JP7632976B2 - Injection molding machines, industrial machine controllers - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to injection molding machines, etc.

For example, a technology has been disclosed in which, if an injection molding machine stops in an abnormal state, the next time the injection molding machine is started, it is started in a restricted start-up mode in which functions are more limited than in the normal start-up mode (see Patent Document 1).

International Publication No. 2019/142472

However, in the case of the above-mentioned technology, for example, if the CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the control device of the injection molding machine stops abnormally, the control device (CPU) is simply started in the restricted startup mode at the next startup. Therefore, for example, if an abnormality occurs in hardware related to the operation of the CPU (e.g., memory or power supply), it is highly likely that the CPU will not be able to start properly even in the restricted startup mode and will abnormally stop again. As a result, for example, after the phenomenon in which the CPU stops abnormally multiple times in succession, hardware such as a board including the CPU will be replaced, and the downtime of the injection molding machine may become relatively long. Furthermore, even if the hardware is actually broken, if the cause of the multiple consecutive CPU abnormal stops is suspected to be a software abnormality (bug), and the software is reinstalled or restored, etc., the downtime of the injection molding machine may become even longer.

In view of the above problems, the objective of the present invention is to provide a technology that can reduce the downtime caused by an abnormal stop of a controller in industrial machinery such as an injection molding machine.

In order to achieve the above object, in one embodiment of the present disclosure,
a mold clamping device that clamps the mold device;
an injection unit that fills the mold unit clamped by the mold clamping unit with a molding material;
an ejector device that removes a molded product from the mold device after the molding material filled by the injection device is cooled and solidified;
a control device including: a processing circuit; a monitoring unit provided separately from the processing circuit and monitoring a state of the processing circuit; a diagnosis unit provided separately from the processing circuit and diagnosing the presence or absence of a hardware abnormality related to the operation of the processing circuit when the monitoring unit detects an abnormal stop of the processing circuit; and a notification unit provided separately from the processing circuit and notifying a predetermined upper device of the presence or absence of a diagnosis abnormality in the hardware when the diagnosis unit outputs a diagnosis result indicating that there is an abnormality in the hardware.
An injection molding machine is provided.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure,
A processing circuit;
a monitoring unit provided separately from the processing circuit and monitoring a state of the processing circuit;
a diagnostic unit that is provided separately from the processing circuit and that diagnoses whether or not there is a hardware abnormality related to the operation of the processing circuit when the monitoring unit detects an abnormal stop of the processing circuit;
a notification unit that is provided separately from the processing circuit and that, when the diagnosis unit outputs a diagnosis result indicating that an abnormality exists in the hardware, notifies a predetermined upper device of that fact.
A controller for an industrial machine is provided.

According to the above-described embodiment, the downtime caused by an abnormal stop of the controller in industrial machinery such as an injection molding machine can be kept relatively short.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an injection molding machine system. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an injection molding machine system. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of a management apparatus. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration for dealing with an abnormal shutdown of a CPU in a controller. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for dealing with an abnormal stop of a CPU by a controller.

The following describes the embodiment with reference to the drawings.

The following describes the embodiments with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and the description may be omitted.

[Outline of injection molding machine system]
An outline of an injection molding machine system SYS according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

Figures 1 and 2 are diagrams showing an example of the hardware configuration of an injection molding machine system SYS according to this embodiment. In Figure 1, the injection molding machine 1 is shown in a state when mold opening is complete, and in Figure 2, the injection molding machine 1 is shown in a state when mold clamping is complete. In Figures 1 and 2, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are perpendicular to each other, the positive and negative directions of the X-axis (hereinafter simply "X direction") and the positive and negative directions of the Y-axis (hereinafter simply "Y direction") represent the horizontal direction, and the positive and negative directions of the Z-axis (hereinafter simply "Z direction") represent the vertical direction.

The injection molding machine system SYS includes an injection molding machine 1, a management device 2, and a user terminal 3.

In this example, the injection molding machine system SYS includes two injection molding machines 1, but it may also include one or three or more. The injection molding machine system SYS includes a management device 2, which may also include one or more. The injection molding machine system SYS includes a user terminal 3, which may also include one or more.

<Outline of injection molding machine>
An injection molding machine 1 (an example of industrial machinery) performs a series of operations for obtaining a molded product by injection molding.

The injection molding machine 1 is also communicatively connected to the management device 2 and the user terminal 3 via a specified communication line NW. The injection molding machine 1 may also be communicatively connected to other injection molding machines 1 via the communication line NW.

The communication line NW includes, for example, a local network (LAN: Local Area Network) in a factory where the injection molding machine 1 is installed. The local network may be wired or wireless, or may be an embodiment including both. The communication line NW may also include, for example, a wide area network (WAN: Wide Area Network) outside the factory where the injection molding machine 1 is installed. The wide area network may include, for example, a mobile communication network with a base station as a terminal. The mobile communication network may correspond to, for example, LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G ( ^4th Generation), 5G ( ^5th Generation), etc. The wide area network may also include, for example, a satellite communication network using a communication satellite. The wide area network may also include, for example, an Internet network. The communication line NW may also include, for example, a short-distance communication line corresponding to a wireless communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication or WiFi communication.

For example, the injection molding machine 1 sequentially acquires data (hereinafter, "operation data") related to the operating status of the injection molding machine 1 (its own machine) that is periodically output, and transmits (uploads) the data to the management device 2 via the communication line NW. This allows the management device 2 (or its manager or worker, etc.) to grasp the operating status and manage the timing of maintenance of the injection molding machine 1 and the operating schedule of the injection molding machine 1. In addition, the management device 2 generates data related to the control of the injection molding machine 1 (e.g., molding conditions, etc.) based on the operating data of the injection molding machine 1, and transmits the data to the injection molding machine 1, thereby enabling control of the injection molding machine 1 from outside.

The operation data includes, for example, data representing the control state of the molding operation of the injection molding machine 1 (hereinafter, "control data"). The control data is output by the controller 700 described later. The operation data also includes, for example, data relating to the operation state of various drivers that drive various electric actuators that realize the molding operation of the injection molding machine 1 (hereinafter, "driver operation data"). The electric actuators include, for example, the clamping motor 160, the mold thickness adjustment motor 183, the ejector motor 210, the metering motor 340, the injection motor 350, the motor 420, etc. described later. The driver operation data is output from various drivers. The operation data also includes various detection data related to the injection molding machine 1 during operation. The detection data is output, for example, from various sensors. The various sensors include, for example, the clamping motor encoder 161, the mold thickness adjustment motor encoder 184, the ejector motor encoder 211, the metering motor encoder 341, the injection motor encoder 351, etc. described later. The various sensors include, for example, a tie bar strain detector 141, a temperature detector 314, and a pressure detector 360, which will be described later. The various sensors also include, for example, various current sensors and voltage sensors that detect the current and voltage of an electric actuator, etc. The various sensors may also include an AD (Analog-Digital) converter that converts analog output detection data into digital data and outputs it.

For example, the injection molding machine 1 sequentially acquires operation data of the injection molding machine 1 (its own machine) that is periodically output, and transmits the operation data of the injection molding machine 1 (its own machine) to the user terminal 3 via the communication line NW. This allows the injection molding machine 1 to provide information on the operating status of the injection molding machine 1 to the user via the user terminal 3.

For example, the injection molding machine 1 may, as a master machine, monitor and control the operation of other injection molding machines 1 as slave machines through the communication line NW. Specifically, the injection molding machine 1 (slave machine) may transmit operation data to the injection molding machine 1 (master machine) through the communication line NW. This allows the injection molding machine 1 (master machine) to monitor the operation of the other injection molding machines 1 (slave machines). The injection molding machine 1 (master machine) may also transmit control commands regarding operation to the other injection molding machines 1 (slave machines) through the communication line NW while grasping the operating state of the other injection molding machines 1 (slave machines) based on the operation data. This allows the injection molding machine 1 (master machine) to control the operation of the other injection molding machines 1 (slave machines). In this case, the injection molding machine 1 (master machine) may control the operation of the other injection molding machines 1 (slave machines) so as to synchronize with the operation of the injection molding machine 1 (master machine).

<Overview of the management device>
As described above, the management device 2 is communicatively connected to the injection molding machine 1 through the communication line NW. The management device 2 may also be communicatively connected to the user terminal 3 through the communication line NW.

The management device 2 may be, for example, an on-premise server or a cloud server installed in a remote location such as a management center outside the factory where the injection molding machine 1 is installed. The management device 2 may be, for example, an edge server installed inside the factory where the injection molding machine 1 is installed or in a location relatively close to the factory (for example, a communication facility such as a wireless base station or station building near the factory). The management device 2 may be, for example, a programmable logic controller (PLC) or edge controller installed inside the factory where the injection molding machine 1 is installed and capable of controlling the operation of the injection molding machine 1 from the outside. The management device 2 may be a terminal device (for example, a desktop computer terminal) in the factory where the injection molding machine 1 is installed. The management device 2 may be a mobile terminal (for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a laptop computer terminal, etc.) that can be carried by the manager of the injection molding machine 1, etc.

The management device 2 may, for example, grasp the operating status of the injection molding machine 1 based on data transmitted (uploaded) from the injection molding machine 1, and manage (monitor) the operating status of the injection molding machine 1. Furthermore, the management device 2 may perform various diagnoses, such as abnormality diagnosis, of the injection molding machine 1 based on the grasped operating status of the injection molding machine 1.

The management device 2 may also transmit control data (e.g., data related to molding conditions) to the injection molding machine 1, for example, via the communication line NW. This allows the management device 2 to control the operation of the injection molding machine 1.

The management device 2 may also set the injection molding machine 1 in response to a predetermined input from the user received through the input device 2G, which will be described later. The settings for the injection molding machine 1 include, for example, settings for the molding conditions of the injection molding machine 1. The settings for the injection molding machine 1 include, for example, settings for the collection of data for the injection molding machine 1, which will be described later. Specifically, the management device 2 may set the injection molding machine 1 in response to a predetermined input to a predetermined setting screen of the display device 2H, which is received from the user through the input device 2G. The user terminal 3 may then transmit the determined setting contents for the injection molding machine 1 to the target injection molding machine 1. This allows the injection molding machine 1 to set its own machine in response to the received setting contents. Therefore, the management device 2 can reflect the setting contents in response to the user's operation in the injection molding machine 1.

The management device 2 may provide information about the injection molding machine 1 to the manager of the injection molding machine 1 or the factory, for example, through the display device 2H. The information about the injection molding machine 1 includes, for example, information about the operating status of the injection molding machine 1. Specifically, the management device 2 causes the display device 2H to display information about the injection molding machine 1 based on various data transmitted (uploaded) from the injection molding machine 1, in response to a specific input received from a user through, for example, the input device 2G. In this way, the management device 2 can provide information about the injection molding machine 1 to the manager of the injection molding machine 1 or the factory, for example, based on the data received from the injection molding machine 1.

As described above, the user terminal 3 is connected to the injection molding machine 1 and the management device 2 so as to be able to communicate with each other via the communication line NW.

The user terminal 3 is used by users of the injection molding machine system SYS. Users of the injection molding machine system SYS include users of the injection molding machine 1, such as an operator who operates the injection molding machine 1 and a serviceman who maintains the injection molding machine 1. Users of the injection molding machine system SYS also include users of the management device 2, such as the manager of the injection molding machine 1 and the factory in which the injection molding machine 1 is installed.

The user terminal 3 is, for example, a portable terminal device (i.e., a mobile terminal) such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a laptop-type PC (Personal Computer). The user terminal 3 may also be, for example, a stationary terminal device such as a desktop PC.

The user terminal 3 may have a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and may provide information about the injection molding machine 1 to the user through the display device. The information about the injection molding machine 1 includes, for example, information about the operating status of the injection molding machine 1. Specifically, the user terminal 3 may have an input device such as an operation input device, a voice input device, a gesture input device, etc., and may transmit a request signal for providing information to the injection molding machine 1 or the management device 2 in response to a predetermined input (i.e., a request from the user) received from the user through the input device. Then, in response to the request signal received from the user terminal 3, the injection molding machine 1 or the management device 2 may deliver data including the target information (for example, operating data corresponding to information about the operating status, etc.) to the user terminal 3 that is the sender of the request signal. As a result, the user terminal 3 can provide the user with information about the injection molding machine 1 based on the data received from the injection molding machine 1 or the management device 2.

The user terminal 3 may also set the injection molding machine 1 in response to a predetermined input from the user received through the input device, for example. The settings for the injection molding machine 1 include, for example, settings for the molding conditions of the injection molding machine 1. The settings for the injection molding machine 1 include, for example, settings for collecting data related to the injection molding machine 1, which will be described later. Specifically, the user terminal 3 may set the injection molding machine 1 in response to, for example, a predetermined input received from the user through the input device on a predetermined setting screen of the display device. The user terminal 3 may then transmit the confirmed setting contents for the injection molding machine 1 to the target injection molding machine 1. This allows the injection molding machine 1 to set its own machine in response to the received setting contents. Therefore, the user terminal 3 can reflect the setting contents in response to the user's operation in the injection molding machine 1.

[Basic configuration of injection molding machine]
Next, the basic configuration of the injection molding machine 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

The injection molding machine 1 includes a clamping device 100, an ejector device 200, an injection device 300, a moving device 400, a controller 700, an input device 750, and a display device 760.

<Clamping device>
The mold clamping device 100 performs mold closing, mold clamping, and mold opening of the mold device 10. The mold clamping device 100 is, for example, a horizontal type, and the direction in which the mold device 10 is opened and closed (hereinafter, the "mold opening and closing direction") is the horizontal direction. The mold clamping device 100 has a fixed platen 110, a movable platen 120, a toggle support 130, a tie bar 140, a toggle mechanism 150, a mold clamping motor 160, a motion conversion mechanism 170, a mold thickness adjustment mechanism 180, and the like.

In the following description of the mold clamping device 100, the direction of movement of the movable platen 120 when the mold device 10 is closed (to the right in FIGS. 1 and 2) is defined as the front, and the direction of movement of the movable platen 120 when the mold device 10 is opened (to the left in FIGS. 1 and 2) is defined as the rear. The same applies to the description of the ejector device 200 described below.

The mold device 10 includes a fixed mold 11 and a movable mold 12.

The fixed platen 110 is fixed to the frame Fr. The fixed mold 11 is attached to the surface of the fixed platen 110 facing the movable platen 120.

The movable platen 120 is movable relative to the frame Fr in the mold opening and closing direction. A guide 101 that guides the movable platen 120 is laid on the frame Fr. A movable mold 12 is attached to the surface of the movable platen 120 that faces the fixed platen 110.

Mold closing, clamping, and opening are performed by moving the movable platen 120 forward and backward relative to the fixed platen 110.

The toggle support 130 is connected to the fixed platen 110 at a distance and is placed on the frame Fr so as to be freely movable in the mold opening and closing direction. The toggle support 130 may also be freely movable along a guide laid on the frame Fr. In this case, the guide of the toggle support 130 may be the same as the guide 101 of the movable platen 120.

In this embodiment, the fixed platen 110 is fixed to the frame Fr, and the toggle support 130 is movable relative to the frame Fr in the mold opening/closing direction, but the toggle support 130 may be fixed to the frame Fr, and the fixed platen 110 may be movable relative to the frame Fr in the mold opening/closing direction.

The tie bar 140 connects the fixed platen 110 and the toggle support 130 at a distance L in the mold opening/closing direction. A plurality of tie bars 140 (for example, four) may be used. Each tie bar 140 is parallel to the mold opening/closing direction and extends according to the mold clamping force. At least one tie bar 140 is provided with a tie bar strain detector 141 that detects the strain of the tie bar 140. The tie bar strain detector 141 sends a signal indicating the detection result to the controller 700. The detection result of the tie bar strain detector 141 is used to detect the mold clamping force, etc.

In this embodiment, the tie bar strain detector 141 is used as the clamping force detector for detecting the clamping force, but it may be replaced with other devices based on known technology. For example, the clamping force detector is not limited to the strain gauge type, but may be a piezoelectric type, a capacitive type, a hydraulic type, an electromagnetic type, etc., and its mounting position is not limited to the tie bar 140.

The toggle mechanism 150 is disposed between the movable platen 120 and the toggle support 130, and moves the movable platen 120 in the mold opening/closing direction relative to the toggle support 130. The toggle mechanism 150 is composed of a crosshead 151, a pair of link groups, etc. Each link group has a first link 152 and a second link 153 that are connected to bendable and extendable by a pin or the like. The first link 152 is attached to the movable platen 120 by a pin or the like so as to be swingable, and the second link 153 is attached to the toggle support 130 by a pin or the like so as to be swingable. The second link 153 is attached to the crosshead 151 via a third link 154. When the crosshead 151 is advanced or retreated relative to the toggle support 130, the first link 152 and the second link 153 are bent or retreated, and the movable platen 120 advances or retreats relative to the toggle support 130.

The configuration of the toggle mechanism 150 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figs. 1 and 2. For example, although the number of nodes in each link group is five in Figs. 1 and 2, it may be four, and one end of the third link 154 may be connected to a node between the first link 152 and the second link 153.

The mold clamping motor 160 is attached to the toggle support 130 and operates the toggle mechanism 150. The mold clamping motor 160 moves the crosshead 151 forward and backward relative to the toggle support 130, thereby bending and extending the first link 152 and the second link 153 and moving the movable platen 120 forward and backward relative to the toggle support 130. The mold clamping motor 160 is directly connected to the motion conversion mechanism 170, but may also be connected to the motion conversion mechanism 170 via a belt, pulley, etc.

The motion conversion mechanism 170 converts the rotational motion of the mold clamping motor 160 into the linear motion of the crosshead 151. The motion conversion mechanism 170 includes a screw shaft 171 and a screw nut 172 that screws onto the screw shaft 171. A ball or roller may be interposed between the screw shaft 171 and the screw nut 172.

The mold clamping device 100 performs processes such as mold closing, mold clamping, and mold opening under the control of the controller 700.

In the mold closing process, the mold clamping device 100 drives the mold clamping motor 160 to advance the crosshead 151 at a set speed to the mold closing completion position, thereby advancing the movable platen 120 and touching the movable mold 12 to the fixed mold 11. The position and speed of the crosshead 151 are detected, for example, using a mold clamping motor encoder 161. The mold clamping motor encoder 161 detects the rotation of the mold clamping motor 160 and sends a signal indicating the detection result to the controller 700.

The crosshead position detector that detects the position of the crosshead 151 and the crosshead speed detector that detects the speed of the crosshead 151 are not limited to the clamping motor encoder 161 and may be replaced with other devices based on known technology. Also, the movable platen position detector that detects the position of the movable platen 120 and the movable platen speed detector that detects the speed of the movable platen 120 are not limited to the clamping motor encoder 161 and may be replaced with other devices based on known technology.

In the mold clamping process, the mold clamping device 100 generates a mold clamping force by further driving the mold clamping motor 160 to move the crosshead 151 further forward from the mold closing completion position to the mold clamping position. During mold clamping, a cavity space 14 is formed between the movable mold 12 and the fixed mold 11, and the injection device 300 fills the cavity space 14 with liquid molding material. The filled molding material is cooled and solidified to obtain a molded product. The number of cavity spaces 14 in the mold device 10 may be multiple. In this case, multiple molded products are obtained simultaneously.

In the mold opening process, the mold clamping device 100 drives the mold clamping motor 160 to move the crosshead 151 back to the mold opening completion position at a set speed, thereby moving the movable platen 120 back and separating the movable mold 12 from the fixed mold 11. After that, the ejector device 200 ejects the molded product from the movable mold 12.

The setting conditions for the mold closing process and the mold clamping process are set together as a series of setting conditions. For example, the speed and position of the crosshead 151 in the mold closing process and the mold clamping process (specifically, including the mold closing start position, speed switching position, mold closing completion position, and mold clamping position) and the mold clamping force are set together as a series of setting conditions. The mold closing start position, speed switching position, mold closing completion position, and mold clamping position are arranged in this order from the rear side to the front, and represent the start and end points of the section in which the speed is set. The speed is set for each section. There may be one or more speed switching positions. The speed switching position does not have to be set. Only one of the mold clamping position and the mold clamping force may be set.

The setting conditions for the mold opening process are also set in a similar manner. For example, the speed and position of the crosshead 151 in the mold opening process (including the mold opening start position, speed switching position, and mold opening completion position) are set together as a series of setting conditions. The mold opening start position, speed switching position, and mold opening completion position are arranged in this order from the front to the rear, and represent the start and end points of the section in which the speed is set. The speed is set for each section. There may be one speed switching position, or there may be multiple speed switching positions. The speed switching position does not have to be set. The mold opening start position and the mold clamping position may be the same position. Furthermore, the mold opening completion position and the mold closing start position may be the same position.

In addition, the speed, position, etc. of the movable platen 120 may be set instead of the speed, position, etc. of the crosshead 151. Also, the clamping force may be set instead of the position of the crosshead (e.g., clamping position) or the position of the movable platen.

The toggle mechanism 150 amplifies the driving force of the mold clamping motor 160 and transmits it to the movable platen 120. The amplification ratio is also called the toggle ratio. The toggle ratio changes according to the angle θ between the first link 152 and the second link 153 (hereinafter also referred to as the "link angle θ"). The link angle θ is determined from the position of the crosshead 151. When the link angle θ is 180°, the toggle ratio is maximum.

When the thickness of the mold device 10 changes due to replacement of the mold device 10 or a change in temperature of the mold device 10, the mold thickness is adjusted so that a predetermined clamping force is obtained during mold clamping. In mold thickness adjustment, for example, the distance L between the fixed platen 110 and the toggle support 130 is adjusted so that the link angle θ of the toggle mechanism 150 becomes a predetermined angle at the time of mold touch when the movable mold 12 touches the fixed mold 11.

The mold thickness adjustment mechanism 180 adjusts the mold thickness by adjusting the distance L between the fixed platen 110 and the toggle support 130. The mold thickness adjustment mechanism 180 has a screw shaft 181 formed at the rear end of the tie bar 140, a screw nut 182 rotatably held by the toggle support 130, and a mold thickness adjustment motor 183 that rotates the screw nut 182 that screws onto the screw shaft 181.

A screw shaft 181 and a screw nut 182 are provided for each tie bar 140. The rotation of the mold thickness adjustment motor 183 may be transmitted to multiple screw nuts 182 via a rotation transmission unit 185. The multiple screw nuts 182 can rotate synchronously.

In addition, by changing the transmission path of the rotation transmission unit 185, it is also possible to rotate multiple screw nuts 182 individually.

The rotation transmission unit 185 is composed of, for example, gears. In this case, a passive gear is formed on the outer periphery of each screw nut 182, a drive gear is attached to the output shaft of the mold thickness adjustment motor 183, and an intermediate gear that meshes with the multiple passive gears and the drive gear is held rotatably in the center of the toggle support 130.

In addition, the rotation transmission unit 185 may be configured with a belt, pulley, etc. instead of a gear.

The operation of the mold thickness adjustment mechanism 180 is controlled by the controller 700. The controller 700 drives the mold thickness adjustment motor 183 to rotate the screw nut 182, thereby adjusting the position of the toggle support 130, which rotatably holds the screw nut 182, relative to the fixed platen 110, and adjusting the distance L between the fixed platen 110 and the toggle support 130.

The distance L is detected using the mold thickness adjustment motor encoder 184. The mold thickness adjustment motor encoder 184 detects the amount of rotation and the direction of rotation of the mold thickness adjustment motor 183, and sends a signal indicating the detection result to the controller 700. The detection result of the mold thickness adjustment motor encoder 184 is used to monitor and control the position of the toggle support 130 and the distance L.

In addition, the toggle support position detector that detects the position of the toggle support 130 and the gap detector that detects the gap L are not limited to the mold thickness adjustment motor encoder 184, and may be replaced with other devices based on known technology.

The mold thickness adjustment mechanism 180 adjusts the distance L by rotating one of a screw shaft 181 and a screw nut 182 that are screwed together. Multiple mold thickness adjustment mechanisms 180 may be used, and multiple mold thickness adjustment motors 183 may be used.

In this example, the clamping device 100 is a horizontal type in which the mold opening and closing direction is horizontal, but it may be a vertical type in which the mold opening and closing direction is vertical. In this example, the clamping device 100 has a clamping motor 160 as a drive source, but instead of the clamping motor 160, a hydraulic cylinder may be used. The clamping device 100 may also have a linear motor for opening and closing the mold, and an electromagnet for clamping the mold.

<Ejector device>
After the molding material filled in the mold device 10 by the injection device 300 is cooled and solidified, the ejector device 200 ejects (removes) the molded product from the mold device 10. The ejector device 200 includes an ejector motor 210, a motion conversion mechanism 220, an ejector rod 230, and the like.

The ejector motor 210 is attached to the movable platen 120. The ejector motor 210 is directly connected to the motion conversion mechanism 220, but may also be connected to the motion conversion mechanism 220 via a belt, pulley, etc.

The motion conversion mechanism 220 converts the rotational motion of the ejector motor 210 into the linear motion of the ejector rod 230. The motion conversion mechanism 220 includes a screw shaft and a screw nut that screws onto the screw shaft. A ball or roller may be interposed between the screw shaft and the screw nut.

The ejector rod 230 is movable forward and backward through a through hole in the movable platen 120. The front end of the ejector rod 230 contacts the movable member 15 that is arranged inside the movable mold 12 so that it can move forward and backward. The front end of the ejector rod 230 may or may not be connected to the movable member 15.

The ejector device 200 performs the ejection process under the control of the controller 700.

In the ejection process, the ejector device 200 drives the ejector motor 210 to advance the ejector rod 230 from the standby position to the ejection position at a set speed, thereby advancing the movable member 15 and ejecting the molded product. The ejector device 200 then drives the ejector motor 210 to retract the ejector rod 230 at a set speed, causing the movable member 15 to retract to its original standby position. The position and speed of the ejector rod 230 are detected, for example, using the ejector motor encoder 211. The ejector motor encoder 211 detects the rotation of the ejector motor 210 and sends a signal indicating the detection result to the controller 700.

In addition, the ejector rod position detector that detects the position of the ejector rod 230 and the ejector rod speed detector that detects the speed of the ejector rod 230 are not limited to the ejector motor encoder 211 and may be replaced with other devices based on known technology.

<Injection unit>
The injection device 300 fills the molding material into the mold device 10 clamped by the mold clamping device 100. Specifically, the injection device 300 is mounted on a slide base 301 that can move forward and backward with respect to the frame Fr, and is movable forward and backward with respect to the mold device 10. The injection device 300 touches the mold device 10 and fills the molding material into the cavity space 14 in the mold device 10. The injection device 300 has, for example, a cylinder 310, a nozzle 320, a screw 330, a metering motor 340, an injection motor 350, a pressure detector 360, and the like.

In the following description of the injection device 300, the direction in which the injection device 300 approaches the mold device 10 (leftward in Figs. 1 and 2) is referred to as the front, and the direction in which the injection device 300 moves away from the mold device 10 (rightward in Figs. 1 and 2) is referred to as the rear. The same applies to the description of the moving device 400 described below.

Cylinder 310 heats the molding material supplied to the inside from supply port 311. The molding material includes, for example, resin. The molding material is formed, for example, in pellet form and supplied to supply port 311 in a solid state. Supply port 311 is formed at the rear of cylinder 310. A cooler 312 such as a water-cooled cylinder is provided on the outer periphery of the rear of cylinder 310. A heater 313 such as a band heater and a temperature detector 314 are provided on the outer periphery of cylinder 310 forward of cooler 312.

The cylinder 310 is divided into multiple zones in the axial direction of the cylinder 310 (left and right direction in Figures 1 and 2). Each zone is provided with a heater 313 and a temperature detector 314. For each zone, the controller 700 controls the heater 313 so that the temperature detected by the temperature detector 314 becomes the set temperature.

The nozzle 320 is provided at the front end of the cylinder 310 and is pressed against the mold device 10. A heater 313 and a temperature detector 314 are provided on the outer periphery of the nozzle 320. The controller 700 controls the heater 313 so that the detected temperature of the nozzle 320 becomes the set temperature.

The screw 330 is disposed within the cylinder 310 so that it can rotate freely and move forward and backward. When the screw 330 is rotated, the molding material is sent forward along the spiral groove of the screw 330. As the molding material is sent forward, it is gradually melted by heat from the cylinder 310. As the liquid molding material is sent forward to the front of the screw 330 and accumulates at the front of the cylinder 310, the screw 330 is moved backward. When the screw 330 is then moved forward, the liquid molding material accumulated in front of the screw 330 is injected from the nozzle 320 and filled into the mold device 10.

A backflow prevention ring 331 is attached to the front of the screw 330 so that it can move back and forth as a backflow prevention valve that prevents the molding material from flowing back from the front to the rear of the screw 330 when the screw 330 is pushed forward.

When the screw 330 is advanced, the backflow prevention ring 331 is pushed backward by the pressure of the molding material in front of the screw 330, and retreats relative to the screw 330 to a blocking position (see FIG. 2) where it blocks the flow path of the molding material. This prevents the molding material accumulated in front of the screw 330 from flowing backward.

Meanwhile, when the screw 330 is rotated, the backflow prevention ring 331 is pushed forward by the pressure of the molding material sent forward along the spiral groove of the screw 330, and advances relative to the screw 330 to an open position (see FIG. 1) where the flow path of the molding material is opened. This causes the molding material to be sent forward of the screw 330.

The backflow prevention ring 331 may be a co-rotating type that rotates with the screw 330, or a non-co-rotating type that does not rotate with the screw 330.

The injection device 300 may also have a drive source that moves the backflow prevention ring 331 back and forth between the open position and the closed position relative to the screw 330.

The metering motor 340 rotates the screw 330. The driving source that rotates the screw 330 is not limited to the metering motor 340 and may be, for example, a hydraulic pump.

The injection motor 350 advances and retreats the screw 330. Between the injection motor 350 and the screw 330, a motion conversion mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the injection motor 350 into the linear motion of the screw 330 is provided. The motion conversion mechanism has, for example, a screw shaft and a screw nut that screws onto the screw shaft. A ball or roller may be provided between the screw shaft and the screw nut. The drive source that advances and retreats the screw 330 is not limited to the injection motor 350, and may be, for example, a hydraulic cylinder.

The pressure detector 360 detects the pressure transmitted between the injection motor 350 and the screw 330. The pressure detector 360 is provided in the force transmission path between the injection motor 350 and the screw 330, and detects the pressure acting on the pressure detector 360.

The pressure detector 360 sends a signal indicating the detection result to the controller 700. The detection result of the pressure detector 360 is used to control and monitor the pressure that the screw 330 receives from the molding material, the back pressure on the screw 330, the pressure that the screw 330 exerts on the molding material, etc.

The injection device 300 performs processes such as the metering process, the filling process, and the pressure holding process under the control of the controller 700.

In the metering process, the injection device 300 drives the metering motor 340 to rotate the screw 330 at a set rotation speed, and sends the molding material forward along the spiral groove of the screw 330. As a result, the molding material is gradually melted. As the liquid molding material is sent forward of the screw 330 and accumulates at the front of the cylinder 310, the screw 330 is moved backward. The rotation speed of the screw 330 is detected, for example, using the metering motor encoder 341. The metering motor encoder 341 detects the rotation of the metering motor 340 and sends a signal indicating the detection result to the controller 700.

The screw rotation speed detector that detects the rotation speed of the screw 330 is not limited to the metering motor encoder 341, and may be replaced with other equipment based on known technology.

In the metering process, the injection device 300 may apply a set back pressure to the screw 330 by driving the injection motor 350 to limit the sudden retraction of the screw 330. The back pressure on the screw 330 is detected, for example, using a pressure detector 360. The pressure detector 360 sends a signal indicating the detection result to the controller 700. When the screw 330 retracts to the metering completion position and a predetermined amount of molding material is accumulated in front of the screw 330, the metering process is completed.

In the filling process, the injection device 300 drives the injection motor 350 to advance the screw 330 at a set speed, and fills the liquid molding material accumulated in front of the screw 330 into the cavity space 14 in the mold device 10. The position and speed of the screw 330 are detected, for example, using the injection motor encoder 351. The injection motor encoder 351 detects the rotation of the injection motor 350 and sends a signal indicating the detection result to the controller 700. When the position of the screw 330 reaches the set position, switching from the filling process to the pressure holding process (so-called V/P switching) is performed. The position where the V/P switching is performed is also called the V/P switching position. The set speed of the screw 330 may be changed depending on the position of the screw 330, time, etc.

In the filling process, after the screw 330 reaches a set position, the screw 330 may be temporarily stopped at the set position, and then V/P switching may be performed. Also, just before V/P switching, instead of stopping the screw 330, the screw 330 may be moved forward or backward at a slow speed. Also, the screw position detector that detects the position of the screw 330 and the screw speed detector that detects the speed of the screw 330 are not limited to the injection motor encoder 351, and may be replaced with other devices based on known technology.

In the holding pressure process, the injection device 300 drives the injection motor 350 to push the screw 330 forward, maintains the pressure of the molding material at the front end of the screw 330 (hereinafter, "holding pressure") at a set pressure, and pushes the molding material remaining in the cylinder 310 toward the mold device 10. This allows the injection device 300 to replenish the molding material that is insufficient due to cooling contraction in the mold device 10. The holding pressure is detected, for example, using a pressure detector 360. The pressure detector 360 sends a signal indicating the detection result to the controller 700. The set value of the holding pressure may be changed depending on the elapsed time from the start of the holding pressure process, etc.

During the dwelling process, the molding material in the cavity space 14 inside the mold device 10 is gradually cooled, and when the dwelling process is completed, the entrance to the cavity space 14 is blocked by solidified molding material. This state is called a gate seal, and prevents the molding material from flowing back from the cavity space 14. After the dwelling process, the cooling process begins. During the cooling process, the molding material in the cavity space 14 is solidified. A weighing process may be performed during the cooling process to shorten the molding cycle time.

In this example, the injection device 300 is an in-line screw type, but may be a pre-plastication type or the like. The pre-plastication type injection device supplies the molding material melted in the plasticization cylinder to the injection cylinder, and injects the molding material from the injection cylinder into the mold device. A screw is arranged in the plasticization cylinder so that it can rotate freely or so that it can rotate freely and move forward and backward, and a plunger is arranged in the injection cylinder so that it can move forward and backward. In this example, the injection device 300 is a horizontal type in which the axial direction of the cylinder 310 is horizontal, but it may be a vertical type in which the axial direction of the cylinder 310 is vertical. The mold clamping device combined with the vertical injection device 300 may be a vertical type or a horizontal type. Similarly, the mold clamping device combined with the horizontal injection device 300 may be a horizontal type or a vertical type.

<Movement Device>
The moving device 400 moves the injection device 300 forward and backward relative to the mold device 10. The moving device 400 also presses the nozzle 320 against the mold device 10 to generate a nozzle touch pressure. The moving device 400 has a hydraulic pump 410, a motor 420 as a drive source, a hydraulic cylinder 430 as a hydraulic actuator, and the like.

In addition, in FIG. 2, the moving device 400 is arranged on one side of the cylinder 310 of the injection device 300, but it may be arranged on both sides of the cylinder 310, or may be arranged symmetrically around the cylinder 310.

The hydraulic pump 410 has a first port 411 and a second port 412. The hydraulic pump 410 can rotate in both directions, and by switching the direction of rotation of the motor 420, hydraulic fluid (e.g., oil) is drawn in from one of the first port 411 and the second port 412 and discharged from the other port, generating hydraulic pressure.

The hydraulic pump 410 can also draw hydraulic fluid from a tank and discharge the hydraulic fluid from either the first port 411 or the second port 412.

The motor 420 operates the hydraulic pump 410. The motor 420 drives the hydraulic pump 410 with a rotational direction and rotational torque according to a control signal from the controller 700. The motor 420 may be an electric motor or an electric servo motor.

The hydraulic cylinder 430 has a cylinder body 431, a piston 432, and a piston rod 433. The cylinder body 431 is fixed to the injection device 300. The piston 432 divides the inside of the cylinder body 431 into a front chamber 435 as a first chamber and a rear chamber 436 as a second chamber. The piston rod 433 is fixed to the fixed platen 110.

The front chamber 435 of the hydraulic cylinder 430 is connected to the first port 411 of the hydraulic pump 410 via the first flow path 401. The hydraulic fluid discharged from the first port 411 is supplied to the front chamber 435 via the first flow path 401, thereby pushing the injection device 300 forward. The injection device 300 is moved forward, and the nozzle 320 is pressed against the fixed mold 11. The front chamber 435 functions as a pressure chamber that generates nozzle touch pressure of the nozzle 320 by the pressure of the hydraulic fluid supplied from the hydraulic pump 410.

Meanwhile, the rear chamber 436 of the hydraulic cylinder 430 is connected to the second port 412 of the hydraulic pump 410 via the second flow path 402. The hydraulic fluid discharged from the second port 412 is supplied to the rear chamber 436 of the hydraulic cylinder 430 via the second flow path 402, thereby pushing the injection device 300 backward. The injection device 300 is retracted, and the nozzle 320 is separated from the fixed mold 11.

In this example, the moving device 400 includes a hydraulic cylinder 430, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, instead of the hydraulic cylinder 430, an electric motor and a motion conversion mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the electric motor into linear motion of the injection device 300 may be used.

<Controller>
The controller 700 (an example of a control device) directly transmits control signals to the clamping device 100 , the ejector device 200 , the injection device 300 , the moving device 400 , and the like, and controls the drive of the injection molding machine 1 .

The functions of the controller 700 are realized by any hardware or any combination of hardware and software. The controller 700 is configured, for example, around a computer, and has a CPU 701, a memory device 702, an auxiliary storage device 703, and an interface device 704 for input and output.

The CPU 701 executes various programs loaded from the auxiliary storage device 703 to the memory device 702, and realizes various functions related to the injection molding machine 1 according to the programs.

When an instruction to start a program is received, the memory device 702 reads and stores files and data necessary for the program and processing from the auxiliary storage device 703. The memory device 702 includes, for example, a static random access memory (SRAM) 702A (see FIG. 4).

The auxiliary storage device 703 stores various installed programs as well as files and data necessary for various processes. The auxiliary storage device 703 includes, for example, a flash memory 703A and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) 703B (see FIG. 4).

The interface device 704 is used as an interface for connecting to an external device of the controller 700 so as to be able to communicate with the device. The interface device 704 may have multiple types of interfaces depending on the communication method between the device and the device to be connected. The interface device 704 includes, for example, an FPGA 704A (see FIG. 4) that realizes input and output of data between various sensors and various drivers mounted on the injection molding machine 1.

The controller 700 performs various controls related to the injection molding machine 1, for example, by loading a program installed in the auxiliary storage device 703 into the memory device 702 and having the CPU 701 execute the program. The controller 700 also receives external signals and outputs signals to the outside through the interface device 704. The interface device 704 may include multiple different types of interface devices according to the communication lines to which it is connected.

The functions of the controller 700 may be shared and realized by multiple controllers. For example, the functions of the controller 700 may be shared and realized by a motion controller that controls the operation of various actuators of the injection molding machine 1, a sequence controller that controls the overall sequence of the injection molding machine 1, etc.

The programs and various files and data used by the controller 700 are read from the recording medium 5 to the auxiliary storage device 703 of the controller 700 through the interface device 704 and stored (installed). The recording medium 5 is, for example, a general-purpose recording medium such as an SD card, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, a CD (Compact Disc), or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). The recording medium 5 may also be a dedicated tool that is communicatively connected to the injection molding machine 1 (the interface device 704 of the controller 700) via a predetermined communication cable in the final inspection process of the manufacturing line of the injection molding machine 1. The programs and various files and data used by the controller 700 may also be downloaded to the controller 700 from an external computer (for example, the management device 2, etc.) through the communication line NW.

The controller 700 repeatedly manufactures molded products by causing the injection molding machine 1 (such as the clamping device 100) to repeatedly perform processes such as mold closing, clamping, and mold opening. The controller 700 also causes the injection device 300 to perform processes such as a metering process, a filling process, and a pressure holding process during the clamping process.

The series of operations of the injection molding machine 1 to obtain a molded product, for example, the operations from the start of a metering process by the injection unit 300 to the start of a metering process by the next injection unit 300, is also called a "shot" or "molding cycle." The time required for one shot is also called the "molding cycle time."

One molding cycle includes, for example, a metering process by the injection device 300, a mold closing process, a mold clamping process, a filling process by the injection device 300, a pressure holding process by the injection device 300, a cooling process, a mold opening process, and an ejection process, and these processes are started in this order. The filling process, pressure holding process, and cooling process are performed between the start of the mold clamping process and the end of the mold clamping process. The end of the mold clamping process coincides with the start of the mold opening process.

In order to shorten the molding cycle time, multiple processes may be performed simultaneously. For example, the metering process may be performed during the cooling process of the previous molding cycle, in which case the mold closing process may be performed at the beginning of the molding cycle. The filling process may be started during the mold closing process. The ejection process may be started during the mold opening process. If an on-off valve is provided to open and close the flow path of the nozzle 320 of the injection device 300, the mold opening process may be started during the metering process. This is because even if the mold opening process is started during the metering process, molding material will not leak from the nozzle 320 and nozzle 520 as long as the on-off valve closes the flow paths of the nozzle 320 and nozzle 520.

The controller 700 is communicatively connected to the input device 750 and the display device 760, for example, via a one-to-one communication line, a local network, a short-distance communication line, etc.

The input device 750 accepts input from the user regarding the injection molding machine 1, and a signal corresponding to the input is input to the controller 700.

For example, the input device 750 includes an operation input device that accepts operation input from a user using a hand or the like. The operation input device is, for example, a button, a toggle, a lever, a joystick, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pad, a touch panel implemented on the display device 760, etc.

For example, the input device 750 may also include a voice input device or a gesture input device that accepts voice input or gesture input from the user.

For example, the input device 750 may also include a biometric input device that accepts biometric input from a user. Biometric input includes, for example, voiceprint input, iris input, fingerprint input, etc.

The display device 760 displays various information screens related to the injection molding machine 1 under the control of the controller 700. For example, the display device 760 displays an operation screen related to the injection molding machine 1 according to the input content received by the input device 750.

The operation screen displayed on the display device 760 is used for settings related to the injection molding machine 1. The settings related to the injection molding machine 1 include, for example, settings of molding conditions related to the injection molding machine 1 (specifically, input of set values). The settings also include, for example, settings related to the selection of the types of detection values of various sensors, etc. related to the injection molding machine 1 that are recorded as logging data during molding operations. The settings also include, for example, settings of the display specifications (for example, the types of actual values to be displayed and the way in which they are displayed) on the display device 760 for the detection values (actual values) of various sensors, etc. related to the injection molding machine 1 during molding operations. A plurality of operation screens may be prepared and displayed by switching between them on the display device 760 or by overlapping them. The user can perform settings related to the injection molding machine 1 (including input of set values) by operating the input device 750 while watching the operation screen displayed on the display device 760.

Furthermore, under the control of the controller 700, the display device 760 displays various information (information screens) in response to operations on the operation screen. A plurality of information screens are prepared, and are switched or overlaid on the display device 760. For example, the display device 760 displays the settings related to the injection molding machine 1 (e.g., the settings related to the molding conditions of the injection molding machine 1). Also, for example, the display device 760 displays management information (e.g., information related to the operating history of the injection molding machine 1, etc.).

[Hardware configuration of management device]
Next, the hardware configuration of the management device 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

Figure 3 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the management device 2.

The functions of the management device 2 are realized by any hardware or any combination of hardware and software. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the management device 2 includes an external interface 2A, an auxiliary storage device 2B, a memory device 2C, a CPU 2D, a high-speed calculation device 2E, a communication interface 2F, an input device 2G, and a display device 2H. The external interface 2A, the auxiliary storage device 2B, the memory device 2C, the CPU 2D, the high-speed calculation device 2E, the communication interface 2F, the input device 2G, and the display device 2H are connected by a bus B.

The user terminal 3 may have a hardware configuration similar to that of the management device 2. Therefore, hereinafter, illustrations and detailed descriptions of the hardware configuration of the user terminal 3 will be omitted.

The external interface 2A functions as an interface for reading data from the recording medium 2AA and writing data to the recording medium 2AA. Recording media 2AA include, for example, flexible disks, CDs, DVDs, SD memory cards, USB memories, etc. This allows the management device 2 to read various data used in processing through the recording medium 2AA, store it in the auxiliary storage device 2B, and install programs that realize various functions.

In addition, the management device 2 may acquire various data and programs from external devices through the communication interface 2F.

The auxiliary storage device 2B stores various installed programs as well as files and data necessary for various processes. The auxiliary storage device 2B includes, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), flash memory, etc.

When an instruction to start a program is received, the memory device 2C reads out the program from the auxiliary storage device 2B and stores it. The memory device 2C includes, for example, a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or an SRAM.

The CPU 2D executes various programs loaded from the auxiliary storage device 2B to the memory device 2C, and realizes various functions related to the management device 2 according to the programs.

The high-speed calculation device 2E works in conjunction with the CPU 2D to perform calculation processing at a relatively high speed. The high-speed calculation device 2E includes, for example, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), etc.

The high-speed calculation device 2E may be omitted depending on the required calculation processing speed.

The communication interface 2F is used as an interface for connecting to an external device so as to be able to communicate with it. This allows the management device 2 to communicate with external devices such as the injection molding machine 1 and the user terminal 3 through the communication interface 2F. In addition, the communication interface 2F may have multiple types of communication interfaces depending on the communication method between the connected devices, etc.

The input device 2G accepts various inputs from the user.

The input device 2G includes, for example, an operation input device that accepts mechanical operation input from the user using a hand or the like. The operation input device includes, for example, a button, a toggle, a lever, a joystick, a mouse, a keyboard, and the like. The operation input device also includes, for example, a touch panel implemented in the display device 2H, a touch pad provided separately from the display device 2H, and the like.

The input device 2G also includes, for example, a voice input device capable of receiving voice input from a user. The voice input device includes, for example, a microphone capable of collecting the user's voice.

The input device 2G also includes, for example, a gesture input device capable of accepting gesture input from a user. The gesture input device includes, for example, a camera capable of capturing an image of the user's gesture.

The input device 2G also includes, for example, a biometric input device capable of accepting biometric input from a user. The biometric input device includes, for example, a camera capable of acquiring image data including information related to the user's fingerprint or iris.

The display device 2H displays an information screen and an operation screen to the user. The display device 2H includes, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display.

[Functional configuration for dealing with abnormal CPU shutdown]
Next, a configuration for dealing with an abnormal stop of the CPU 701 in the controller 700 will be described with reference to FIG.

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration for dealing with an abnormal stop of the CPU 701 in the controller 700.

The controller 700 includes a CPU 701, an SRAM 702A, a flash memory 703A, an EEPROM 703B, and an FPGA 704A.

The CPU 701 (an example of a processing circuit) executes system programs (e.g., an OS (Operating System)) and application programs loaded from the flash memory 703A and the EEPROM 703B to the SRAM 702A.

SRAM 702A reads and stores programs, data, files, etc. required for CPU 701 processing from flash memory 703A and EEPROM 703B in accordance with instructions from CPU 701.

Flash memory 703A stores various programs and files, data, etc. required for processing based on the various programs. For example, system programs executed by CPU 701 are stored in flash memory 703A.

EEPROM 703B stores various programs and files, data, etc. required for processing based on the various programs. EEPROM 703B also stores circuit configuration data (configuration data) etc. required for processing by FPGA 704A.

The FPGA 704A functions as an interface between the controller 700 and external devices (e.g., various sensors, various drivers, etc.).

In addition, FPGA704A functions as a monitoring device for dealing with abnormal shutdowns of CPU701.

FPGA704A includes a status monitoring unit 7041, a diagnosis unit 7042, a startup unit 7043, a restoration unit 7044, and a notification unit 7045 as functional units related to dealing with an abnormal stop of CPU701. When FPGA704A is started, configuration data (circuit configuration data) is loaded from EEPROM703B, and FPGA704A is able to reproduce the circuit configuration as hardware corresponding to each functional unit and perform these functions.

In addition, the function related to the handling of the abnormal stop of the CPU 701 may be implemented in an FPGA other than the FPGA 704A mounted on the controller 700. In addition, the function related to the handling of the abnormal stop of the CPU 701 may be realized by a processing circuit of a different type from the FPGA (for example, a CPU other than the CPU 701 mounted on the controller 700, etc.). In addition, the functions of the state monitoring unit 7041, the diagnosis unit 7042, the startup unit 7043, the restoration unit 7044, and the notification unit 7045 may be distributed and implemented in multiple processing circuits (integrated circuits) instead of being implemented in one processing circuit (integrated circuit). In addition, instead of or in addition to monitoring the abnormal stop of the CPU 701, the presence or absence of an abnormal stop of other processing circuits may be monitored. For example, the abnormal stop of the FPGA 704A (an example of a processing circuit) may be monitored by the CPU 701. In this case, functions similar to the status monitoring unit 7041, diagnosis unit 7042, startup unit 7043, restoration unit 7044, and notification unit 7045 are implemented in the CPU 701. Specifically, the CPU 701 may realize the same functions by executing various programs loaded from the flash memory 703A or EEPROM 703B to the SRAM 702A.

The status monitoring unit 7041 (an example of a monitoring unit) monitors the status of the CPU 701. For example, the status monitoring unit 7041 monitors whether the CPU 701 has stopped abnormally depending on the reception status of a watchdog signal that is periodically output from the CPU 701. The function of periodically outputting a watchdog signal is implemented, for example, in a system program executed by the CPU 701. Specifically, the status monitoring unit 7041 determines that the CPU 701 has stopped abnormally when the latest watchdog signal is not received even after a predetermined time has passed since the previous watchdog signal was received, even though the CPU 701 is not in a situation where it would normally stop. An example of a situation where the CPU 701 stops normally is when the user manually turns off the power to the injection molding machine 1. The predetermined time is predefined as a time that is sufficiently longer than the output period of the watchdog signal.

When the state monitoring unit 7041 determines (detects) that the CPU 701 has stopped abnormally, the diagnosis unit 7042 diagnoses the cause of the CPU 701 stopping abnormally.

For example, the diagnostic unit 7042 diagnoses whether or not there is an abnormality in the hardware related to the operation of the CPU 701. As a result, the diagnostic unit 7042 can diagnose whether or not the cause of the failure of the CPU 701 is the hardware related to the operation. The hardware related to the operation of the CPU 701 includes, for example, the CPU 701 itself. Furthermore, the hardware related to the operation of the CPU 701 includes, for example, the SRAM 702A and a power supply (circuit) that supplies power to the CPU 701. Specifically, the diagnostic unit 7042 may diagnose whether or not there is an abnormality in the SRAM 702A by performing a memory check on the SRAM 702A. Furthermore, the diagnostic unit 7042 may diagnose whether or not there is an abnormality in the power supply based on measured values or estimated values of the voltage, current, temperature, etc. of the power supply. Abnormalities in the power supply include abnormal overheating, overcurrent, overvoltage, etc. Furthermore, the diagnosis unit 7042 may diagnose whether or not there is an abnormality in each of a plurality of pieces of hardware related to the operation of the CPU 701 (e.g., SRAM 702A and a power supply), thereby identifying which of the plurality of pieces of hardware is causing the abnormal stop of the CPU 701.

Also, for example, when there is no hardware abnormality related to the operation of the CPU 701, i.e., when the cause of the abnormal stop of the CPU 701 is not a hardware abnormality, the diagnosis unit 7042 diagnoses an abnormality related to the software of the CPU 701. Specifically, the diagnosis unit 7042 may diagnose whether the software abnormality is a soft error or an abnormality (bug) in the system program. More specifically, the diagnosis unit 7042 may diagnose whether the software abnormality is a soft error or an abnormality (bug) in the system program depending on the number of times the CPU 701 has stopped abnormally.

For example, when the CPU 701 stops abnormally, the diagnostic unit 7042 uses the DMA (Direct Memory Access) function of the FPGA 704A to leave (record) a log indicating the occurrence of the abnormal stop of the CPU 701 in the EEPROM 703B. The log recorded in the EEPROM 703B may be only information (flag information) indicating the occurrence of the abnormal stop of the CPU 701, or may further include additional information such as data indicating the cause of the occurrence of the abnormal stop of the CPU 701.

The startup unit 7043 transmits a startup signal to the stopped CPU 701, causing the CPU 701 to start up. The CPU 701 starts startup in response to receiving the startup signal from the FPGA 704A (startup unit 7043), and reads and executes a boot loader from an auxiliary storage device 703 such as flash memory 703A or EEPROM 703B. The CPU 701 then loads a system program from the flash memory 703A to the SRAM 702A in accordance with the boot loader, and can complete startup by executing the system program.

The restoration unit 7044 restores (restores) a program installed in the flash memory 703A, the EEPROM 703B, etc. to an older version. In this way, when the cause of the abnormal stop of the CPU 701 is a program abnormality (bug), the restoration unit 7044 can restore the program (e.g., a system program) that causes the abnormal stop of the CPU 701 to an older version, thereby stabilizing the operation of the CPU 701. For example, the restoration unit 7044 rewrites the current program data stored in a predetermined storage area of the flash memory 703A or the EEPROM 703B to the program data of the previous version. The program data of the previous version may be newly downloaded from a predetermined external device (e.g., the management device 2), or may be previously stored in the flash memory 703A or the EEPROM 703B. In the latter case, when the program data is updated, the pre-update program data is not erased but moved to another storage area, allowing the flash memory 703A and EEPROM 703B to hold the previous program data in advance.

The notification unit 7045 notifies a higher-level device of the controller 700 (e.g., the management device 2 or the user terminal 3) of the abnormal shutdown of the CPU 701. This allows the controller 700 (FPGA 704A) to notify a user of the management device 2 or the user terminal 3 (e.g., an administrator or operator of the injection molding machine 1) of the abnormal shutdown of the CPU 701 via the management device 2 or the user terminal 3. Therefore, the controller 700 can prompt a user such as an administrator or operator of the injection molding machine 1 to take measures to deal with the abnormal shutdown of the CPU 701.

As described above, when the functions of the controller 700 are shared among multiple controllers, the FPGA of a lower-level controller in the command system among the multiple controllers may notify a higher-level controller (an example of a specified higher-level device) of an abnormal shutdown of the CPU of that controller. This enables the higher-level controller to notify the user of the injection molding machine 1 of the abnormal shutdown of the CPU of the lower-level controller, and prompt the user to take measures regarding the abnormal shutdown of the CPU. For example, the lower-level controller may be the motion controller described above, and the higher-level controller may be the sequence controller described above.

[Processing for dealing with abnormal CPU shutdown]
Next, a process performed by the FPGA 704A to deal with an abnormal stop of the CPU 701 will be described with reference to FIG.

Figure 5 is a flow chart that shows an example of the process performed by the FPGA 704A to deal with an abnormal stop of the CPU 701. This flow chart is executed repeatedly, for example, during operation of the injection molding machine 1 (controller 700) from start-up (power on) to stop (power off).

The stop counter C used in this flowchart indicates the number of consecutive times that the CPU 701 has stopped abnormally due to software factors, and is recorded (stored) in the EEPROM 703B. The number of consecutive times that the CPU 701 has stopped abnormally due to software factors indicates the number of times that the CPU 701 repeatedly stops abnormally due to software factors without stopping normally, with restarts in step S122 described below in between. The initial value of the stop counter C is "0 (zero)", and it is initialized each time the CPU 701 stops normally.

In step S102, the status monitoring unit 7041 determines whether the CPU 701 has stopped abnormally. If the CPU 701 has stopped abnormally, the status monitoring unit 7041 proceeds to step S104, and if the CPU 701 is operating normally, the status monitoring unit 7041 ends the processing of this flowchart.

In step S104, the diagnosis unit 7042 diagnoses whether there is a hardware abnormality related to the operation of the CPU 701.

When the processing of step S106 is completed, FPGA704A proceeds to processing of step S106.

In step S106, the diagnostic unit 7042 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the hardware related to the operation of the CPU 701 based on the diagnosis result in step S104. If there is an abnormality in the hardware related to the operation of the CPU 701, the diagnostic unit 7042 proceeds to step S108, and if there is no abnormality in the hardware related to the operation of the CPU 701, the diagnostic unit 7042 proceeds to step S112.

In step S108, the notification unit 7045 sends a notification to the management device 2 or the user terminal 3 that there is an abnormality in the hardware related to the operation of the CPU 701. This allows the management device 2 or the user terminal 3 to notify a user, such as an operator or manager of the injection molding machine 1, of the occurrence of an abnormality in the hardware related to the operation of the CPU 701 via the display device 2H or the like. Therefore, the FPGA 704A can urge the user, via the management device 2 or the user terminal 3, to take measures such as inspecting and replacing the hardware related to the operation of the CPU 701.

As described above, the diagnosis unit 7042 may identify which of the multiple pieces of hardware related to the operation of the CPU 701 is experiencing an abnormality. In this case, the notification unit 7045 may send a notification to the management device 2 or the user terminal 3, including information indicating which of the multiple pieces of hardware related to the operation of the CPU 701 is actually experiencing an abnormality. This allows the management device 2 or the user terminal 3 to identify which of the multiple pieces of hardware related to the operation of the CPU 701 is actually experiencing an abnormality and notify the user of this via the display device 2H or the like. This can improve the convenience and work efficiency of workers and others who are engaged in inspecting and replacing hardware related to the operation of the CPU 701.

When the processing of step S108 is completed, FPGA704A proceeds to step S110.

In step S110, the FPGA 704A abnormally terminates the operation of the entire injection molding machine 1, including the controller 700. For example, the FPGA 704A displays an indicator indicating that an abnormality has occurred in the hardware related to the CPU 701 of the injection molding machine 1, or leaves a flag indicating this in the EEPROM 703B, and then terminates (stops) the operation of the injection molding machine 1. This allows a user, such as an operator or manager of the injection molding machine 1, to confirm after the fact that the injection molding machine 1 has terminated operation due to an abnormal stop of the CPU 701 (a hardware abnormality related to the operation of the CPU 701).

When the FPGA 704A completes processing of step S110, it ends the processing of this flowchart.

On the other hand, in step S112, the diagnosis unit 7042 reads the latest value of the stop counter C stored in the EEPROM 703B and increments the stop counter C by 1 (C = C + 1).

When the processing of step S112 is completed, FPGA704A proceeds to step S114.

In step S114, the diagnostic unit 7042 determines whether the stop counter C is greater than a predetermined threshold Cth. The threshold Cth is an integer equal to or greater than 1, and is predefined as a threshold for determining whether the cause of the abnormal stop of the CPU 701 due to software factors is a soft error or a program abnormality (bug). If the stop counter C is not greater than the threshold Cth (i.e., equal to or less than the threshold Cth), the diagnostic unit 7042 determines that the cause of the abnormal stop of the CPU 701 is a soft error, and proceeds to step S116. On the other hand, if the stop counter C is greater than the threshold Cth, the diagnostic unit 7042 determines that the cause of the abnormal stop of the CPU 701 is a program abnormality (bug), and proceeds to step S118.

In step S116, the notification unit 7045 sends a notification indicating that the CPU 701 has stopped abnormally due to a soft error to the management device 2 or the user terminal 3. This allows the management device 2 or the user terminal 3 to notify users such as the operator or manager of the injection molding machine 1 of the CPU 701 stopping abnormally due to a soft error via the display device 2H or the like.

When the processing of step S116 is completed, FPGA704A proceeds to step S124.

The processing of step S116 may be omitted. This is because, as described below, if the CPU 701 is automatically restarted in step S124, there is relatively little need to prompt the user to take action.

Meanwhile, in step S118, the notification unit 7045 sends a notification indicating that the CPU 701 has stopped abnormally due to a program abnormality (bug) to the management device 2 or the user terminal 3. This allows the management device 2 or the user terminal 3 to notify a user, such as an operator or manager of the injection molding machine 1, of the CPU 701 having stopped abnormally due to a program abnormality (bug) via the display device 2H or the like.

When the processing of step S118 is completed, FPGA704A proceeds to step S120.

The process of step S118 may be omitted. This is because, as described below, if the CPU 701 is automatically restarted in step S124, there is relatively little need to prompt the user to take action.

In step S120, the restoration unit 7044 restores (downgrades) the program executed by the CPU 701 to the previous version. This allows the FPGA 704A to automatically eliminate the cause of the abnormal termination of the CPU 701.

The programs to be restored (downgraded) may be all programs executed by CPU 701, or may be some of the programs suspected to be the cause of the abnormal stop of CPU 701. The some of the programs suspected to be the cause of the abnormal stop of CPU 701 may include, for example, system programs. Furthermore, the some of the programs suspected to be the cause of the abnormal stop of CPU 701 may include, for example, application programs that were being executed when CPU 701 abnormally stopped. Furthermore, the some of the programs suspected to be the cause of the abnormal stop of CPU 701 may include, for example, the most recently updated programs.

When the processing of step S120 is completed, FPGA704A proceeds to step S122.

After completion of step S120, the notification unit 7045 may send a notification to the management device 2 or the user terminal 3 that the program executed by the CPU 701 has been restored (downgraded). The process of step S120 may be omitted. In this case, the notification indicating the occurrence of an abnormal stop of the CPU 701 due to a program abnormality (bug) in step S118 may include content that prompts the user to manually restore (downgrade) the program. Then, instead of the process of step S120, a process of determining whether or not the program restoration has been completed may be provided between steps S118 and S122, and when the program restoration has been completed, the process may proceed to step S122.

In step S122, FPGA704A initializes stop counter C to "0" (C=0).

When the processing of step S122 is completed, FPGA704A proceeds to step S124.

Note that steps S118 and S120, or only the latter, may be omitted, and the process may proceed to step S110 after the completion of step S122. This is because the user can be made aware of a program abnormality (bug) by the situation in which the CPU 701 is not restarted and the operation of the controller 700 ends abnormally even though the CPU 701 was previously restarted in step S124.

In step S124, the startup unit 7043 sends a startup signal to the CPU 701 to restart it. This allows the FPGA 704A to automatically restart the CPU 701 if the CPU 701 abnormally stops due to software issues. This improves user convenience and the operating efficiency of the injection molding machine 1.

When the FPGA 704A completes processing of step S124, it ends the processing of this flowchart.

Note that if steps S112 to S122 are omitted and the cause of the abnormal stop of CPU 701 is due to software factors (NO in step S106), the CPU 701 may simply be restarted by the process of step S124. This is because even in the case of a program abnormality (bug), the user can grasp the program abnormality from the situation where multiple restarts occur consecutively due to the abnormal stop of CPU 701.

[Action]
Next, the operation of the injection molding machine 1 (controller 700) according to this embodiment will be described.

In this embodiment, the injection molding machine 1 includes a clamping device 100, an injection device 300, an ejector device 200, and a controller 700. Specifically, the clamping device 100 clamps the mold device 10. The injection device 300 fills the mold device 10 clamped by the clamping device 100 with molding material. The ejector device 200 removes the molded product from the mold device 10 after the molding material filled by the injection device 300 has cooled and solidified. The controller 700 includes a CPU 701, a status monitoring unit 7041, a diagnosis unit 7042, and a notification unit 7045. More specifically, the status monitoring unit 7041 is provided separately from the CPU 701, and monitors the status of the CPU 701. Furthermore, when the status monitoring unit 7041 detects an abnormal stop of the CPU 701, the diagnosis unit 7042 diagnoses whether or not there is a hardware abnormality related to the operation of the CPU 701. Then, when the diagnosis unit 7042 outputs a diagnosis result indicating that there is a hardware abnormality, the notification unit 7045 notifies the management device 2 and the user terminal 3 of that fact.

As a result, the injection molding machine 1 (controller 700) can prevent a situation in which, for example, when a hardware abnormality related to the operation of the CPU 701 occurs, the user must repeatedly restart the CPU 701 to investigate the cause. In addition, the injection molding machine 1 (controller 700) can prevent a situation in which, for example, when a software (program) abnormality (bug) exists, the user must mistakenly replace hardware such as a board including the CPU 701 due to the phenomenon of continuous abnormal stops of the CPU 701. Therefore, the controller 700 can keep the downtime of the injection molding machine 1 relatively short.

In addition, in this embodiment, the controller 700 may have a startup unit 7043. Specifically, the startup unit 7043 may restart the CPU 701 when the diagnosis unit 7042 outputs a diagnosis result indicating that there is no hardware abnormality related to the operation of the CPU 701.

This allows the injection molding machine 1 (controller 700) to automatically restart the CPU 701 if there is no abnormality in the hardware. Therefore, the injection molding machine 1 (controller 700) can eliminate the need for the user to manually start the CPU 701, improving user convenience. Furthermore, by restarting the CPU 701, the injection molding machine 1 (controller 700) can notify the user that there is no hardware abnormality related to the operation of the CPU 701.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the number of times the status monitoring unit 7041 detects an abnormal stop of the CPU 701 due to detection of the abnormal stop of the CPU 701 by the status monitoring unit 7041 and repeated restarts of the CPU 701 by the startup unit 7043 (stop counter C) exceeds a predetermined threshold value Cth, the notification unit 7045 may notify the management device 2 or the user terminal 3 that there is an abnormality (bug) in the software (program) executed by the CPU 701.

As a result, the injection molding machine 1 (controller 700) can determine that there is a software abnormality (bug) based on the phenomenon in which the CPU 701 repeatedly stops abnormally, and notify the user of this via the management device 2 or the user terminal 3. Therefore, the injection molding machine 1 (controller 700) can prompt the user to take action regarding the software abnormality.

In addition, in this embodiment, the controller 700 may have a restoration unit 7044. Specifically, the restoration unit 7044 may automatically restore the software executed by the CPU 701 to an older version when the state monitoring unit 7041 detects an abnormal stop of the CPU 701, and when the number of detections of an abnormal stop of the CPU 701 by the state monitoring unit 7041 due to repeated restarts of the CPU 701 by the startup unit 7043 (stop counter C) exceeds a predetermined threshold value Cth.

This allows the injection molding machine 1 (controller 700) to determine that there is a software abnormality (bug) based on the phenomenon of repeated abnormal stops of the CPU 701, and to automatically restore the software to an older version that is assumed to operate stably. Therefore, the injection molding machine 1 (controller 700) can eliminate the need for the user to manually restore the software to an older version, improving user convenience.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the restoration unit 7044 automatically restores the software to an older version, the notification unit 7045 may notify the management device 2 and the user terminal 3 of this.

This allows the injection molding machine 1 (controller 700) to inform the user that the software has been restored (downgraded) to an older version due to a software abnormality (bug).

In addition, in this embodiment, the startup unit 7043 may restart the CPU 701 when the diagnosis unit 7042 outputs a diagnosis result indicating that there is no hardware abnormality related to the operation of the CPU 701, and when the state monitoring unit 7041 detects an abnormal stop of the CPU 701, and the number of detections of an abnormal stop of the CPU 701 by the state monitoring unit 7041 due to repeated restarts of the CPU 701 by the startup unit 7043 (stop counter C) is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value Cth.

This allows the injection molding machine 1 (controller 700) to restart the CPU 701 only when the CPU 701 is not repeatedly stopped abnormally, i.e., when the cause of the abnormal stop of the CPU 701 is likely to be a soft error. Therefore, the injection molding machine 1 (controller 700) can suppress unnecessary restarts of the CPU 701 in a situation where the CPU 701 is repeatedly stopped abnormally and the cause of the abnormal stop of the CPU 701 is likely to be a software abnormality (bug). In addition, by not restarting the CPU 701 when the CPU 701 is stopped abnormally, the injection molding machine 1 (controller 700) can make the user recognize that the cause of the abnormal stop of the CPU 701 is a software abnormality (bug) and can prompt the user to restore the software. Therefore, the injection molding machine 1 (controller 700) can further suppress the downtime of the injection molding machine 1.

[Transformations/Changes]
Although the embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist described in the claims.

For example, in the above embodiment, a method for dealing with an abnormal stop of the CPU 701 etc. mounted on the controller 700 of the injection molding machine 1 has been described, but a similar method may be applied to the controllers of other industrial machines. Other industrial machines include, for example, stationary machines installed in factories, such as machine tools and production robots. In addition, other industrial machines include, for example, mobile work machines. Mobile work machines include, for example, construction machines such as shovels and bulldozers, agricultural machines such as combine harvesters, and transport machines such as mobile cranes and forklifts.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 injection molding machine 2 management device 3 user terminal 10 mold device 100 mold clamping device 200 ejector device 300 injection device 400 moving device 700 controller 701 CPU (processing circuit)
702 Memory device 702A SRAM
703 Auxiliary storage device 703A Flash memory 703B EEPROM
704 Interface device 704A FPGA
750 Input device 760 Display device 7041 Status monitoring unit (monitoring unit)
7042 diagnosis unit 7043 startup unit 7044 restoration unit 7045 notification unit

Claims (7)

a mold clamping device that clamps the mold device;
an injection unit that fills the mold unit clamped by the mold clamping unit with a molding material;
an ejector device that removes a molded product from the mold device after the molding material filled by the injection device is cooled and solidified;
a control device including: a processing circuit; a monitoring unit provided separately from the processing circuit and monitoring a state of the processing circuit; a diagnosis unit provided separately from the processing circuit and diagnosing the presence or absence of a hardware abnormality related to the operation of the processing circuit when the monitoring unit detects an abnormal stop of the processing circuit; and a notification unit provided separately from the processing circuit and notifying a predetermined upper device of the presence or absence of a diagnosis abnormality in the hardware when the diagnosis unit outputs a diagnosis result indicating that there is an abnormality in the hardware.
Injection molding machine. The control device includes a start-up unit that is provided separately from the processing circuit and restarts the processing circuit when the diagnosis unit outputs a diagnosis result indicating that there is no abnormality in the hardware.
2. The injection molding machine according to claim 1. the notification unit notifies the predetermined higher-level device that there is an abnormality in the software executed by the processing circuit when the number of times the diagnosis unit detects an abnormal stop of the processing circuit exceeds a predetermined threshold due to repeated detection of an abnormal stop of the processing circuit by the diagnosis unit and restart of the processing circuit by the startup unit.
3. The injection molding machine according to claim 2. The control device has a restoration unit that is provided separately from the processing circuit and that automatically restores software executed by the processing circuit to an older version when the detection of an abnormal stop of the processing circuit by the diagnosis unit and the number of detections of the abnormal stop of the processing circuit by the diagnosis unit accompanying repeated restarts of the processing circuit by the startup unit exceed a predetermined threshold value.
3. The injection molding machine according to claim 2. the notification unit notifies the predetermined higher-level device when the software is automatically restored to an older version by the restoration unit;
5. The injection molding machine according to claim 4. the startup unit restarts the processing circuit when the diagnosis unit outputs a diagnosis result indicating that there is no abnormality in the hardware, and when the diagnosis unit detects an abnormal stop of the processing circuit and the number of detections of the abnormal stop of the processing circuit by the diagnosis unit associated with repeated restarts of the processing circuit by the startup unit is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value.
6. An injection molding machine according to any one of claims 2 to 5. A processing circuit;
a monitoring unit provided separately from the processing circuit and monitoring a state of the processing circuit;
a diagnostic unit that is provided separately from the processing circuit and that diagnoses whether or not there is a hardware abnormality related to the operation of the processing circuit when the monitoring unit detects an abnormal stop of the processing circuit;
a notification unit that is provided separately from the processing circuit and that, when the diagnosis unit outputs a diagnosis result indicating that an abnormality exists in the hardware, notifies a predetermined upper device of that fact.
Industrial machinery controller.

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