DE102019211601A1 - Method for monitoring injection molding equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

A method is used to monitor and maintain an injection molding device and comprises the following method steps: a) Detection of a thermal radiation emitted by a mold (5) and / or an injection molding component (13) molded from it at the end of a respective injection molding process in a cavity (2), its temperature distribution is detected by means of thermal imaging cameras (14, 15), b) determining at least one temperature assigned to a surface area of the mold (5) and / or the injection molding component (13), which is higher than a majority of the other surface areas and increases over a number of successive injection molding processes remains, the temperature being determined based on the temperature distribution, c) forming a temporal development of the at least one temperature over a sequence of injection molding cycles, with at least one process parameter being recorded over these cycles, d) linking the temporal temperatures formed according to step c) rature development with the corresponding course of the process parameter, and e) applying the link to further injection molding processes in order to determine a maintenance time based on the link only from the course of the process parameter.

Description

The invention relates to a method for monitoring injection molding devices and also to a device for carrying out such a method as well as an injection molding production method which comprises such a method.

State of the art

The maintenance of devices for the production of plastic components, in particular of injection molding systems, usually takes place after a predetermined number of injection molding cycles, which can typically be around one hundred thousand injection molding cycles. During the actual maintenance, the injection molding device is dismantled and in several time-consuming operations, which typically take several working days and are at least partially carried out manually, the mold of the injection molding device is freed of dirt residues that have deposited on the mold in the course of the production cycles. Since the corresponding injection molding device is withdrawn from the ongoing production process during this maintenance period, productivity is reduced to the remaining injection molding devices in the production line. Since a predetermined number of cycles is defined for the maintenance interval, which is far below a critical load limit at which the degree of contamination actually requires cleaning of the molding tool, the maintenance intervals that are defined too short add up in the medium and long term caused temporary production losses.

Disclosure of the invention

Advantages of the invention

The method with the features of claim 1 has the advantage that a significant increase in the productivity of an injection molding device can be achieved by using the method according to the invention. For this purpose, it is provided that in a cavity of an injection molding device radiated heat radiation from a mold and / or an injection molding component molded therefrom is detected and the temperature distribution thereof is recorded, with recorded temperature measurement data being processed, the development of which over time is formed via a sequence of measurement cycles, and the generated temporal development is linked with at least one course corresponding to at least one process parameter.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention comprises the method steps of a) detecting a thermal radiation emitted by a mold and / or an injection molding component formed therefrom at the end of a respective injection molding process in a cavity of the injection molding device, with a spatially resolved temperature distribution of the thermal radiation being recorded, of b) Determination of at least one temperature assigned to a surface area of the mold and / or the injection molding component formed therefrom, which is higher than a majority of the other surface areas and remains increased over a predetermined number of successive injection molding processes, based on the recorded temperature distribution, the temperature distribution being formed by the temperature measurement data of c) forming a development over time of the at least one temperature determined in accordance with step b) over a predetermined sequence of injection molding cycles, wherein at least one process parameter of the injection molding device is recorded over these injection molding cycles, the development over time representing a measure of contamination of the mold, d) linking the temperature development over time formed according to step c) with the corresponding course of the at least one process parameter, and e ) Applying the link to further successive injection molding processes in order to determine a maintenance point in time based on the link only from the course of the at least one process parameter. A significant increase in the productivity of an injection molding device can therefore be achieved, since the maintenance intervals are determined or forecast on the basis of a statistical data analysis.

The physical background for the thermal radiation detection is that an increased temperature at certain surface areas or surface points of the mold and / or the injection molded component is mostly an indication that ventilation geometries in the mold are clogged or narrowed due to contamination, as a result of which air is present in the cavity is compressed during the injection process, is heated as a result, which leads to burn marks on the surface of the injection molded component and consequently to further deposits on corresponding surface areas of the mold. Therefore, in a learning or training phase, the thermal radiation is measured immediately after the end of a respective injection molding process, ie when the finished injection molded component is removed, specifically for a predetermined number of injection molding processes in order to localize or locate such surface areas of the mold and / or injection molded component. select which have increased temperature values over a successive, ie immediately consecutive, number of injection molding processes and therefore come into question as germ cells for deposits or soiling. In this In the learning phase, the temporal temperature development of the selected surface areas is recorded via a sequence of injection molding processes or injection molding cycles together with one or more process parameters in order to - still in the learning phase - a statistical link, i.e. correlation, between the respective temporal temperature development of the selected surface areas and to establish the time courses of the process parameter (s) recorded during the respective injection molding cycles. The learning or training phase is then completed and in a separate application phase, which can then take place without the thermal radiation detection or temperature recording required in the training phase, is only recorded from the continuously during the successive injection molding cycles on the basis of the statistical link temporal course of the at least one process parameter predicts a maintenance or cleaning time.

By selecting a large number of process parameters whose courses are recorded from cycle to cycle, ie over the sequence of successive injection molding processes, in order to be taken into account when linking, it is possible to further increase the reliability with which a maintenance time is determined increase.

An advantageous and expedient embodiment of the invention can consist in that the internal mold pressure prevailing in the process chamber during a respective injection molding process is recorded as the process parameter, since the process pressure prevailing in the cavity of an injection molding device during the respective injection molding process or injection molding cycle represents an important physical variable that is recorded by the process measurement technology or sensor technology inherent in an injection molding facility.

A preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention consists in that, in addition to the at least one process parameter, influencing variables and / or material variables such as the viscosity of the starting material and / or its maximum process temperature are taken into account when linking. This makes it possible to adapt the process to different thermoplastics such as polyether terephthalate (PET), polypropylene or the like and consequently to significantly increase the reliability of the process.

In order to enable a largely automated sequence of the method according to the invention, a further development of the invention provides that the influencing variables and / or material variables are called up via a network.

ermittelt, wobei sich der Summationsindex i von 1 bis N erstreckt und mit N die Anzahl der insgesamt erfassten Temperaturwerte bezeichnet ist.The mean value of a respectively recorded temperature distribution is expediently used as a comparative measure for an increased temperature. The mean value T _{m of} a respective temperature distribution T (i) is determined according to the following equation $$T_m=\frac{1}{N}{\displaystyle \sum _{i=1}^{N}T\left(i\right)}$$

determined, the summation index i extending from 1 to N and N denotes the number of temperature values recorded in total.

According to an expedient further development of the invention, the link which takes place according to step d) can be calculated by means of regression and / or by means of a neural network. As a result, a mathematical-statistical model is generated on the basis of the temperature measurement data learned or obtained in the training phase, which is able to calculate correlations or intercorrelations between the temperature measurement data and the process parameter data in order to provide a prognosis for a maintenance time that is necessary due to the degree of pollution create. A multidimensional regression analysis can be carried out, for example, by means of partial least squares regression (PLS).

Expediently, steps a) to b) are repeated over a large number of injection molding processes until a regular cleaning or maintenance time takes place. Such a regular cleaning time usually takes place at rigid intervals, which are typically around one hundred thousand injection molding cycles each, so that it makes sense to run the first two method steps a) to b) in the training phase of the method according to the invention at least over this number of injection molding cycles in order, on the one hand, to collect or obtain a statistically sufficient amount of data and, on the other hand, to compare the maintenance time forecast by the method according to the invention with the regular, ie rigidly predetermined, cleaning time.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention can consist in porting the link generated according to step d) as a data record and / or executable program unit to a production line in order to carry out step e) there in one or more injection molding device (s) belonging to the production line. This makes it possible to transfer the statistical model obtained at an injection molding facility by means of appropriate measurement technology via the training phase to another injection molding facility and to use it there, without the need for additional measurement technology to detect the thermal radiation. In principle, the statistical model or maintenance model and / or the maintenance or cleaning time that can be determined with it can be transferred to similar processes and / or tools.

An injection molding manufacturing method comprising such a method has an advantage of high productivity.

In a device which is used in particular to carry out such a method, at least one sensor device is provided in order to detect heat radiation emitted by a mold and / or an injection molding component molded from it in a cavity of an injection molding device and to record its temperature distribution, one with the sensor device cooperating process computing unit is provided to process temperature measurement data acquired by the sensor device, to form their temporal development over a sequence of measuring cycles, and to link the temporal development formed with at least one approximately corresponding course of at least one process parameter. One embodiment of the invention consists in that the at least one sensor device is provided for detecting a thermal radiation emitted by a mold and / or an injection molding component molded therefrom at the end of a respective injection molding process in a cavity of the injection molding device, with a spatially resolved temperature distribution of the thermal radiation being detected, and that the process computing unit is provided for determining at least one temperature assigned to a surface area of the mold and / or the injection molding component molded therefrom, which is higher than a majority of the other surface areas and remains increased over a predetermined number of successive injection molding processes, based on the detected temperature distribution, wherein the temperature distribution is formed by the temperature measurement data, for forming a development over time of the at least one determined temperature over a predetermined sequence of injection molding cycles, with at least one process parameter of the injection molding device being recorded over these injection molding cycles, with the development of the temperature over time representing a measure of contamination of the mold, for linking the temperature development over time with the corresponding course of the at least one process parameter, and for applying the Link to further successive injection molding processes in order to determine a maintenance time based on the link only from the course of the at least one process parameter.

The at least one sensor device can expediently have at least one thermal imaging camera. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sensor device has two thermal imaging cameras which are arranged with respect to one another in such a way that their lenses are turned away from one another so that the thermal imaging cameras can capture different solid angles that are diametrically opposite one another. In this way, spatially separate sources of thermal radiation can be detected, i.e. immediately after the end of an injection molding process, i.e. if there has not yet been a complete thermalization, the thermal radiation emanating from one mold half of the mold can be recorded with one of the thermal imaging cameras and, at the same time, with the other thermal imaging camera Thermal radiation emanating from the molded injection molded component can be captured.

Further advantageous developments and configurations of the invention result from the measures listed in the subclaims.

Figure list

• 1 ein Flussdiagramm mit wesentlichen Verfahrensschritten des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens gemäß einer ersten Ausführungsform,
• 2 eine Längsschnittansicht einer Spritzgießeinrichtung mit einer Kavität und einem Greifarm, der in die Kavität nach Beendigung eines jeweiligen Spritzgießvorgangs einfahrbar ist, um das Spritzgießbauteil mittels Greifklauen entnehmen zu können, wobei an dem Greifarm im Bereich der Greifklauen erfindungsgemäß zwei Wärmebildkameras angeordnet sind, um ortsaufgelöst in der Kavität von dem Formwerkzeug und dem Spritzgießbauteil abgestrahlte Wärmestrahlung detektieren zu können, und
• 3 eine Blockschaltung der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung, welche zur Durchführung des Verfahrens von 1 dient, wobei die Vorrichtung die Wärmebildkameras und eine Prozessrecheneinheit aufweist, die Messdaten von den Wärmebildkameras verarbeitet.

Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail in the following description and in the accompanying drawings. The latter show in schematic views:

• 1 a flow chart with essential method steps of the method according to the invention according to a first embodiment,
• 2 a longitudinal sectional view of an injection molding device with a cavity and a gripping arm, which can be moved into the cavity after completion of a respective injection molding process in order to be able to remove the injection molded component by means of gripping claws, whereby according to the invention two thermal imaging cameras are arranged on the gripping arm in the area of the gripping claws in order to To be able to detect heat radiation radiated from the cavity by the mold and the injection molded component, and
• 3 a block diagram of the device according to the invention, which is used to carry out the method of 1 is used, the device having the thermal imaging cameras and a process computing unit that processes measurement data from the thermal imaging cameras.

Embodiments of the invention

aus der im vorigen Schritt 130 gewonnenen Temperaturverteilung T(i) gebildet, worauf in einem weiteren Verfahrensschritt 150 aus der gewonnenen Temperaturverteilung Temperaturen T_lokal ermittelt werden, die Oberflächenbereichen zugeordnet sind und gegenüber dem Mittelwert T_m , also gegenüber einer Mehrheit der Temperaturen, die den übrigen Oberflächenbereichen zugeordnet sind, erhöht sind; diese erhöhten Temperaturwerte werden dann zusammen mit einer jeweiligen Positionsinformation bezüglich der jeweils zugeordneten Oberflächenbereiche abgespeichert, wobei die Positionsinformation im Ausführungsbeispiel das entsprechende Pixelmatrixelement des Kamera-CCD-Chips ist. Danach werden gemäß Schritt 160 durch einen Rücksprung zu Schritt 110 die Schritte 110 bis 150 für weitere unmittelbar aufeinanderfolgende Spritzgießvorgänge solange wiederholt, bis eine vorbestimmte und statistisch ausreichende Anzahl M von sukzessive aufeinanderfolgenden Spritzgießzyklen j (j = 1 bis M) durchlaufen ist; im Ausführungsbeispiel beträgt diese vorbestimmte Anzahl M etwa 50 Spritzgießzyklen. Nach Durchlaufen der Schleife 110 bis 150 gemäß der vorbestimmten Anzahl der Wiederholungen erfolgt in einem daran anschließenden Schritt 170 ein Vergleich der in den jeweiligen Spritzgießzyklen j (für j = 1 bis M) ermittelten erhöhten Temperaturwerte untereinander, welche der Bedingung T(ij) > T_m genügen, wobei nur diejenigen Temperaturwerte beibehalten werden, die sukzessive über alle erfassten Spritzgießzyklen, d.h. von Zyklus zu Zyklus, erhöht bleiben oder sich dabei weiter erhöhen; diese Temperaturwerte werden dann in einem darauf folgenden Schritt 180 zusammen mit ihren zugeordneten Positionsinformationen abgespeichert, um exklusiv im weiteren Verfahrensablauf berücksichtigt zu werden. 1 shows a flow chart 100 with the essential process steps of an embodiment of the process according to the invention. In a first procedural block, which includes the steps 110 to 180 and which iterates repeatedly are, for a successive sequence of injection molding processes by means of - in the exemplary embodiment - two thermal imaging cameras, a detection of the thermal radiation emitted by the surface areas of the mold and the respective injection molding component to be processed is carried out, the temperature distribution of the thermal radiation being recorded in a spatially resolved manner and those temperatures being determined on the basis of the temperature distribution which, viewed over the sequence of injection molding processes, increase. This is first done in one step 110 a respective injection molding process carried out and in a further step 120 it is waited until the respective injection molding process has ended and the injection molded component processed is ready for removal. Then follows in one step 130 the opening of the process chamber or cavity, with a gripper arm being inserted into the cavity, which is used on the one hand to remove the injection molded component and on the other hand has the thermal imaging cameras at its gripping end with which the spatially resolved temperature distribution T (i) on the surface of the mold and the injection molded component is recorded during the removal process, the index i extending from 1 to N. Thereupon a step 140 an average value T _m according to $$T_m=\frac{1}{N}{\displaystyle \sum _{i=1}^{N}T\left(i\right)}$$

from the in the previous step 130 obtained temperature distribution T (i), whereupon in a further process step 150 temperatures T _are determined _locally from the temperature distribution obtained, which are assigned to surface areas and are higher than the mean value T _m , that is to say compared to a majority of the temperatures which are assigned to the other surface areas; these increased temperature values are then stored together with respective position information relating to the respectively assigned surface areas, the position information in the exemplary embodiment being the corresponding pixel matrix element of the camera CCD chip. Then according to step 160 by jumping back to step 110 the steps 110 to 150 repeated for further immediately successive injection molding processes until a predetermined and statistically sufficient number M of successive injection molding cycles j (j = 1 to M) has been passed through; In the exemplary embodiment, this predetermined number M is approximately 50 injection molding cycles. After going through the loop 110 to 150 according to the predetermined number of repetitions takes place in a subsequent step 170 a comparison of the increased temperature values determined in the respective injection molding cycles j (for j = 1 to M) with one another, which satisfy the condition T (ij)> T _m , whereby only those temperature values are retained that are successive over all recorded injection molding cycles, ie from cycle to cycle, stay elevated or continue to increase; these temperature values are then used in a subsequent step 180 stored together with their assigned position information in order to be taken into account exclusively in the further course of the process.

In a further procedural block that includes the steps 190 to 240 comprises and is designed as a repetitive loop for a sequence of injection molding processes, is in one process step 190 not only a temperature measurement data acquisition for each injection molding process (as in the first process block according to the steps 110 to 180 ), but also a large number of process parameters and influencing variables are recorded and saved. In the preferred embodiment, such a process parameter is the internal mold pressure prevailing in the cavity of the injection molding device during a respective injection molding process or injection molding cycle, which is an important physical variable over time, i.e. over a statistically high number of successive injection molding cycles, the gradually increasing degree of contamination of the mold in one to a certain extent. Influencing variables are, for example, the type of starting material, the type and amount of a stabilizer optionally added as an additive during injection molding, the type and amount of an optionally added filler, the melting temperature of the latter two additives, the filling speed during injection molding, and the like. According to a subsequent process step 200 it is waited until the respective injection molding process has ended and the injection molded component produced in each case is ready for removal, whereupon in a process step 210 the thermal radiation emitted by the surface areas is detected and the spatially resolved temperature distribution T (i) is recorded. The temperature measurement data are therefore recorded immediately after the end of a respective injection molding process, whereas the process parameters are recorded during the respective injection molding process. According to a subsequent process step 220 becomes from the previous step 210 obtained temperature distribution T (i) a mean value T _m according to equation (1) is formed and in a further process step 230 the current temperature values T are determined _locally from those surface areas from this temperature distribution and saved in step 180 selected and saved. The mean value T _m of the temperature distribution recorded in the current injection molding process serves as a reference background for the currently determined temperature values. According to a further process step 240 are the steps 190 to 230 for further injection molding processes - with the respective acquisition and storage of the multitude of Process parameters and influencing variables - repeated until a regularly prescribed cleaning takes place, which is carried out at rigid intervals of typically about one hundred thousand injection molding cycles, whereby a statistically sufficient amount of data is collected or obtained and a maintenance time forecast by the method according to the invention with the regular , ie rigidly predetermined cleaning time can be adjusted by evaluating the degree of soiling that is then routinely checked during cleaning or maintenance. Then according to a step 250 the time course of T _local (j) over all so far in the steps 190 to 240 comprehensive process block captured injection molding cycles j formed.

In a subsequent step 260 an extrapolation of the temporal course of T _local (j), which extends over all previously recorded injection molding cycles j, is carried out beyond the regular cleaning time, since this usually takes place early after about 1 × 10 ⁵ cycles according to a rigid specification, where experience has not yet shown too high a degree of pollution is to be expected. According to a further step 270 is evaluated on the basis of the extrapolated curve T _local (j), where the cleaning time t _R to be expected lies, at which T _{local reaches} a value close to the material-specific maximum temperature T _max (e.g. according to the inequality T _local ≥ y · T _max , where in the exemplary embodiment y = 80% so that a safety margin of 20% compared to the maximum temperature T _{max is} maintained). The maximum temperature T _max is the maximum possible process temperature before the degeneration or degradation of the material begins and is 392 ° C. in the case of a thermoplastic material that is frequently used, such as for PET (polyethylene terephthalate). In a subsequent step 280 becomes the one in the previous step 270 determined time t _{R is set} as the new (virtual) maintenance or cleaning time.

According to one step 290 the course curve T _local (j), which extends over all previously recorded cycles, is linked with the course of the process parameters recorded in each cycle, which corresponds approximately to this, whereby material-specific influencing variables, such as the viscosity of the starting material, are taken into account in order to improve the maintenance or To be able to predict cleaning time t _R only from the development over time of one or more process parameter (s) based on the link; An important process parameter, the course of which is taken into account when linking, is the internal mold pressure recorded in the cavity via the injection molding cycles. The link is preferably calculated by means of multidimensional regression and / or by means of a neural network. That’s with the steps 110 to 290 the learning or training phase is completed.

In one of the learning phase or training phase 110 to 290 subsequent process or application phase 340 showing the steps 300 to 330 initially takes place in one step 300 an injection molding process in which now only the large number of process parameters are recorded together with the influencing variables, without a respective temperature recording being carried out. In one monitoring step 310 A message is then issued when a predicted maintenance or cleaning time t _{R is} due and only based on the linked process parameters and the associated influencing variables. In the event of such a message, cleaning or maintenance according to step 320 carried out. Otherwise follow step 330 a return to step 300 to carry out the next injection molding process in a repetitive loop.

2 shows an injection molding device in a highly schematic longitudinal sectional view 1 with a cavity 2 who have favourited one rigidly formed side 3 and a movable side opposite it 4th having. On either side 3 , 4th is one mold half 5 , 5 ' arranged, which together form a molding tool, the molding tool halves 5 , 5 ' facing each other. The rigid side 3 with the mold half arranged thereon 5 has an opening 6 through which the granular plastic material intended for injection molding 7th during an injection molding process in the liquid state from an outlet nozzle 8th' of a plasticizing cylinder 8th by means of a rotating screw located therein 9 can flow into the cavity by means of the two mold halves 5 , 5 ' an injection molded component 13 to train.

The device according to the invention, which is used in particular to carry out the method according to the invention, has two thermal imaging cameras 14th , 15th on, which are arranged to each other that their lens sides 14 ' , 15 ' are turned away from each other by about 180 °. These are the thermal imaging cameras 14th , 15th on a holding arm 10 arranged, which can be designed as a gripping arm and from the outside into the cavity 2 is designed to be retractable with two on one arm side 10 ' arranged protruding and in the longitudinal direction of the holding arm 10 spaced apart gripping claws 11 , 12 an injection-molded component completed after the completion of a respective injection molding process 13 can be found; the two thermal imaging cameras 14th , 15th are in the area of the two gripping claws 11 , 12 on the holding arm 10 arranged so that the mold half arranged on the sprue side 5 and the injection molded component 13 radiated heat radiation is detectable. This is the first thermal imaging camera 14th on the arm side 10 ' approximately intermediate between the gripping claws formed thereon 11 , 12 arranged, the lens side 14 ' the thermal imaging camera 14th from the arm side 10 ' points away to those of a respective one of the gripping claws 11 , 12 captured injection molded component 13 To be able to detect radiated thermal radiation with spatial resolution, while the second thermal imaging camera 15th on the other side of the arm 10 " the first thermal imaging camera 14th opposite and at the same height - in the longitudinal direction of the holding arm 10 seen - is arranged with the lens side 15 ' the thermal imaging camera 15th from the arm side 10 " points away to those of the on the rigid side 3 arranged mold half 5 to be able to detect emitted thermal radiation with spatial resolution.

As in 3 is shown, the device according to the invention 20th also a process computing unit 16 with a data store 16 ' on, the process computing unit 16 serves to collect temperature measurement data from the two thermal imaging cameras 14th , 15th via a respective data transmission line 16-1 , 16-2 to receive in their data store 16 ' cache and then process. The data store 16 ' the process computing unit 16 also has the function in the individual process steps of the method according to the invention 100 to save generated data or data sets. The process computing unit 16 also has a network-compatible interface 16 " to, for example, retrieve and process external data and / or process parameters and / or material sizes via a network, for example via the Internet.

In summary, the method according to the invention is used to monitor and maintain an injection molding device and comprises the following method steps: a) Detecting one of a molding tool 5 and / or an injection-molded component molded therefrom 13 at the end of each injection molding process in a cavity 2 the injection molding facility 1 emitted thermal radiation, wherein a temperature distribution of the thermal radiation is detected in a spatially resolved manner, b) determining at least one surface area of the molding tool 5 and / or the injection molded component molded therefrom 13 associated temperature, which is increased compared to a majority of the other surface areas and remains increased over a predetermined number of successively occurring injection molding processes, based on the detected temperature distribution, c) forming a time development of the at least one temperature determined according to step b) over a predetermined sequence of injection molding cycles , wherein at least one process parameter of the injection molding device 1 is recorded over these injection molding cycles, the development of the temperature over time being a measure of contamination of the mold, d) linking the temperature development over time formed according to step c) with the corresponding course of the at least one process parameter, and e) applying the link to others successive injection molding processes in order to be able to determine or realistically forecast a maintenance time based on the link only from the course of the at least one process parameter.

Claims (16)

Method for monitoring an injection molding device, whereby in a cavity (2) of an injection molding device (1) radiated heat from a mold (5) and / or an injection molding component (13) molded therefrom is detected and the temperature distribution thereof is recorded, with recorded temperature measurement data being processed, whose development over time is formed via a sequence of measurement cycles, and the development over time formed is linked to at least one course of at least one process parameter that corresponds approximately to it. Procedure according to Claim 1 with the following process steps: a) Detection of a thermal radiation emitted by a mold (5) and / or an injection molding component (13) molded therefrom at the end of a respective injection molding process in a cavity (2) of the injection molding device (1), whereby a temperature distribution of the thermal radiation is detected in a spatially resolved manner b) determining at least one temperature associated with a surface area of the molding tool (5) and / or the injection molding component (13) formed therefrom, which is higher than a majority of the other surface areas and remains elevated over a predetermined number of successive injection molding processes, based on the detected temperature distribution, the temperature distribution being formed by the temperature measurement data, c) forming a time development of the at least one temperature determined in accordance with step b) over a predetermined sequence of injection molding cycles, with at least one process parameter of the injection molding device device (1) is recorded over these injection molding cycles, the development of the temperature over time being a measure of contamination of the mold, d) linking the temperature development over time formed according to step c) with the corresponding course of the at least one process parameter, and e) applying the link to further successive injection molding processes in order to determine a maintenance time based on the link only from the course of the at least one process parameter. Procedure according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that a plurality of process parameters is selected, the courses of which are recorded from cycle to cycle in order to be taken into account when linking. Method according to one of the Claims 1 to 3 , characterized in that the internal mold pressure prevailing in the process chamber during a respective injection molding process is recorded as the process parameter. Method according to one of the Claims 1 to 4th , characterized in that in addition to the at least one process parameter, influencing variables and / or material variables such as the viscosity of the starting material and / or its maximum process temperature are also taken into account when linking. Procedure according to Claim 5 , characterized in that the influencing variables and / or material variables are called up via a network. Method according to one of the Claims 2 to 6 , characterized in that the mean value of a respectively recorded temperature distribution is used as a comparative measure for an increased temperature. Procedure according to Claim 7 , characterized in that the mean value T _{m of} a respective temperature distribution according to the following equation $$T_m=\frac{1}{N}{\displaystyle \sum _{i=1}^{N}T\left(i\right)}$$

is determined, the summation index i extending from 1 to N and N denotes the number of recorded temperature measurements T (i). Method according to one of the Claims 2 to 8th , characterized in that the link taking place according to step d) is calculated by means of regression and / or by means of a neural network. Method according to one of the Claims 2 to 9 , characterized in that steps a) to b) are repeated over a large number of injection molding processes until a regular cleaning time takes place. Method according to one of the Claims 2 to 10 , characterized in that the link generated according to step d) is ported as a data record and / or executable program unit in a production line in order to carry out step e) there in one or more injection molding device (s) belonging to the production line. Injection molding manufacturing method comprising a method according to any one of Claims 1 to 11 . Device in particular for performing the method according to one of the Claims 1 to 11 , at least one sensor device (14, 15) being provided in order to detect heat radiation emitted by a mold (5) and / or an injection molding component (13) molded therefrom in a cavity (2) of an injection molding device (1) and to record its temperature distribution A process computing unit (16) cooperating with the sensor device is provided in order to process temperature measurement data acquired by the sensor device (14, 15), to form their temporal development over a sequence of measuring cycles, and the temporal development formed with at least one approximately corresponding thereto Link the course of at least one process parameter. Device according to Claim 13 , characterized in that the at least one sensor device (14, 15) is provided for detecting an injection molding component (13) formed by a mold (5) and / or an injection molding component (13) molded therefrom at the end of a respective injection molding process in a cavity (2) of the injection molding device (1) ) emitted thermal radiation, with a spatially resolved temperature distribution of the thermal radiation being detected, and that the process computing unit (16) is provided for determining at least one temperature assigned to a surface area of the mold (5) and / or the injection molding component (13) molded from it, which compared to a majority of the remaining surface areas is increased and remains increased over a predetermined number of successive injection molding processes, based on the detected temperature distribution, the temperature distribution being formed by the temperature measurement data, for forming a temporal development of the at least one determined temperature over a previous specific sequence of injection molding cycles, with at least one process parameter of the injection molding device (1) being recorded over these injection molding cycles, with the development of the temperature over time representing a measure of contamination of the mold, for linking the temperature development over time with the corresponding course of the at least one process parameter , and for applying the link to further successive injection molding processes in order to determine a maintenance time based on the link only from the course of the at least one process parameter. Device according to Claim 13 or 14th , characterized in that the at least one Sensor device has at least one thermal imaging camera. Device according to one of the Claims 13 to 15th , characterized in that the sensor device has two thermal imaging cameras (14, 15) which are arranged in relation to one another in such a way that their objectives (14 ', 15') are facing away from one another.

Images