The New Selogica “Set-up Assistant”

module enables menu-guided,

accompanied set-up, or so-called

“teaching”, of the entire injection moulding

process in only five steps

Arburg has launched a new Selogica “Set-up Assistant” module that enables installation technicians to perform simple, quick and reliable set-up of Allrounder injection moulding machines without detailed knowledge of the control system. The set-up assistant accompanies the installation technician throughout the set-up process, from installation of the mould through to automatic initial calculation of the parameters and the finished sequence.

In the first step of five steps, the installation technician selects the necessary machine functions with which the Allrounder is to operate, such as ejector, core pull or sorter unit. The available selection options depend on the machine equipment.

In the second step, the set-up assistant actively supports mould installation. It specifies the optimum sequence of operating steps. These only need to be consecutively performed and confirmed. The installation technician selects the necessary sub-sequences, such as referencing (zeroing) of individual machine axes in a central screen page and starts them with the single push of a button. The control system then performs the relevant task automatically. A schematic display acts as an additional guide and no parameter entries are required.

The third step prompts the installation technician to enter the key data for the injection moulding process. This includes the material, screw diameter, mould type, projected area of the moulded part, shot weight, wall thickness and flow paths. Very little product data is thus necessary in order to have all the processing parameters such as temperatures, pressures and speeds calculated automatically by the Selogica control system. An extensive embedded database is used for this purpose.

In step four, the installation technician then determines which parameters the control system is to calculate automatically. Modular selection options make it possible to, for example, redefine only the injection unit temperatures when changing materials. All the other parameters can remain unchanged. Furthermore, on this set-up assistant screen, all the available monitoring and log functions can be automatically initialised “at the click of a button”. The usual entry of parameters in a variety of screens and the selection of various monitoring and log functions “in the depths of the control system” is thus completely dispensed with.

The fifth and last step finally serves to “teach-in” the machine sequence by setting it up following the menu guidance sequence. In other words, all the installation technician has to do is move consecutively to the required positions and confirm them. All the parameter entries, as well as completion of the machine sequence, is performed automatically by the control system. The Selogica system ensures that all the machine functions selected in step one are taught-in. During the accompanying set-up procedure, protection mechanisms, such as the position for mould protection are determined. Once all five steps have been completed, the Allrounder has been fundamentally prepared for operation with very little effort.

Two main advantages of the Selogica “Set-up Assistant” module are of prime importance. Firstly, the installation technician no longer needs expertise in control systems in order to set up the entire injection moulding process. Moreover, preparation of the Allrounder for production is much faster than previously thanks to the high flexibility of the set-up assistant and the automatic functions which run in the background. The new Selogica module is, state Arburg, therefore a further, milestone towards the simple set-up of injection moulding machines.

www.arburg.com