Tip of the Day 141: Using Cycle Values to Reduce Cursor Handling

I have observed that some customers spend time moving the Cycle Graph cursor around to find different values on the screen. It is true that you can find many useful numbers that way. But this requires you to access the eDART™ using the mouse, move it around and read some small numbers. Thus it requires some skill in hand-eye coordination and curve interpretation.


The Cycle Values window can display many of the values that people use the cursor to try to find. It displays them in a larger font easier to read from a distance. Furthermore it does not require that you precisely position the cursor, especially if one cursor pixel is too coarse to find the number.

Here is a graphic that shows some common values that you can add to the Cycle Values instead of using the cursor.




With many curves displayed we also hear questions about how we could annotate the cursor values or graphs on the cycle graph to make them easier to distinguish. Even if we put the labels on they are still hard to read.

Here is an example with 32 sensors for which we want to know the peak for each sensor. Placing the peaks on the Cycle Values can be easier than trying to read the values at the cursor for each.

You can also keep the cycle graph up but just show the « #High » and « #Low » sensors and remove the rest (as in tip # 23 ). This gives you an « envelope » to which you can match templates while the Cycle Values show you the curves that are pushing the envelope.

 

Per tip # 80, remember that once you have a long list of sensors on the Cycle Values a single click on the « Value » header puts them all in value order. That way you can find the highest or lowest of reading quickly.

The eDART‘s optional « Balance Viewer » tool can simplify cavity-to-cavity comparison even further, especially for large numbers of sensors.

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Tip of the Day 91: « Views » Provide Focus

The graphical screen on the eDART can be intimidating to some, especially if they are not familiar with graph interpretation. We have provided a way to re-arrange the eDART screen quickly by selecting a screen layout appropriate to the user or task. This little-used function is called the eDART‘s « Views » system. A « View » is simply a saved arrangement of the screen layout for the tools running. Using different views for different people can help focus attention on just the tasks required.

First you need to know what tools you want to run. The views below use a number of tools not automatically started on new eDARTs. You can start them by « attaching » them with the Architect. Remember that if they are to run on all molds attach them to the workspace for « Molds ».

Selecting a Saved View – Example: Engineer’s View

Once the job all of its tools are running you may select an existing view from the main menu by clicking « Views », selecting the one you want and clicking « Load View ». The example below shows the selection of the old « RJG Standard » view. This would be the view an engineer might use to try to understand a difficult problem or measure the performance of the process.

Once a view is selected the eDART remembers it and restores at the next job start.

Saving a View – Example: Setup Technician

To save a view first set up the windows the way you want them. Then use the same « Views » tool to create a new name. Here is an example of saving a view that might be used at job startup by a setup technician.

Once the view is saved it is also selected and becomes the default view the next time the job starts. Here is what it looks like without the menu and views dialogs over the top.

Here’s a little reasoning behind the tools chosen. The layout is rather random and could probably be improved.

• The « Job Name » tool helps remind everyone what job has been loaded.


• « Setup Notes » holds the machine and auxiliary setup parameters from Setup_Notes.txt (see tip # 71)


• « Cycle Values » has the values that pertain to proper process setup for the machine. Since the template is saved (« 503B QA Approved ») there are numbers against which he can compare to make sure the process is set the same.


• « Lot Number » is there for entering changes in lot number.


• « Diverter Controls » lets the technician stop sorting to ensure that parts made during setup are discarded.


• If « Excessive Rejects » is in use it shows whether the output is fired and needs to be cleared.


• Cycle counter is just for reference.

Example View for Process Technician

Here is an example of a view saved called « Process Tech ». This is a view that may be used by someone trained to look for molding problems from counts on the alarms, trends in the Summary Graph and mis-matches to parts of the template curve.

 

Note to users with an eDART Data Manager (« EDM » or formerly « RJG Server »):

The list and content of all saved views is automatically cross-copied around the plant. This cross-copy goes across group names. So if you set up a « Setup Tech » view one eDART it will be available on all eDARTs, regardless of group name.

Tip of the Day 90: Using the Lot Number Tool on eDART

A little while ago someone pointed out that they were having their operators enter notes on the eDART‘s Summary Graph for changes in material lot number. The eDART has a little known tool that helps with this function. It simplifies the entry of the note so that the operator does not need to learn so many steps or be intimidated by the Summary Graph itself. It also can be secured and logs the changes in the change log.

This is the « Lot Number » tool and is found on the Architect’s Production tab.

When you open the Architect it is pointing to the current mold (at left). In the case of « Lot Number » you probably want to « attach » the tool to all mold instead of just the current one. The screen capture on the right shows the steps to do this.

Once the « Lot Number » tool is running it looks like this:

When a new material lot is started the operator just needs to click « Change Lot Number » to get the dialog as shown here:

He then types in the new lot number along with any comments that may be appropriate and clicks « Accept ». Without having to know anything about graphs or notes, this action automatically enters a note in the summary data reading:

New Lot: RL1471317

Previous Lot: none

(comments go here)

If someone changes the lot number again (entering RL1471293-317-2919 ) a new note is entered in the summary data reading:

New Lot: RL1471293-317-2919

Previous Lot: RL1471317

These notes are available in the Analyzer for scanning or exporting. Furthermore the entries are logged in the change log (changes_node.csv) with the tag « Lot Changed » in case you want to secure the change and track who entered it.

Tip of the Day 80: Uses for List Sorting Feature

Looking for short or long filling cavities with Cycle Values

This is a 32 cavity mold….

Initially the Process Time / Cavity Fill values are sorted by sensor name	Click on the « Value » header button once  to sort with the shortest fill times at the top	Click the « Values » header button again to put all the long filling cavities at the top

Putting all the worst behaving alarms at the top of the Alarm Settings

At first all of the alarms are sorted by the alarm name.

Clicking the « Cnt » (« Count ») header button twice will put all of the worst alarms at the top.

Putting all of the cavity sensors at the top of Sensor Locations

Tip of the Day 75: Setting Default Cycle Values For All Molds

Tip of the Day 43: An Easier to Read Shot Time Stamp

Tip of the Day 16: Optional Tool Review

• • Valve Gates

• • Shuttle Control

• • Basic 3-Stage Control

• • Chinese Language and Japanese Language

• • Incoe Valve Gate Controller, Encap_Shuttle_eDART, Eastman_Chemical_Dryer_Monitoring, FLX-APC_eDART

• • OEM_to_eDART_Upgrade

• • Peak_Ejection_Force

• • One_Minute_Cycle

• • Material_Density_and_Shot_Weight

• • Math_Processing

• • Valve_Gate_Timing

• • Insightpro_Support(only for purchasers of Insight reporting)

• • Job_Started

• • Extended Cycle Time

• • Individual_Alarm_Security

• • Setup_Inspect_for_Diverter_Controls

• • Intouch_Support

Details

Valve Gates

Operates OR2-D relay outputs (when named “Valve Gate Output”) on various signals and cavity pressure

Used to control the flow and packing of material in individual cavities or individual spots in a cavity.

Note: We do not sell the air valves and other hardware to actually operate the gates.

Shuttle Control

This takes a sequence input indicating the position of a rotary table or sliding shuttle.

It makes decisions about part sorting and control based on which sensors are “active”, i.e. being injected.

This tool is useful in multi-shot applications as well.

Basic 3-Stage Control

Controls switchover between two speeds with a relay output to a hydraulic valve.

Used as a retrofit to older machines. The valve replacement must be part of the installation.

Chinese Language and Japanese Language

Somewhat self explanatory. These install the character sets for those languages.

Incoe Valve Gate Controller, Encap_Shuttle_eDART, Eastman_Chemical_Dryer_Monitoring, FLX-APC_eDART

These are NOT upgrades that are purchased directly by any customer. They are custom configurations that we build here for specific OEM’s per agreement with them or to make a specific type of eDART (the FLX).

OEM_to_eDART_Upgrade

For those customers who own an OEM eDART (e.g. Incoe or FLX) this purchased upgrade lets them convert to a full eDART with all of its features. It always includes the upgrade to the latest software release.

This upgrade can only be installed on specific eDARTs with a code provided by RJG. Each code is specific to a certain serial number eDART.

Peak_Ejection_Force

Calculates the peak force on ejector pin sensors during ejection. It is only

This tool is not useful for part sorting since by the time the ejection force is determined the part is already gone. However it is useful in trending on the Summary Graph or record keeping in Analyzer to see whether the forces are building or have jumped up due to some process change.

One_Minute_Cycle

This creates a “false” Injection Forward signal that is on for 58 seconds and off for 2 seconds.

It is useful for monitoring processes that are not cyclical such as extruders or dryers.

Note: This must NOT be used in combination with a sequence module or the eDART and the customer will get completely confused.

Material_Density_and_Shot_Weight

The user enters a material density for the specific material running and then the eDART computes a theoretical shot weight based on the peak shot volume.

We built this tool for a customer making large, very thick-walled parts. They find it works reasonably well for them when they check the actual shot weight against the computed value. They print labels on the parts with the weight.

Note: We cannot be certain this will work in all applications. It can be easily fooled by leaky check-rings.

Math_Processing

This allows you to create a script to filter signals in various ways, do arithmetic on curves, integrate, take derivatives and store data at fixed sample rates in .csv files.

This tool is useful for research people trying to detect extract new or different information from the data that we currently do not have in the summary values.

Note: It is a non-user friendly, research lab tool. It requires script editing in a very specific way to get it to work.

Valve_Gate_Timing

Takes sequence inputs from currently existing valve gate controls (e.g. on a machine) and measures the timing of the gates. It creates values indicating when and how long each gate opened and closed.

This was built for a customer who wanted to evaluate his current valve gate control to determine where the inconsistency in his process arose.

Insightpro_Support

With release 8.0 all of the support for Insightpro is removed. This includes Down Time, Scrap Entry, Production Monitor and Production State.

If a customer purchased Insightpro reporting we can deliver them this tool to re-install the support that was removed. The tools removed will then be maintained after that until there are no more users of Insightpro.

Job_Started

This tool simply turns on an output when the job is started on the eDART.

The customer can drag this as an indicator that any job has started by dragging into the “Molds” folder in the Architect. Or he can use it to indicate that a certain kind of material is being used (e.g. color change) by putting it into a specific material folder under the mold. When the job stops the output goes off.

Extended Cycle Time

This allows users to run jobs longer than the current 260 second time limit and record all of the cycle data up to 35 minutes. It does this at the cost of resolution making each step in the data 0.01 seconds (10 mS) minimum instead of 0.001 second (1 mS).

The instructions for this tool can be read here.

Individual Alarm Security

This adds another column to the Alarm Settings tool to allow the user to secure each alarm individually. Sometimes people with cavity pressure sensing want to lock down the in-cavity alarm but allow the process technicians to set warnings and alarms around such things as Effective Viscosity. Then the process tech can get a warning early without adjusting the quality parameters for the part. 

Setup_Inspect_for_Diverter_Control

This adds a hidden button to the Diverter Controls that appears when you press « Don’t Sort » . The Don’t Sort function generally causes all parts to be rejected and get out of reach of the operator. When the operator is setting up a process and presses « Don’t Sort » to prevent problems from going down stream he may not be able to get at the parts for inspection. This lets the operator force the part diverter to drop one good shot where he can reach it and then go back to rejecting again.

Intouch Support

This brings up the Intouch Keypad on the eDART if the Intouch system server is functioning on the network. It will do nothing if  you do not have Intouch.

Tip of the Day 13: Remember to Drop the Question for Help

Tip of the Day 12: Same Mold, Different Machine