A plasticizing apparatus includes a drive motor, a rotor rotated by the drive motor and having a groove-forming surface provided with a groove, a barrel facing the groove-forming surface and having a communication hole, an enclosure that accommodates the rotor, a heating section that heats a material, and a wear suppressor provided in at least one of the portion between the rotor and the barrel and the portion between the rotor and the enclosure. When the wear suppressor is provided between the rotor and the barrel, the wear suppressor is fixed to the rotor or the barrel and has Vickers hardness higher than the Vickers hardness of one of the rotor and the barrel, the one to which the wear suppressor is fixed, whereas when the wear suppressor is provided between the rotor and the enclosure, the wear suppressor is fixed to the rotor or the enclosure and has Vickers hardness higher than the Vickers hardness of one of the rotor and the enclosure, the one to which the wear suppressor is fixed.

A material delivery device includes: a plasticizing unit including a screw; a nozzle through which a plasticized material is delivered to outside; a communication flow path provided between the screw and the nozzle and through which the plasticized material flows; a pressure detection unit including a first cylinder coupled to the communication flow path, a rod inserted into the first cylinder, and a pressure sensor disposed with the rod separated from the communication flow path, in which the rod is configured to receive a pressure of the plasticized material in the communication flow path at a first end surface facing the communication flow path, and transmit the pressure to the pressure sensor through a second end surface opposite to the first end surface; and a rotation regulation mechanism configured to regulate rotation of the rod about a central axis along a longitudinal direction of the rod by engaging a first engaging portion provided on a side surface of the rod and a second engaging portion to be engaged with the first engaging portion.

A material delivery device includes: a plasticizing unit including a screw; a nozzle through which a plasticized material is delivered to outside; a communication flow path provided between the screw and the nozzle and through which the plasticized material flows; a pressure detection unit including a first cylinder coupled to the communication flow path, a rod inserted into the first cylinder, and a pressure sensor disposed with the rod separated from the communication flow path, in which the rod is configured to receive a pressure of the plasticized material in the communication flow path at a first end surface facing the communication flow path, and transmit the pressure to the pressure sensor through a second end surface opposite to the first end surface; and a rotation regulation mechanism configured to regulate rotation of the rod about a central axis along a longitudinal direction of the rod by engaging a first engaging portion provided on a side surface of the rod and a second engaging portion to be engaged with the first engaging portion.

A plasticizing device includes: a flat screw having a groove forming surface and a length in a rotation axis direction shorter than a length in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction; a barrel that has a facing surface facing the groove forming surface and in which a communication hole communicating with the facing surface is formed; and a heating unit configured to heat a material supplied into a groove. In a region in which the groove forming surface and the facing surface face each other, a surface free energy of the groove forming surface is lower than a surface free energy of the facing surface.

A plasticizing device includes: a flat screw having a groove forming surface and a length in a rotation axis direction shorter than a length in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction; a barrel that has a facing surface facing the groove forming surface and in which a communication hole communicating with the facing surface is formed; and a heating unit configured to heat a material supplied into a groove. In a region in which the groove forming surface and the facing surface face each other, a surface free energy of the groove forming surface is lower than a surface free energy of the facing surface.

An injection molding apparatus that employs a stationary plasticating screw relative to feed port, non-reciprocal helical plasticating screw housed within an inner barrel that is coupled to a plunger head assembly, drive housing, motor and injection cylinders that is housed within an outer barrel/pressure vessel that conveys, melts, homogenizes and pumps polymeric plastic material precisely and efficiently along One axis. The helical plasticating screw is fixed in relative position within the inner barrel so that the material feed opening of the inner barrel and helical plasticating screw are aligned to accept pellets, powder or liquid of polymetric substance. The inner barrel is fixed to a plunger head assembly on the distal end that is housed within a pressure vessel with close proximity between the outside diameter of the plunger head and the inside diameter of said pressure vessel that upon screw rotation transfers polymetric material through the center passageway of said plunger head opening a normally closed one-way shut-off mechanism into said pressure vessel precisely for future displacement of polymeric mass into a mold or other. The apparatus and process of feeding, melting and injecting Polymeric material all occurs on one axis.

An injection molding apparatus that employs a stationary plasticating screw relative to feed port, non-reciprocal helical plasticating screw housed within an inner barrel that is coupled to a plunger head assembly, drive housing, motor and injection cylinders that is housed within an outer barrel/pressure vessel that conveys, melts, homogenizes and pumps polymeric plastic material precisely and efficiently along One axis. The helical plasticating screw is fixed in relative position within the inner barrel so that the material feed opening of the inner barrel and helical plasticating screw are aligned to accept pellets, powder or liquid of polymetric substance. The inner barrel is fixed to a plunger head assembly on the distal end that is housed within a pressure vessel with close proximity between the outside diameter of the plunger head and the inside diameter of said pressure vessel that upon screw rotation transfers polymetric material through the center passageway of said plunger head opening a normally closed one-way shut-off mechanism into said pressure vessel precisely for future displacement of polymeric mass into a mold or other. The apparatus and process of feeding, melting and injecting Polymeric material all occurs on one axis.

There is provided a method for controlling a fluidity index of a molten resin, which can detect the fluidity of a molten resin even during successive molding operations and, in addition, can control the fluidity within a target range. The method includes: assuming that a narrow flow path, formed in a flow path for the molten resin, is a capillary or an orifice, and measuring, based on the amount of a metered molten resin and the back pressure applied to the screw during a metering step, a fluidity index which indicates the fluidity of the metered molten resin; and feeding back the measured fluidity index value and comparing it with a target value, and controlling the back pressure or the rotating speed of the screw so as to eliminate a deviation between the target value and the measured value.

There is provided a method for controlling a fluidity index of a molten resin, which can detect the fluidity of a molten resin even during successive molding operations and, in addition, can control the fluidity within a target range. The method includes: assuming that a narrow flow path, formed in a flow path for the molten resin, is a capillary or an orifice, and measuring, based on the amount of a metered molten resin and the back pressure applied to the screw during a metering step, a fluidity index which indicates the fluidity of the metered molten resin; and feeding back the measured fluidity index value and comparing it with a target value, and controlling the back pressure or the rotating speed of the screw so as to eliminate a deviation between the target value and the measured value.

A material delivery device includes: a plasticizing unit including a screw; a nozzle through which a plasticized material is delivered to outside; a communication flow path provided between the screw and the nozzle and through which the plasticized material flows; a pressure detection unit including a first cylinder coupled to the communication flow path, a rod inserted into the first cylinder, and a pressure sensor disposed with the rod separated from the communication flow path, in which the rod is configured to receive a pressure of the plasticized material in the communication flow path at a first end surface facing the communication flow path, and transmit the pressure to the pressure sensor through a second end surface opposite to the first end surface; and a rotation regulation mechanism configured to regulate rotation of the rod about a central axis along a longitudinal direction of the rod by engaging a first engaging portion provided on a side surface of the rod and a second engaging portion to be engaged with the first engaging portion.