Fully Functional Molding Shop Floor Virtual Reality Supports Training Initiatives

Kruse Training is developing what it says is the first fully functional molding shop floor virtual reality (VR) solution. The company says its goal is to create VR classes for injection molding processing in order to prepare users for work on an actual shop floor and are being developed to support a molding company’s hands-on process training initiatives. More specifically, the new technology will enable process engineers to walk and work through individual molding set ups and processing tasks.

Plastic injection molding is a complex scientific manufacturing process that requires a methodology for setting up. In the new Kruse Training Process Development section and future VR Expert Molder series, Kruse Training will provide users with guidance to prepare and set up a molding cell, make necessary pre-process development preparations and develop a new molding process. A step-by-step guide will be outlined that can be adapted to any new molding process development project.

The Process Development section begins with the tools and equipment that process engineers should have on hand, and the steps required to prepare a molding machine and peripherals during process preparation. The second phase of molding process preparation is preparing the mold for optimal functionality. Using VR technology, users will learn how to install and set up the sequencing from mold open to close, part ejection and other optional mold functionalities. After preparing the molding machine and peripheral devices, and setting up the initial mold and ejector movements, it’s time to develop and execute a process development strategy.

The Kruse Training VR technology gives “access” to a molding shop floor, enabling users to take a mold from storage by overhead crane to the machine and install it, hook up water, get other peripheral devices ready, prepare the polymer material and start the mold set up and process development.

Under the Kruse Training VR Training and Certification Initiative, the company is developing a molding shop floor with 8-10 molding machines, each with a different mold. As a student develops new skills, they will be able to progress from machine to machine, learning new and more complex process development sequences for each mold. A student will earn points when they follow the setup procedures correctly and after they have mastered the first process development task they can progress to the next one on the floor. Each new machine, peripheral devices and mold will become more complex to set up. Kruse Training will offer VR Molding Expert certification for successful completion of the VR training levels.