Injection mould measurement system for increasing manufacturing control and production quality

Tool and mould making is one of the most important sectors of industrial manufacturing. Currently, over a third of polymer products are manufactured by injection moulding or stamping. These processes are complex, as the melted or heated polymers are subject to thermomechanical changes. Since injection moulding and stamping are mostly used for mass production, process repeatability and quality of the final product are very important. Improper adjustments of process variables lead to various defects in the final product along with high amount of waste and rejects. The need for measurement and control of the process is mandatory. Frequently, the tool is not operated by the owner of the mold or the end user of the plastic components, respectively, but by an injection molding service provider within the supply chain. Consequently, it is impossible for the tool owner to trace the quality of parts regarding the parameters applied for processing. This is crucial information to connect parts outside the tolerances to the respective process characteristics. The increase of quality in the production is achievable through correlating the processing parameters applied with the produced components. Therefore, the aim of the research herein is to develop an autonomous sensor system for monitoring injection moulding and stamping processes. The system comprises an external component of the tool in order to record and document the parameters applied such as tool temperature, pressure, number of machined parts and geolocation among others. In conjunction with a connected laser marking system for injection moulding, the unique identification of the components and the unchangeable connection of the production parameters with an individual component is enabled. The direct technological added value is given by the fact that the customer is able to monitor the production at any time, any place, comparing the actual production with the agreed and specified conditions. Furthermore, this information enables the creation of new business models for the tool owner. Even though this work is at initial stages, the preliminary results detailed herein are rather encouraging.