Category Archives: MoldWatcher

The intricate process of Metal Injection Molding (MIM) can cause broken and/or stuck parts which leads to very expensive repairs. One of Avalon Vision Solutions first customers was an MIM manufacturer, and we take pride in successfully protecting the mold to keep the MIM manufacturing process going smoothly. MoldWatcher vision protection is an essential part to the MIM sector of the molding process.

Stuck Parts-

MoldWatcher typically is used to detect two images per cycle for both presence and absence of the part on the moving surface of the mold.  This is done using non-contact machine vision technology so that prevention occurs prior to mold closing.

Plastic parts for medical uses typically involve very detailed molds that can be easily damaged. Removal can be difficult due to tiny core pins and non-fills can occur. MoldWatcher prevents damage before it occurs and insures that manufacturing process continues running smoothly. MoldWatcher mold vision inspection in the medical plastics manufacturing sector is an essential component of the molding process.

Part Removal Verification-

MoldWatcher typically is used to detect two images per cycle for both presence and absence of the part on the moving surface of the mold.  This is done using non-contact machine vision technology so that prevention occurs prior to mold closing.

Non-Fills (Short Shots)-

Parts that are not 100% filled cause quality defects and many times errors in downstream assembly.  Since these issues usually occur at the same place (farthest away from the injection), MoldWatcher can be configured with multiple cameras to detect critical areas. 

To learn more call 770-944-8445 or email [email protected] today!

When lifters and/or ejectors on an injection mold do not return, severe damage can occur on the mold. Traditionally, injection mold press manufacturers have tried to ease the minds of their customers, by installing pressure sensors that are intended to catch the problem. Unfortunately, pressure sensors catch the issue after they occur meaning your production must halt, deadlines may not be met, and costly repairs need to take place.

What is your alternative to prevent breaking the lifters and/or ejectors?

With Avalon’s MoldWatcher solution, a snapshot of the mold is taken before and after injection to ensure the lifters and/or ejectors have returned and the mold is clear and ready for the next cycle. If MoldWatcher detects that the lifters and/or ejector has not returned, the press is stopped before any damage can occur and a red light and sound will alert the employees to the issue. This allows the issue to be assessed and fixed in a timely manner to ensure parts are shipped on time.

ProcessRx gives the added features of graphs, image stills that can be viewed as a movie, and other powerful tools that will allow the engineer to discover what led to the issue to determine the best way to prevent the error from occurring again.

One of the main benefits of Avalon’s MoldWatcher Vision Solution is the ability to keep your customers satisfied.

How do we do this? It’s really simple.

1. By using MoldWatcher you are ensuring no bad parts are sent to the consumer. If MoldWatcher detects bad parts, the molding process is stopped, and by using our powerful ProcessRx documentation system, you will be able to review data and the image database to see exactly where the process went wrong in order to accurately fix the problem.
2. We help ensure on-time deliveries by discovering issues before they occur. When your mold is crunched due to a stuck part, core pin, ejector, etc. this can mean a substantial downtime as the mold is repaired. With MoldWatcher, these issues are discovered prior to damaging the mold so that any issues can be corrected before the pricey damage occurs.
3. By implementing the MoldWatcher solution into your molding process you are giving your customers peace of mind and showing that you care about the product they have you produce. Having a MoldWatcher system in your facility during your sales pitch period is a great incentive for potential customers to use your molding facility.

At Avalon Vision, we are fully committed to the success of our users and offer lifetime support and updates on all of our systems.

Call 770-944-8445 to discuss your application with one of our expert sales managers and engineers today!

Vision protection of injection molds is an important investment, and when deciding what is the best there are a few considerations you should make.

1. Industry Expertise – Would you bring a Ferrari to a Ford shop to be serviced? Of course not. So why settle for a company that does not specialize in your industry?When looking into a company you should consider where their focus and expertise lie.At Avalon Vision Solutions, we specialize specifically in vision protection for the injection molding and die cast industries. There is no other company with our expertise.
2. Ease of Use – Ease of use is one of the most important aspects of a vision inspection system. You may not always have a vision expert on staff, and at times there may not be any team members that know how to work a vision system.With this in mind, the vision solution you ultimately chose should be easy to install and easy to use by any trained member on the shop floor.Our touch screen, Windows based controller is easy to use. After the initial installation, the system can be easily navigated. Even better, if you are worried employees may tamper with the vision system, we have password protection of specific parameters within our products to prevent any unintended adjustments. That’s ease of use and ease of mind.
3. Ability to Interface with all Presses – Most companies require an integrator for the vision products to be implemented. This could potentially mean that every time you want to change the system to another press or change the mold, you will have to call the technical expert to make the necessary changes. This costs time and money.At Avalon, our solution can interface with all presses right out of the box. No integrator is needed!Plus, with our new AutoWindows feature, you can easily set up on a new mold quickly.
4. Lead Time – Typically, people do not think of vision protection until after there is an issue, which means you need the system today – not months down the road. It is always important to ask the lead time to make sure that the timeline matches with the need of you and the company. Also, be sure to take into consideration the installation time (which can be weeks or months for integrators) and any training period.When purchasing a MoldWatcher or QualityStation, Avalon’s lead time is 2-3 weeks and training with installation is only 1-2 days.
5. Lighting – One important feature of a vision system is the lighting. It may not seem important, but it plays a major role in the function of the vision system when integrated into the process. If a company is using insufficient lighting it can cause false rejects/accepts or be non-functional.Avalon’s Near-IR lighting is patented and created specifically for the use on injection molding and die cast machines. Unlike other companies who use traditional lighting – such as ring lights – our lighting will not be affected by the everyday work environment.

When purchasing vision protection for your press, there are many considerations to make. With Avalon, you can always have the peace of mind that you have made the right choice.

Vision mold protection is a valuable addition to the molding process that is often underutilized due to the misconception that it is too expensive, complicated, or not understanding how it can work for an application. Although there are many reasons everyinjection and die-cast machine should have a vision system implemented into their molding process, we’re providing three reasons you should invest in vision mold protection today.

1. Stop crunching molds to prevent down time.

Avalon’s powerful vision system uses one or more cameras and a patented near infrared light to capture the image of your mold and parts during various stages in the molding process to ensure that parts and inserts are present or absent and that ejectors, cores, and slide are all in their proper position. If an error occurs, the molding cycle is stopped until the failure is corrected and then the cycle begins again. This prevents tooling damage and saves the company money and time.

2. Ensure quality parts.

A damaged mold can produce poor quality parts and before an employee can even recognize the issue you may have a pile of imperfect parts. When using Avalon’s ProcessRx, you can track where in the process the issue began by viewing the actual image and use the cycle events to measure the results.

3. Most importantly – you will ensure customer satisfaction.

With the winning combination of saving time and ensuring quality parts you are – most importantly – keeping your customer satisfied. With the added assurance of Avalon’s MoldWatcher with ProcessRx, you stay on schedule and have the peace of mind that the parts you are providing to your customer are not damaged. We all know a happy customer continues to do business with you and can lead to referrals for more business for you.

Vision mold protection can be used on nearly all molding applications. With MoldWatcher – you get the only complete vision solution in the industry. Our system has a fast lead time, is easy to install, and is the best solution for your application.

To learn more about MoldWatcher click here.

AutoWindows™ is a new feature that Avalon Vision has released which will considerably reduce the setup time on new molds when using MoldWatcher.  Operators can now simply identify the critical areas of the mold to be monitored by placing an inspection window over each cavity in one image and then specify how precise the monitoring will need to be with global settings.  MoldWatcher will analyze the cavities in each image during a molding cycle and automatically generate detailed settings for inspection windows in both images.  This feature will reduce the setup time from approximately 20 minutes to less than 5 minutes for a new mold when performing setups.

Would you like more information on AutoWindows for MoldWatcher? Contact us now!