Alert mold maintenance cycle with Shot Count
Inspektion engineering team · Published 7 September 2026 · Last updated 18 October 2026
Use shot count data from injection molding machine files to compare with mold maintenance criteria and send email alerts to track maintenance cycles from the same data set.
Summary
- Setting maintenance intervals from shot count is usage-based preventive maintenance. Predictive Maintenance uses machine condition data or models to forecast deterioration, and requires additional design and testing.
- Shot count helps set maintenance intervals according to usage, but it does not confirm when a machine or mold will fail.
- Advance email alerts help maintenance teams plan repairs ahead of time, instead of waiting for a sudden machine breakdown.
- This can be extended with additional sensors, such as motor vibration monitoring.
What is a shot-based maintenance cycle alert?
What is a shot-based maintenance cycle alert?
Setting maintenance intervals from shot count is usage-based preventive maintenance. Predictive Maintenance uses machine condition data or models to forecast deterioration, and requires additional design and testing.
Why start with a simple figure like Shot Count?
In the Mold PM case, the system counts shots from files produced by Toshiba and JSW machines, then compares them with the STD PM Shot value the user sets for each mold. It therefore starts from data the machines already have, without having to claim that the system can predict mold failure.
How it works
In this case, the program reads the shot count from the injection molding machine's report files and compares it with the STD PM Shot the user defines for each mold. The system displays status and sends emails according to set conditions. The people in charge still need to inspect condition and plan maintenance together with information from the shop floor.
How can this be extended?
Once the basic Shot Count system is working, a possible next step is to add sensors that monitor motor vibration (Vibration Monitoring) to catch mechanical problems that the shot count alone cannot detect — the underlying idea is "start with the data you already have, then add sensors as needed", rather than investing in a complete complex system from day one.
Examples of our real work
We developed a web app that counts mold shots from Toshiba and JSW machine files, with status display and email alerts (see the Mold PM Monitoring case). Another example is a pilot system that times work cycles with video on one production line (see the pilot cycle-time monitoring with video case). The two projects differ in scope.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we need to replace our injection molding machines before using this system?
In this case, data files from the existing injection molding machines were used. For other machine models, the file format, access rights and network must be checked before designing the connection.
Where can alerts be sent?
Email alerts can be configured to go to a designated maintenance team, as suits each factory.
Can we set the alert criteria ourselves?
Users can set the criteria for each mold. These should be defined together with the people responsible for maintenance and with reference to the equipment manual.
References
- [1]
Operations & Maintenance Best Practices Guide — U.S. Department of Energy (FEMP)
- [2]
- [3]
ISO 17359 Condition Monitoring and Diagnostics of Machines — ISO
