Attachable monitoring device for molding tools

A monitoring device comprising:

• a plurality of sensors configured to collect a plurality of sensor readings associated with operation of an injection press or with a mold usable by the injection press, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a thermocouple, a strain gauge, an inertial measurement unit, a humidity sensor, an accelerometer, and a distance sensor, and wherein the plurality of sensors is configured to collect the plurality of sensor readings when the monitoring device is attached to an exterior of the mold;
• and
• a controller configured to provide the plurality of sensor readings to a first computing device, wherein the first computing device is configured to:
• determine one or more metrics associated with a state of the injection press or a state of the mold, wherein the determining of the one or more metrics comprises applying a machine-learned model to the plurality of sensor readings;
• provide the one or more metrics to a second computing device;
• adjust injection press parameters of a future injection molding operation across a fleet of injection presses or a fleet of molds in response to the one or more metrics;
• receive, from a secondary monitoring device comprising a secondary plurality of sensors, a secondary plurality of sensor readings associated with operation of a secondary injection press or with a secondary mold usable by the secondary injection press, wherein the secondary plurality of sensors comprises a secondary thermocouple, a secondary strain gauge, a secondary inertial measurement unit, a secondary humidity sensor, a secondary accelerometer, and a secondary distance sensor, and wherein the secondary plurality of sensor readings is captured by the secondary monitoring device when the secondary monitoring device is attached to an exterior of the secondary mold;
• determine one or more secondary metrics associated with the fleet of injection presses or the fleet of molds based on the plurality of sensor readings and the second plurality of sensor readings, wherein the fleet of injection presses comprises the injection press and the secondary injection press, and wherein the fleet of molds comprises the mold and the secondary mold;
• provide, to the second computing device or a third computing device, the one or more secondary metrics;
• and
• further adjust the injection press parameters of the future injection molding operation across the fleet of injection presses or the fleet of molds in response to the one or more secondary metrics.

A system comprising:

• a mold usable by an injection press;
• a first computing device;
• a monitoring device attached to the mold, wherein the monitoring device comprises:
• a plurality of sensors configured to collect a plurality of sensor readings associated with operation of the injection press or with the mold, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a thermocouple, a strain gauge, an inertial measurement unit, a humidity sensor, an accelerometer, and a distance sensor, and wherein the plurality of sensors is configured to collect the plurality of sensor readings when the monitoring device is attached to an exterior of the mold;
• and
• a controller configured to provide the plurality of sensor readings to the first computing device;
• and
• a secondary monitoring device, wherein the secondary monitoring device comprises:
• a second plurality of sensors configured to collect a secondary plurality of sensor readings associated with operation of a secondary injection press or with a secondary mold usable by the secondary injection press, wherein the secondary plurality of sensors comprises a secondary thermocouple, a secondary strain gauge, a secondary inertial measurement unit, a secondary humidity sensor, a secondary accelerometer, and a secondary distance sensor, and wherein the secondary plurality of sensor readings is captured by the secondary monitoring device when the secondary monitoring device is attached to an exterior of the secondary mold;
• and
• a secondary controller configured to provide the secondary plurality of sensor readings to the first computing device,
• wherein the first computing device is configured to:
• determine one or more metrics associated with a state of the injection press or a state of the mold, wherein the determining of the one or more metrics comprises applying a machine-learned model to the plurality of sensor readings;
• provide the one or more metrics to a second computing device;
• adjust injection press parameters of a future injection molding operation across a fleet of injection presses or a fleet of molds in response to the one or more metrics;
• determine one or more secondary metrics associated with the fleet of injection presses or the fleet of molds based on the plurality of sensor readings and the second plurality of sensor readings, wherein the fleet of injection presses comprises the injection press and the secondary injection press, and wherein the fleet of molds comprises the mold and the secondary mold;
• provide, to the second computing device or a third computing device, the one or more secondary metrics;
• and
• further adjust the injection press parameters of the future injection molding operation across the fleet of injection presses or the fleet of molds in response to the one or more secondary metrics.

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a first computing device and from an array of acoustic sensors, a plurality of sensor readings associated with operation of an injection press or with a mold usable by the injection press, wherein the plurality of sensor readings is collected by the array of acoustic sensors when the array of acoustic sensors is arranged in an interior of the mold;
• determining, by the first computing device, one or more metrics associated with a state of the injection press or a state of the mold, wherein the determining of the one or more metrics comprises applying a machine-learned model to the plurality of sensor readings;
• providing, by the first computing device to a second computing device, the one or more metrics;
• adjusting injection press parameters of a future injection molding operation across a fleet of injection presses or a fleet of molds in response to the one or more metrics;
• receiving, by the first computing device and from a secondary array of acoustic sensors, a secondary plurality of sensor readings associated with operation of a secondary injection press or with a secondary mold usable by the secondary injection press, wherein the secondary plurality of sensor readings is collected by the secondary array of acoustic sensors when the secondary array of acoustic sensors is arranged in an interior of the secondary mold;
• determining, by the first computing device, one or more secondary metrics associated with the fleet of injection presses or the fleet of molds based on the plurality of sensor readings and the second plurality of sensor readings, wherein the fleet of injection presses comprises the injection press and the secondary injection press, and wherein the fleet of molds comprises the mold and the secondary mold;
• providing, by the first computing device to the second computing device or a third computing device, the one or more secondary metrics;
• and
• further adjusting the injection press parameters of the future injection molding operation across the fleet of injection presses or the fleet of molds in response to the one or more secondary metrics.