and configure machine control components using universally applicable hardware elements, allowing dynamic assignment of actuators and sensors to existing connections, enabling flexible operation and reconfiguration of injection molding machines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dedicated connections are provided for specific tools and peripheral devices, then the machine can reliably control these devices, but the machine loses flexibility and cannot be easily reconfigured for different production needs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universal I/O connections that can be dynamically assigned to different tools and peripheral devices through software configuration rather than hardwired dedicated connections. The control device provides a standardized interface architecture where any I/O connection can serve multiple functions depending on the current production requirement, enabling the same physical connection to control different actuators or sensors based on the active tool configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic assignment of I/O connections to machine control components through software-based configuration. The connection assignment is not fixed but can be changed on-the-fly when switching between different tools or production tasks. This dynamic reconfiguration capability allows the machine to adapt its control architecture to match the current production requirements without physical rewiring.
2Device complexity
If the machine is designed with fixed hardware connections for specific actuators and sensors, then the control system is simple and reliable, but the machine cannot be easily reconfigured to produce different parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a software configuration layer that adds a virtual dimension to the physical hardware connections. Instead of changing physical wiring to achieve reconfiguration, the system uses software to create virtual connection mappings between physical I/O ports and machine control components. This additional software layer enables flexible reconfiguration while maintaining the simplicity of the underlying hardware architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device acts as an intermediary layer between the fixed hardware connections and the variable production requirements. It provides a software-based mapping mechanism that translates between the static physical I/O connections and the dynamic needs of different tools and peripheral devices, thereby decoupling the hardware simplicity from the software flexibility.
3Ease of manufacture
If existing connections are used for new tools, then hardware replacement is avoided, but the connections may not be properly assigned or matched to the new tool requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates validation mechanisms that provide feedback when assigning I/O connections to machine control components. The control device checks whether the assigned connections are appropriate for the selected component type and technology, and alerts the operator to any mismatches or conflicts. This feedback loop ensures that even with flexible software-based assignment, the resulting configuration maintains reliability and correctness.
Data Source
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Figure 3
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a device and to a method for controlling and operating a production cell including at least a part of the peripheral equipment associated therewith. Machine sequences based on machine control components that are part of a domain model are established, managed, and executing using a domain language. For a free configurability of machine control components, it is proposed to select a machine control component from a number of predetermined component types, to assign an admissible technology from a number of technologies to a machine control component, wherein for each technology of a component type a logic is stored, which comprises and defines the interfaces required for the machine control component and the technology, and to connect the connection interfaces of the machine control component to hardware inputs and outputs of existing connections of the production cell.