US20020084293A1 - System for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine - Google Patents
System for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine Download PDFInfo
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- US20020084293A1 US20020084293A1 US09/751,560 US75156001A US2002084293A1 US 20020084293 A1 US20020084293 A1 US 20020084293A1 US 75156001 A US75156001 A US 75156001A US 2002084293 A1 US2002084293 A1 US 2002084293A1
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- Prior art keywords
- weight
- portions
- material hopper
- hopper
- outlet
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C45/00—Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor
- B29C45/17—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
- B29C45/76—Measuring, controlling or regulating
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29B—PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
- B29B7/00—Mixing; Kneading
- B29B7/02—Mixing; Kneading non-continuous, with mechanical mixing or kneading devices, i.e. batch type
- B29B7/22—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
- B29B7/24—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations for feeding
- B29B7/242—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations for feeding in measured doses
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29B—PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
- B29B7/00—Mixing; Kneading
- B29B7/30—Mixing; Kneading continuous, with mechanical mixing or kneading devices
- B29B7/58—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
- B29B7/60—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations for feeding, e.g. end guides for the incoming material
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29B—PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
- B29B7/00—Mixing; Kneading
- B29B7/30—Mixing; Kneading continuous, with mechanical mixing or kneading devices
- B29B7/58—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
- B29B7/72—Measuring, controlling or regulating
- B29B7/728—Measuring data of the driving system, e.g. torque, speed, power, vibration
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C31/00—Handling, e.g. feeding of the material to be shaped, storage of plastics material before moulding; Automation, i.e. automated handling lines in plastics processing plants, e.g. using manipulators or robots
- B29C31/02—Dispensing from vessels, e.g. hoppers
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C45/00—Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor
- B29C45/17—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
- B29C45/18—Feeding the material into the injection moulding apparatus, i.e. feeding the non-plastified material into the injection unit
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01G—WEIGHING
- G01G11/00—Apparatus for weighing a continuous stream of material during flow; Conveyor belt weighers
- G01G11/08—Apparatus for weighing a continuous stream of material during flow; Conveyor belt weighers having means for controlling the rate of feed or discharge
- G01G11/086—Apparatus for weighing a continuous stream of material during flow; Conveyor belt weighers having means for controlling the rate of feed or discharge of the loss-in-weight feeding type
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C45/00—Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor
- B29C45/17—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
- B29C45/18—Feeding the material into the injection moulding apparatus, i.e. feeding the non-plastified material into the injection unit
- B29C2045/1891—Means for detecting presence or level of raw material inside feeding ducts, e.g. level sensors inside hoppers
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C2945/00—Indexing scheme relating to injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould
- B29C2945/76—Measuring, controlling or regulating
- B29C2945/76003—Measured parameter
- B29C2945/76013—Force
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C2945/00—Indexing scheme relating to injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould
- B29C2945/76—Measuring, controlling or regulating
- B29C2945/76003—Measured parameter
- B29C2945/761—Dimensions, e.g. thickness
- B29C2945/76107—Dimensions, e.g. thickness volume
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C2945/00—Indexing scheme relating to injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould
- B29C2945/76—Measuring, controlling or regulating
- B29C2945/76003—Measured parameter
- B29C2945/76167—Presence, absence of objects
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C2945/00—Indexing scheme relating to injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould
- B29C2945/76—Measuring, controlling or regulating
- B29C2945/76177—Location of measurement
- B29C2945/7618—Injection unit
- B29C2945/76183—Injection unit hopper
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C2945/00—Indexing scheme relating to injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould
- B29C2945/76—Measuring, controlling or regulating
- B29C2945/76177—Location of measurement
- B29C2945/76287—Moulding material
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C2945/00—Indexing scheme relating to injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould
- B29C2945/76—Measuring, controlling or regulating
- B29C2945/76494—Controlled parameter
- B29C2945/76551—Time
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C2945/00—Indexing scheme relating to injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould
- B29C2945/76—Measuring, controlling or regulating
- B29C2945/76494—Controlled parameter
- B29C2945/76595—Velocity
- B29C2945/76605—Velocity rotational movement
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C2945/00—Indexing scheme relating to injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould
- B29C2945/76—Measuring, controlling or regulating
- B29C2945/76655—Location of control
- B29C2945/76658—Injection unit
- B29C2945/76662—Injection unit hopper
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C2945/00—Indexing scheme relating to injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould
- B29C2945/76—Measuring, controlling or regulating
- B29C2945/76655—Location of control
- B29C2945/76658—Injection unit
- B29C2945/76665—Injection unit screw
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C2945/00—Indexing scheme relating to injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould
- B29C2945/76—Measuring, controlling or regulating
- B29C2945/76655—Location of control
- B29C2945/76765—Moulding material
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a field of a molding machine and, in particular, concerned to a system for feeding portions of material to a plastic-injection molding machine.
- volume feeding methods which use to achieve weight feeding, have some disadvantages.
- the specific gravity of a material can be changed e.g., in a new production batch, and therefore a new scaling is needed.
- the volume-weight scaling is a long process and requires skilled workers.
- the volume-feeding method assumes that the feeding means dispenses equal portions permanently and therefore ignores the material streaming problems.
- Feeding hopper usually has an outlet to feed the material. Part of the material, the material in the shaft that is perpendicular to the outlet, does not press on the hopper. This “outlet-shaft” causes an error in the hopper weighing since the material in the outlet-shaft or at least part of this material is not weighed. Load cells are calibrated when weighing such hoppers.
- the present invention is a system for feeding portions of material to an injection-molding machine with the ability to accurately weigh feeding of small quantities of material.
- a system for feeding portions of material to an injection molding-machine including (a) a feeding means; (b) a container, with a fill opening and an outlet, and the container is installed with the feeding means; (c) a material hopper, with a fill opening and an outlet, and the material hopper is located inside the container; (d) a load cell that is coupled to the material hopper, and (e) a controller operative for: (i) calculating the weight of fed material, using the load cell and loss-in-weight method, and (ii) controlling the feeding means.
- the material hopper of the system has a funnel shaped lower part and an upper part and wherein the upper part has the same cross-section-area in each vertical level.
- the upper part of the material hopper can have inclined parallel-walls.
- the controller of the system is further operative for command the feeding means to dispense at least one portion of material from the material hopper, wherein each portion is dispensed in a given time and for a given interval of time in order to dispense portions with a predetermined weight.
- the controller is further operative for it calculates the weight of the dispensed portion by (1) dispensing a number of portions; (2) calculating the weight of the number of portions, using loss-in-weight method, and (3) dividing the weight of the number of portions to the number of the portions.
- the feeding means is a screw feeder and the controller is further operative for adjusting the weight of the further portion by increasing or decreasing the spin speed of the screw feeder, if the weight of the portion differs from the predetermined weight.
- the outlet of the material hopper is shifted and elevated from the outlet of the container.
- a material hopper for accurate weighing including (a) a funnel shaped lower part with outlet, and (b) a parallel or cylinder walls upper part wherein the walls can be inclined.
- a method of accurate weighing of a fed portion including (a) storing the material in a material hopper that it's upper part is an inclined cylinder or an inclined parallel walls; (b) feeding a predetermined number of portions; (c) calculating the weight of the number of portions, using loss-in-weight of the material hopper using a load cell, and (d) calculating the weight of each portion of the number of portions by dividing the weight of the number of portions to the number of the number of portions.
- the predetermined number of portions can be calculating by dividing the sensitivity of the load cell to the estimated weight of the fed portion.
- the present invention successfully addresses the shortcomings of the existing technologies by providing a system for feeding portions of material to an injection-molding machine with the ability to accurately weigh feeding of small quantities of material.
- FIG. 1 is an illustration of a schematic block diagram of the system.
- FIG. 2 is an illustration of a systems' cross-section while material is in the material hopper and the system is in a work or ready to work position.
- the present invention is a system for feeding portions of material to an injection-molding machine with the ability to accurately weigh feeding of small quantities of material.
- weight-in-loss refers to a known method for weighing the material that has been dispensed or spent from a hopper, by weighing the hopper before taking from it having a pre-dispensing weight and secondly weighing the hopper after taking from it having an after-dispensing weight then obtaining a weight-loss of the hopper, which is the weight of the taken material, by subtracting the after-dispensing weight from the pre-dispensing-weight.
- outlet-shaft refers to the part of the material in a hopper that is located in the shaft that perpendicularly to the outlet of the hopper and do not press on the hopper walls.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic block diagram of the system.
- the system includes a container 10 , a material hopper 11 located inside the container 10 , a load cell 16 coupled to the material hopper 11 , a controller 13 that calculates weight according to the load cell 16 information and commands the motor 14 of the screw feeder 12 to dispense portions of material into the molding-machine 15 .
- the upper part of the hopper 11 has inclined walls. This shape enables to keep the material in the outlet-shaft, constant by keeping minimal level of material in the hopper. Moreover, the walls of the upper part of the hopper 11 are parallel, for this reason the shape of each new space in the hopper 11 that is created by each dispensed portion. Therefore the profile of the material-pressure, in the hopper 11 , remains constant. The inclined and parallel walls of the hopper 11 minimize the weight errors and facilitate the weight calibration.
- the material must be fed to the molding machine in accurate-weight portions and each portion must be fed in a given time and in a given duration.
- the controller 13 commands the motor 14 of the screw feeder 12 to start rotating in a specific spin in the given time for a given duration. Since the given time and duration of feeding are given by the molding machine 15 , the screw feeder 12 spin is the only variable that can be used to control the weight of the fed portion.
- the controller 13 gets a first weight of the hopper 11 from the load cell 16 and commands the motor 14 to rotate the screw feeder 12 for the given duration and a given spin that is predetermined by the system operator. After dispensing a predetermined number of portions the controller 13 gets a second weight of the hopper 11 .
- the controller 13 obtains the total weight of the fed portions using the first weight of the hopper 11 , the second weight of the hopper 11 and loss-in-weight method.
- the controller 13 obtains the portion weight by dividing the total weight to the number of fed portions. If the portion weight differs from a predetermined weight, the controller 13 adjusts the portion weight by increasing or decreasing the spin of the motor 14 of the screw feeder 12 , in the next set of portions. This process can be done sequentially or in a predetermined time.
- FIG. 2 illustrates the systems' cross-section while material is in the material hopper and the system is in a work or ready to work position.
- the material 17 fills the material hopper 11 .
- the material 17 is fed through an outlet 18 of the material hopper 11 to a space 19 created between the material hoppers' outlet 23 and an outlet 20 of the container 10 , from this space 19 the material 17 is fed through the containers' outlet 20 to the screw feeder 12 .
- the material hoppers' outlet 18 is shifted from the containers' outlet 20 to enable keeping the outlet-shaft 21 constant as long as the material level 22 is higher than the upper end of the outlet-shaft 21 and isolates the material hopper 11 from noise and shaking which is coming from the screw feeder 12 and its' motor 14 .
- the controller 13 commands a refill means 23 to refill the material hopper 11 when the material level 22 reduced to a threshold level.
- Part of the material 17 is located in the space 19 and acts as a buffer. This buffer isolates the material hopper 11 and prevents noises and shakings of the screw feeder 12 and its' motor 14 , to enable an accurate weighing of the material hopper 11 by the load cell 16 .
Abstract
The present invention is a system for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine including a feeding means that can be a screw feeder, an external container, a material hopper with inclined and parallel walls located inside the container, a load cell that is coupled to the material hopper and a controller.
The system dispenses portions of material in a given time and for given duration. The system dispenses accurate weight portions. The system controls the portion weight by weighing a number of dispensed portions using loss-in-weight of the hopper, divides the weight to the number of portion and when it need, control the spin of the screw feeder motor.
Description
- The present invention relates to a field of a molding machine and, in particular, concerned to a system for feeding portions of material to a plastic-injection molding machine.
- Several weight feeding apparatus and systems are known. These apparatus and systems are for feeding a large quantity of material. When a small quantity is needed, e.g., coloring material, in a producing system, volume methods are used to achieve the needed weight. Volume methods are used for feeding small quantities because of the difficulty of weighing a few grams in the production area, which is very noisy and shaky.
- Volume feeding methods, which use to achieve weight feeding, have some disadvantages. The specific gravity of a material can be changed e.g., in a new production batch, and therefore a new scaling is needed. The volume-weight scaling is a long process and requires skilled workers. Moreover, since the fed volume cannot be controlled the volume-feeding method assumes that the feeding means dispenses equal portions permanently and therefore ignores the material streaming problems.
- Feeding hopper usually has an outlet to feed the material. Part of the material, the material in the shaft that is perpendicular to the outlet, does not press on the hopper. This “outlet-shaft” causes an error in the hopper weighing since the material in the outlet-shaft or at least part of this material is not weighed. Load cells are calibrated when weighing such hoppers.
- There is therefore a recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a system for feeding portions of material to an injection-molding machine with the ability to accurately weigh feeding of small quantities of material.
- The present invention is a system for feeding portions of material to an injection-molding machine with the ability to accurately weigh feeding of small quantities of material.
- According to the teachings of the present invention there is provided, a system for feeding portions of material to an injection molding-machine including (a) a feeding means; (b) a container, with a fill opening and an outlet, and the container is installed with the feeding means; (c) a material hopper, with a fill opening and an outlet, and the material hopper is located inside the container; (d) a load cell that is coupled to the material hopper, and (e) a controller operative for: (i) calculating the weight of fed material, using the load cell and loss-in-weight method, and (ii) controlling the feeding means.
- According to further features in the described preferred embodiments, the material hopper of the system has a funnel shaped lower part and an upper part and wherein the upper part has the same cross-section-area in each vertical level. The upper part of the material hopper can have inclined parallel-walls.
- According to further features in the described preferred embodiments, the controller of the system is further operative for command the feeding means to dispense at least one portion of material from the material hopper, wherein each portion is dispensed in a given time and for a given interval of time in order to dispense portions with a predetermined weight.
- According to further features in the described preferred embodiments, the controller is further operative for it calculates the weight of the dispensed portion by (1) dispensing a number of portions; (2) calculating the weight of the number of portions, using loss-in-weight method, and (3) dividing the weight of the number of portions to the number of the portions.
- According to further features in the described preferred embodiments, the feeding means is a screw feeder and the controller is further operative for adjusting the weight of the further portion by increasing or decreasing the spin speed of the screw feeder, if the weight of the portion differs from the predetermined weight.
- According to further features in the described preferred embodiments, the outlet of the material hopper is shifted and elevated from the outlet of the container.
- According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a material hopper for accurate weighing including (a) a funnel shaped lower part with outlet, and (b) a parallel or cylinder walls upper part wherein the walls can be inclined.
- According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of accurate weighing of a fed portion including (a) storing the material in a material hopper that it's upper part is an inclined cylinder or an inclined parallel walls; (b) feeding a predetermined number of portions; (c) calculating the weight of the number of portions, using loss-in-weight of the material hopper using a load cell, and (d) calculating the weight of each portion of the number of portions by dividing the weight of the number of portions to the number of the number of portions. The predetermined number of portions can be calculating by dividing the sensitivity of the load cell to the estimated weight of the fed portion.
- The present invention successfully addresses the shortcomings of the existing technologies by providing a system for feeding portions of material to an injection-molding machine with the ability to accurately weigh feeding of small quantities of material.
- In the drawings:
- FIG. 1 is an illustration of a schematic block diagram of the system.
- FIG. 2 is an illustration of a systems' cross-section while material is in the material hopper and the system is in a work or ready to work position.
- The present invention is a system for feeding portions of material to an injection-molding machine with the ability to accurately weigh feeding of small quantities of material.
- The principles and operation of the system according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description.
- As used herein in the specification and in the claims section that follows, the term “weight-in-loss” refers to a known method for weighing the material that has been dispensed or spent from a hopper, by weighing the hopper before taking from it having a pre-dispensing weight and secondly weighing the hopper after taking from it having an after-dispensing weight then obtaining a weight-loss of the hopper, which is the weight of the taken material, by subtracting the after-dispensing weight from the pre-dispensing-weight.
- As used herein in the specification and in the claims section that follows, the term “outlet-shaft” refers to the part of the material in a hopper that is located in the shaft that perpendicularly to the outlet of the hopper and do not press on the hopper walls.
- Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic block diagram of the system. The system includes a
container 10, amaterial hopper 11 located inside thecontainer 10, aload cell 16 coupled to thematerial hopper 11, acontroller 13 that calculates weight according to theload cell 16 information and commands themotor 14 of thescrew feeder 12 to dispense portions of material into the molding-machine 15. - The upper part of the
hopper 11 has inclined walls. This shape enables to keep the material in the outlet-shaft, constant by keeping minimal level of material in the hopper. Moreover, the walls of the upper part of thehopper 11 are parallel, for this reason the shape of each new space in thehopper 11 that is created by each dispensed portion. Therefore the profile of the material-pressure, in thehopper 11, remains constant. The inclined and parallel walls of thehopper 11 minimize the weight errors and facilitate the weight calibration. - The material must be fed to the molding machine in accurate-weight portions and each portion must be fed in a given time and in a given duration. To achieve this target the
controller 13 commands themotor 14 of thescrew feeder 12 to start rotating in a specific spin in the given time for a given duration. Since the given time and duration of feeding are given by themolding machine 15, thescrew feeder 12 spin is the only variable that can be used to control the weight of the fed portion. In the first time, thecontroller 13 gets a first weight of thehopper 11 from theload cell 16 and commands themotor 14 to rotate thescrew feeder 12 for the given duration and a given spin that is predetermined by the system operator. After dispensing a predetermined number of portions thecontroller 13 gets a second weight of thehopper 11. Thecontroller 13 obtains the total weight of the fed portions using the first weight of thehopper 11, the second weight of thehopper 11 and loss-in-weight method. Thecontroller 13 obtains the portion weight by dividing the total weight to the number of fed portions. If the portion weight differs from a predetermined weight, thecontroller 13 adjusts the portion weight by increasing or decreasing the spin of themotor 14 of thescrew feeder 12, in the next set of portions. This process can be done sequentially or in a predetermined time. - FIG. 2 illustrates the systems' cross-section while material is in the material hopper and the system is in a work or ready to work position. The
material 17 fills the material hopper 11. Thematerial 17 is fed through anoutlet 18 of the material hopper 11 to aspace 19 created between the material hoppers'outlet 23 and anoutlet 20 of thecontainer 10, from thisspace 19 thematerial 17 is fed through the containers'outlet 20 to thescrew feeder 12. The material hoppers'outlet 18 is shifted from the containers'outlet 20 to enable keeping the outlet-shaft 21 constant as long as thematerial level 22 is higher than the upper end of the outlet-shaft 21 and isolates thematerial hopper 11 from noise and shaking which is coming from thescrew feeder 12 and its'motor 14. Thecontroller 13 commands a refill means 23 to refill thematerial hopper 11 when thematerial level 22 reduced to a threshold level. Part of thematerial 17 is located in thespace 19 and acts as a buffer. This buffer isolates the material hopper 11 and prevents noises and shakings of thescrew feeder 12 and its'motor 14, to enable an accurate weighing of thematerial hopper 11 by theload cell 16. - It will be appreciated that the above descriptions are intended only to serve as examples, and that many other embodiments are possible within the spirit and the scope of the present invention.
Claims (15)
1. A system for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine comprising:
i. a feeding means;
ii. a container, with a fill opening and an outlet, and said container is installed with said feeding means;
iii. a material hopper, with a fill opening and an outlet, and said material hopper is located inside said container;
iv. a load cell that is coupled to said material hopper, and
v. a controller operative for:
i. calculating the weight of fed material, using said load cell and loss-in-weight method, and
ii. controlling said feeding means.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said material hopper has a funnel shaped lower part and an upper part and wherein said upper part has same cross-section-area in each vertical level.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein said upper part of said material hopper has inclined parallel-walls.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein said controller is further operative for:
iii. Command said feeding means to dispense at least one portion of material from said material hopper, wherein each said portion is dispensed in a given time and for a given interval of time in order to dispense portions with a predetermined weight.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein said controller is further operative for:
iv. calculates the weight of said portion by:
1. dispensing a number of portions;
2. calculating the weight of said number of portions; using loss-in-weight method, and
3. dividing said weight of said number of portions to the number of said portions.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein said feeding means is a screw feeder.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said controller is further operative for:
v. adjusting the weight of the further portion by increasing or decreasing the spin speed of said screw feeder, if said weight of said portion is differ said predetermined weight.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein said outlet of said material hopper is shifted from said outlet of said container.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein said outlet of said material hopper is elevated from said outlet of said container.
10. A material hopper for accurate weighing comprising:
(a) a funnel shaped lower part with outlet, and
(b) a parallel walls upper part.
11. The material hopper of claim 10 , wherein said upper part is inclined.
12. The material hopper of claim 10 , wherein said upper part is a cylinder shaped.
13. The material hopper of claim 12 , wherein said upper part is inclined.
14. A method of accurate weighing of a fed portion comprising:
i. storing the material in a material hopper that it upper part is an inclined cylinder or an inclined parallel walls;
ii. feeding a predetermined number of portions;
iii. calculating the weight of said number of portions, using loss-in-weight of said material hopper using a load cell, and
iv. calculating the weight of each portion of said number of portions by dividing said weight of said number of portions to the number of said number of portions.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said predetermined number of portions is calculated by dividing the sensitivity of said load cell to the estimated weight of said fed portion.
Priority Applications (12)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/751,560 US20020084293A1 (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2001-01-02 | System for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine |
AU2002217403A AU2002217403B2 (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2001-12-27 | A system for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine |
DE60110927T DE60110927T2 (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2001-12-27 | SYSTEM FOR INTRODUCING MATERIAL PARTS TO AN INJECTION MOLDING MACHINE |
CA2431479A CA2431479C (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2001-12-27 | A system for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine |
AT01272788T ATE295773T1 (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2001-12-27 | SYSTEM FOR FEEDING MATERIAL PARTS TO AN INJECTION MOLDING MACHINE |
IL15457701A IL154577A (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2001-12-27 | System for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine |
EP01272788A EP1347870B1 (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2001-12-27 | A system for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine |
JP2002554482A JP4109991B2 (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2001-12-27 | A system for supplying divided materials to injection molding machines |
ES01272788T ES2240346T3 (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2001-12-27 | SYSTEM FOR SUPPLYING LOTS OF MATERIAL TO AN INJECTION MOLDING MACHINE. |
PCT/IL2001/001209 WO2002053348A1 (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2001-12-27 | A system for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine |
US10/386,472 US6688493B2 (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2003-03-13 | System for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine |
US10/700,477 US6966456B2 (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2003-11-05 | System for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/751,560 US20020084293A1 (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2001-01-02 | System for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/386,472 Continuation US6688493B2 (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2003-03-13 | System for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20020084293A1 true US20020084293A1 (en) | 2002-07-04 |
Family
ID=25022549
Family Applications (3)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/751,560 Abandoned US20020084293A1 (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2001-01-02 | System for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine |
US10/386,472 Expired - Lifetime US6688493B2 (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2003-03-13 | System for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine |
US10/700,477 Expired - Lifetime US6966456B2 (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2003-11-05 | System for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine |
Family Applications After (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US10/386,472 Expired - Lifetime US6688493B2 (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2003-03-13 | System for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine |
US10/700,477 Expired - Lifetime US6966456B2 (en) | 2001-01-02 | 2003-11-05 | System for feeding portions of material to an injection molding machine |
Country Status (10)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (3) | US20020084293A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1347870B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP4109991B2 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE295773T1 (en) |
AU (1) | AU2002217403B2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2431479C (en) |
DE (1) | DE60110927T2 (en) |
ES (1) | ES2240346T3 (en) |
IL (1) | IL154577A (en) |
WO (1) | WO2002053348A1 (en) |
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-
2001
- 2001-01-02 US US09/751,560 patent/US20020084293A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2001-12-27 CA CA2431479A patent/CA2431479C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2001-12-27 AT AT01272788T patent/ATE295773T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2001-12-27 ES ES01272788T patent/ES2240346T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2001-12-27 JP JP2002554482A patent/JP4109991B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2001-12-27 IL IL15457701A patent/IL154577A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2001-12-27 WO PCT/IL2001/001209 patent/WO2002053348A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 2001-12-27 AU AU2002217403A patent/AU2002217403B2/en not_active Ceased
- 2001-12-27 EP EP01272788A patent/EP1347870B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2001-12-27 DE DE60110927T patent/DE60110927T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
2003
- 2003-03-13 US US10/386,472 patent/US6688493B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2003-11-05 US US10/700,477 patent/US6966456B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN107059104A (en) * | 2016-02-10 | 2017-08-18 | 株式会社荏原制作所 | Apparatus and method from electroplate liquid to electroplating bath, electroplating system, powder container and electro-plating method for supplying |
CN114630742A (en) * | 2019-08-06 | 2022-06-14 | 安帕塞特公司 | Self-cleaning weight and volume dosing apparatus |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20040099685A1 (en) | 2004-05-27 |
US6688493B2 (en) | 2004-02-10 |
WO2002053348A1 (en) | 2002-07-11 |
DE60110927D1 (en) | 2005-06-23 |
EP1347870B1 (en) | 2005-05-18 |
ES2240346T3 (en) | 2005-10-16 |
IL154577A (en) | 2004-06-20 |
US20030150873A1 (en) | 2003-08-14 |
CA2431479A1 (en) | 2002-07-11 |
ATE295773T1 (en) | 2005-06-15 |
CA2431479C (en) | 2010-03-30 |
DE60110927T2 (en) | 2006-01-19 |
EP1347870A1 (en) | 2003-10-01 |
JP4109991B2 (en) | 2008-07-02 |
JP2004520192A (en) | 2004-07-08 |
US6966456B2 (en) | 2005-11-22 |
AU2002217403B2 (en) | 2006-10-19 |
IL154577A0 (en) | 2003-10-31 |
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Legal Events
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: LIAD WEIGHING AND CONTROL SYSTEMS LTD., ISRAEL Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:MARGALIT, ELI;REEL/FRAME:011414/0458 Effective date: 20001201 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |