DE102022124626A1 - Method and device for separating molded parts from a molding issued from an injection molding machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a separation method for molded parts 2, each with one or more molded parts 4 connected to a sprue 3, with at least the following steps: gripping a molded part, in particular gripping a molded part at its sprue 3 by means of a robot (10) with a gripping device 11; in particular detaching the molded part(s) 4 from the sprue 3 of the molded part; Placing the isolated molded parts 4 and the separated sprue 3 in at least one collecting container 41, 42 and/or transferring the isolated molded parts 4 and/or the sprue 3 to a conveyor device. The molded part 2 is ejected from the tool of a plastic injection molding machine 1 and transferred to an alignment device 20 which has at least one storage area. One or more injection moldings 2 stored on the storage surface are observed using an electronic camera 31 which is connected to an image recognition system 30 or into which one is integrated. Moldings 2 or components of the moldings 2 that are positioned in the correct position on the storage surface and which were recognized as being tangible by the robot 10 are handled by the robot

Description

The invention relates to a separation process for a molded part with at least one molded part connected to a sprue with the features of the preamble of claim 1 and a separation device with the features of the preamble of claim 10 and a system comprising an injection molding machine and a separation device.

In injection molding, especially plastic injection molding, several molded parts are often produced in one operation, for which the injection mold is provided with several similar mold cavities, so-called cavities. The plurality of cavities are injected from at least one central gate point, so that the liquid plastic is guided from the central gate point through at least one feed channel in the injection molding tool to the respective cavity, where it solidifies. The feed channels lie in the so-called parting plane of the injection molding tool. When the tool halves move apart, the parting line opens. Not only do you have to remove the desired molded parts, but also the rods that lead from the gate point to the individual cavities and connect the molded parts to each other. A structure is therefore removed, in which at least one molded part is usually connected to the sprue, in particular several molded parts are connected via the bars of the sprue to form a spider-shaped structure, with the molded parts sometimes also falling off the sprue during or after the moldings have been removed can. The molded parts therefore comprise, on the one hand, the sprue as components and, on the other hand, at least one molded part connected to the sprue, in particular several molded parts connected to the sprue.

For a particularly economical production of a large number of molded parts, it is necessary to move the molded parts produced in the completed production cycle out of the area of the plastic injection molding machine and its tool as quickly as possible in order to be able to close the tool again and begin the next production cycle immediately .

A standard function of injection molding machines is to push out the molded parts through ejector pins that are axially guided in at least one half of the tool and to let them fall into or onto a collecting or conveying device placed below the tool. However, particularly in the case of a molded part that comprises several molded parts that are connected to one another via a sprue, there is a risk that the parts will get caught in one another and either get caught on parts of the system when they fall out of the tool or get caught underneath within the collecting or conveying device, and in addition, a targeted separation of the molded parts from the sprue is then required. For the separation, the molded parts are usually first collected and then collected and fed to a separating device in which the molded parts are separated from the sprues. The resulting successive work steps are time-consuming and costly.

It is also known to grip the molded parts by means of an automated handling device with at least one, in particular several axes, which also has a gripping device, referred to as a robot for short, and to specifically pull them out of the open injection molding tool. However, this requires that the two halves of the tool be moved apart so far that the end axis of the robot, the so-called robot hand, together with the gripping device, can dip into the space between the tool halves. It should also be taken into account here that the generally cuboid-shaped tool halves are connected via at least one bar per corner in order to be able to exert the required locking force on the two metal tool halves during the injection of the pressurized liquid plastic and thereby prevent that liquid plastic gets into the tool parting plane. The robot hand must therefore also be able to be guided by the other axes in such a way that it can enter the opening gap between the two tool halves either from the side or from above between the bars.

• - Öffnen des Werkzeugs bis zu einer ausreichenden Öffnungsstellung,
• - Eintauchen des Roboters mit der Greifeinrichtung in den Öffnungsspalt,
• - Greifen der Formteile,
• - Durchführen einer Rückzugsbewegung mit der Greifeinrichtung zum Lösen der Formteile aus der Werkzeughälfte und von dem Anguss
• - Herausführen der Roboterhand mitsamt des in der Greifeinrichtung gehaltenen Formteils,

erfordern viel Zeit und verlängern die Zykluszeit pro Spritzvorgang.The necessary work steps:

• - opening the tool to a sufficient opening position,
• - Immersing the robot with the gripping device into the opening gap,
• - gripping the molded parts,
• - Performing a retraction movement with the gripping device to release the molded parts from the tool half and from the sprue
• - removing the robot hand together with the molded part held in the gripping device,

require a lot of time and extend the cycle time per spraying process.

Not only does the removal of the molded parts require a certain amount of time and lengthens the manufacturing cycle. It must also be taken into account that in order to separate the molded parts, all molded parts must be removed one after the other from the injection molding tool, and only one sufficiently If the connection between the molded parts and the sprue is weak, the molded parts can be easily removed individually. The sprue must then be separated out and the isolated molded parts are temporarily stored separately or conveyed further. It can be particularly problematic if the process for removing the molded parts individually takes longer than the time required to open the tool and remove the sprue with the molded parts hanging from it from the injection molding tool.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved separation method or an improved separation device for a molded part with at least one molded part and with a sprue, in particular with several molded parts connected via a common sprue, in which the cycle time of the manufacturing cycle The injection molding machine can be delayed as little as possible and efficient separation can be guaranteed.

This object is achieved by a separating method with the features of claim 1, a separating device with the features of claim 10 and a system with the features of claim 22.

The invention envisages completely eliminating the targeted removal of the molded part, which consists of the central, usually star-shaped sprue and several molded parts connected via the common sprue, directly from the tool of the injection molding machine by the robot and a seemingly chaotic arrangement of the molded parts or its components, which are simply ejected from the tool and go down to a transfer device.

The first advantage of this is that the robot is no longer tied to the active removal of the molded part from the mold and therefore has no influence on the cycle time, but can only be used for the task of separating. The apparent disadvantage of a chaotic pouring arrangement with a large number of moldings or their components is overcome according to the invention in that the moldings or components are placed on the storage surface of an alignment device and are observed there by a camera using an image recognition system, so that in Depending on the location and/or position of the molded parts or components on the storage surface, which is determined by means of the image recognition system, the molded parts or components can each be gripped individually by the robot. Thus, the molded parts or components are removed from the storage surface of the alignment device by means of the robot in a recognized position and/or position, so that the alignment device functions as a buffer and thus the molded pieces or components are removed from a reference plane of the buffer. Depending on how the moldings are designed, the moldings of the respective molding can be separated from the respective sprue of the respective molding when the moldings are ejected from the injection molding tool and/or when they are placed on the storage surface of the alignment device, so that the moldings are already separated and thus lie on the storage surface as isolated molded parts, or it may be that for at least some of the molded parts, at least one of the molded parts is still connected to the sprue of the respective molded part, which lies on the storage surface, so that this molded part is still needed to separate this molded part must be separated from the sprue. Thus, in one embodiment, the invention relates to observing molded parts on the storage surface by means of the camera and grasping them by means of the robot, whereby after removal from the storage surface by the robot, the separation is carried out and the one or several molded parts, in particular identical molded parts are separated from the sprue of the respective molded part previously gripped by the robot and thus removed from the storage surface, in particular while the robot holds the molded part gripped at a section of the molded part, the section preferably being formed by the sprue or one of the molded parts. In another embodiment, the invention relates to observing the already isolated components, ie molded parts separated from one another and the sprues separated from the molded parts, of the molded parts on the storage surface by means of the camera and at least some of the components, preferably only those, by means of the robot Sprues or just the isolated molded parts. The two embodiments can also be combined, so that both molded parts as a whole, ie sprue with at least one molded part connected to it, as well as individual molded parts can be observed on the storage surface and removed or gripped from it. The statements contained in the present description of the invention can be read accordingly to each of the mentioned embodiments. In one embodiment, either only molded parts that are identified as being tangible by the robot using the image recognition system are removed from the storage surface by means of the robot, or only components that are identified as being tangible by the robot using the image recognition system are removed from the storage surface by means of the robot. The robot preferably attacks the respective molding or component for removal from the storage surface a specific section of the molding or component. The robot preferably holds the molded part unchanged at this section while the molded part or parts are separated from the sprue of the molded part.

The invention therefore provides for the injection moldings ejected from the injection molding tool to be placed on a storage surface in an alignment device, depending on the case as coherent injection moldings, in which the sprue is connected to the molded parts, or in the form of components of the injection moldings that are already separated from one another. Depending on the output of the injection moldings and the feeding of the injection moldings to the storage surface of the alignment device, the injection moldings or components issued from the injection molding tool can already assume a partially predetermined position or a completely arbitrary position, that is, the angular position of the sprue of a injection molding or the angular position of the injection molding Components can then be random, as can the orientation of the central sprue bar up or down. Lateral positions in which the molded part or component rests upright on the base are also possible, for example.

According to the invention, the quantity of injection moldings that were fed from the injection molding machine is guided onto the alignment device and in particular temporarily stored thereon, at least partially, in particular predominantly, as coherent injection moldings and/or in the form of separate components. The alignment device therefore also serves as an intermediate buffer in the process. The alignment device can be designed, for example, as a conveyor belt, so that the storage surface and thus also the molded parts or components placed on it move along the direction of movement of the conveyor belt. In one embodiment, the alignment device is designed such that the storage surface is locally fixed, so that the storage surface itself does not move in a spatial direction. It is important that the alignment device with its storage area provides a place where the molded parts or components are stored over a period of time. For example, the position of the injection moldings or components on the storage surface can be completely arbitrary or can be at least partially predetermined by providing a collecting and transfer device with specifically provided guiding properties, via which the injection moldings are guided from the injection molding tool to the storage surface. In particularly preferred embodiments, the alignment device is designed to actively bring about a change in the position of the molded parts or components that are placed on their storage surface, for example by designing the storage surface as a vibrating floor and/or by applying a targeted air flow to the alignment device can be adjusted to the storage surface and / or in that the alignment device comprises magnetic alignment elements, which can be suitable, for example, for magnetic injection moldings or components to achieve a change in position of the injection moldings or components placed on the storage surface. According to the invention, the amount of molded parts or components stored on the storage surface is monitored continuously or in cycles by means of at least one electronic camera that is connected to an image recognition system or has an integrated image recognition system. The image recognition system is used to identify the location and/or position of these observed moldings or components. The image recognition system can preferably be used to determine both the position of the respective observed molding or component of the quantity of moldings or components on the storage surface, ie the location coordinates defining its location, as well as the position of the respective molding or component, ie orientation in space. The image recognition system is used to analyze which of the moldings or components stored on the storage surface can be grasped by the robot, this being done on the basis of the recognized position and/or position of the respective molding or component. According to the invention, such a molded part or component, which was identified as being tangible by the robot using the image recognition system, is removed from the storage surface by means of the robot. In one embodiment, in which such a molded part was removed from the storage surface by means of the robot, all molded parts of this molded part are then separated from the sprue, in particular stripped off. Preferably, the image recognition system works automatically in such a way that the image recognition system automatically identifies those molded parts or components that are stored on the storage surface and have a predefined position or position as being tangible by the robot, after which on the basis of this identification automatically carried out by the image recognition system and knowing the location and/or position of the respective molded part or component, the robot is automatically controlled to remove the respective molded part or component from the storage surface. The position and location of the respective molded part or component can, for example, be transferred directly to the robot by the image recognition system or given to an electrical buffer so that the robot can then process several removal orders. In one embodiment, the robot feeds the moldings after removal to a device in which the sprue of the respective molding is separated, in particular stripped, from all molded parts of the respective molding. In a particularly preferred embodiment The image recognition system is designed to divide the injection moldings or components observed on the storage surface by the camera into injection moldings or components that are positioned in the correct position and injection moldings or components that are not positioned in the correct position. The image recognition system is therefore preferably designed to recognize injection moldings or components that are positioned in the correct position and to forward or transfer the position of these injection moldings or components that are recognized as being positioned in the correct position to the robot, as explained, so that the robot only recognizes the moldings or components that are recognized as being positioned in the correct position .Removes components from the storage area. This can make it possible to particularly simplify image recognition, control of the robot and/or design of the gripping device. By dividing the molded parts or components as positioned in the correct position and not positioned in the correct position and by controlling the robot on the basis of this subdivision so that the robot only removes the molded parts or components from the storage area that are recognized as positioned in the correct position, gripping is possible of the respective injection moldings or components by the robot at a particularly exposed location or one that can be grasped particularly easily by a gripping device. In addition, since the geometric shape of the injection moldings or components issued from the injection molding tool is usually sufficiently known, the image recognition system can carry out a particularly simple evaluation of the position of the respective injection moldings, since only in the case of a predetermined position, which was recorded by the camera The respective injection molding or component is identified as positioned in the correct position and this information is passed on to the robot.

During separation, the respective molded part or component is preferably held at a section of the molded part or component by the gripping device of the robot. For example, the section of the molded part can be formed by the sprue or one or more of the molded parts of the molded part or, in the case of a molded part with only one molded part, by the molded part. It has proven particularly advantageous that when the molded parts are separated from the sprue of a molded part, the sprue is held by the gripping device of the robot. In one embodiment, the sprue together with the attached molded part or parts can also be placed by the robot only at the separation device, so that the separation takes place there while the robot can fetch the next molded part from the alignment device.

For the procedure described, a robot is sufficient, which can be positioned with its gripper, i.e. its gripping device, at the height of the storage surface of the alignment device and which can be lowered with its gripper to the molding or component to be gripped, in particular to the casting point of the molding. In the simplest case, a robot with only one axis can be sufficient for this, for example if the molded parts or components are placed on a locally narrow storage area and/or if the storage area moves continuously and thereby moves past the position of the robot's gripper. With such a narrow storage area, for example, the position of the molded part or component identified as being within reach of the robot can be determined by the storage area. Particularly preferably, the robot can be moved along a plane along which the storage surface extends and can also be moved perpendicular to this plane, for which purpose the provision of two, in particular three, axes is advantageous. A simple handling device can therefore be used as a robot, e.g. B. can be moved with one, two or three degrees of freedom in a Cartesian coordinate system or in a cylindrical coordinate system. The robot preferably has at least two axes along which the gripping device can be moved, the axes preferably being angled to one another, in particular angled at right angles to one another. The gripping device can be suitably designed to enable secure gripping of the molded parts or components. For example, the gripping device can be designed in the manner of mechanical pliers and/or enable gripping via suction and/or enable gripping via electrical and/or magnetic properties that correspond to known properties of the molded parts to be gripped. The movement of the gripping device and/or the actuation of the gripping device can be driven electrically or pneumatically, for example. Depending on the application, electrically or pneumatically driven robots can be used. By only removing those injection moldings or components that were previously observed by the camera and whose location and/or position were identified by means of the image recognition system, in particular only those injection moldings or components that were recognized as being positioned in the correct position, by the robot .are classified as being removed by the robot, the removal can be made simple and efficient. By only removing injection moldings or components that are recognized as being in the correct position from the storage surface, image capture by the camera and removal by the robot can be particularly simplified. The camera only needs to capture pieces or components that are positioned in the correct position, and the robot can grasp a defined geometry. The separation process can therefore be carried out particularly quickly.

A further advantage of the method according to the invention is that molded parts that have already been separated from the sprue on the way to the alignment device or due to movements in the alignment device can also be recognized and classified by the camera and image recognition device and then removed by the robot can be.

Furthermore, it can also be provided to leave at least some of the already isolated molded parts lying in the alignment device, and then to hand over at least one remaining molded part, in particular all of the remaining molded parts, to the intended receiving container or a further transport device during an emptying journey of the aligning device with respect to molded parts . Such an emptying journey can be provided, for example, if a predetermined number of isolated molded parts, i.e. molded parts separated from the sprue, are recognized by the camera and image recognition device. Such an emptying journey of the alignment device can be carried out regardless of the respective number of additional parts located on or in the alignment device, such as isolated sprues and/or molded parts, i.e. sprues with at least one molded part that is cohesively connected to it. Such an emptying journey of the alignment device can be carried out in particular in an operating situation in which all the molded parts have been removed from the alignment device by the robot and a predetermined number of isolated molded parts arranged in the alignment device have been recognized. Such an emptying journey of the aligning device can, for example, include moving the storage surface of the aligning device into rotation, such that molded parts that are arranged on the storage surface of the aligning device are moved into a radial boundary region of the aligning device, which has at least one opening, due to the centrifugal force that occurs or at least has a controllable flap via which the molded parts can leave the alignment device due to the centrifugal force.

It is also advantageous to provide a rotation axis, in particular as a fourth axis, in order to be able to better align the gripper with respect to the section of the molded part or component to be gripped, in particular with respect to the sprue of the molded part, or with the possibly already previously separated molded part. This applies in particular if the section to be gripped, in particular the sprue, does not have a sprue rod that protrudes vertically upwards when the molded part or component is in the correct position.

In the separation process according to the invention, the molded parts separated from the sprue preferably fall directly into a receiving container or are conveyed away by a conveyor device. In an embodiment in which the robot holds the molded part when separating the molded part or parts from the sprue, it can be particularly advantageously provided that after the separation process the robot, after the separation process, places the initially still held sprue in a waste container or on its way back to the alignment device another conveyor device drops. As already stated above, in another embodiment it can also be provided that the robot picks up the molding from the alignment device, preferably in such a way that it holds or grips the molding on the sprue, and inserts it into a holder of a separating device, in particular in such a way that the molded part is held in the holder in the area of the sprue, the separation of the sprue and the at least one molded part then being carried out in the separating device. In this embodiment, after inserting the molded part into the separating device, the robot can be controlled back to the alignment device during the subsequent separating process, where it can pick up another or the next molded part.

The separation of the molded parts from the sprue can be carried out in a manner known per se using knives, pliers, laser cutting devices, etc., regardless of whether the robot holds the sprue during the separation process or not. A stripping process is preferably used. The prerequisite for this is that the connection point between the sprue and the molded part is weak and is positioned at a point on the component where the surface quality does not have to meet any special requirements, so that, for example, small sprue residues can remain. Preferably, the stripping process is used instead of a shearing separation process carried out, for example, using the tools mentioned above.

In the stripping process, stripping is preferably carried out in such a way that the molded part is fed to a brush device. Rotating or oscillating brushes exert a force on the molded parts that are still connected to the sprue, which leads to shear forces on the sprue connection, so that this connection breaks off or tears off. Particularly preferably, the separating device has a brush stripping device comprising at least two brush sections, which can be rotated about a different axis of rotation, in particular by less than 270 ° for stripping the molded parts. The brush sections are preferably arranged on a different side of the molding during stripping. Special Axes of rotation preferably extend in a horizontal plane.

Rotating movements can also be used as separation methods, e.g. for molded parts arranged in a circle on the sprue, or linear movements for other sprue shapes such as T- or Y-shaped sprues.

Compared to breaking off on hard edges or the like, stripping the molded parts from the sprue using brushes has the advantage that the surface of the molded parts is not affected by the brushes. The flexibility of the brushes also prevents the respective molded part from being thrown away in an uncontrolled manner at the moment the sprue connection is released, because unlike hard parts, which can generally also be used to break the sprue connection, the flexible brushes only exert a small impulse on the molded parts out of.

During the execution of the separation process described, the molded parts or components remaining on the storage surface of the alignment device are preferably continuously monitored by the camera and the connected image recognition system. If new parts are identified as being tangible by the robot, in particular as parts that are positioned in the correct position, their position is fed to the robot directly or to a buffer in the manner described. Preferably, after recognizing a certain number of parts or molded parts or components that are recognized as being graspable by the robot, in particular as positioned in the correct position, the alignment device is not actuated until the robot uses its gripper or its gripping device to grab all of these parts or molded parts or components, i.e. has moved to all recognized positions in order to grip the parts or injection moldings or components. For example, the number can be set to at least one. Preferably, only when the camera no longer detects a part that is identified as being tangible by the robot, in particular positioned in the correct position, or no part that is positioned in the correct position or a component that is positioned in the correct position, is the alignment device actuated again, for example as explained in more detail below.

Generally preferably, a control device of a separating device according to the invention for carrying out the described separating method is designed to then activate the alignment device in order to achieve such a position or position, which is identified as being tangible by the robot, in particular positionally correct positioning, of parts on the storage surface , if a sufficient number, in particular no parts that can be grasped by the robot and in particular are positioned in the correct position, are not recognized by the camera. Generally preferably, the control device is designed to deactivate the alignment device as soon as a certain number, in particular at least one, of parts or molded parts or components identified by the robot as being tangible, in particular positioned in the correct position, has been recognized by the camera, after which the The control device of the robot is controlled in such a way that it grabs, in particular one after the other, all parts or molded parts or components that are recognized as being graspable, in particular positioned in the correct position, whereby of course after the respective gripping of a molded part, the above-explained separation of the molded parts from the sprue preferably takes place , whereby, as described above, the separation takes place while, for example, the molded part is held by the robot or is inserted into and held in a holder of a separating device. In both cases, i.e. when held by the robot and when held by the holding device of the separating device, the holding can be carried out in such a way that the molded part is held in the area of its sprue.

Particularly preferably, the alignment device is operated by the control device in such a way that it only works at intervals during its activation, with a pause being maintained between two intervals in which the alignment device determines the alignment and/or position of the parts or molded parts lying on the storage surface .Components not affected. During such a break, the position of the parts or molded parts or components can be recorded, and if correct positioning or a position and position that can be grasped by the robot is detected, the alignment device can be deactivated during the break, so that it is ensured that the Parts or moldings or components recognized as being tangible by the robot, in particular parts or moldings or components that are positioned in the correct position, remain in their position until they have been gripped by the robot. Working at intervals can be provided, for example, with the pulses or vibrations or oscillations explained below.

The control device and the camera are preferably coordinated with one another in such a way that only when the camera records a camera image that corresponds to a predefined, stored camera image that identifies a molded part positioned in the correct position, in particular within a defined tolerance range, does the control device activate the robot Removing the molded part or component that has been positioned in the correct position from the storage area of the alignment The control device controls the robot, otherwise the control device never controls the robot to remove a molded part or component from the storage surface of the alignment device. The control device can therefore be designed to assign the camera image recorded by the camera to exactly one of exactly two possible control commands, which can particularly simplify the interpretation of the camera image and the output of the control command.

However, if during a certain period of time no molding or component is recognized as being graspable by the robot, in particular as positioned in the correct position, then alignment means in the alignment device are activated in order to set the moldings or components in motion and thereby achieve that at least one Another molded part or component is positioned in the correct position or is positioned in such a way that it can be grasped by the robot. For this purpose, the bottom of the storage surface in the alignment device can, for example, be tilted, rotated, vibrated and/or subjected to impulse shocks, preferably in an alternating movement, in order to shake the molded parts or components.

A preferred form of the method according to the invention envisages using a vibrating base as the storage surface of the alignment unit, which can either be set into vibration as a whole or which is designed to be elastic in the manner of an eardrum, so that an impulse against the base is transmitted from the underside via actuators with plungers Vibrating floor can be exerted, with the impulse being transferred to the molded parts or components placed on the vibrating floor.

If, when using a vibrating floor, no molding or component that can be grasped or positioned in the correct position is recognized by the robot, the frequency and/or the amplitude of the vibration of the vibrating floor is preferably modulated until at least one of the moldings or components stored on the vibrating floor is turned and is in the correct position.

Alternatively or in addition to modulating the vibration of the vibrating floor, it can be provided to have a pulse generator act on the underside of the elastic vibrating floor in order to specifically throw up one or more of the molded parts or components and to achieve a change in position so that, for example, a section of the molded part or component to be gripped, e.g. the central sprue rod of the molded part, is oriented upwards. Thus, targeted pulses for turning the molded part or component are preferably applied against the underside of the vibrating floor at positions where at least one molded part or component that is not in the correct position or cannot be gripped has been detected as explained. The position can, for example, be exactly the position of the molded part or component or be related to the position of the molded part or component, for example, be less than 10 cm away from it and/or be mechanically coupled to it.

The pulse generator can be provided at a fixed location on the vibrating floor or can change its location randomly within the surface of the vibrating floor via an adjusting device in at least one dimension, in which case there is a certain probability that at least one molding or Component can be repositioned so that it remains in the correct position on the vibrating floor and can then be removed by the robot.

As an alternative to this random influence via a pulse generator, provision can be made to coordinate the pulse generator on the vibrating floor with the image recognition device via a control device and thus, for example. B. to act specifically on a molded part or component, for example to act specifically on one of the molded parts, which is still connected to the sprue. By specifically acting on a molded part attached to the outside of the sprue, the greatest possible leverage is exerted on the molded part as an overall structure, so that it can be specifically overturned and brought into a correct position or location that can be grasped by the robot.

The advantage of the separation method according to the invention can therefore be summarized as follows: In comparison to conventional direct removal from the tool by robot, the entire time can be saved that is required for the movement of the robot towards the injection molding tool, for immersion and gripping in the open injection molding tool and for the Removal from the tool back to an alignment device positioned outside the injection molding machine is required. In addition, only a simple robot, in particular a gantry robot, preferably at least 2-axis robot, preferably at least 3-axis robot, preferably at least 4-axis robot, is required.

It is particularly advantageous not only to heuristically cause the vibrating floor to vibrate, but also to provide a control device and to carry out teaching upstream of the actual separation process in order to record the properties of the injection moldings or components to be processed individually to determine the best parameters for targeted turning of the molded parts or components. To control the vibrating floor, the amplitude, the frequency and/or the vibration duration can be varied in a learning step, and an image recognition device is used to monitor which parameters can be used to turn the most molded parts or components. After this teaching phase has been carried out, the vibrating floor can then be controlled to carry out a vibration with at least one or more optimized parameters such as amplitude, frequency and/or vibration duration.

In particular, the teaching can also be carried out several times, with a different number of moldings or components being fed to the vibrating floor, so that the behavior for a small or large amount of moldings or components distributed on the surface of the vibrating floor can be recorded and from this optimized values for control parameters such as amplitude, frequency and / or vibration duration can be determined depending on the number of injection moldings or components arranged in the alignment device.

By modulating the amplitude, it can first be determined which pulse energy is actually required to cause the amount of molded pieces or components to vibrate on the vibrating floor, to keep them vibrating and then to achieve the throwing around of individual molded pieces or components. The same applies to the frequency of the vibration, which is adjusted in particular in order to achieve a possible natural frequency of the quantity of molded parts or components and to cause the throwing around with this frequency at a comparatively low amplitude. Since several parts may lie on top of each other when there are a large number of molded parts or components, a correspondingly greater vibration energy may be necessary in order to throw the parts around individually and to be able to transfer them into a different, preferably correct position.

Likewise, a teaching method, which is preferably carried out in advance of the separation method according to the invention, optionally provides for varying the stroke and speed of a plunger of a pulse generator acting on a soft vibrating floor and using the ongoing image recognition method to determine which parameters are achieved most quickly. that one or more of the molded parts or components are turned over.

It is particularly advantageous to have the teaching procedures described carried out by an AI device in order to identify tendencies towards improving the effectiveness of the vibrations or pulses on the vibrating floor.

It can also be provided that the sub-procedure in the separation method according to the invention, through which the vibration and/or pulse generators on the vibrating floor are linked to the image recognition system, can be monitored via an AI device in order not only in a possibly upstream training process, but also in ongoing separation operation to recognize the best parameters for turning the molded parts or components placed on the vibrating floor into a correct position and / or to optimize the existing parameters or at least one of these parameters.

Furthermore, it is possible to use the image recognition system not only to record the number and position of the molded parts or components placed on the storage surface, but also to recognize geometric defects such as incompletely formed molded parts, to pick them up using a robot and to place them in a collection container intended for waste to transfer.

The collecting and transfer device, which is preferably provided with a slide, can contain a selection device such as a selection flap, with which those molded parts, including the sprue, are sorted out directly in which certain parameters of the injection molding machine required for quality assurance have not been adhered to. These items rated as bad go directly into a waste container, while all other molded parts, completely connected and/or with molded parts already partially separated, continue to slide onto the alignment device. This selection device can be controlled in particular depending on the relevant, quality-related control signals emitted by the injection molding machine. For example, a control line can be provided for transmitting corresponding control signals from the injection molding machine either directly to an actuating device of the selection flap or to a control device of the separating device, whereby in the latter case, the control device of the separating device controls the selection device depending on the control signals received from the injection molding machine.

Stripping the molded parts from the sprue is also possible by pushing the molded part held by the robot through a template that is designed to hold the molded parts back while the sprue is pressed through the cutout of the template. This is the advantageous circumstance in an execution form of the method according to the invention is used, in which the robot picks up the molded part in a known position and holds it on the sprue.

As already described, it can be provided that molded parts that have already fallen off the sprue in the alignment device are brought directly from the robot to the collecting container or a conveyor device for molded parts. In this context, it is particularly preferred to provide a separate discharge path on the alignment device for loose molded parts that are already separated from the sprue in the alignment device. The exit path can e.g. B. be formed by at least one opening in the storage area, which is dimensioned such that only a single molded part, but not the sprue with at least one molded part still attached to it, and not the sprue alone, can fall through the opening. A single molded part that has already been separated from the sprue, on the other hand, is kept in motion as a result of the vibrations and impulses of the vibrating base and accidentally ends up in the opening through which it can be e.g. B. falls directly into the collection container. Floor openings are particularly suitable for rigid vibrating floors.

With elastic-flexible vibrating floors that are stretched on a frame like a drum skin, floor openings cannot be easily implemented. In these cases, in particular, a discharge path can be formed in the peripheral edge. The discharge path can be designed, for example, as an opening in the border through which a molded part, but not the sprue, can come out laterally.

It is particularly preferred to provide a round vibrating base with a cylindrical border and at least one discharge path in the form of a tangential discharge channel. The discharge channel has such a width and/or height that only loose molded parts can get out there. Appropriately arranged vibration generators and/or pulse generators can be used to cause a directed movement among the injection molded parts mounted on the vibration floor, which guides them along the edge. Sprues with and without attached molded parts cannot enter the discharge channel and are z. B. derived through suitable panels at its entrance.

The invention further relates to a separating device for carrying out a separating process for molded parts, each of which has as components a sprue and a molded part connected to the sprue or several molded parts connected via the common sprue. The separating device is preferably suitable for carrying out a separating method according to the invention, for example one or more of the embodiments of the separating method according to the invention explained above. The separating device comprises a robot with a gripping device for picking up the molding, in particular for picking up the molding at its sprue, or for picking up at least one component of the molding, in particular for picking up only the sprue or for picking up only one molded part of the molding . In one embodiment, the separating device further comprises a separating device for releasing the molded parts from the sprue. In one embodiment, the separating device comprises a collecting container for receiving the isolated moldings, i.e. the moldings separated from the sprues of the molded parts, and/or a collecting container for receiving the sprues of the moldings separated from the moldings. In one embodiment, the separating device comprises a conveyor device for conveying the separated molded parts and/or the sprue. The separating device further comprises a control device for controlling the robot. In an embodiment in which the separating device comprises the separating device explained, the control device is preferably designed to control the separating device. The gripping device can be, for example, the gripper or robot gripper explained above or the gripping device explained above. For example, the gripping device can be designed as a mechanical gripper, as a vacuum gripper or as an electromagnetic gripper. The separating device can, for example, be designed as explained above for the method according to the invention, for example for carrying out a shearing separation process and/or for carrying out a stripping process. To carry out a stripping process, the separating device can be designed, for example, as a brush stripping device for stripping the molded parts from the sprue, in particular while it is held by the robot, or at least comprise such a brush stripping device.

The separating device according to the invention has an alignment device that is accessible to the gripping device of the robot and has a storage area. The alignment device is designed to accommodate the molded pieces or components of the molded pieces, so that the molded pieces or components can be arranged on the storage surface. The alignment device is preferably connected to a collecting and transfer device to be arranged below a tool of a plastic injection molding machine or is designed to be connected to such a device. The collecting and transfer device is preferably included in the separating device. Above the storage area there is at least one electric ronic camera arranged, which is connected to an image recognition system connected to the control device or included by the control device or comprises such an image recognition system. The alignment device is preferably connected to the collecting and transfer device in such a way that the collecting and transfer device is designed to collect the injection moldings or components issued from the tool of the injection molding machine and to forward these injection moldings or components to the alignment device, so that After receiving the injection moldings or components from the collecting and transfer device, the alignment device keeps the injection moldings or components ready for removal by the robot with an orientation resulting from the respective injection molding or component, wherein the alignment device preferably aligns the injection moldings or components , in particular as explained above for the method according to the invention, can be carried out, so that the alignment carried out by the alignment device results in a change in the position and / or position of the molded parts or components placed on the storage surface. The control device is designed to control the robot after recognizing an injection molding or component that can be grasped by the robot or that is positioned in the correct position by the image recognition system so that it uses its gripping device to detect this injection molding or component that is identified as being graspable by the robot or positioned in the correct position grips and feeds it to the separating device. The camera and image recognition system are preferably designed to detect all of the moldings or components arranged on the storage surface, with the control device controlling the robot to grip a specific one of these moldings or components as soon as the image recognition system detects this specific molding or component as being graspable by the robot identified or recognized as being in the correct position. For example, the correct position can be stored in advance in the image recognition system, for example by a stored camera image on which the sprue of the molded part or the respective component is aligned in a predefined manner, or the image recognition system and / or the control device can include an evaluation logic based on a Evaluation of camera images captured by the camera independently carries out such a division of the molded parts or components into correctly positioned and non-correctly positioned, for example taking into account a characteristic of the robot stored in the image recognition system and / or the control device, in particular its gripping device, and / or under Consideration of gripping results, ie successful or unsuccessful gripping, which are continuously recorded by the camera. Preferably, the control device is designed to control the separating device depending on the position of the gripping device of the robot, so that the separating device is active, in particular only when the robot with its gripping device is in a predefined position in which it inserts a molded part maintains the effective range of the separating device. In general, in advantageous embodiments, the control device can be designed to enable advantageous embodiments of a separation method according to the invention explained above by the separation device.

The alignment device preferably has a vibrating base. The vibrating floor can, for example, be designed to be rigid in itself. In one embodiment, the vibrating base has a discharge opening, the size and contour of which is dimensioned such that molded parts fall through and molded parts, in which at least one molded part is still connected to the sprue, and individual sprues are retained. As a result, the alignment device itself can be used to separate molded parts from molded parts and individual sprues. The focus here is on those molded parts that are arranged as separate molded parts on the vibrating floor, for example because they accidentally broke off from the rest of the respective molding from which they come. In one embodiment, the vibrating floor is elastic-flexible and stretched like an eardrum.

In one embodiment, the vibrating base has a peripheral border in which at least one opening is provided, the size and contour of which is dimensioned such that molded parts fall through and molded parts in which at least one molded part is still connected to the sprue and individual sprues are retained . As explained above, the focus is on those molded parts that have already broken off from the rest of the molded part, for example broken off accidentally due to mechanical stress. The vibrating floor is particularly preferably round and surrounded by a circular peripheral border. In one embodiment, the vibrating base has a peripheral border which opens at least at one point into a discharge channel, the size and contour of which is dimensioned such that the molded parts are passed through and molded parts in which at least one molded part is still connected to the sprue, and individual sprues are derived at the beginning of the discharge channel. In general, the discharge channel preferably runs along a peripheral border. In one embodiment, the vibrating floor is round. In one embodiment, the discharge channel runs tangentially to the peripheral edge of the vibrating floor.

In one embodiment, the robot is a gantry robot with at least two, in particular at least three, linear guides aligned in a Cartesian coordinate system. This can ensure both precise guidance and simple control of the robot as well as sufficient mobility of the robot's gripping device.

In one embodiment, the robot has two parallel linear guides which form a first axis, with a free space being formed between the linear guides, in which at least one collecting container is arranged for receiving the isolated molded parts and the separated sprues. In this way, an arrangement of different collecting containers can be provided in a particularly space-saving manner for, on the one hand, the separated or isolated molded parts and, on the other hand, the separated sprues.

In one embodiment, the separating device comprises a frame, with the robot, the alignment device and the camera being arranged in the frame. This has the particular advantage that the positionable frame can be arranged separately next to the injection molding machine and thus next to the desired injection molding machine as required. Particularly preferably, all components of the separating device that extend beyond the frame are fixed to the frame, in particular at least some of these components are releasably fixed to the frame. For example, the collecting and transfer device can be formed by a sloping chute which extends from below the injection molding tool to above the alignment device. The separating device can therefore be specifically arranged as a purchased part next to an injection molding machine and used for time-saving separating and thus sorting of the molded parts relative to the sprue. Generally preferred, the separating device, the aligning device, the robot and at least two different collecting containers are positioned relative to one another by the frame in such a way that the robot can remove a molded part from the aligning device with its gripping device and can guide the molded part to the separating device with its gripping device, whereby the Separating device is arranged above a first of the collecting containers and is designed to separate the molded parts from the sprue, while the gripping device of the robot holds a section of the molded part, in particular the sprue, and wherein the robot closes its gripping device after separating the molded parts from the sprue can lead to the second collecting container and the gripping device can then place the separated sprue into the second of the collecting containers. In one embodiment, the frame has wheels by means of which it can be moved. Particularly preferably, the entire separating device can be moved as a separate unit via the wheels of the frame. The wheels preferably have a blocking device, whereby they can be releasably blocked in order to avoid unwanted further movement of the frame. In one embodiment, the separating device has a first guide device which is designed to correspond to a second guide device which is intended for mounting on an injection molding machine or is designed on an injection molding machine. The invention also particularly relates to a set comprising a separating device which has a first guide device and a second guide device which is designed for assembly on an injection molding machine. The first and second guide devices are designed in such a way that they determine their relative position to one another through the interlocking of the first and second guide devices. Thus, a targeted alignment of the separating device on the injection molding machine explained can be made possible via the first guide device of the separating device, so that it can be ensured via the corresponding guide devices that the injection moldings, which are output from the injection molding tool of the injection molding machine, are passed over the collecting device in a predefined manner - and transfer device reach the alignment device of the separating device.

The invention further relates to a system comprising a separating device according to the invention and an injection molding machine. The injection molding machine has a tool for producing the moldings and for dispensing the produced moldings. The tool is therefore an injection molding tool. In an operating state of the system in which the separating device and the injection molding machine of the system are arranged in a predefined manner relative to one another, the collecting and transfer device of the separating device is arranged under the tool of the injection molding machine and is designed to guide the injection moldings emitted by the tool to the alignment device of the separating device, wherein in In some embodiments, as explained, at least some of the components of the molded parts can be separated from one another. The separating device is particularly preferably movable separately from the injection molding machine. The separating device and the injection molding machine are therefore preferably two independent units. The separating device can thus be arranged on the injection molding machine by moving to the injection molding machine, starting from an assembly state in which it is arranged independently of the injection molding machine, in such a way that the operating state is reached. In one In this embodiment, the separating device has a first guide device and the injection molding machine has a second guide device corresponding to the first guide device, wherein in the operating state the first and second guide devices rest against one another and thereby determine a position of the separating device relative to the injection molding machine. The first and second guide devices are therefore specifically designed to correspond to one another in such a way that they ensure a predefined alignment of the separating device to the injection molding machine in the operating state. The first and second guide devices can be designed to be suitable for this purpose. For example, at least one of the guide devices can be designed as a guide plate and the other guide device can rest against the guide plate in the operating state. Both guide devices are preferably each designed as a guide plate. Preferably, the guide devices interlock in the operating state in such a way that the position of the separating device relative to the injection molding machine is fixed in at least one spatial dimension. For this purpose, for example, one of the management devices can encompass the other. Furthermore, the position of the separating device and the injection molding machine relative to one another can then be determined, for example, by both being set up on a room floor and in the operating state resting against one another in a different spatial dimension and the separating device being blocked in its movement, for example by blocking the separating device included wheels. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the guide devices engage with one another in the operating state in such a way that they determine the position of the separating device relative to the injection molding machine in at least two spatial dimensions, in particular in three spatial dimensions. In embodiments, the system according to the invention and the separating device according to the invention can have features that result from the present explanations of embodiments of the method according to the invention. Accordingly, the method according to the invention can have features in embodiments that result from the present explanations of embodiments of the separating device according to the invention and the system according to the invention.

• 1 eine Vereinzelungseinrichtung mit Spritzgießmaschine in einer perspektivischen Ansicht;
• 2 die Vereinzelungseinrichtung mit Spritzgießmaschine in seitlicher Ansicht;
• 3 die Vereinzelungseinrichtung von vorn;
• 4 die Vereinzelungseinrichtung mit von oben;
• 5 Teile der Vereinzelungseinrichtung in seitlicher Ansicht.

The isolation method according to the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiment of an embodiment of an isolation device according to the invention suitable for carrying out the method shown in the drawings. The figures show in detail:

• 1 a separating device with an injection molding machine in a perspective view;
• 2 the separation device with injection molding machine in a side view;
• 3 the separation device from the front;
• 4 the separating device from above;
• 5 Parts of the separating device in a side view.

1 shows a separating device 100 in a perspective view, which is combined in a frame 70 provided with rollers 71, so that the separating device 100 can be positioned directly next to an injection molding machine 1. If maintenance is necessary or when troubleshooting problems on the injection molding machine 1, the complete separating device 100 can be easily pushed to the side and then moved back into its position. In the exemplary embodiment shown, no mechanical connection is provided between the separating device 100 and the injection molding machine 1, but the guide devices explained above can be provided. The position of the separating device 100 next to the injection molding machine 1 can in this case be achieved solely by blocking the rollers 71 on the frame 70.

A collecting and transfer device 50 is designed in the form of a sloping chute that extends from an area below the injection mold of the injection molding machine 1 to above an alignment device 20 arranged in the frame 70. A link between the controls of the injection molding machine 1 and the separation device 100 can be provided in order, for example, to interrupt or slow down further production of injection molded parts in the event of a malfunction in order to prevent the buffers in the separation device 100 from filling up. Linking the data connections of the devices can also be advantageous in order, for example, to transfer information from the control of the injection molding machine with regard to injection molding cycles that have not been completed in accordance with the quality criteria to the control of the separation device 100, so that, for example, such parts can be selected before they reach the alignment device 20.

During normal operation, however, it is not absolutely necessary to link the controls of the injection molding machine 1 and the separating device 100, since the latter can work autonomously and independently of the cycle of the injection molding machine 1.

When the tool is opened in the injection molding machine 1, the molded parts fall onto the upper area of the collecting and transfer device 50 and slide from there onto a vibrating floor 21, which forms the core of the alignment device 20. Above the vibrating floor 21, an electronic camera 31 is arranged, via which the molded parts lying on the vibrating floor 21 are recognized and classified according to whether they assume a correct or incorrect position. The embodiment described here can also advantageously be used for observing, classifying and gripping components that are already separated from one another on the storage surface, as explained. In the present exemplary embodiment it is provided that only those injection moldings or components that are recognized as positioned in the correct position are identified as being able to be grasped by the robot. When in the correct position, a central sprue nozzle points upwards so that it can be easily gripped by the robot 10. Alternatively, a distinctive part of the molded parts connected to the sprue that can be easily grasped by the robot can be used for identification and gripping. In the case of injection moldings or components that are not positioned in the correct position on the vibrating floor 21, it is necessary to forcibly turn them so that, for example, B. a central sprue rod or another part of the molding can be easily gripped by the gripping device on the robot hand.

The robot 10 integrated into the frame 70 is constructed as a gantry robot in the example of the invention shown and comprises two parallel linear guides which are arranged on the outer sides of the frame 70 and leave a gap between them so that the gripping device of the robot 10 can pick up parts from the vibrating floor 21 without hindrance and uninterrupted observation by the electronic camera 31 is possible.

Two collecting containers 41, 42 are arranged further below in the frame 70. The collecting container 41 is intended to hold the separated sprues or other rejects. The other collecting container 42 is arranged below a brush stripping device 60, through which the molded parts are released from the sprue held by the robot and fall into the collecting container 42 located underneath.

2 shows the arrangement with the separating device 100 and the injection molding machine 1 next to it in a side view. It is clearly visible how the collecting and transfer device 50 extends from the injection molding machine 1 with the steeply aligned chute to above the alignment device 20. The brush stripping device is also clearly visible in the middle area of the frame 70. This includes a motor via which a brush head 61, which comprises a plurality of radially aligned brush strip elements, can be rotated or set into oscillating vibrations.

3 is a view of the separating device 100 from the front, with the injection molding machine hidden in the background in this view. All linear guides 12, 13, 14 and the gripping device 11 are visible from the portal robot. The two parallel linear guides 12 form, for example, the X axes in a Cartesian coordinate system. The linear guide 13 running transversely between them forms the Y axis. Another linear guide 14 is attached to it, which forms the Z axis of the coordinate system. At the end of the linear guide 14 there is the gripping device 11, via which z. B. the central sprue rod of the molding 2 can be gripped and held. When depicted in 3 the gripping device 11 with the molded part 2 is located above the brush rotor 61 of the brush stripping device 60, which also includes the drive motor 62. It can be seen that the molded part is held at its sprue by the gripping device 11 of the robot, which runs upwards like a pin, and that the molded parts are arranged at the bottom of the sprue, the molded parts in the present case, as in the case of a professional interpretation of 3 can be seen, are arranged in a star shape at the lower end of the sprue.

4 is a view of the separating device 100 next to the injection molding machine 1 from above. From a functional point of view, the vibrating base 21 is the central feature of a preferred embodiment of the separating device 100. According to the cycle of the injection molding machine, it is repeatedly equipped with injection moldings via the collecting and transfer device 50, which are then distributed on the vibrating base 21 in a random orientation. The amount of moldings located on the vibrating floor 21 is observed from above via the camera 31, so that the position and orientation of the moldings on the vibrating floor 21 can be recorded via an evaluation in a downstream image recognition device.

A single molded part, which is positioned in the correct position, is removed from the vibrating base 21 by means of the gantry robot 10 and moved to above the brush rotor 61 of the brush stripping device. By lowering the molded part into the effective area of the brush rotor 61, the molded parts are broken off from the sprue and fall into the collecting container 42 underneath.

This process is illustrated using the enlarged detail view in 5 explained again. The gripping device 11, which is attached to the lower end of the linear guide grooves 14, is intended and designed to access the central sprue rod on the sprue 3, for example via two jaws that can be moved relative to one another. The gripping device 11 suitable for this can be designed to be very flat.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the molded part 2 produced by the injection molding machine includes the sprue 3 designed as a star sprue with the central sprue rod and several radially outwardly extending spokes, via which one of the molded parts 4 is connected. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the molded part 2 comprises four molded parts 4.

Due to the several fan-shaped brushes on the brush rotor 61, which extend radially outwards from a central axis of rotation, all molded parts 4 attached to the sprue 3 can be touched at the same time and moved relative to the sprue 3 in order to tear or strip the molded parts 4 from the sprue 3 .

Reference symbol list

1

Plastic injection molding machine

2

squirt

3

sprue

4

molded part

100

Separation device

10

robot

11

Gripping device

20

Alignment device

21

Vibrating floor

30

Image recognition system

31

electronic camera

41

container

42

container

50

slide

60

Brush stripper device

61

brush rotor

70

frame

71

roll

Claims (22)

Separation process for molded parts (2), each of which has as components a sprue (3) and a molded part (4) or several molded parts (4) connected to the sprue (3), at least some of the molded parts or already separated components of at least some of the molded parts, in particular either the sprue (3) or all molded parts (4) of each of these molded parts, are gripped; characterized in that a) the molded parts (2) are ejected from the tool of a plastic injection molding machine (1) and transferred to an alignment device (20) which has at least one storage surface; b) that one or more of the molded parts (2) stored on the storage surface or at least some of their components are observed by means of an electronic camera (31) which is connected to an image recognition system (30) or into which such a system is integrated; c) that at least one of the molded parts (2) or components stored on the storage surface and observed by the electronic camera, which was identified as being tangible by the robot (10) using the image recognition system (30), is removed from the storage surface by means of the robot (10). (21) is removed; d) repeating steps a) to c) to continue continuous production of molded parts (4) or repeating steps b) to c) to empty the storage area of the alignment device, the molded parts (4) and the sprues (3) of the molded parts are stored separately from each other in at least one collecting container (41, 42) and/or the molded parts (4) and/or the sprues (3) are transferred to a conveyor device separately from one another. Separation procedure Claim 1 , characterized in that in step c) only those molded parts (2) which were recognized as being positioned in the correct position on the storage surface by means of the image recognition system (30) are removed from the storage surface by means of the robot, after which their molded parts (4) are removed from their sprues separated, in particular stripped, whereby in particular in the case of one or more injection moldings (2) recognized as not positioned in the correct position via the image recognition system (30), the storage surface of the alignment device is moved at least once in order to turn the injection moldings (2) and/or that in step c ) only those components that were recognized by the image recognition system (30) as being positioned in the correct position on the storage surface are removed from the storage surface by means of the robot, in particular in the case of one or more components that are recognized as not positioned in the correct position by the image recognition system (30), the storage surface the alignment device is moved at least once for the purpose of turning the components. Separation method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in step c) by means of the image recognition system (30) the injection molding (2) identified as being grippable by the robot (10) is removed from the depositing surface (21) by means of the robot (10) and all molded parts (4) of this injection molding are separated, in particular stripped, from the sprue (3). Separation method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - in step a) the molded part (2) is transferred to an alignment device (20) which has a vibrating base (21) and - in step c) at one or more over the Image recognition system (30) as not being able to be grasped by the robot, in particular as not being positioned in the correct position, the vibrating base (21) is set in vibration, with the frequency and/or amplitude of the vibration being selected or modulated in such a way that at least one of the injection moldings (2) or their components stored on the vibrating floor (21) is turned, in particular several of the injection moldings (2) or their components stored on the vibration floor (21) are turned. Separation procedure Claim 4 , characterized in that a flexible-elastic vibration base (21) is used and that pulses are exerted against the underside of the vibration base (21) via at least one pulse generator. Separation procedure Claim 5 , characterized in that targeted impulses for turning the molded part (2) or component against the underside of the vibrating base (21) are exerted at positions at which in step b) at least one non-graspable, in particular not correctly positioned, molded part (2 ) or component was recognized. Separation procedure Claim 5 or 6 , characterized in that to turn the molded part (2) or component, at least one targeted impulse is exerted from the underside of the vibrating base (21) against a molded part (4) attached to the molded part (2) or component. Separation process according to one of the Claims 5 until 7 , characterized in that impulses for turning the molded part (2) or component against the underside of the vibrating base (21) are exerted at several randomly selected positions. Separation process according to one of the Claims 4 until 8th , characterized in that before carrying out steps a) to d), a training process is carried out with at least the following steps: i) that a quantity of molded parts (2) and / or all of their components on the vibrating base (21) of the alignment device (20 ) are stored and ii) that the molded parts (2) stored on the storage surface and/or their components are recognized by means of the electronic camera (31) which is connected to the image recognition system (30) and as parts positioned in the correct position or not in the correct position are classified and iii) that the amplitude and/or frequency of the oscillating vibration floor (21) are modulated or that the location, stroke and/or extension speed of a plunger of a pulse generator are varied, with the molded parts (2) and/or components lying on the storage surface by means of the electronic camera (31), which is connected to the image recognition system (30), are continuously observed and changes in the orientation of the molded parts (2) are recorded and stored in a buffer and iv) that in an evaluation step those parameters from the buffer for the vibration of the vibrating floor and/or the pulse generator are read out, during which the majority of molded parts (2) and/or components were turned in relation to the observed period of time, and that the parameters for carrying out steps a) to c) are sent to a control device of the separating device (100) to be handed over. Separating device (100) for carrying out a separating process for molded parts (2), each of which has a sprue (3) and one or more molded parts (4) connected to the sprue (3), the separating device comprising: - a robot (10 ) with a gripping device (11) for receiving a molding and/or one of the components of the moldings (2), in particular for receiving the sprue (3) of the molding; - a collecting container (41, 42) for receiving the isolated molded parts (4) and/or a conveyor device for conveying the isolated molded parts (4) and/or the sprue (3), - a control device for controlling the robot (10); characterized in that - an alignment device (20) accessible to the gripping device (11) of the robot (10) is provided for receiving the molded parts (2), which has at least one storage surface, in particular the alignment device (20) with a below a tool a collecting and transfer device (50) to be arranged in a plastic injection molding machine (1); - that at least one electronic camera (31) is arranged above the storage surface, which either itself comprises an image recognition system or is connected to an image recognition system (30) which is connected to the control device or is comprised by the control device; - that the control device is designed to, depending on a position and/or position of a respective injection molding (2) or component detected by the image recognition system, the robot for gripping the respective injection molding (2), in particular for gripping this injection molding (2) by its To control the sprue (3) or component. Separation device according to Claim 10 , characterized in that the separating device has a separating device for releasing the at least one molded part (4) of the molded part (2) gripped by the robot from the sprue (3) of this molded part (2), the control device being designed to control the robot to feed the molded part (2) gripped by it to the separating device and in particular to control the separating device. Separation device according to one of the Claims 10 or 11 , characterized in that the control device is designed to control the robot to grip the respective molded part (2) or component and to feed it to the separating device by means of the robot only when the molded part (2) or component is positioned on the storage surface by means of the image recognition system stored in the correct position and identified. Separating device (100) according to one of the Claims 10 until 12 , characterized in that the alignment device (20) has a vibrating base (21). Separation device (100). Claim 13 , characterized in that the vibrating base (21) is inherently rigid and has at least one discharge opening, the size and contour of which is dimensioned such that molded parts (4) fall through and molded parts (2) and individual sprues (3) are retained. Separation device (100). Claim 13 or 14 , characterized in that the vibrating base (21) is elastic-flexible and stretched in the manner of an eardrum. Separating device (100) according to one of the Claims 13 until 15 , characterized in that the vibrating base (21) has a peripheral border in which at least one opening is provided, the size and contour of which is dimensioned such that molded parts (4) fall through and molded parts (2) and individual sprues (3) are retained , in particular the vibrating base (21) being round. Separating device (100) according to one of the Claims 13 until 16 , characterized in that the vibrating base (21) has a peripheral border which opens at least at one point into a discharge channel, the size and contour of which is dimensioned such that molded parts (4) are passed through and molded parts (2) and individual sprues ( 3) be diverted at the beginning of the discharge channel. Separating device (100) according to one of the Claims 11 until 17 , characterized in that the separating device comprises a brush stripping device (60) for stripping the molded parts (2) from the sprue (3) held by the robot (10) or a holding device of the separating device. Separating device (100) according to one of the Claims 10 until 18 , characterized in that the robot (10) is a gantry robot with at least two, in particular at least three linear guides (12, 13, 14) aligned in a Cartesian coordinate system. Separating device (100) according to one of the Claims 10 until 19 , characterized in that the robot (10) has two parallel linear guides (12) which form a first axis, a free space being formed between the linear guides (12), in which there is at least one collecting container (41, 42) for receiving the isolated molded parts (4) and the separated sprues (3) are arranged. Separating device (100) according to one of the Claims 9 until 18 , characterized in that at least the robot (10), the alignment device (20) and the camera (31) are arranged in a frame (70) that can be positioned next to the injection molding machine (1), in particular the collecting and transfer device (50). a sloping slide is formed, which extends from below the injection mold to above the alignment device (20), in particular the frame (70) having wheels on which it can be moved. System comprising a separating device (100) according to one of Claims 10 until 21 and an injection molding machine (1), the injection molding machine (1) having a tool for producing the injection moldings (2) and dispensing the produced injection moldings (2), wherein in an operating state the collecting and transfer device (50) of the separating device (100). dem Tool of the injection molding machine (1) is arranged and is designed to guide the injection moldings (2) issued by the tool to the alignment device (20) of the separating device (100), in particular the separating device (100) being movable separately from the injection molding machine (1). , wherein in particular the separating device (100) has a first guide device and the injection molding machine (1) has a second guide device corresponding to the first guide device, wherein in the operating state the first and the second guide devices rest against each other and thereby a position of the separating device (100) relative to the injection molding machine (1) determine.

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