INJECTION MOLDING MACHINE WITH GRAPHICS DISPLAY OF METERING CONDITIONS

Abstract: Display for an injection molding machine, characterized in that it is formed so that set values of the metering and kneading conditions can be graphed on a CRT picture frame (20) so as to easily discover errors in the set conditions, includ­ ing the number of revolutions per minute, back pressure and switching position, which are used during metering and kneading operations, of a screw. The number of switching steps in the metering and kneading treatment, and a back pressure, the number of revolutions per minute of a screw and a position to which the screw is to be switched in each switch­ ing step are set through a keyboard (21) and stored in a memory (15). A microcomputer (14) is adapted to dis­ criminate a maximum value of each of the back pressures, the numbers of revolutions per minute of the screw and positions to which the screw is to be switched, and determine the scale factors for the back pressure. revolution number and screw position on the basis of the discriminated maximum values referred to above. The relation between a screw position and its back pressure and the relation between a screw position and the number of revolutions per miinute of the screw are displayed on the CRT picture frame (20) on the basis of the scale factors corresponding to the set back pressure, the set number of revolutions per minute of the screw and the set position in which the screw is to be switched in each step.

Description: 1 ' SPECIFICATION INJECTION MOLDING MACHINE FOR GRAPHICALLY DISPLAYING M TERIVC CONDITIONS Technical Field The present invention relates to an injection molding machine and, more particularly, to graphical display of metering conditions in the injection molding machine. Background Art In typical conventional injection molding machines, metering conditions are set by a switch, and these conditions are displayed upon operation of this switch. Japanese Patent Application No. 59-24701 describes an injection molding machine which numerically displays various set conditions of the injection molding machine using a display device. Disclosure of Invention It is an object of the present invention to graphically display set-values of metering conditions, e.g., a screw rotating speed, a back pressure, a switching position, and the like upon metering. In order to achieve the above object, an injection molding machine of the present invention comprises a setting means for setting the number of switching stages, and a back pressure, a screw rotating speed, and a screw switching position for each stage in a metering process; and a memory means for storing the preset values set by the setting means. The maximum values of the preset and stored back pressures, screw rotating speeds, and screw rotating positions are discriminated by a discriminating means, and scale factors with respect to the back pressure, the rotating speed, and the switching position for scale conversion for displaying a graph are calculated from these maximum values by a scale factor calculating means. The relationship between the screw positions and the back pressures and that between the screw positions and the screw rotat jnq spef'd# are displayed on a display -- - means in t#ccurdanc( with the bark pressures, the screw rotating speeds, and t} scrfw switching positions for the respective staves and the scale factors corresponding thol-eto under the control of a graphic display control mans. In this manner, metering conditions are graphically displayed on the display means. According to the present invention, the preset values of the number of switching stages, and of the back pressures, the screw rotatina speeds, and the screw switching positions for the respective stages upon metering are graphically displayed, so that the back pressures and the screw rotating speeds can be confirmed on a graph in accordance with the screw positions. Therefore, errors of preset values can be easily detect#d, and the metering conditions can be reliably set. Brief Description of Drawings FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an injection molding machine comprising a graphic display function according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 shows a metering condition display on a CRT screen in FTG. 1; and FIG. 3 is a control flow chart for graphic display executed by a computer in FIG. 1. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention FIG. 1 shows an injection molding machine having a metering condition display function according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a screw in the injection molding machine; 2, a heating cylinder; 3, a screw shaft coupled to the screw 1; 4, a screw rotating mechanism driven by a servo motor 6 to rotate the screw 1; 5, an injection driving mechanism driven by a servo motor 8 to drive the screw 1 in its axial direction, thus causing the screw 1 to perform injection; and 10, a servo circuit for executing speed control of the servo motor 6 in accordance with a signal from an incremental type encoder 7 and an instruction from a controller 13. Reference numeral 11 denotes a servo circuit which controls the servo motor 8. The servo circuit 11 controls the rotating speed and rotating position of the servo motor 8 upon reception of an instruction from the controller 13 (to be described later), thereby controlling the axial moving speed (injection speed) and the axial position of the screw 1. Note that reference numeral 9 denotes an incremental type encoder, whose output is connected to the servo circuit 11 to control the rotating speed and position of the screw. The output of the encoder 9 is also connected to a counter 17 of the controller 13, and a current position of the screw 1 can be detected by the counter 17. Reference numeral 12 denotes an analog-to-digital converter (to be referred to as an A/D converter hereinafter). The AID converter 12 receives a signal from a current detector (not shown), which is arranged in the servo circuit 11 to detect a driving current of the servo motor 8, and converts it into a digital signal to output it to the controller 13. The controller 13 controls a back pressure applied to the screw 1 during a metering process by means of a driving current of the servo motor 8. The controller 13 comprises an NC device incorporating a microcomputer. Reference numeral 14 denotes a microcomputer (to be referred to as a CPU hereinafter) in the controller; 16, an input/output circuit, which is connected to the servo circuits 10 and 11 and the AID converter 12 so as to be able to output a signal to the servo circuits 10 and 11 and to receive a signal from the AID converter 12. The counter 17 counts signals from the encoder 9 arranged in the servo motor 8 to detect the position of the screw 1. A memory 15 comprises a ROM for storing a control program for controlling an injection molding machine., a RAM for temporarily storing data, a nonvolatile memory for storing set value of various metering conditions, and the like. Reference numeral 19 denotes a control with a display lto be referred to as MDi & CRT hereinafter). Various instructions are input from a keyboard 21 on the MDi & CRT 19, a setting screen of various conditions is displayed on a CRT screen 20 using soft keys 22, and various conditions are set using the keyboard 21. FIG. 2 shows the setting screen of the metering conditions displayed on the CRT screen 20 upon operation of the soft keys 22. Upon setting of the metering conditions, after the screen is displayed, the number of switching stages, and back pressures P1 to Pn, screw rotating speeds V1 to Vn, and positions L1 to Ln of the screw 1 as switching points for the metering condition in stages 1 to n are set using the keyboard 21; and a screw back Ln as a final switching point, a suck back Ls, and a cooling time Tr are also set. In FIG. 2, reference symbols LO, VO, PO, and TO indicate a current screw position, screw rotating speed, back pressure, and metering time, respectively. After the number of switching stages, and the back pressures, rotating speeds, and switching points for the respective stages are set, coordinate axes of two orthogonal coordinate systems for two graphs G1 and G2 are displayed at predetermined positions on the CRT screen 20. Then, as will be described later, the graph G1 in which a screw position L is plotted along the X axis and a back pressure P is plotted along the Y axis, and the graph G2 wherein the screw position L is plotted along the X axis and a rotating speed V is plotted along the Y axis are displayed. The operation of the graph display apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to the operation flow chart shown in FIG. 3. First, an operator operates a predetermined one of the soft keys 22-1 to 22-10 (FIG. 2) to select the metering condition setting screen. The operator sets the number of switching stages, and the back pressures, screw rotating speeds, and screw positions as the switching points for the respective stages using cursor keys and ten keys of the keyboard 21. When these values are stored in the memory 15, the CPU 14 begins to draw the graphs G1 and G2 shown in FIG. 2. In order to display these graphs, as shown in FIG. 3A, the CPU 14 as the discriminating means judges if the screw back Ln (appendix n indicates a preset switching stage number, and in the graphs G1 and G2 shown in FIG. 2, n = 4) is "0" (step S1). If it is determined that the screw back Ln as the final switching point is "0", this means that no preset values are set. Therefore, no graph display operation is performed. If the screw back Ln is not "0", an index i is set to "1" (step S2), a preset back pressure P1 of the first stage is set in a register R(P) (step S3), and the value in the register R(P) is then compared with a preset back pressure Pi of an ith stage (step S). If the preset back pressure Pi is equal to or larger than the value in the register R(P), the preset back pressure Pi is set in the register R(P) (step S5). (Note that, since i = 1 at the beginning and the value P1 is set in the register R(P), the preset back pressure Pi is equal to the value P1 in the register R(P) compared therewith, thus setting the value P1 in the register R(P).) If the value in the register R(P) is larger than the preset back pressure Pi of the ith stage, the value of the register R(P) is not altered, and the flow advances to step S6. In step S6, the index i is incremented by "1", and it is checked if the index i exceeds the preset number of stages n (step S7). Thus, steps S4 to S7 are repeated until the index i exceeds the number n. When the index i exceeds the preset number of stages n, the maximum preset back pressure for each stage is stored in the register R(P). The CPU 14 as a scale factor calcu)ating means divides a maximum length Xm of the X axis of the graph G1 on the CRT screen 20 with the preset screw back Ln, thereby calculating a scale factor Xc of the X axis (step S8). More specifically, the scale factor Xc for converting the position of the screw 1 onto a position along the X axis is calculated so that the position of the switching point Ln of the final stage corresponding to the screw back Ln coincides with the maximum point Xm of the X axis of the graph G1. Next, it is checked if the register R(P) is "0" (step S9). Since the register R(P) stores the maximum value of the back pressures P1 to Pn set during processing of steps S4 to S7, the value of the register R(P) = 0 means that all the back pressures P1 to Pn are "0". At this time, a scale factor Yc for the Y axis is set to be an appropriate value, e.g., "1" (step S10). If the value of the register R(P) is not "0", a maximum length Ym of the graph G1 is divided with the value of the register R(P) for storing the maximum back pressure, thus calculating the scale factor Yc for the Y axis (step S11). The CPU 14 as a graphic display control means multiplies the back pressure P1 of the first stage with the scale factor Yc for the Y axis to calculate the Y coordinate on the graph G1 with respect to the preset back pressure Pl, and then calculates a point a at a coordinate position (0, YcxPl) on the graph G1. Next, the CPU 14 multiplies the preset switching point L1 of the first stage with the scale factor Xc for the X axis to calculate the X coordinate on the graph G1 corresponding to a position L1 of the screw 1 indicating completion of the first stage, and then calculates a point b at a coordinate position ((XcxLl), (YcxP1)) on the graph G1. Then, the CPU 14 connects the points a and b with a line and displays same (step S12). Thereafter, the index i is set to 11211 (step S13). The CPU 14 multiplies a preset switching point Li-l, i.e., the set switching point L1 of the first stage with the scale factor Xc for the X axis to calculate the X coordinate of the end point of the first stage. The CPU 14 multiplies a preset back pressure Pi-1, i.e., the set back pressure P1 of the first stage with the scale factor Yc for the Y axis to calculate the Y coordinate of the end point of the first stage. From the X and Y coordinates thus obtained, the CPU 14 calculates a point b at a coordinate position f(Xc#Li-1), (Yc#Pi-1) 1 = {(Xc¯L1), (Yc.P1)}. Then, the CPU 14 multiplies the preset back pressure Pi, i.e., the preset back pressure P2 of the second stage with the scale factor Yc to obtain the Y coordinate position (Yc Pi) = (Yc¯P2) of the starting point of the second stage. The CPU 14 thus calculates a point c at a coordinate position {(Xc.Li-1), (Yc.Pi)) = {(Xc-Ll), (Yc P2)} from the thus obtained Y coordinate and the X coordinate (Xc Li-l) = (XcLl) obtained previously. The CPU 14 connects the points b and c with a line and displays it (step 514). Next, the CPU 14 connects a coordinate position {(Xc.Li-1), (Yc.Pi)) = ((Xc¯L1), (YcP2)) of the point c and a point d as the end position of the second stage, and displays them (step S15). More specifically, the point c has been calculated in step S14, and the Y coordinate (Yc.Pi) of the point d has already been calculated. Therefore, the X coordinate of the point d, i.e., the X coordinate of the end point of the second stage is then calculated by multiplying the set switching point Li = L2 with the scale factor Xc for the X axis. As a result, the coordinate position {(Xc.Li), (Yc.Pi)j = {(Xc.L2), (Yc.P2)} of the point d and the coordinate position {(Xc¯Li-1), (Yc.Pi)) = f(Xc.Ll), (ycP2)) of the point c are connected with a line and are displayed (step S15). The index i is incremented by "1" (step 516), and it is checked if the index i has reached the preset number of stages-n (step S17). Steps S14 to S17 are executed until the index i exceeds the ipreset number of stages n. More specifically, if the index i is "3", the line connecting points d and e is displayed in step S14, and the line connecting points e and f is displayed in step S15. If the index i is updated to "4", the line connecting points f and g is displayed in step S14, and the line connecting points g and h is displayed in step 515. In the case of the graph G1, the back pressure P1 and the switching point L1 of the first stage are represented by the points a and b, the back pressure P2 and the switching point L2 of the second stage are represented by the points c and d, the back pressure P3 and the switching point 1.3 of the third stage are represented by the points e and f, and the back pressure and the switching point of the fourth stage are represented by the points g and h. When the index i exceeds n (= 4), the previously obtained coordinate point i(Xc¯Ln), (Yc¯Pn)# = {(Xc.114), (Yc.P4)} of the point h and the coordinate point f(Xc.Ln), 0) = f(Xc.L4), 0J of a point i are connected and displayed (step S18), thus completing display of the graph G1 for the screw L and the back pressure P. Upon completion of display of the graph G1, as shown in FIG. 3C, the index i is again set to "1" (step S19), thus starting processing for displaying the graph G2 representing the relationship between the screw position L and the screw rotating speed. First, a preset rotating speed V1 of the first stage is set in a register R(V), and the same processing as in steps S4 to S7 in FIG. 3A is executed to detect the maximum value of the preset rotating speed V and to store it in the register R(V). More specifically, the value of the register R(V) is compared with a preset rotating speed Vi of an ith stage indicated by the index i (step S21). If the preset rotating speed Vi of the ith stage is larger than the value in the register R(V), it is stored in the register R(V) (step S22), the index i is incremented by "1" (step S23), and steps S21 to S24 are repeated until the index i reaches the preset number of stages n (= 4) (step S24). A maximum length X'm of the X axis of the graph G2 is divided with a switching point Ln (= Il4) of the final stage n (= 4) corresponding to the screw back to calculate the scale factor Xc for the X axis (step S25). Similarly, a maximum length Y'm of the Y axis of the graph G2 is divided with the value of the register R(V) storing the maximum rotating speed to calculate the scale factor Yc for the Y axis (step S26). Then, processing steps S27 to S33 similar to steps S12 to 518 executed in the graph display processing for the graph G1 are executed in accordance with the scale factors Xc and Yc, the preset rotating speeds V1 to Vn (= V4), and the preset screw switching positions L1 to Ln (= L4), thus displaying the graph G2. More specifically, a coordinate position ((0, Yc.Vl)) of a point a' and a coordinate position ((Xc.Li), (Yc.Vl)) of a point b' are connected and displayed (step S27) to display the screw rotating speed V1 of the first stage and the switching point L1 to the second stage. The index i is updated to "2" (step S29), and a coordinate position {(Xc.Li-1), (Yc.Vi-l)} = {(Xc.L1), (Yc¯V1)) of the point b' and a coordinate position {(Xc.Li-1), (Yc.Vi)) = {(XcLl), (Yc.V2) ) of a point c' are connected and displayed (step S29). A coordinate position {(Xc.Ll), (Yc¯V2)) of the point c' and a coordinate position {(Xc.Li), (Yc0Vi)) = ((Xc.L2), (Yc¯V2)) of a point d' are connected and displayed (step S30). Then, after the index i is incremented by "1" (step S31), similar processing (steps S29 and S30) is repeated to sequentially connect and display points d', e', f', g', and h'. When the index i exceeds the preset number of stages n (= 4) (step S32), the point h' ((Xc.Ln), (Yc¯Vn)) = ((Xc.L4), (Yc¯V4)) and the ,point j' ((Xc¯Ln), 0} = ((Xc.L4), o) are connected and displayed (step S33), thus completing the display of the graph G2 representing the relationship between the set screw position and the screw rotating speed. As a result, in the graph G2, a line connecting points a' to b' represents the set screw rotating speed V1 of the first stage and the switching position L1 to the second stage, a line connecting the points c' and d' represents the rotating speed V2 and the switching point L2 of the second stage, a line connecting the points e' and f' represents the rotating speed V3 and the switching point L3 of the third stage, and a line connecting the points g' and h' represents the preset screw rotating speed V4 and the switching screw position L4 of the fourth stage. The set number of stages, and the back pressures, screw rotating speeds and the screw switching positions to the next stages for the respective stages in the metering process are displayed by means of the graphs Cl and G2, and the set conditions are displayed by the graphs, thus allowing easy detection of setting errors. In the above embodiment, the metering conditions are displayed by the two graphs G1 and G2. However, back pressures and screw rotating speeds can be displayed on a single graph. In this case, the back pressures and the screw rotating speeds can be displayed in color using a color display, thus allowing still clearer display.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An injection molding machine comprising: setting means for setting the number of switching stages, and back pressures, screw rotating speeds, and screw switching positions for the respective stages in a metering process; memory means for storing the preset values set by said setting means; discriminating means for discriminating maximum values of the back pressures, the screw rotating speeds, and the screw switching positions which have been set and stored; scale factor calculating means for calculating scale factors with respect to the back pressures, the screw rotating speeds, and the screw switching positions in order to perform scale conversion for graphic display in accordance with the corresponding maximum values; display means; and graphic display control means for displaying the relationship between the screw positions and the back pressures and the relationship between the screw positions and the screw rotating speeds in accordance with the back pressures, the screw rotating speeds, and the screw switching positions for the respective stages, and the scale factors corresponding thereto, wherein metering conditions are graphically displayed on said display means. 2. An injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein said display means comprises a display screen, and said graphic display control means displays the metering conditions on at least one orthogonal coordinate system displayed on said display screen. 3. An injection molding machine according to claim 2, wherein said graphic display means displays the relationship between the screw positions and the back pressures on one of two orthogonal coordinate systems separately displayed on said display screen, and displays the relationship between the screw positions and the screw rotating speeds on the other orthogonal coordinate system.

Inventors: NEKO, NORIAKI
Applicants: FANUC LTD
Application year: 1986
Main classification: B29C45
IPC codes: G09G5, B29B7, B29C45, G05B19