Tip of the Day 97: Preventing Machine Operation without eDART™ Running
When discussing tip #96 (Inject Enable) we often discover that interlocking sensor based machine control is not the real need. Some people simply want to make sure that the eDART job is started and running when parts are being produced.
Customers are steadily becoming more dependent on the eDART running to sort parts or ensure a matched and stable process. This becomes particularly visible with a network and eDART Data Manager (EDM) running the system overview. However many times operators forget to start the job on the eDART. Even if auto-start is being used it will not do much good if the cable to the identifying sensors is not plugged in.
We created an optional software tool called « Job Started » that helps solve this problem. When « Job Started » runs (attached to a machine, machines, molds etc.) it closes an OR2 contact named Production Output / Job Started that you have previously defined in Sensor Locations. The contact then only closes when the specifically chosen jobs run. This contact can be wired into a machine enable input to only allow the machine to run after any eDART job is running.
There are also uses for the Job Started tool that apply to specific molds, materials or cavity layouts. For example we had one customer use the tool for color changes. He had a mold with several material colors that needed to be « flushed » when changing colors. He stopped the job for the current color and started one with a material named « Color Change ». With the Architect he placed the Job Started tool only in the « Color Change » folder (under the mold folder). The OR2 output closed with the mold / Color Change job and this told the robot to not put expensive inserts into the parts during the color change.
You can find a .pdf file of the instructions for Job Setup here. This gives a pictorial view of different ways it can be used.
If you want to obtain the Job Started tool (or any other optional tool in tip #16) contact your RJG sales team.