injection Moulding

[Richie Crowe]

Hi there, I’m currently studying mechatronics in Sligo institute of Technology in Ireland and we have to do a SCADA project using LabVIEW to control an injection moulding process. I work in the Water and waste water treatment area so I’ve no experience of Injection Moulding. I was wondering if anyone would have any screen shots of what an injection moulding SCADA interface would look like or a schematic/P&ID  of an injection moulding process. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Regards

Richard Crowe

[MattBradley]

Hey Richard,

I have a friend who runs an injection molding plant and I was just over there last week.  Not sure you're going to like my answer...no interface at all.  They don't have PC's hooked up to the tooling.  Very modern plant too.  So, I guess you can make one up.  Anybody else have any ideas?

[Ray.R]

With injection moulding, you have temperature (temperature sensor), pressure (pressure sensor), raw material (volume / displacement), possibly a mix of material if your dealing with certain hybrids (weight / volume measuremen), mould alignment (vision - although it may be taken care of mechanically, so switches or other mechanical sensor), and whatever other means that may be required for your specific requirement.  

The system may want to count the number of injections in order to determine wear or maintenance on the mould.  

If you provide more description, maybe we can suggest more ideas or find out who can help you.  LabVIEW can interface to any of the transducers listed above through some sort of DAQ device or something that will translate a voltage / signal to a digital value.

R

[Richie Crowe]

Thanks anyway Lads

[Jeremy_T]

Hi Richard

I've been looking into this for you to see whether I can find any examples, but unfortunately I've not had any luck. I think as far as interfaces go, it's down to how you would like it to appear really. If anyone else has experience of creating SCADA interfaces in the past they may be able to give you some examples.

Here's a couple of links that may be of use when it comes to creating an interface of your own:

http://www.ni.com/swf/presentation/us/labview/newdsc/default.htm

http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/5970

Sorry I've not been able to provide you with more than this, but I hope this is of use.

Kind Regards

[Cormac L]

Hi Richie,

I wonder how you got on with this? I too am doing this course this year and have to do this project but don't know where to start.

[S1ack]

There are full manuals for Gefran's 'Extru-PAK' product - but not available for download. Perhaps if you ask the Italians nicely they will forward you a manual.

In any case several screen shots of their injection package can be found here. As well as extrusion and blow moulding.

They use Borland Jbuilder on Linux and a raft other bits and pieces.....still they manage to pull off dynamically configured interfaces - all the user has to do is edit txt files and ftp them over....

[mikeporter]

It has been my experience that trying to duplicate an existing computer interface is in the end not very helpful. The problem is that the interface you're trying to copy was usually designed by someone who (truth be known) didn't know what was really needed and so they put something together that they thought looked "ok".

<sarcasm>Heaven forbid they should actually talk to the operators! What could operators possibly know? They don't even have degrees. They only work on the system, or one like it, 8 - 12 hours a day.</sarcasm>

My advice is never mind finding out what other people have done. Talk to people that are using similar systems (which includes those who will be supporting it as well) and find out what they need, what they like and what they don't like. Use that input to design your interface. You may come up with an interface that looks like nothing else that's been done before, but who cares? The goal is to produce a usable and useful User Interface.

Mike...

PS: I know this is probably heretical, but all data doesn't display in digital form. Panel meters still have their place.

[isitthereur]

Tell me about it... I think I am on the same course as yer self.. feeling as serious knowledge at the moment. 

[johnnybravo.]

hi cormac 

i have the same question to you how did this go for you i am doing the same assignment at the moment.