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US 10,773,438 B2Granted
Molding system
AssigneeHusky Injection Molding Systems Ltd.
InventorVijay Gopichand Panjwani
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein, amongst other things, is a molding system (100) comprising control structure that includes a mold (120) that is configured to mold a molded article (180), a controller (170) with which to control the operation of the molding structure, and a vision system (174) with which to appreciate a parameter of the molded article (180) for control of molding system (100).
Claims14
A control structure for use with a molding system comprising:
- a vision system that is configured to appreciate a parameter of a molded article molded by the molding system for controlling operation thereof, the parameter comprising a temperature of the molded article,
- wherein the vision system includes one or more cameras that are configured to provide observations of the parameter of the molded article to one or both of a controller that is associated with the vision system and/or a controller that is associated with the molding system, wherein one or both of the controllers are configured to execute steps to process information received from the camera representative of the parameter of the molded article to control operation of the molding system;
- wherein the molding system includes a post-mold conditioning apparatus that includes:
- a retrieval device that is configured to retrieve the molded article from a mold and to thermally condition the molded article in the process;
- an auxiliary device that is configured to thermally condition the molded article while it is in the retrieval device;
- and
- an air conditioner that is configured to supply, in use, thermally conditioned air to the auxiliary device for thermally conditioning the molded article;
- and
- wherein the one or more cameras of the vision system are positioned to inspect the molded article while it is in the mold;
- and
- wherein the controller is configured to control an operating parameter of the air conditioner of the post-mold conditioning apparatus on the basis of the temperature of the molded article as measured before the molded article is ejected from the mold.
8 more elements
A method of controlling operation of a molding system, comprising:
- executing steps in a controller to process information received from a camera of a vision system representative of a parameter of a molded article molded in the molding system measured by inspecting the molded article while it is in a mold of the molding system within which the molded article is molded before being received by a post-mold conditioning apparatus of the molding system within which the molded article is thermally conditioned after removal from the mold, the post-mold conditioning apparatus including:
- a retrieval device that is configured to retrieve the molded article from the mold and to thermally condition the molded article in the process;
- an auxiliary device that is configured to thermally condition the molded article while it is in the retrieval device;
- and
- an air conditioner that is configured to supply, in use, thermally conditioned air to the auxiliary device for thermally conditioning the molded article,
- the parameter including a temperature of the molded article as measured before the molded article is ejected from the mold;
- and
- controlling the molding system with reference to the parameter of the molded article, wherein the controlling of the molding system includes controlling an operating parameter of the air conditioner of the post-mold conditioning apparatus on a basis of the temperature of the molded article as measured before the molded article is ejected from the mold.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.