IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,661,838
Granted Patent B2
US 12,661,838 · App. 18/535,138 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Molding management device, production plan generation device, and molding machine control device

Inventors: Kosuke Atsuta (Shiojiri, JP); Yusuke Mitsuma (Shiojiri, JP)
Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
B29C45/76B29C2945/76658B29C2945/76732
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,661,838
App. No.
18/535,138
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A molding management device for managing an injection molding machine includes: a first production unit information generation unit configured to generate first production unit information which is information on a molding job for molding the molded article; a second production unit information generation unit configured to generate second production unit information which is information on a lot of the molded article and is associated with a specific cavity; a first acquisition unit configured to acquire shot identification information which is information on a shot for injecting the molding material into the cavity; a second acquisition unit configured to acquire molded article information which is information on the molded article; and a storage unit. The storage unit stores the first production unit information, the second production unit information, the shot identification information, and the molded article information in association with one another, stores the second production unit information as information on a lower data hierarchy than the first production unit information, and stores the shot identification information as information on a lower data hierarchy than the second production unit information.

Claims (12)

1 . A molding machine control device for controlling an injection molding machine that molds a plurality of molded articles by injecting a molding material into a plurality of cavities of a plurality of molds, the molding machine control device comprising:

a first production unit information acquisition unit configured to acquire first production unit information which is information on a plurality of molding jobs for molding the plurality of molded articles;

a second production unit information acquisition unit configured to acquire second production unit information which is information on a plurality of lots of the plurality of molded articles and is associated with a specific cavity of the plurality of cavities, each of the plurality of jobs having the plurality of lots;

a shot identification information generation unit configured to generate shot identification information, which is information on a plurality of shots for injecting the molding material into the plurality of cavities for each lot of the plurality of lots, each of the plurality of lots having the plurality of shots;

an operation identification information storage unit configured to:

store first operation identification information which is each of the plurality of jobs assigned with the plurality of lots as information on a first lower data hierarchy;

store second operation identification information which is each of the plurality of lots assigned with the plurality of shots as information on a second lower data hierarchy; and

store third operation identification information which is one-to-one relationships between every one of the plurality of cavities and every combination between the plurality of lots and the plurality of shots;

an operation data acquisition unit configured to acquire molding machine operation data which is information on operation data of the injection molding machine;

an operation data storage unit; and

an operation data storage control unit configured to cause the operation data storage unit to store the molding machine operation data and the first, second, and third operation identification information in association with each other as associated data,

wherein the molding machine control device is further configured to provide the associated data to an external management device that is configured to manage a manufacturing system of the plurality of molded articles.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 11, 2023
From: ATSUTA, KOSUKE; MITSUMA, YUSUKE
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065827/0770 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-197653 · Dec 12, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240190057A1 · Jun 13, 2024
References Cited (47)
US 5039463A · Loren · 1991 [cited by examiner]
US 9205587B2 · de Oliveira Antunes · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 9908273B2 · de Oliveira Antunes · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 10307951B2 · de Oliveira Antunes · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10518453B2 · de Oliveira Antunes · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10625456B2 · de Oliveira Antunes · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 11065793B2 · de Oliveira Antunes · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11065794B2 · de Oliveira Antunes · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20140046465A1 · de Oliveira Antunes · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20160052186A1 · de Oliveira Antunes · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20160114513A1 · Tsuchiya · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170151703A1 · de Oliveira Antunes · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20170291343A1 · Uchiyama · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180264701A1 · Galati · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180339443A1 · de Oliveira Antunes · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190184616A1 · de Oliveira Antunes · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190184617A1 · de Oliveira Antunes · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190275719A1 · de Oliveira Antunes · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20210387393A1 · Collins · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220152901A1 · Minowa · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220324149A1 · Otsuki · 2022 [cited by examiner]
CA 2752669A1 · 2011 [cited by examiner]
DE 102020111942A1 · 2020 [cited by examiner]
EP 0461626A2 · 1991 [cited by examiner]
EP 0461627A1 · 1991 [cited by examiner]
JP S59150734A · 1984 [cited by examiner]
JP H0594447A · 1993 [cited by examiner]
JP H08241347A · 1996 [cited by examiner]
JP 2000025079A · 2000 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016083790A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017185711A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
Kazmer et al., “The Process Capability of Multi-Cavity Pressure Control for the Injection Molding Process”, Nov. 1997, Polymer Engineering and Science, vol. 37, No. 11. (Year: 1997). [cited by examiner]
Kazmer, D., “Precision Process Control of Injection Molding”, 2006, Precision Injection Molding. (Year: 2006). [cited by examiner]
Chen et al., “A Review of Current Developments in Process and Quality Control for Injection Molding”, May 2004, Advances in Polymer Technology, vol. 24, No. 3, 165-182 (2005). (Year: 2004). [cited by examiner]
Obielodan et al., “Fabrication of Multi-Material Structures Using Ultrasonic Consolidation and Laser-Engineered Net Shaping”, 2010, Dissertation—Doctor OF Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering, Utah State University. (Ye… [cited by examiner]
Agrawal et al., “Injection-Molding Process Control—A Review”, 1997, Polymer Engineering and Science, Mid-Oct. 1987, Yo/. 27, No. 18. (Year: 1997). [cited by examiner]
Yeung et al., “Injection Moulding, ‘C-Mold’ Cae package, Process Parameter Design and Quality Function Deployment: A case study of intelligent materials processing”, 1997, Journal of Materials Processing Technology 63, … [cited by examiner]
Murthy et al., “Mass Production Tools and Process Readiness for Uniform Parts-Injection Molding Application”, 2017, Mass Production Tools and Process Readiness for Uniform Parts-Injection Molding Application. Journal of… [cited by examiner]
Moayyedian et al., “Gate design and filling process analysis of the cavity in injection molding process”, 2015, Adv. Manuf. (2016) 4:123-133. (Year: 2015). [cited by examiner]
Huzaim et al., “Potential of Rapid Tooling in Rapid Heat Cycle Molding: A Review”, Apr. 2022, Materials, 15, 3725. (Year: 2022). [cited by examiner]
Parizs et al., “Multiple In-Mold Sensors for Quality and Process Control in Injection Molding”, Jan. 2023, Sensors 23, 1735 (Year: 2023). [cited by examiner]
Whlean et al., “Using Additive Manufacturing to Produce Injection Moulds Suitable for Short Series Production”, 29th International Conference on Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing (FAIM2019), Jun. 24-28, … [cited by examiner]
Smud et al., “Advanced Process Control for Injection Molding”, Polymer Engineering and Science, Mid-Aug. 1991, vol. 31, No. 75. (Year: 1991). [cited by examiner]
Kazmer, D., “Multi-Cavity Pressure Control in the Filling and Packing Stages of the injection Molding Process”, Polymer Engineering and Science, Nov. 1997, vol. 37, No. 11. (Year: 1997). [cited by examiner]
Chen et al., “A Review of Current Developments in Process and Quality Control for Injection Molding”, May 2004, Advances in Polymer Technology, vol. 24, No. 3, 165-182. (Year: 2004). [cited by examiner]
Moayyedian et al., “The analysis of short shot possibility in injection molding process”, May 2016, Int J Adv Manuf Technology 91:3977-3989. (Year: 2016). [cited by examiner]
Agrawal et al., “Injection-Molding Process Control—A Review”, Polymer Engineering and Science, Mid-Oct. 1987, Yo/. 27, No. 18. (Year: 1997). [cited by examiner]