Using Advanced Thermographic Methods and Robust Thermal Machine Vision Systems, you can now gather critical temperature data and see your process in a new light. 100% Part Quality, Inline Inspection, Non-Destructive Quality Assurance Testing, and Automated Closed-Loop Process Control are within reach when you partner with Emitted Energy.
1. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
Plastic Industry Solutions
Systems by Emitted Energy
The information contained within is the sole intellectual property of Emitted Energy Corp. Sterling Heights, MI USA. ANY REPRODUCTION or other use of this information without the express written consent of Emitted Energy Corp is strictly prohibited.
1
2. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
Advanced Infrared Solutions for…
• Plastic Joining Automation
• Vibration Welding
• Infrared Welding
• Forming Technologies
• Joining Technologies
• Injection Molding
Other solutions include:
Early Fire Detection, Condition Monitoring, Predictive Maintenance, Process Control, and R&D
2
Internet
FLIR Automation
Cameras
SPC & Trending
Analytics
Operator & Remote
Sessions
Automation
Machine PLC
Digital I/O
Conversion
Thermal Process
Monitoring System
Remote On-line
Access
3. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
What Is Plastic Joining Automation?
• Plastic Joining or “welding” is the bonding of plastic part halves together
What is Plastic Joining
Automation Machinery?
Primary Industries Served What Parts do They Produce?
• Industrial machines used to join
plastic parts in a component-to-
system process
• Needed when plastic
components are too complex to
be molded as one
• Are automated and complex,
minimizing human interaction
• Automotive -
interiors/exteriors/engine
• Appliance
• Aerospace
• Medical
• Agriculture
• Consumer products
• …to name a few
• Dashboards
• Glove boxes
• Consoles
• Dishwasher tubs
• Refrigerator components
• Battery housings
• Joint replacement components
• CPAP Components
• Etc.
The information contained within is the sole intellectual property of Emitted Energy Corp. Sterling Heights, MI USA. ANY REPRODUCTION or other use of this information without the express written consent of Emitted Energy Corp is strictly prohibited.
3
4. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
What Types of Plastic
Assembly Machines
are Used Today?
• Hot Plate Welding
• Vibration Welding
• Laser Welding
• Ultrasonic Welding
• Heat Stake Welding
• Infrared Welding
4
5. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
What Are The Quality & Risk Factors in Today’s
Production Plants?
Product
Recalls
Weak Weld Line
Inconsistent Welds
Non-hermetic Sealing
A Surface Bleeding
Cosmetic Flash Issues
Material Degradation
5
6. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
Why Do These
Issues Exist?
• Injection molding issues
• Subtle part changes on weld-line
• Environmental ambient temperature
and humidity changes
• Operator adjustments to the machine
• Part material changes & re-grind
percentage changes
• Machine component wear,
degradation, failures
The information contained within is the sole intellectual property of Emitted Energy Corp. Sterling Heights, MI USA. ANY REPRODUCTION or other use of this information without the express written consent of Emitted Energy Corp is strictly prohibited.
6
7. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
What Is The Result
Of Poor Quality &
Non-Inspection?
• Product safety issues
• Loss of customer confidence and
future business
• Product recalls
• Negative ROI on returned parts
• Lost production time
• Machine and labor
• Part manufacturing re-work
Failure
The information contained within is the sole intellectual property of Emitted Energy Corp. Sterling Heights, MI USA. ANY REPRODUCTION or other use of this information without the express written consent of Emitted Energy Corp is strictly prohibited.
7
8. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
Why Use Infrared Thermography?
• Provides a 100% product check on every machine cycle
• Reliable and consistent, part-to-part
• Measures the actual weld on the whole part
• Fully integrated into the machine for automated decision
making
• Provides quality assurance that the weld is optimal
• Shows what can’t be seen
• It is the solution!
The information contained within is the sole intellectual property of Emitted Energy Corp. Sterling Heights, MI USA. ANY REPRODUCTION or other use of this information without the express written consent of Emitted Energy Corp is strictly prohibited.
8
9. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
What is a Integrated Thermal
Machine-Vision System?
• FLIR Automation Series Thermal Camera Systems
• Gig-E based machine vision software
• Integrated into the machine PLC
• Bi-directional communications with the machine on
pass, fail or adjust
• Analytical SPC for trending analysis
• Data collection & retention
• Confidence in the process and optimum quality product
output
• Provides process control and quality inspection
Process control for machine automation systems with
integrated decision-making technology to validate
product quality
Internet
FLIR Automation
Cameras
SPC & Trending
Analytics
Operator &
Remote Sessions
Automation
Machine PLC
Digital I/O
Conversion
Thermal Process
Monitoring System
Remote On-
line Access
The information contained within is the sole intellectual property of Emitted Energy Corp. Sterling Heights, MI USA. ANY REPRODUCTION or other use of this information without the express written consent of Emitted Energy Corp is strictly prohibited.
9
10. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
Plastic Joining Verification Process
1. Establish the weld thermal baseline with the resin melt
index
2. Establish acceptable upper and lower thermal control
limits
3. Evaluate critical welds on part with Regions Of Interest
(ROI) and individually evaluate if thermal profile falls
within upper/lower control limits
4. During the welding process, communicate with welding
equipment ROI results and fault the machine if there is a
control limit violation
5. Record each machine cycle or part produced with a
thermal picture aligned with serial/bar code/time & date
stamp
6. Record all ROI values for trend analysis
The information contained within is the sole intellectual property of Emitted Energy Corp. Sterling Heights, MI USA. ANY REPRODUCTION or other use of this information without the express written consent of Emitted Energy Corp is strictly prohibited.
10
11. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
Application Story: Automotive Tier 1 Supplier
Problem statement & issue
• Inconsistent welding throughout part
• Part-to-part weld variability
• Weak welds
• Not passing destructive testing and customer
requirements
• The end-user having serious quality concerns
in the manufactured part and ultimately
rejected the parts
11
12. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
Application Story: Automotive Tier 1 Supplier
Why Infrared Thermal Imaging?
• Non-contact temperature measurement for the
entire weld line
• Verifies the heat applied to the part for the
weld is within upper and lower temperature
control limits
• System integration communicates with
machine to prevent bad parts from passing into
next production phase
• Each part produced has a saved thermal
image along with radiometric data
• Gig-E based software provides analytics,
processing & retention
The information contained within is the sole intellectual property of Emitted Energy Corp. Sterling Heights, MI USA. ANY REPRODUCTION or other use of this information without the express written consent of Emitted Energy Corp is strictly prohibited.
12
13. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
Application Story: Automotive Tier 1 Supplier
Thermal Process Monitoring System
• Using multiple specifically positioned
regions of interest, each verifying critical
weld areas fall within upper/lower control
limits
• Two alarm levels – Warn & Fail
• System tracks and records every machine
cycle with serialized saved thermal
images and radiometric data
• Trending reports and SPC data is
presented to the operator in real time
• Ensures only “good” parts are welded and
continue to the next production phase
The information contained within is the sole intellectual property of Emitted Energy Corp. Sterling Heights, MI USA. ANY REPRODUCTION or other use of this information without the express written consent of Emitted Energy Corp is strictly prohibited.
13
14. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
Application Story: Automotive Tier 1 Supplier
Multiple ROI Measurements
Analyze on Upper/Lower Control
Provides Machine Pass/Fail Warning
100% Inspection
Data Retention & Collection
Analytical Trending
Statistical Process Charting (SPC)
The information contained within is the sole intellectual property of Emitted Energy Corp. Sterling Heights, MI USA. ANY REPRODUCTION or other use of this information without the express written consent of Emitted Energy Corp is strictly prohibited.
14
16. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
What Is Vibration Welding?
Linear vibration welding physically
moves one of two parts horizontally
under pressure, creating heat
through surface friction that melts
and welds the parts together.
Compared to ultrasonic welding,
vibration welding operates at much
lower frequencies, higher amplitudes
and much greater clamping force.
16
18. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
Vibration Weld
Verification
Challenge
• Inconsistent thermal profiles along
weld line
• Thermally soaked parts have large
weld variances
• Part and tooling setup high costs
(machine tuning)
• Shift startup produces large scrap
• No process feedback or control
• 100% inspection is tedious
Solution
TPMS can be permanently mounted to
inspect the parts on every cycle and
record the data for trending and
analytics – all fully integrated into the
welding equipment
19. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
Vibration Weld Verification
• On the Vibration Welder we see
• Cycle to cycle there is an average thermal delta of 30ºC and standard deviation of
+/-6
• Region of Interest delta on each part at an average of up to 110.6ºC
• Risk: too much part-to-part and cycle-to-cycle variation with risk of process control and
repeatability, high standard deviation of +/-22.8
23.38
19.64
25.61
22.48
0.00
5.00
10.00
15.00
20.00
25.00
30.00
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
1123 1125 1127 1131
STANDARDDEVIATION
TEMPERATURE(°C)
SAMPLE #
Machine 1
L1 Avg
L2 Avg
L3 Avg
L4 Avg
L5 Avg
Avg Std Dev
20. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
Vibration Weld Verification
0.00
2.00
4.00
6.00
8.00
10.00
12.00
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
1145 1147 1149 1151 1153 1155 1157 1159 1161 1163 1165 1167 1169 1171 1173 1175 1177 1179 1181 1183 1185
STANDARDDEVIATION
TEMPERATURE(°C)
SAMPLE #
Machine 3
L1 Avg
L2 Avg
L3 Avg
Avg Std Dev
• On the Welder #3 we see
• Cycle-to-cycle thermal variation of of 23.5ºC
• Variation on the region of interest on each part of 5ºC from the average
• Risk: too much part-to-part variation with risk of process control and
repeatability
20
The information contained within is the sole intellectual property of Emitted Energy Corp. Sterling Heights, MI USA. ANY REPRODUCTION or other use of this information without the express written consent of Emitted Energy Corp is strictly prohibited.
21. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
Vibration Weld Verification
0.00
2.00
4.00
6.00
8.00
10.00
12.00
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
STANDARDDEVIATION
TEMPERATURE(°C)
SAMPLE #
Machine #4
L1 Avg
L2 Avg
Avg Std Dev
Thermal Soaked PartsStandard Parts
• On the Welder #4 we see
• Large cycle-to-cycle thermal variation of 29ºC
• Large variation on the region of interest on each part of 18ºC from the average
• Risk: too much part-to-part variation with risk of process control and repeatability
21
The information contained within is the sole intellectual property of Emitted Energy Corp. Sterling Heights, MI USA. ANY REPRODUCTION or other use of this information without the express written consent of Emitted Energy Corp is strictly prohibited.
22. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
TPMS by Emitted Energy
Thermal Process Monitoring Systems
The information contained within is the sole intellectual property of Emitted Energy Corp. Sterling Heights, MI USA. ANY REPRODUCTION or other use of this information without the express written consent of Emitted Energy Corp is strictly prohibited.
22
24. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
Plastic Processing for
Thermoforming & Compression Molding
The information contained within is the sole intellectual property of Emitted Energy Corp. Sterling Heights, MI USA. ANY REPRODUCTION or other use of this information without the express written consent of Emitted Energy Corp is strictly prohibited.
24
25. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
Closing the Loop In Plastic Forming
• Challenge
• Inconsistent mold temperatures
• Uneven thermal profiles on the parts causing part
defects from too much and little material stretch
during the vacuum forming process
• Solution
• IR can be permanently mounted to inspect molds
and parts to ensure tooling is to correct
temperatures and the IR oven is heating the part
properly
26. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
TPMS for Thermoforming
• Challenge
• Inconsistent heat profile causing material
stretch & tear
• Solution
• Integrated thermal imaging system evaluates
acoustic material prior to forming controlling
infrared oven heat output to control
consistency
27. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
Closed Loop Control
Solutions via TPMS
• Challenge
Inconsistent thermal profile caused by
inconsistent oven temperatures and plastic
sheet placement on conveyer belt – causing
material stretch and bulking after the molding
process
• Solution
• An integrated TPMS to evaluate thermal
profiles and report back to the
thermoforming machine to discard bad
product. In addition, a control loop to auto-
adjust the oven output to regulate even
thermal heating.
27
29. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
• Full Service DOE,
establishing the optimization
and critical analysis of your
equipment.
• Master Molders with a
combined 75 years of
experience to maximize your
Injection Molding process
• Six Sigma Master Black
Belt
• Red/X Expert
The DOE will turn your head, our TPMS to change your mind
TPMS
Integration &
Process
Optimization
Data Collection
& Analysis
DOE
30. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
What better way is there to Analyze and Control this process then by using THERMAL
IMAGING!
The Injection molding Process is controlled by four major Physics Factors that influence the
temperature and behavior of the Plastics.
Theses Physics Factors are:
• Plastic Flow Rate (Injection Speed - sheer rate of the plastic).
• Plastic Temperature (The energy used to soften the plastic via heater bands and mechanical sheer).
• Plastic Cooling (The thermal BTU transfer of molding surface to the plastic surface.)
• Plastic Pressure Gradient (The amount of pressure pushing the plastic internally within both the outer
and inner skins to the mold surface (densification).
INJECTION Molding is a HEAT IN, HEAT OUT Process!!!
31. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
What better way is there to Analyze and Control this process then by using THERMAL
IMAGING!
INJECTION Molding is a HEAT IN, HEAT OUT Process!!!
Continued…
The overall dimensional integrity of your
molded part depends on all the various
regions of heat being correct first (HEAT IN).
Then the subsequent cooling rates of these
areas (HEAT OUT), we refer to this as
SHRINK RATE.
These thermal events must be consistent to
achieve the proper dimensions and
eliminate issues such as part warpage, in-
mold stress, size and visual defects.
32. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
What better way is there to Analyze and Control this process then by using THERMAL
IMAGING!
How can Thermal Process Monitoring System (TPMS) utilizing IR technology
help?
• Regions of influence (ROI’s) can be assigned to multiple areas of the part where a
variance of heat can be detected.
• If there is a change of temperature within the ROI, our TPMS will detect there’s a
problem!
INJECTION Molding is a HEAT IN, HEAT OUT Process!!!
Continued…
33. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
What better way is there to Analyze and Control this process then by using THERMAL IMAGING!
How do you know if your equipment (each mold) is operating properly?
• IR gives you the advantage of knowing if the machine is operating properly by
detecting:
• Manifold issues
• Assurance of proper functionality and placement of thermocouples inside the
nozzle drop.
• Assurance that the heater bands are not malfunctioning.
• Assurance that the nozzle drops are clear and free of debris (or even at the right
size).
INJECTION Molding is a HEAT IN, HEAT OUT Process!!!
Continued…
34. 1.855.752.3347
www.emittedenergy.com
6559 Diplomat Dr.
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
What can Infrared Technology do for Plastic Joining & Processing?
To learn more about our solutions, please come visit our booth.
Thermal Machine Vision and Process Heating Systems
34
Editor's Notes
I’ve only been with EE for a couple of months now, but it didn’t take long for me to see how IR technology could impact the plastics industry.
Our TPMS takes the camera information collected and analyzes the data to make a determination based on the customers requirements.
Each of these machines use a transfer of “energy” to bond. This transfer of energy can easily be detected using IR technology.
In my 20+ years of manufacturing experience, I've been in enough "hard rocks" meetings or customer calls to know that they aren't fun!
I only wish I knew of this technology years ago, maybe I wouldn't have as much grey hair in the beard.
You can’t see what you can’t see!
Discuss some field failures that I have experienced at SRG.
Data on every part.
You can’t see what you can’t see.
Why use IR?
Non contact
Non destructive
Records data
Can be integrated within current system.
What does our TPMS do?
Identify “trouble spots” by collecting data in ROI’s.
Alarms: Warn and fail
Tracks every cycle
Real time data
Assurance of “good” welds
Vibration welding is a pressurized "friction" weld.
Inconsistent welds
Large variances from part to part
High start up scrap
Ne feedback or control
Very tedious inspection
Inconsistent mold temperatures creating uneven thermal profiles on the part.
Scrap, scrap, scrap
Stretching and tearing are notorious in Thermoforming
Our system provides data in the thermoforming space that has never been available before! We can even close the loop and send a trigger back to the heaters in the area of the trouble spots.