An apparatus and method for establishing triggers for the opening of one or multiple gates to a mold cavity of an injection molding system, followed by a sequence of predetermined valve pin movements over the course on an injection cycle. In one embodiment, the invention provides a graphical user interface and control system enabling a user to select from and arrange a plurality of virtual icons into a user-defined virtual sequence that define associated triggering events and actuator controlled pin movements over the course of an injection cycle. In various embodiments, the apparatus and method allows the system operator to view a simulated profile of such triggers and movements and to compare the simulated profile to an actual profile to access differences and make adjustments to the triggers and sequencing more quickly and efficiently. This is particularly useful in sequential molding systems where multiple gates need to be programmed and adjusted to compensate for variations from a predetermined sequence.

A method for monitoring an installation having a networked topology, wherein measured values characterizing a state of the installation at the measuring point in question are captured and transmitted to a control-center apparatus, which determines state values indicating a state of the installation. The state values are used to show the state of the installation and they are compared with state threshold values that bound an operating range of the installation. A graphical representation is produced only for those state values for which a past or imminent violation of the associated state threshold value is detected. A visual display of a network topology is displayed on a display. Location information indicating the position of the state value in question in the installation is associated with each of the state values, and each representation is displayed at the point corresponding to the position of the representation in the installation.

An apparatus and method for establishing triggers for the opening of one or multiple gates to a mold cavity of an injection molding system, followed by a sequence of predetermined valve pin movements over the course on an injection cycle. In one embodiment, the invention provides a graphical user interface and control system enabling a user to select from and arrange a plurality of virtual icons into a user-defined virtual sequence that define associated triggering events and actuator controlled pin movements over the course of an injection cycle. In various embodiments, the apparatus and method allows the system operator to view a simulated profile of such triggers and movements and to compare the simulated profile to an actual profile to access differences and make adjustments to the triggers and sequencing more quickly and efficiently. This is particularly useful in sequential molding systems where multiple gates need to be programmed and adjusted to compensate for variations from a predetermined sequence.

A method for monitoring an installation having a networked topology, wherein measured values characterizing a state of the installation at the measuring point in question are captured and transmitted to a control-center apparatus, which determines state values indicating a state of the installation. The state values are used to show the state of the installation and they are compared with state threshold values that bound an operating range of the installation. A graphical representation is produced only for those state values for which a past or imminent violation of the associated state threshold value is detected. A visual display of a network topology is displayed on a display. Location information indicating the position of the state value in question in the installation is associated with each of the state values, and each representation is displayed at the point corresponding to the position of the representation in the installation.