Cycle counting system for injection molding assembly

• US 8,425,216 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mold Masters 2007 Limited (Hillenbrand Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mold Masters 2007 Limited (Hillenbrand Incorporated)
• Inventors: Catoen, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): HEITBRINK, TIMOTHY W
• Application Number:
  US13/046,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20120231103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 425/169, 425/135, 425/556
• US Class Current: 425/135
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/1796 Moulds carrying mould related information or codes, e.g. bar codes, counters
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/17 Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/7626 the ejection or removal of moulded articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/7686 the ejected articles, e.g. weight control
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

There is set forth herein a system having an injection molding assembly mold including a stationary section and moveable section, the stationary section having a channel assembly, one or more nozzle and a mold cavity, the mold further having a sensor unit array, the sensor unit array comprising one or more sensor unit. The system can include one or more processing circuit that utilizes an output of the one or more sensor unit for determining a condition prevailing within the injection molding assembly.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an injection molding assembly mold having a stationary section and a moveable section, the stationary section having a channel assembly and one or more nozzle, the mold further having a sensor unit array,

wherein the sensor unit array includes one or more sensor unit disposed at the moveable section of the mold for sensing whether a molded part has been ejected from the mold; and

one or more processing circuit operative for utilizing an output of the one or more sensor unit, the utilizing comprising determining a cycle count of one or more component of the mold, wherein the one or more sensor unit disposed at the moveable section of the mold for sensing whether a molded part has been ejected from the mold includes a force sensor unit disposed at an ejector assembly, the force sensor unit outputting an amplitude varying signal that outputs a signal of relatively higher peak amplitude when the ejector assembly is actuated with a part held within the moveable section, and outputs a signal of relatively lower peak amplitude when the ejector assembly is actuated with a part not held within the movable section.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensor unit disposed at the moveable section of the mold includes one or more contact switches disposed to sense whether there has been a clamping of the moveable section to the stationary section.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit array further includes one or more sensor unit disposed at the stationary section of the mold, wherein the processing circuit utilizes an output of the one or more sensor unit disposed at the stationary section for determining a cycle count of one or more components of the mold.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing circuit records a cycle count for the moveable section of the mold and separately records a cycle count for the stationary section of the mold, the system being operative to display the cycle count for the moveable section, the system being operative to display the cycle count for the stationary section.

5. A system comprising:

an injection molding assembly mold having a stationary section and a moveable section, the stationary section having a channel assembly and one or more nozzle, the mold further having a sensor unit array, the sensor unit array comprising one or more sensor unit disposed at one or more of the stationary section and the moveable section of the injection molding assembly mold; and

one or more processing circuit that utilizes an output of the one or more sensor unit for determining a cycle count for one or more component of the mold, wherein the one or more processing circuit is operative to discriminate between a wet cycle and a dry cycle of the one or more component of the mold utilizing the output of the one or more sensor unit, wherein the one or more sensor unit includes a certain sensor unit disposed at an ejector assembly of the moveable section, and wherein the determining includes determining that a wet cycle has occurred if an amplitude of an output of the certain sensor unit exceeds a first threshold, wherein the determining further includes determining that a dry cycle has occurred if an amplitude of an output of the certain sensor unit exceeds a second threshold while remaining lower than a first threshold, the first threshold being higher than the second threshold.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the system is operative to output an indicator indicative of a result of the determining.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the system is operative to output a result of the determining to a process control interface.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the determining includes determining a wet cycle count and a dry cycle count for the stationary section.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the determining includes determining a wet cycle count and a dry cycle count for the moveable section.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor unit array includes a first sensor unit disposed at a first mold component provided by a base portion of a mold section and wherein the sensor unit array further includes a second sensor unit disposed at a second mold component provided by a modular portion of the mold section, wherein the determining includes utilizing an output of the first sensor unit for determining a cycle count of the first mold component and utilizing an output of the second sensor unit for determining a cycle count of the second mold component.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor unit array includes a first sensor unit disposed at the stationary section and wherein the sensor unit array further includes a second sensor unit disposed at the moveable section, wherein the determining includes utilizing an output of the first sensor unit for determining a cycle count of the stationary section and utilizing an output of the second sensor unit for determining a cycle count of the moveable section.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more sensor unit includes a certain sensor unit disposed internally of the stationary section, wherein the determining includes determining that a wet cycle has occurred if an amplitude of an output of the certain sensor unit exceeds a threshold, and wherein the determining includes determining that a dry cycle has occurred if an output of the certain sensor remains essentially flat line with a clamping state of the mold passing between a first declamped state, a clamped state, a second declamped state.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein the determining includes determining that a maintenance servicing has become due for the one or more component of the mold based on a count of the one or more component of the mold, and wherein the one or more processing circuit is operative to output an indicator indicating that a maintenance servicing has become due for the one or more component.