Sensor monitoring and control concepts for intelligent polymer processing

First, a manufacturing philosophy of in-situ or post-factum monitoring and process control is described. Second, a series of new process monitoring approaches involving fluorescence and ultrasonic sensing techniques are presented. 'In-situ' is associated with the observance of a part as it is actually being made. 'Post factum' is associated with the examination of a part just after manufacture and subsequent feedback for the next part. Sample results are presented for an injection-molded component to illustrate the sensitivity of the fluorescent and ultrasonic sensors to deviations from the optimum state vector. Other sensor concepts are also presented.