Injection Molding Cell Production Allocation by Machine State

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current injection molding machine systems lack efficient management of production across multiple machines, leading to reduced productivity due to manual setting of production numbers and increased worker effort during failures or maintenance, resulting in potential production imbalances and reduced efficiency.

Innovation Solution

An injection molding machine system with a total production number input portion, production number setting portion, and state determination portion that automatically adjusts production numbers for each machine based on the state of the machines, allowing for cycle reduction and synchronized production completion times to minimize downtime and optimize productivity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If production numbers are manually set for each injection molding machine, then worker control over production is maintained, but worker effort increases and production efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidworker effort
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The production number setting portion automatically determines and sets production numbers for each injection molding machine based on machine states without requiring manual worker input. The system self-adjusts production allocations when machine states change, eliminating the need for workers to manually recalculate and redistribute production targets, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining control and reducing effort.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical process of workers setting production numbers is replaced by an automated control system that uses state determination portions to monitor machine conditions and automatically adjusts production allocations. This substitution of manual operation with automated control systems improves efficiency while reducing worker effort.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If production numbers are fixed for each machine, then simple management is maintained, but production imbalances occur when machine states change, reducing overall productivity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoverall productivityVSAvoidproduction management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The state determination portions continuously monitor machine states and provide feedback to the production number setting portion. When a machine's state changes (e.g., failure, maintenance, efficiency variation), the system receives this feedback and automatically recalculates production numbers to maintain optimal overall productivity, preventing production imbalances without requiring complex manual management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The production numbers are made dynamic rather than fixed, automatically adjusting in response to changing machine states. The system adapts production allocations in real-time based on current machine conditions, allowing the production management system to remain simple while maintaining high productivity through automatic dynamic adjustment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If cycle time is reduced to compensate for machine stoppage, then production completion timing can be synchronized, but machine stress increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction completion synchronizationVSAvoidmachine durability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The production number setting portion proactively adjusts production numbers for other machines in advance when a machine state change is detected, before the actual stoppage occurs. This preliminary adjustment ensures that production completion timing remains synchronized without requiring accelerated cycle times that would increase machine stress and reduce durability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3659778B1Injection molding machine system
Publication Date: 2021.05.05 SUMITOMO HEAVY IND LTD
  • EP3659778B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3659778B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3659778B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4C

AI summary

Provided is an injection molding machine system (1) managing production in an injection molding machine (11, 12, 13). An injection molding machine system (1) having a molding cell (10) including a plurality of injection molding machines (11, 12, 13) and includes a total production number input portion (74) to which a total production number of molding products to be produced by the molding cell (10) is input, a production number setting portion (75) that sets a production number of molding products in each of the injection molding machines (11, 12, 13) on the basis of the total production number, and a state determination portion (72) that determines a state of the injection molding machine (11, 12, 13), in which the production number setting portion (75) sets a production number of molding products in each of the injection molding machines (11, 12, 13) on the basis of the state of the injection molding machine (11, 12, 13).