US 7,534,378 B2 · Plastic forming process monitoring and control

Abstract

A method of manufacturing and certifying operation of a system for producing plastic containers using equipment having at least one controllable action that affects quality of containers produced by the equipment includes inspecting raw materials for parameters that affect manufacturability and acceptability of containers produced from such materials, monitoring operation of the equipment including the at least one controllable action, inspecting containers produced by the equipment for variations that affect acceptability of the containers, automatically controlling operation of the equipment to eliminate variations in response to information obtained during the inspecting and monitoring steps, and certifying acceptability of containers produced by the equipment. In one presently preferred embodiment, some or all of these steps can be carried out automatically, such as by a controller that monitors the various steps and operational parameters of the manufacturing process to ensure compliance with predetermined limits for each step and operational parameter.

Claims36

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing and certifying operation of a system for producing plastic containers using equipment having at least one controllable parameter that affects quality of containers produced by such equipment and a controller operable to control said at least one controllable parameter at least when said at least one controllable parameter falls outside of a predetermined limit, which includes:

(a) acquiring information about raw materials including parameters that affect manufacturability and acceptability of containers produced from such materials,
(b) monitoring operation of said equipment, including an injection mold for forming plastic containers and having said at least one controllable parameter,
(c) inspecting containers produced by said equipment for anomalies that affect acceptability of said containers,
(d) based upon information obtained in at least one of said steps (a), (b) and (c), automatically adjusting with the controller, based on at least one predetermined limit, said at least one controllable parameter so that said at least one controllable parameter is within said predetermined limit to eliminate said anomalies, and
(e) based upon information obtained in at least one of said steps (a), (b) and (c), automatically certifying to a customer for the containers acceptability of containers produced by said equipment when said equipment was operating within said predetermined limits when said containers were manufactured and unacceptable anomalies were not detected by inspecting the containers.

2 more elements

A method of manufacturing plastic containers using equipment having at least one controllable parameter that affects quality of containers produced by such equipment and a controller operable to control said at least one controllable parameter at least when said at least one controllable parameter falls outside of a predetermined limit, which includes:

monitoring operation of said equipment, including an injection mold for forming plastic containers and having said at least one controllable parameter,
inspecting containers produced by said equipment for anomalies that affect acceptability of said containers,
automatically adjusting with the controller, based on at least one predetermined limit, said at least one controllable parameter so that said at least one controllable parameter is within said predetermined limit to maintain operation of said equipment within predetermined limits and to eliminate anomalies detected by inspecting the containers, and
automatically certifying to a customer for the containers acceptability of containers produced by said equipment when said equipment was operatinq within said predetermined limits when said containers were manufactured and unacceptable anomalies were not detected by inspecting the containers.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Plastic forming process monitoring and control

Life of this patent

Plastic forming process monitoring and control

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims36