Monitoring & metering
an intelligent mold sensor system. Monitoring the cavity pressure with direct, indirect or non-contact sensors has proven to be particularly effective, as they provide the highest correlation to component quality. The data measured is compared with automatically or manually defined evaluation elements. Our software checks whether the curves supplied by the sensors pass through the evaluation elements as predefined. If not, the operator will initiate appropriate measures. Pressure and temperature measurements make the melt movement and cooling conditions in the cavity visible. The targeted positioning of the sensors provides the injection molder with fundamental knowledge about the processes in the mold, which is usually a “black box”. As soon as the plastic leaves the nozzle of the injection molding machine, the operators basically have to put their trust blindly into the physical laws in the cavity as well as the viscosity fluctuations of the processed material. Therefore, we can ideally correlate all process data – from the sensor in the cavity to the flow sensor in the temperature control unit – to achieve a more stable process setting and higher product quality at the same time. This can be particularly challenging with multi-cavity molds due to complex rheological dependencies. However, we also offer reliable solutions that react automatically to our sensor signals for these cases. They not only increase the stability of the injection molding process, but also reduce costs and ensure the company’s competitiveness.
defined goals. Once the right data has been collected, the injection molder can effectively optimise the process – and, for example, react to viscosity fluc- tuations, maintain shorter cycle times, increase production efficiency and avoid rejects at an early stage. This is particularly important when using recy- clates – a topic that is becoming increasingly relevant due to legal requirements. Here, we need to keep production fluctuations continuously in check to ensure the required quality. The relevant parameters can be recorded and controlled with the appropriate sensors of process monitoring systems. These systems will regulate the process automatically if there are any deviations. In addition, injection molders receive a fingerprint of the entire process in the form of pressure curves, which are necessary for the required seamless documentation and quality reports.
WHICH ROLE DOES SENSOR TECH- NOLOGY PLAY HERE?
Sensor technology plays a decisive role in this context. Without sensors, there is no data – which is the basis of the transparency needed to optimise the injection molding process. It helps that the machines record values themselves, such as the temperature of the nozzle and the injection molding screw or the injec- tion time. This data is already very useful but in many cases it is not sufficient to examine certain character- istics related to cavities to ensure the best possible quality. The basis for transparent and efficiently controllable injection molding production is therefore
Instrumentation Monthly November 2024
WHAT PITFALLS DO USERS NEED TO BE AWARE OF IF THEY WANT TO REALISE THE FULL POTENTIAL OF DIGITAL SOLUTIONS? It is important to remember: not all data is created equal. The big challenge is data handling. Are the data sets constant, clearly assignable and reliable? Did I accidentally measure an incorrect calibration? And as already mentioned, data collection is not enough; it is only the most basic building block for digitali- sation. You also need digital transmission methods and database solutions that can cope with dynamic production. This means, for example, that thousands of values are transmitted, processed, stored in the correct database and displayed as a curve diagram at the same time. This data must be evaluated and quality decisions must be made in parallel by several machines in very short cycle times.
WHAT SOLUTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THESE CASES?
Real-time monitoring of machine, process and quality parameters require modern injection molding machines and tools equipped with various sensors. However, they equally need integrated process solutions that both document and optimise rele- vant process parameters. The ComoNeo process monitoring system from Kistler, for example, not only precisely measures the cavity pressure, but also compares the resulting measurement curve with the defined target curve. The product quality can then be predicted with the help of artificial intelligence by
ComoNeoPREDICT. The system predicts the product quality with highest model quality on the basis of the cavity pressure so that rejects can be minimised and cycles can be defined as good or bad. AI solutions open up even more possibilities – such as analysing data, making automated predic- tions, and anomaly detection. Here, the key is a modern data platform such as AkvisIO IME from Kistler, which visualises and analyses data from machines and process monitoring systems synchro- nously and across processes. Tool configurations, reference curves and monitoring objects are easily transferred and consistently managed both on the host computer and directly on the machine thanks to seamless synchronisation. They are then imme- diately available as a basis for decision-making. The processed data allows to detect anomalies using machine learning and to draw conclusions about the performance of the entire production system as well as the need for maintenance. Additional inter- pretation steps are no longer needed and the data becomes easier to use.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS BASED ON AI ARE CURRENTLY VERY PRESENT IN MANY AREAS. WHAT OTHER DEVELOP- MENTS CAN INJECTION MOLDERS LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE FUTURE? There is a lot to come! Injection molders will have more and more opportunities to automatically control processes and optimise them. There will also be progress in automated calibration and in the mainte- nance process. Production is becoming increasingly transparent. Systems will correct the smallest devia- tions with the help of production data. To reach these goals, it’s important to equip employees with digitali- sation skills in good time.
Standardising and combining solutions will be an ongoing task in the future. There are currently many isolated solutions on the market, but they don’t always adhere to standards or feature compatible interfaces. Injection molding companies will there- fore have to increasingly operate in a joint system with machine manufacturers, toolmakers, material suppliers and end customers. The more standardised technologies, systems, processes and interfaces are, the easier and faster it will be to drive automation and digitalisation forward so that processes can ultimately be improved holistically.
Kistler
www.kistler.com 57
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