Injection Molding Machine Abnormality Determination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing injection molding machines face challenges in accurately determining abnormality presence due to accidental disturbances rather than machine or mold deterioration, leading to deteriorated determination accuracy.

Innovation Solution

An injection molding machine equipped with an injection molding information processing device that stores actual values of feature amounts for each shot and calculates the probability of these values deviating from a predetermined range over a number of shots, using statistical methods to improve abnormality determination accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If simple threshold comparison is used to determine abnormality, then the operation is simple, but the determination accuracy deteriorates due to accidental disturbances

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveabnormality determination operationVSAvoidabnormality determination accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by collecting actual values over a predetermined number of shots before making an abnormality determination. This preliminary data collection phase allows the system to establish a baseline and distinguish between temporary disturbances and genuine abnormalities, thereby improving determination accuracy without complicating the final decision process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses partial action by evaluating only a predetermined number of recent shots rather than all historical data. This selective approach maintains operational simplicity while improving accuracy by focusing on relevant recent data that is more indicative of current machine state, filtering out outdated information

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Reliability

If actual value monitoring is performed for each shot, then the monitoring comprehensiveness is improved, but the data processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitoring comprehensivenessVSAvoidinformation processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial action by processing only a predetermined number of recent shots rather than all available data. This selective processing maintains monitoring comprehensiveness for current operations while significantly reducing data processing complexity by excluding historical data that is less relevant to current machine state

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The system extracts only the necessary feature amounts from each shot's data and stores them in dedicated storage units. This extraction approach improves monitoring comprehensiveness by focusing on critical parameters while reducing overall data processing complexity by eliminating unnecessary data collection and processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3381646B1Injection molding machine and injection molding information processing device
Publication Date: 2020.02.26 SUMITOMO HEAVY IND LTD
  • EP3381646B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3381646B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3381646B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The injection molding machine includes an injection molding information processing device which processes information relating to injection molding, the injection molding information processing device includes an actual value storage unit which stores an actual value of a predetermined feature amount relating to a shot for each predetermined shot and a statistic calculation unit which calculates a probability that the actual value deviates from a predetermined allowable range in a predetermined number of shots.