Blow molder control systems and methods
AssigneeAGR International, Inc.
InventorsGeorg V. Wolfe, Jeff Schneider, William E. Schmidt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods control the operation of a blow molder. An indication of a crystallinity of at least one container produced by the blow molder may be received along with a material distribution of the at least one container. A model may be executed, where the model relates a plurality of blow molder input parameters to the indication of crystallinity and the material distribution and where a result of the model comprises changes to at least one of the plurality of blow molder input parameters to move the material distribution towards a baseline material distribution and the crystallinity towards a baseline crystallinity. The changes to the at least one of the plurality of blow molder input parameters may be implemented.
Claims21
A blow molder apparatus comprising:
- a blow molder that forms blow-molded containers;
- an inspection system for inspecting the blow-molded containers after formation by the blow molder, wherein the inspection system comprises a birefringence sensor for sensing light energy passing through the blow-molder containers after formation of the blow-molded containers by the blow molder:
- and
- a control system in communication with the inspection system, wherein the control system comprises a processor that is configured to control a blow molder parameter of the blow molder based on outputs from the birefringence sensor, wherein the blow molder parameter is used to control an aspect of formation of the blow-molded containers by the blow molder.
A method of manufacturing containers, the method comprising:
- forming blow-molded containers with a blow molder;
- illuminating, with a light energy from a light source, the blow-molded containers as the blow-molded containers travel along a travel path after formation by the blow-molder, wherein the light source is on a first side of the travel path;
- sensing, by a birefringence sensor on a second side of the travel path, a birefringence of the light energy from the light source passing through the blow-molded containers as the blow-molded containers travel along the travel path;
- and
- controlling the formation process of the blow-molded containers by the blow molder with a control system that is in communication with the birefringence system, wherein controlling the forming process comprises determining, by the control system, a blow molder parameter for the blow molder, wherein the blow molder parameter controls an aspect of the formation of the blow-molded containers by the blow molder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.