Injection Molding Machine Management System for Mold Maintenance Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing injection molding machine management systems lack an effective method to determine the optimal timing for maintenance of molding molds, leading to premature maintenance and potential quality issues in molded products.
Innovation Solution
An injection molding machine management system that includes a physical quantity acquisition unit to gather data on injection molding processes, a storage unit to log cumulative shot counts and physical quantity information over time, and a display unit to show this data in a time-series format, enabling users to assess the relationship between shot counts and physical quantities to determine appropriate maintenance timing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If maintenance timing is determined by a fixed number of shots, then maintenance can be performed regularly, but maintenance may occur prematurely or too late depending on actual mold condition
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors physical quantities (injection pressure, temperature, etc.) and cumulative shot counts, then provides feedback to determine optimal maintenance timing. This closed-loop approach replaces fixed schedules with condition-based maintenance, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity by using automated monitoring to eliminate manual judgment.
Solution Approach 2:
The injection molding machine automatically monitors its own operational parameters and cumulative shots, storing data without external intervention. This self-monitoring capability enables the system to determine maintenance timing autonomously, reducing the need for complex external monitoring systems while improving maintenance accuracy.
2Manufacturing precision
If maintenance is performed frequently to ensure quality, then product quality is maintained, but productivity decreases due to increased downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors physical quantities and cumulative shots to provide feedback on actual mold condition, enabling maintenance to be performed only when necessary. This prevents unnecessary maintenance interruptions while ensuring quality is maintained through condition-based rather than time-based scheduling.
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance schedule transitions from a static fixed interval to a dynamic condition-based approach. The system adjusts maintenance timing based on actual mold wear indicators (physical quantities and shot counts), allowing extended operation when conditions permit while preventing quality degradation when wear is detected.
3Productivity
If maintenance is delayed to maximize productivity, then production efficiency increases, but mold condition deteriorates leading to quality issues
Solution Approach 1:
Continuous monitoring of physical quantities and cumulative shots provides real-time feedback on mold condition, enabling the system to extend maintenance intervals safely while detecting when quality degradation risks arise. This feedback mechanism allows productivity optimization without compromising quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary monitoring and analysis of mold condition trends before actual degradation occurs. By tracking physical quantities and shot counts over time, the system can predict when maintenance will be needed and schedule it in advance, maximizing productive operation while preventing quality issues.
Data Source
AI summary
An injection molding machine management system includes an injection molding machine, a take-out robot, an inspection device, a memory, and a processor. The processor is configured to receive physical information of the injection molding machine and a mold, and an inspection result of a molded product. The received physical information includes an identification information of the mold and the injection molding machine, a shot number of injection molding with respect to the mold, an injection filling time with respect to the mold, an injection pressure, a mold clamping force, and a set temperature of each part of the injection molding machine. The received physical information and the inspection result are displayed on a display. Necessity of maintenance is notified to an operator based on a predetermined maintenance period of time, the received physical information, and/or the inspection result.