METHOD FOR PROVIDING AN OPERATING SYSTEM OF A MACHINE CONTROLLER

Abstract

By means of the method, an operating system (B) of a machine controller for an injection molding machine (SGM) for processing plastics is provided on a target system (Z) having a processor (P), which target system is independent of the injection molding machine. For this purpose, information about an operating system (B) of a machine controller (MS) of an injection molding machine (SGM) is provided, which operating system can be configured or adapted to the characteristics of the injection molding machine (SGM) by means of configuration data of a first machine configuration (MK1). The operating system (B) is installed with all the configuration data as a digital twin on the target system (Z), using a hardware-independent app to convert the information for the target system. On the target system (Z), a new setting dataset (EDl) is created or an existing setting dataset (EDl) for producing injection-molded parts is changed, the setting dataset being able to run on the injection molding machine (SGM, SGM1). The setting dataset (EDw) created or changed on the target system (Z) is transferred to the injection molding machine (SGM) and the injection molding machine is operated therewith.

Claims

1. Method for providing an operating system of a machine control system for an injection molding machine for processing plastics and other plasticizable masses on a target system with a processor, said target system being independent of the injection molding machine, comprising the following steps: (a) providing information relating to an operating system of a machine control system of a first injection molding machine, said operating system being configurable or adaptable by means of configuration data of a first machine configuration to the properties of the first injection molding machine, (b) providing a hardware-independent App for the operating system of the machine control system, (c) installing the operating system for the machine control system with all the configuration data as a digital twin on the target system using the hardware-independent App for converting the information relating to the operating system of the machine control system to the target system, wherein a configuration file of the machine control system is adapted bidirectionally converted to the target system for offline creation or modification of settings datasets, (d) creating at least one new settings dataset, or modifying at least one existing settings dataset on the target system for producing injection molded parts, which settings dataset is executable on the first injection molding machine, (e) transferring a further settings dataset created or modified on the target system to the first injection molding machine, (f) operating the first injection molding machine with the further settings dataset.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the digital twin is operated in at least one mode of operating it on the target system offline from the first injection molding machine or operating it on the target system as a platform solution in a cloud.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein it further comprises the steps: (g) transferring the at least one settings dataset that is executable on the first injection molding machine to the target system, (h) providing product information to the target system relating to a product to be produced on an injection molding machine as an injection molded part, (i) calculating the further settings dataset for producing the product to be produced using the information relating to the first machine configuration and the at least one settings dataset executable on the injection molding machine, on the target system, wherein the calculation takes place on a processor without a postprocessor and without a virtual model of the injection molding machine, (j) transferring the further settings dataset from the target system to the first injection molding machine or at least one other injection molding machine, (k) operating the first injection molding machine or another injection molding machine with the further settings dataset for producing the product to be produced.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein further comprise-sing the step: providing an expert knowledge set regarding which components and which configurations a machine configuration must have so that the further settings dataset is executable on an injection molding machine.

5. Method according to one of the claim 4, wherein comprises the further steps: checking after step on the basis of at least one of the expert knowledge set and of the machine configuration present on the injection molding machine, whether the further settings dataset is executable on the first injection molding machine, if the answer is positive, carrying out steps (j) and (k), if the answer is negative, determining a necessary machine configuration, if a plurality of injection molding machines is available at a user, determining whether a required machine configuration is present on another of the injection molding machines available at the user and transferring the further settings dataset to the identified other injection molding machine, if no other injection molding machine is identifiable, notifying the user.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the notification of the user contains information concerning with which components a machine configuration can be adapted and reconfigured so that the further settings dataset is executable on the injection molding machine.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein a machine configuration of an injection molding machine is identified in the direction toward the processor by means of an identifier, under which a current machine configuration is stored in a database in which at least one of the following information items is contained: configuration data, knowledge data of an expert knowledge set, software functionality data of the operating system of the machine control system or the injection molding machine.

8. Method according to claim 1, comprising the steps: providing a database, in which the following information items are contained: current equipment and machine configuration of an identifiable injection molding machine, further extension possibilities of the equipment and the machine configuration of the identifiable injection molding machine, wherein the following information items are contained at least partially: history of the identifiable injection molding machine with regard to a delivery status and later reconfigurations, service history with regard to service operations carried out, datasets already created on the identifiable injection molding machine which were executable for a production of products on the identifiable injection molding machine, if a plurality of injection molding machines is available at a user, association and linking of this plurality of injection molding machines, contacting the database by the processor for at least one of obtaining further information and reconciliation of information.

9. Method according to claim 14, comprising associating the processor with the database at the manufacturer and carrying out the method on the processor at the manufacturer.

10. Method according to claim 3, comprising the step if a plurality of injection molding machines is available at a user, determining a preselection of injection molding machines suitable for the further settings dataset according to step (i) of claim 3.

11. Method according to claim 7, comprising the steps: providing update information for an injection molding machine on the database, wherein the update information comprises at least one updates for the machine configuration and a functional scope of the injection molding machine modified thereby, providing a new settings dataset for the injection molding machine on a basis of the update information.

12. Method according to one of claim 1 comprising the steps: providing a similarity assistant for identifying similarities between already produced products and products to be produced and between machine configurations with which products have already been produced and are to be produced using injection molding machines that exist with different users, using the identified similarities for at least one of creating the at least one new settings dataset, or for modifying the at least one existing settings dataset or for calculating a further settings dataset.

13. Method according to claim 7, wherein the identifier is a machine number under which the current machine configuration is stored in the database.

14. Method according to claim 8, wherein providing a database is providing a database at the manufacturer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0025] The disclosure is described in greater detail below, referring to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, in which:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an injection molding machine cooperating with a processor which has access to a database, if needed,

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of the processor and the information accessible to it,

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a plurality of injection molding machines connected to a local database,

[0029] FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram for the creation of an executable settings dataset,

[0030] FIG. 5 shows a modified method sequence with integrated executability checking.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The disclosure will now be described in greater detail, using examples, referring to the attached drawings. The exemplary embodiments are merely examples, however, which should not be regarded as restricting the inventive concept to a particular arrangement. Before the disclosure is described in detail, it should be noted that it is not restricted to the respective components of the device and the respective method steps, since these components and methods can vary. The expressions used here are intended only to describe particular embodiments and are not used restrictively. Furthermore, where the singular or the indefinite article are used in the description or the claims, this relates also to a plurality of these elements, provided it is not clearly indicated otherwise in the overall context.

[0032] The Figures show a method that is suitable for providing an operating system B of a machine control system MS for an injection molding machine SGM, SGM.sub.1 for processing plastics and other plasticizable masses. The operating system B of the machine control system MS is thereby provided on a target system Z which is independent of the injection molding machine, having a processor P. This is described below referring to FIG. 1 in conjunction with FIG. 4.

[0033] According to the disclosure, in principle, it is to be made possible to use a copy of an operating system of a machine control system on any desired computer. This preferably identical copy is installed on a target system Z so that only the specific requirements for the display device and the input and output unit predetermined by the target system are adapted during the installation. For this purpose, the drivers that are specific for the target system Z and different from the machine control system MS are installed. For this, a hardware-independent App is provided for the operating system B of the machine control system MS (steps 102, 103). Similarly, information items relating to the operating system B of the machine control system MS of a first injection molding machine SGM, SGM.sub.1 are provided, said operating system being configurable or adaptable (step 101) by means of configuration data of a first machine configuration MK.sub.1 to the properties of the first injection molding machine SGM, SGM.sub.1. In this way, the machine control system MS and/or its operating system B is in and of itself adapted to the properties of the actually available injection molding machine.

[0034] With the preferably identical configuration file of the machine control system MS, possibly bidirectionally converted to the respective input and output units of the systems used and, in particular, of the target system Z preferably used offline, the machine control system MS thus also becomes a control copy in the form of a digital twin of the real machine (step 104).

[0035] On the target system Z, at least a new, further settings dataset ED.sub.w can now be created or at least an existing settings dataset ED.sub.l can be modified which is executable for producing injection molded parts on the injection molding machine SGM, SGM.sub.1 (step 105). This is shown in FIG. 1, in which the injection molding machine SGM at bottom center in FIG. 1 is connected to the processor P of the target system Z. From there, the executable settings dataset ED.sub.l can be used in order to generate a further settings dataset ED.sub.w and possibly to return it to the injection molding machine. For this purpose, the further settings datasets ED.sub.w created or modified on the target system Z are transferred to the first injection molding machine SGM, SGM.sub.1 (step 106). There, the injection molding machine can be operated (step 107) with the dataset ED.sub.w created or modified on the target system.

[0036] Preferably, the digital twin of the machine control system MS can be operated on the target system Z offline from the first injection molding machine SGM, SGM.sub.1 and/or on the target system as a platform solution in the cloud. In particular, for this purpose, an identification is possibly required using an identifier Ident. While during local operation of the machine according to the method, the machine can be identified by the machine number, and the associated data are present on a local server, a customer identifies himself in a cloud solution by means of a key or a password assigned to the customer. In each case, the respective datasets are transportable and are tested as system files for the respective machine in the context of the processing.

[0037] According to the method, a first settings dataset ED.sub.l that is executable on the first injection molding machine is transferred to the target system Z, wherein at this time point, information items relating to the operating system B of the machine control system MS (steps 101, 112 in FIG. 5) are already present. Additionally, product information items PI according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 5 (step 113) are provided relating to a product to be produced as an injection molded part on an injection molding machine. Using the information relating to the first machine configuration MK.sub.1 and the settings dataset ED.sub.l that is executable on the injection molding machine, a further settings dataset ED.sub.w for producing the product to be produced is now calculated (step 114), wherein the calculation according to FIG. 1 takes place on a processor P. For this purpose, neither a postprocessor nor a virtual model of the injection molding machine is needed.

[0038] Subsequently, the further settings dataset calculated on the digital twin is transferred to the first injection molding machine SGM.sub.1 or at least one other injection molding machine SGM, SGM.sub.2, . . . , SGM.sub.x, as set out for the last case illustrated in FIG. 3. The respective injection molding machine can thus be operated with the further settings dataset ED.sub.w for producing the product to be produced.

[0039] FIGS. 1 and 2 show that, if relevant, an expert knowledge set K is provided. This expert knowledge set K contains information regarding which components and which configuration a machine configuration MK must have so that a further settings dataset ED.sub.w is or will be executable on an injection molding machine.

[0040] It is advantageous if at this time point, i.e. after the provision of the settings dataset and possibly also on the basis of the expert knowledge set K, it is checked whether the further settings dataset ED.sub.w is at all executable (step 115) on the first injection molding machine SGM.sub.1. If this is the case, the respective injection molding machine SGM.sub.1 can obtain the settings dataset ED.sub.w and can thus also be operated (steps 116, 122).

[0041] If, however, this is not the case, the processor is capable, on the basis of the information provided to it, to determine a machine configuration MK.sub.n (step 117) for the production of an injection molded part to be produced. In this case, in the next step, it is enquired firstly whether a plurality of injection molding machines is available at a user in order to ascertain whether a required machine configuration MK.sub.n is present at another injection molding machine SGM.sub.2, . . . , SGM.sub.x at the user. If this is the case, the injection molded part to be produced can be operated on the identified other injection molding machine with the further settings dataset ED.sub.w. If, therefore, another suitable machine can be identified in step 118, the settings dataset according to step 119 is transferred to the identified injection molding machine and this can be operated accordingly as per step 122. If no other injection molding machine is identified, the user is notified accordingly.

[0042] This notification has the advantage for the user that he is now informed that the product cannot be produced at the moment on his injection molding machine. In this way, action can be taken in good time to initiate corresponding reconfiguration work or for alternatives to be considered. Preferably, the notification of the user includes information concerning with which components the machine configuration MK.sub.1, MK can be adapted and reconfigured so that the further settings dataset ED.sub.w is executable on the injection molding machine (step 120). In principle, the user receives information therewith regarding how he can reconfigure his machines so that a production of the injection molded part to be produced becomes possible. If the injection molding machine has been reconfigured accordingly, then the new settings database ED.sub.n can be transferred to the correspondingly reconfigured injection molding machine SGM.sub.n (step 121) and the injection molding machine can be operated accordingly (step 122).

[0043] According to FIG. 1, the machine configuration MK.sub.1, MK of an injection molding machine SGM, SGM.sub.1 is preferably identified towards the processor P by means of an identifier Ident which is preferably the machine number or a password or key known to the user in such a way that an access to the current machine configuration in a database DB is provided. This database contains at least the following information: [0044] configuration data of a machine configuration MK, MK.sub.1, MK.sub.w, MK.sub.2, . . . , MK.sub.x [0045] knowledge data of an expert knowledge set K, [0046] software functionality data of the operating system B of the machine control system MS or the injection molding machine.

[0047] As shown at the top in FIG. 1, this database also has further information since preferably in this database which is particularly preferably a database at the manufacturer, the following information is available to access: [0048] current equipment E and machine configuration MK of a respective injection molding machine identifiable with the identifier Went, [0049] information regarding further extension possibilities M of the equipment E as well as the machine configuration MK of the respective identifiable injection molding machine.

[0050] Optionally, the following information can also be present at least partially in the database DB: [0051] a history H of the identifiable injection molding machine with regard to the delivery status and later reconfigurations undertaken since delivery, [0052] a service history WH relating to service operations undertaken, [0053] information relating to datasets D already created on the injection molding machine in the past which were executable on the injection molding machine for the production of injection molded parts, [0054] if a plurality of injection molding machines is operated at the user, an association and linking of this plurality of injection molding machines to one another.

[0055] Preferably, the processor P can contact the database DB to receive further information and/or for reconciliation information, in particular if what is required is to create a correspondingly adapted further settings dataset ED.sub.w.

[0056] It is also advantageous if the database DB shown at top in FIG. 1 is present externally, that is, for example at the manufacturer and an association of the processor P with this database DB takes place. In this case, the method can also be carried out on a processor P at the manufacturer. The data can be provided to the user in any desired manner, whereby access via an app, via the Internet or a cloud-based solution are conceivable.

[0057] If a plurality of injection molding machines is available at the user, then it is also possible to determine a preselection of machines that are suitable for the further settings dataset ED.sub.w and also to condition these accordingly. This provides the possibility of creating operational planning for the user in order to be able to produce high value injection molded parts as efficiently and effectively as possible in a time-optimized manner.

[0058] With all this information, the processor P is capable, in accordance with FIG. 2, given the existence of an execution-capable settings dataset ED.sub.l with an expert knowledge set K relating to possible machine configurations and settings datasets, to propose a new machine configuration MK.sub.n and to generate a further settings dataset ED.sub.w. Similarly, however, the processor P is also capable, without knowledge of an existing settings dataset ED.sub.l, of generating a new settings dataset ED.sub.n.

[0059] In addition, update information for an injection molding machine can be provided on the database DB, this update information comprising, in particular, updates for the machine configuration MK and a thereby modified functional scope of the injection molding machine. It is thereby possible, for example, to provide a new settings dataset ED.sub.n which can be, or at least could be, executed on the injection molding machine on the basis of the update information. This gives the user the possibility of informing himself regarding with which update he can, where relevant, operate his machine still more efficiently.

[0060] With the database DB, in particular, if it is provided at the manufacturer, similarities can also be identified by means of the similarity assistant SA shown on the right side in FIG. 1. For this purpose, anonymized similarities between already produced products and products to be produced are preferably also made available, such as similarities between machine configurations MK with which products have already been produced, and machine configurations with which products are to be produced. This takes place using injection molding machines SGM which are preferably present with different users, in order thereby to make an information pool usable. The similarities identified are then used to create the at least one new, or to modify the at least one existing, settings dataset ED.sub.l and/or to calculate the further settings dataset ED.sub.w.

[0061] It goes without saying that this description may be subject to the most diverse modifications, changes and adaptations which are within the range of equivalents to the attached claims.