| abstract |
The present invention relates to a method and molding system ( 1 ) for forming a molded plastic article by wireless control. The molding system includes a primary controller ( 12 ) that is adapted to engage in wireless communications with the carriage controller ( 45 ) of one or more self-propelled carriages ( 15 ). Each carriage ( 15 ) includes a carriage location indicator ( 62 ) that determines the location of the carriage, which is transmitted substantially continuously to the carriage controller ( 45 ), and then communicated substantially continuously and wirelessly from the carriage controller to the primary controller ( 12 ). The primary controller ( 12 ) wirelessly communicates position directives (e.g., a polymer introduction station position directive) to each carriage controller ( 45 ), which correspondingly provides operational position instructions to each carriage's respective propulsion system ( 30 ), so as to re-position at least one carriage. The primary controller also provides directives to other secondary controllers in the molding system, depending on the status of, and in particular the location of the various carriages within, the molding system. For example, with a carriage ( 15 ) positioned in the polymer introduction station ( 18 ), the primary controller ( 12 ) communicates one or more polymer introduction directives to a polymer introduction controller ( 68 ), which then provides operational polymer introduction instructions to a polymer introduction apparatus ( 71 ), such as an extruder, thus resulting in the introduction of a polymer composition into contact with the interior mold surface ( 27 ) of the mold ( 24 ), and accordingly formation of a molded article. |