With each cycle of the injection moulding process, mould presses run a high risk of experiencing severe damage from sticky slides and moulded parts that are not ejected properly. PPT Vision has introduced the Sentinel Mold Protection Solution, which offers the manufacturing industry a solution to protect mould presses and tooling, avoiding expensive repairs and minimising production downtime.
The system supports up to four cameras. Each camera provides users the ability to configure up to five mould inspection stages, including the inspection of mould flash, short shot, part ejection, pin retraction, insert position verification, and more. The software panels are pre-configured for mould protection applications; users simply point and click to select the desired inspection options before putting the system online.
The Sentinel also supports 'head-less' mode operation. Through smart camera technology, the PC can be disconnected once inspection requirements are configured. The camera(s) are interfaced directly with the press control so the Sentinel continues to monitor the press, alerting the operators in the occurrence of problems.
A system consists of one to four Impact cameras, application specific infrared LED lighting and lens, Sentinel software, and all required interconnecting components that interface with the mould press. Camera mountings are magnetic based for fast and secure, yet flexible deployment. Additionally, an optional industrial PC and monitor are available on a mobile cart for quick press-to-press transfer.
Impact camera options include 17 models, covering a full range processing power, colour and monochrome CCD formats, and resolutions from 640 x 480 to 1600 x 1200 pixels. The Sentinel software allows users full access to the camera settings, including shutter and gain controls as well as strobe settings for the lighting.
