Modular control system for a glass forming machine
AssigneeFutronic Co., Ltd.
InventorWolfgang Lachmann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to the provision of a modular control system for a glass forming machine. The glass forming machine control system comprises one central control unit (20) and one machine control unit (22), which are connected via a high-speed data bus (32). The machine control unit (22) is spread out to a plurality of peripheral control units (24, . . . , 30) via a plurality of high-speed data buses (34, . . . , 40). The machine control unit (22) is adapted to distribute control signals received from the central control unit (20) to the peripheral control units (24, . . . , 30) in real time.
Claims25
Modular control system for a glass forming machine, comprising:
- at least one central control unit;
- at least one machine control unit being connected to the central control unit via a data bus;
- a plurality of peripheral control units being connected to the machine control unit via related data buses;
- wherein
- the machine control unit is adapted to distribute control information received via the data bus to the plurality of peripheral control units in real time.
Valve block connector for a valve block operated in combination with an glass forming machine, comprising:
- a housing;
- and
- a valve control unit being accommodated in the housing and adapted to control at least one valve of the valve block in response to a control signal supplied to the valve block connector.
Method of controlling a glass forming machine having an operating cycle dividing into a plurality of operating sub-cycles, comprising the steps:
- issuing a plurality of commands from a central control unit to at least one peripheral unit in sequence during each operating sub-cycle;
- and
- collecting feedback information during at least one operating sub-cycle and determining on control for the next sub-cycle in dependence of the feedback information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.