JP7216434B2 - Molded product take-out device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a molded product take-out device.

An injection molding machine (hereinafter abbreviated as a molding machine) continuously produces products (molded articles) by repeating a molding cycle in which a heated and melted material is injected into a mold, cooled, and solidified. This makes it possible to mass-produce products with complex shapes in a short period of time. Peripheral equipment of the molding machine includes a molded product take-out device, a mold temperature controller, a material dryer, a material transfer device, and the like. In order to further improve quality, it is important to control the layers of molded products.

Conventionally, in order to reduce the operator's input work, the management information of the molding machine, material drying mechanism, material supply mechanism, mold temperature control mechanism, molded product take-out machine and stock device was transferred to the upper management computer. A molding station management system has been proposed (Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-088188).

In addition, for the purpose of simplifying the control system, the transfer means transfers take-out data input from a setting device provided in the control unit of the molding machine to the control unit of the take-out machine and stores it in the working memory. 2003-053805 (Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-053805). Gazette).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-088188 JP-A-2003-053805

Patent document 1 has a configuration in which a management computer of a molding machine manages peripheral devices. Further, in Patent Document 2, the molding machine is configured to control a molded article take-out machine as a peripheral device. In other words, the prior arts of Patent Documents 1 and 2 use a master-slave system, which imposes a large load on the molding machine. In addition, since the communication protocol is generally different between the molding machine and the peripheral equipment, it is difficult to centrally manage the control system. It takes a lot of time and cost to build a network to centrally manage the control system. As a result, network construction becomes inadequate, and there is a problem that it is difficult to manage the molded product by layer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a molded product take-out apparatus having a configuration in which a controller centrally manages the control system of each peripheral device, thereby enabling stratified management of molded products without imposing a load on the molding machine. intended to provide

As one embodiment, the above problem is solved by means of solution as disclosed below.

A molded product extraction apparatus according to the present invention includes a controller that receives a signal from a molding machine, a molded product extraction robot that receives a command from the controller and extracts and releases a molded product from a mold of the molding machine, A mold temperature controller for adjusting the temperature of the mold, a material dryer for drying the resin material to be supplied to the molding machine, and a material carrier for supplying the dried resin material to the molding machine. The molded product take-out robot, the mold temperature controller, the material dryer, the material transporter, and the controller are network-connected, and the controller sends detection data to the mold temperature controller. request signal, receives the detection data from the mold temperature controller, and transmits the command to the molded article take-out robot, and based on the detection data from the mold temperature controller Then, the operation of the molded article take-out robot is changed so that the release location of the molded article differs depending on whether the detected data is determined to be within the allowable range or not. The controller is configured to perform different control, and the controller is configured to control the start operation of the material conveyer and the molded article extraction robot based on signals from the material dryer and the mold temperature controller. Also, the molded product take-out robot is automatically operated by the command from the controller and centrally managed by the controller, and the controller receives a mold opening limit signal from the molding machine. and transmits the request signal of the detection data to the mold temperature controller, and if the number of non-defective products molded out of the molded products does not reach a set value, the material dryer repeats the molding cycle , the mold temperature controller, the material carrier, and the molded product take-out robot are controlled, and the controller, when the number of non-defective molded products among the molded products reaches the set value, , the material dryer, the mold temperature controller, the material transporter, and the molding take-out robot are controlled to stop, and the detection data from the mold temperature controller received by the controller is data obtained from the medium passing through the inside of the mold, and the open locations are classified according to the detection data so as to perform stratified management according to the quality required for the molded product. , the controller that has received the detection data is classified into the molded product take-out robot; It is characterized in that control is performed to release the molded article corresponding to the detection data to the location corresponding to the detection data among the locations .

According to this configuration, the operation of each peripheral device connected to the network can be monitored by the controller, data can be accumulated, and the quality of the molded product can be improved. Then, the operation information of the molding machine can be monitored by the controller, and each peripheral device can be interlocked with the operation timing of the molding machine.

The detection data from the mold temperature controller received by the controller is data obtained from a medium passing through the inside of the mold, and the release location is controlled according to the quality required for the molded product. and the controller that receives the detection data instructs the molded product take-out robot to place the molded product at a location corresponding to the detection data from among the classified locations. It is configured to perform control to release the molded product corresponding to the detection data. According to this configuration, each peripheral device is managed by the controller while the molding machine and each peripheral device are connected to the network, and the molded product take-out robot performs a plurality of operations according to commands from the controller to obtain the molded product. Decide when to open. Therefore, it is possible to perform stratified management of the molded product according to the quality required for the molded product. In the stratified management of molded products, for example, good products and defective products may be stratified and managed, and for example, molded products may be managed by ranking (classifying) them. In this way, the molded product can be placed in different locations depending on the quality required of the molded product.

The molding machine has, for example, a mold name, injection conditions, mold opening conditions, mold closing conditions, molding temperature conditions, and other known molding conditions. The signal from the molding machine is, for example, a mold opening signal, particularly a mold opening limit signal. The data detected by the mold temperature controller are, for example, the temperature of the mold, the temperature of the medium passing through the inside of the mold, and the flow rate of the medium passing through the inside of the mold.

As an example, the molding machine and the controller are connected by wire, and the molded product extraction robot, the mold temperature controller and the controller are network-connected by wire. Examples of network connection include wired LAN, wireless LAN, USB connection, and other known signal connection methods, and communication protocols are generally standardized for peripheral devices. As a configuration other than the above, there is a case where the molding machine and the controller are wirelessly connected, and a case where the molded article extraction robot, the mold temperature controller and the controller are wirelessly network-connected.

The criteria for determining that the detected data is out of the allowable range and the criteria for determining that the detected data are within the allowable range may be preset by an administrator by inputting data into the controller. In some cases, data is stored in a database and a control limit value calculated by a calculation means based on a statistical method is used as a judgment criterion. For example, the opening place where the molded product extraction robot releases the molded product corresponding to the detection data is classified according to the temperature division, and if the temperature of the mold is an abnormal value, it becomes the defective product discharge place. In this way, it is possible to perform stratified management of the molded product according to the quality required for the molded product.

The controller transmits a request signal for the detected data to the mold temperature controller, receives the detected data from the mold temperature controller, and transmits the command to the molded article take-out robot. is preferably According to this configuration, the detection data can be judged each time the molding cycle is completed, so that the molded products can be appropriately classified into classes.

a material dryer that dries a resin material to be supplied to the molding machine; and a material carrier that supplies the dried resin material to the molding machine, wherein the material dryer, the material carrier, and the controller are further provided. is connected to a network, and the controller is configured to control the start operation of the material conveying machine and the molded product extraction robot based on signals from the material dryer and the mold temperature controller. is preferred. According to this configuration, when the resin material dries and the mold temperature reaches the set temperature of the mold temperature controller, the robot for taking out the molded product starts to operate. can. In addition, since the material dryer, the material transporter, and the controller are network-connected, even if the material dryer and the material transporter are not directly connected by signal, the material dryer and the material transporter can be can be linked. That is, the material dryer and the material transporter can be synchronized to start operation.

For example, the controller sets temperature conditions for the mold temperature controller, sets operating conditions for the molded article take-out robot, and sets drying conditions for the material dryer. As an example, the molded article take-out robot is put into an automatic operation state by a command from a controller, and is centrally managed by the controller. As an example, the operator can collectively set conditions for each peripheral device simply by selecting a mold name from the setting screen of the controller. According to this configuration, human error can be prevented. In addition, by synchronizing or interlocking each peripheral device corresponding to the mold name, it is possible to rationally control the operation of each peripheral device.

According to the present invention, each peripheral device is managed by the controller while the molding machine and each peripheral device are connected to the network, and the molded product take-out robot performs a plurality of operations in accordance with commands from the controller to obtain the molded product. Decide when to open. Therefore, it is possible to perform stratified management of the molded product according to the quality required for the molded product.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing the configuration of a molded product extraction system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation procedure of the controller according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the external appearance of the molded product take-out device of this embodiment.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the molded product extraction apparatus 1 includes a controller 2 that transmits a command based on detection data from a mold temperature controller 7, and a controller 2 that receives the command and removes a resin molded product from the mold. A molded product take-out robot 3 is provided for taking out the molded product from 81 and releasing it at a predetermined location.

The controller 2 is, for example, a terminal that can be held by an operator, and is provided with a display 24 and input means 23 such as buttons and a jog dial. The controller 2 has a computer function, contains a CPU 21 and a database 22 as a secondary storage device, and has a control program 4 installed therein. The database 22 can also be stored in an external storage device (tertiary storage device) such as flash memory.

The firmware of the control program 4 is, for example, written in a language such as C language or assembler, operates on an OS such as Microsoft's Windows (registered trademark), and can be updated from a web browser or command line. Commercially available firmware or known firmware can be applied as a configuration other than the above.

For example, the molded product pick-up robot 3 is provided with an arm portion 31 capable of 7-axis motion by a digital servomotor, and has a configuration in which a robot hand on the tip side of the arm portion 31 grips a molded product.

In the example of FIG. 1, the controller 25 built in the controller 2 and the controller 85 built in the molding machine 8 are signal-connected. A control unit 25 built in the controller 2 and a control unit 35 built in the molded article take-out robot 3 are signal-connected. Further, the control unit 25 and the control unit 55 built in the material dryer 5 are signal-connected, the control unit 25 and the control unit 65 built-in the material transporter 6 are signal-connected, and The controller 25 and a controller 75 built in the mold temperature controller 7 are signal-connected. That is, the molded product take-out robot 3, the material dryer 5, the material carrier 6, the mold temperature controller 7, and the controller 2 are network-connected.

As an example, the material dryer 5 is configured to dry a granular or pelletized resin material by circulating air through a heat exchanger. The material carrier 6 is configured to supply the resin material dried by the material dryer 5 to the molding machine 8 . The mold temperature controller 7 is configured to heat or cool the mold 81 by using the liquid in the pipe connected to the mold 81 side of the molding machine 8 as a heat medium.

In addition to the above basic configuration, it is possible to network a stock machine that stocks molded products, a packaging machine that packs molded products, and a granulator that cuts sprues and runners into granules or pellets. be.

According to this configuration, it is possible to transfer the necessary operating condition data from the controller 2 to each peripheral device and control each peripheral device related to molding in real time. Signal connection methods include, for example, wired LAN, wireless LAN, USB connection, and other known network connections.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation procedure of the controller 2. As shown in FIG. Continuing on, the operation procedure of the controller 2 will be described below.

In the condition setting step S1 for the peripheral equipment, when the operator selects the mold name displayed on the display 24 of the controller 2, the controller 2 controls the molded product pick-up robot 3, the material dryer 5, the material carrier 6 and the mold. The conditions of peripheral devices including the temperature controller 7 are collectively set. As a result, it is possible to prevent erroneous selection of the die data of the die 81 and erroneous setting of conditions such as the die temperature, and shorten the time required to set the conditions for each peripheral device. After the condition setting step S1 for the peripheral equipment, the determination step S2 for starting the automatic operation is performed.

In the automatic operation start determination step S2, for example, the controller 2 determines that the resin material has reached the drying time based on the signal from the dew point sensor attached to the material dryer 5, and the mold temperature controller 7 When the controller 2 determines that the mold temperature has reached the set temperature based on the signal from the temperature detection means such as the temperature sensor attached to the controller 2, the automatic operation start step S3 is started. Then, in the automatic operation start step S3, the controller 2 transmits an automatic operation start command to the molded product take-out robot 3. FIG. Upon receiving the automatic operation start command from the controller 2, the molded product take-out robot 3 enters the automatic operation mode and starts automatic operation. This enables timely and efficient operation. In the automatic operation start step S3, in addition to the above configuration, the controller 2 may control the automatic operation of each peripheral device.

Then, the molding machine 8 supplied with the dried resin material from the material carrier 6 performs a molding operation to produce a molded product. At the time of completion of the molding operation or immediately before the completion of the molding operation, the molding machine 8 transmits a mold opening limit signal to the controller 2, and the controller 2 receives the mold opening limit signal from the molding machine 8 in a mold opening signal reception step S4. becomes.

When the controller 2 receives the mold opening limit signal from the molding machine 8, it goes to step S5 for transmitting the detection data request signal. In the detection data request signal transmission step S<b>5 , the controller 2 transmits a detection data request signal to the mold temperature controller 7 . When the detection data request signal is transmitted, the mold temperature controller 7 enters a detection data request signal reception step S6 for receiving the detection data request signal. When the mold temperature controller 7 receives the detection data request signal, the detection data transmission step S<b>7 is performed to transmit the detection data to the controller 2 .

During the molding operation in the molding machine 8, as an example, temperature detection means such as a temperature sensor attached to the mold temperature controller 7 detects the temperature of the medium in the pipe connected to the mold 81 side of the molding machine 8. and become detected data. When the detection data is transmitted to the controller 2 in the detection data transmission step S7, the controller 2 proceeds to a detection data reception step S8 for receiving the detection data. Then, when the detection data is received by the controller 2 in the detection data reception step S8, the controller 2 proceeds to a detection data judgment step S9 for judging whether or not the received detection data is within the allowable range.

When the controller 2 determines that the received detection data is within the allowable range in the detection data determination step S9, the molded product take-out robot 3 performs an operation to open the molded product to the normal or standard opening position. . On the other hand, if the controller 2 determines in the detection data reception step S8 that the received detection data is out of the allowable range, the controller 2 sends a command to the molded product pick-up robot 3 in a command transmission step S10. becomes.

In the command transmission step S10, the molded product take-out robot 3, which has received the command from the controller 2, places the molded product in an open place (abnormal or non-standard time open place) different from the normal or standard open place. Perform the opening operation to open. For example, the open place is classified according to the temperature division, and as an example, if the temperature of the mold 81 is an abnormal value, it becomes the defective product discharge place. According to this configuration, it is possible to manage the molded products according to the quality required for the molded products.

After the detection data determination step S9 if the received detection data is within the allowable range, or after the instruction transmission step S10 if the received detection data is outside the allowable range, the controller 2 performs a forming stop determination step S11. becomes.

If the number of non-defective products to be molded has not reached the set value or there is no signal to stop molding from the molding machine 8 in the molding stop determination step S11, the molding machine 8 repeats the molding cycle a predetermined number of times to continuously produce molded products. to produce If the number of non-defective products to be molded reaches the set value or if a molding stop signal is received from the molding machine 8 in the molding stop determination step S11, the peripheral equipment stop step S12 is performed.

In the peripheral device stop step S<b>12 , the controller 2 transmits a peripheral device stop command to the molded product take-out robot 3 , material dryer 5 , material transfer device 6 and mold temperature controller 7 . Upon receiving the command to stop the peripheral devices, the molded product pick-up robot 3, material dryer 5, material transfer device 6, and mold temperature controller 7 perform a purge operation or an end operation and enter a standby state or a stopped state.

According to this embodiment, the controller 2 connects the peripheral devices to the network and centrally manages the control system. , a molded product take-out robot 3 performs an operation of releasing the molded product to a normal or standard open place, and an opening operation of releasing the molded product to a different open place from the normal or standard open place. In other words, according to the command from the controller 2, the molded product take-out robot 3 performs a plurality of operations to timely determine the release location of the molded product. Therefore, rational stratified management of the molded product can be performed.

Further, according to this embodiment, the operation of each peripheral device connected to the network can be monitored by the controller 2, data can be accumulated, and the quality of the molded product can be improved. The operation information of the molding machine 8 can be monitored by the controller 2 and each peripheral device can be interlocked with the operation timing of the molding machine 8 . For example, the error information and production status of the molded article take-out robot 3 can be sent to a mobile information terminal such as a smart phone so that the operator can be notified of the information in a timely manner. Furthermore, by equipping the controller 2 with an AI (artificial intelligence) function consisting of a computer program, it is possible to optimize the operating condition information of each peripheral device while updating the database 22 in a timely manner.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The specifications of the above-described molded article take-out device 1 may be appropriately changed in accordance with the specifications and the like.

Reference Signs List 1 molded product take-out device 2 controller 3 molded product take-out robot 4 control program 5 material dryer 6 material carrier 7 mold temperature controller 8 molding machines 25, 35, 55, 65, 75 controller 81 mold

Claims (1)

A controller that receives a signal from a molding machine, a molded product take-out robot that receives a command from the controller and takes out and releases a molded product from a mold in the molding machine, and a mold that adjusts the temperature of the mold. a temperature controller, a material dryer for drying a resin material to be supplied to the molding machine, and a material transfer machine for supplying the dried resin material to the molding machine; The mold temperature controller, the material dryer, the material carrier, and the controller are network-connected, and the controller transmits a detection data request signal to the mold temperature controller, The detection data is received from the temperature controller and the command is sent to the molded product take-out robot, and based on the detection data from the mold temperature controller, the detection data is within an allowable range. The control is performed so that the operation of the molded article take-out robot is changed so that the release location of the molded article differs depending on whether it is determined that the detected data is out of the allowable range, and The controller is configured to control starting operations of the material carrier and the molded product take-out robot based on signals from the material dryer and the mold temperature controller, and the molded product take-out robot is configured to: It is configured to be in an automatic operation state by the command from the controller and to be centrally managed by the controller, wherein the controller receives a mold opening limit signal from the molding machine and sends it to the mold temperature controller When the request signal for the detection data is transmitted, and the number of non-defective molded products among the molded products does not reach a set value, the material dryer, the mold temperature controller, and the material are configured to repeat the molding cycle. The controller controls the conveying machine and the molded article take-out robot, and the controller controls the material dryer, the mold temperature A configuration for performing control to stop the controller, the material transporter, and the molded product take-out robot ,
The detection data from the mold temperature controller received by the controller is data obtained from a medium passing through the inside of the mold, and the release location is controlled according to the quality required for the molded product. and the controller that receives the detection data instructs the molded product take-out robot to place the molded product at a location corresponding to the detection data from among the classified locations. A molded product take-out device characterized in that it is configured to perform control to release a molded product corresponding to the detection data .

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