Industry 4.0 to optimize the HPDC process: how to monitorize and sensorize the HPDC cell

Undeniably, industry 4.0 revolution is reaching every industrial sector and the HPDC foundry could no be less. Gaining control over foundry processes, being able to ensure the final quality of the components by solving production problems in real time or developing lean and energetically efficient processes are the ideal goals of any HPDC foundry.

From long time ago, Azterlan and Electronics GmbH work together in the control of the most critical variables of the HPDC process in different foundries. For this aim, a reliable and robust data capture is fully necessary to check and successfully detect any production problem or process failure.

Azterlan and Electronics GmbH have pursued building a scalable 4.0 strategy by implementing diverse flowmeters, thermocouples and pressure sensors as closer as the phenomena is emerging. Among the sensors applied to the HPDC process, there is a wide range of them, from basic sensors measuring parameters, such as hydraulic pressure or plunger stroke, to some more advanced ones that permit to deepen into the process, like those oriented towards the capture of mold surface temperature, cavity internal temperature, cavity internal pressure, vacuum pressure, vacuum air flow, die release flow, cooling circuit temperatures and flows, etc.

The aim of this work is to present the results regarding the implementation of the aforementioned innovative sensors in the HPDC cells, machines and their peripheral equipment to show the added value of these devices and process monitoring to identify the process failures and quality issues which are not detectable with the conventional injection curves.

Azterlan and Electronics GmbH will display real data of the different shots showing the actual potential of these tools, which are very sound with a long life, as well as the smart data management and analysis performed, such as the management of the die spraying system, showing the different failures of conventional systems and how they are detected with the help of this innovative solution.