Molding-condition recovery device in injection molding machine

• US 6,381,512 B1
• Filed: 05/27/1999
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Inventors: Kubota, Kazuo, Saitou, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): CABRERA, ZOILA E
• Application Number:
  US09/321,355
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 700/200, 700/197, 700/201, 700/204, 700/82, 700/21, 700/87, 702/187
• US Class Current: 700/200
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76163 Errors, malfunctioning
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76551 Time
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76939 Using stored or historical data sets
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/76 Measuring, controlling or regulating measuring in general G01; controlling or regulating in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/766 the setting or resetting of moulding conditions, e.g. before starting a cycle

Abstract

There is provided a molding-condition recovery device which may easily recover the molding condition having been applied in the past, and also permits the storage of the past molding conditions in a memory having small capacity. A reduction in required memory capacity of the modification history storage file is permitted by storing only data of a component subjected to setting modification, among the components of the molding condition, in a modification history storage file. The recovery of the past molding condition is made by replacing all the set values of the presently-applied molding condition or the data in a temporary file stored with all the set values of the first molding condition with data in the modification history storage file in sequence.

Claims

1. A molding-condition recovery device in an injection molding machine, comprising:

a modification history creation unit writing, every setting modification of a molding condition, a modified component of a molding condition and its set value precedent to modification in a modification history storage file for storage in association with the sequence of modifications;

a set-up unit setting up a point of time of recovery of the molding condition; and

a recovering unit recovering the molding condition, upon completion of the setup for the point of time of recovery of the molding condition, by replacing the set value for the component read out from the latest modification history in the modification history storage file by backtrack to the past in sequence, among the components of the molding condition as of the setting up, with said readout set value precedent to modification.

2. A molding-condition recovery device in an injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein said set-up unit setting up the point-of-time-of recovery of the molding condition specifies a point of time of recovery of the molding condition in a manner going back to the past by one modification history for every one manipulation of the means.

3. A molding-condition recovery device in an injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein the recovered molding condition is displayed on a display screen.

4. A molding-condition recovery device in an injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein the recovered molding condition is allowed to be set as an object molding condition.

5. A molding-condition recovery device in an injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of injection molding machines are connected to a host computer to manage the modification history of each injection molding machine by batch processing on the side of the host computer.

6. A molding-condition recovery device in an injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein said set-up unit setting up the point of time of recovery of the molding condition permits the setup of a target point of time for recovery from said modification history storage file by displaying a synopsis of said modification history storage file on the display screen.

7. A molding-condition recovery device in an injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein said modification history creation unit stores, every setting modification of the molding condition, the time of setting modification of the molding condition in said modification history storage file in association with modification history and said set-up unit setting up the point of time of recovery of the molding condition permits the setup of a target molding condition for recovery from the modification history storage file by designating a time of setting modification or a range of time of setting modification.

8. A molding-condition recovery device in an injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein said modification history creation unit stores, every setting modification of the molding condition, a shot number as of the setting modification of the molding condition in said modification history storage file in association with the modification history and said set-up unit setting up the point of time of recovery of the molding condition permits the setup of a target molding condition for recovery from said modification history storage file by designating a shot number or a range of a shot number.

9. A molding-condition recovery device in an injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein said modification history creation unit stores, every setting modification of the molding condition, an arbitrary keyword in said modification history storage file in association with modification history, and said set-up unit setting up the point of time of recovery of the molding condition permits the setup of a target molding condition for recovery from said modification history storage file by designating the keyword.

10. A molding-condition recovery device in an injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein it further comprises a data base for storing various keywords in association with each other, said modification history creation unit stores an arbitrary keyword in said modification history storage file in association with modification history every setting modification of the molding condition, and said set-up unit setting up the point of time of recovery of the molding condition permits the setup of a target molding condition for recovery by making a search for the modification history having a designated keyword or a keyword related to the designated keyword through said modification history storage file.

11. A molding-condition recovery device in an injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein said set-up unit setting up the point of time of recovery of the molding condition permits the setup of a target molding condition for recovery from said modification history storage file by designating the molding condition component subjected to setting modification.

12. A molding-condition recovery device in an injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein said set-up unit setting up the point of time of recovery of the molding condition includes at least two or more of set-up functions selected from a group consisting of a function to set the target point of time for recovery from the modification history storage file by displaying a synopsis of said modification history storage file on a display screen, a function to set the target point of time for recovery from said modification history storage file by designating the time of setting modification of the molding condition or the range of said time, a function to set the target point of time for recovery from the modification history storage file by designating a shot number as of setting modification of the molding condition or a range of said shot number, a function to set the target point of time for recovery from said modification history storage file by designating a stored keyword as of setting modification of the molding condition and a function to set the target molding condition for recovery from the modification history storage file by designating the molding condition component subjected to setting modification, and the point of time specified redundantly by two or more set-up functions is selected as the point of time of recovery of the molding condition.

13. A molding-condition recovery device in an injection molding machine, comprising:

a modification history creation unit writing, every setting modification of a molding condition, a modified component of a molding condition and its set value subsequent to the modification in a modification history storage file for storage in association with the sequence of modifications;

a set-up unit setting up a point of time of recovery of a first molding condition; and

a recovering unit recovering the molding condition, upon completion of the setup for the point of time of recovery of the molding condition, by replacing the set value for the component read out from the oldest modification history in the modification history storage file in sequence by trace, among the components of the first molding condition, with the readout set value subjected to modification.

14. A control device for controlling the operation of a machine according to predetermined operating conditions, comprising;

a current operating-condition memory means for storing the current operating condition required for the control of said machine;

a manual input means for modifying the value of each component forming said operating condition;

a modification history memory means for storing a series of data containing a component of which value is modified and the modified value and a time of the modification as one record in sequence whenever modification is made on one of said components by said manual input means;

a record designating means for designating any one of a plurality of records stored in said modification history memory means; and

a means for specifying, when any record is designated by said record designation means, each component whose value has been renewed or remains unmodified at a time of said record designation, by referring to the designated record and all the records having modification times older than the modification time of said designated record, and then combining these specified components to reconfigurate an operating condition.

15. A control device according to claim 14, wherein it further comprises a means for transferring the operating condition reconfigured by said means for reconfiguring said operating condition to said current operating-condition memory means.

16. A molding-condition recovery device in an injection molding machine, comprising:

memory means for storing, when a set value of a component of molding condition is modified, the set value prior to such modification of that component in accordance with sequence of modifications;

means for specifying a past molding cycle; and

means for reproducing, when said past molding cycle is specified, the molding condition in the specified past molding cycle by successively substituting the set values prior to such modifications, stored in said memory means, for the set values of the molding-condition at the time of such specifying of said past molding cycle.

17. A molding-condition recovery device in an injection molding machine, comprising:

memory means for storing, when a set value of a component of molding condition is modified, the set value subjected to the modification of that component in accordance with sequence of modifications;

molding condition memory means for storing a molding condition for storing a molding condition just prior to a modification of molding condition in which said modification was executed to the oldest set value subjected to the modification stored in said memory means;

means for specifying a past molding cycle; and

means for reproducing, when said past molding cycle is specified, the molding condition in the specified past molding cycle by successively substituting the set values subjected to modifications, stored in said memory means, for the set values of the molding condition stored in said molding condition memory means.