An injection blow molding apparatus comprises: a first oil supply section which has a hydraulic drive source composed of a drive motor, whose number of revolutions can be controlled, and a hydraulic pump and which supplies oil from an oil tank to an injection mold drive unit provided in an injection mold unit; and a second oil supply section which has a hydraulic drive source composed of a drive motor, whose number of revolutions can be controlled, and a hydraulic pump and which supplies oil from the oil tank to a blow mold drive unit provided in a blow mold unit, the second oil supply section being provided independently of the first oil supply section.

There are provided a mold clamping device and an injection molding machine including a guide mechanism which reliably prevents falling of a movable platen. The mold clamping device includes: a fixed platen fixed to a bed; a mold clamping housing configured to be slidable on the bed; a movable platen configured to be slidable on the bed between the fixed platen and the mold clamping housing; a plurality of tie-bars connecting the fixed platen and the mold clamping housing and penetrating the movable platen; a mold clamping mechanism provided between the mold clamping housing and the movable platen; a linear guide provided with the movable platen and configured to slide with respect to the bed; and a tie-bar guide bush provided with the movable platen and configured to slide with respect to the tie-bar.

There are provided a mold clamping device and an injection molding machine including a guide mechanism which reliably prevents falling of a movable platen. The mold clamping device includes: a fixed platen fixed to a bed; a mold clamping housing configured to be slidable on the bed; a movable platen configured to be slidable on the bed between the fixed platen and the mold clamping housing; a plurality of tie-bars connecting the fixed platen and the mold clamping housing and penetrating the movable platen; a mold clamping mechanism provided between the mold clamping housing and the movable platen; a linear guide provided with the movable platen and configured to slide with respect to the bed; and a tie-bar guide bush provided with the movable platen and configured to slide with respect to the tie-bar.

In an injection molding machine that transmits driving force of a mold opening/closing servo motor to a movable platen via a ball screw to move the movable platen with respect to a stationary platen, and thereafter clamps molds by a mold clamping mechanism, provided is a control method capable of detecting a position of the movable platen at a time of continuous molding and correcting the operation start confirming position. In a method for controlling an injection molding machine that transmits driving force of a mold opening/closing servo motor to a movable platen via a ball screw to move the movable platen with respect to a stationary platen, and thereafter clamps molds by a mold clamping mechanism, other control is performed using a position A of the movable platen, the position A being detected by a position sensor at a time of continuous molding, and the position A of the movable platen is corrected.

A shaping machine includes a stationary first mold mounting plate, a second mold mounting plate movable with respect to the first mold mounting plate, a tubular snorkel fixedly secured to the second mold mounting plate, and an injection unit for plasticizing and injecting a molding material. An abutment is designed so that, in the opened condition of the closing unit, the injection unit can be braced against the abutment, and so that, in a closed condition of the closing unit, the injection unit is freed from the abutment by the force action of the snorkel on the injection unit.

A shaping machine includes a stationary first mold mounting plate, a second mold mounting plate movable with respect to the first mold mounting plate, a tubular snorkel fixedly secured to the second mold mounting plate, and an injection unit for plasticizing and injecting a molding material. An abutment is designed so that, in the opened condition of the closing unit, the injection unit can be braced against the abutment, and so that, in a closed condition of the closing unit, the injection unit is freed from the abutment by the force action of the snorkel on the injection unit.

An injection molding machine with an injection system and a clamping system. The injection system may include a removable injection module defining a portion of the material flow path. The injection module may include all of parts that come in contact with the material between the material source and the mold. The injection module may include a valve arrangement movable between a fill position to load the injection module with material and an inject position to eject material from the injection module into the mold. The actuators for the injection module may be supported on the machine rather than the injection module. The clamping system may include a platen linear actuator to open and close the mold, and a hydraulic clamping system to apply clamping force to the closed mold. The hydraulic clamping system may include a free-float valve manifold assembly that selectively places the hydraulic cylinders in free-float mode.

An injection molding machine with an injection system and a clamping system. The injection system may include a removable injection module defining a portion of the material flow path. The injection module may include all of parts that come in contact with the material between the material source and the mold. The injection module may include a valve arrangement movable between a fill position to load the injection module with material and an inject position to eject material from the injection module into the mold. The actuators for the injection module may be supported on the machine rather than the injection module. The clamping system may include a platen linear actuator to open and close the mold, and a hydraulic clamping system to apply clamping force to the closed mold. The hydraulic clamping system may include a free-float valve manifold assembly that selectively places the hydraulic cylinders in free-float mode.

Disclosed is a hydraulic system for a molding system, the molding system having a clamp actuator and an injection actuator, the hydraulic system comprising a clamp accumulator for storing hydraulic fluid for use in actuating the clamp actuator; an injection accumulator for storing hydraulic fluid for use in actuating the injection actuator; a pump for conveying hydraulic fluid to the clamp accumulator and the injection accumulator; and a selector valve for selectively fluidly connecting the pump to one of the clamp accumulator and the injection accumulator.

An electro-hydrostatic drive for realizing a rapid movement and a force-building movement, comprising a hydro-machine with variable volume and/or rotational speed, driven by an electric motor, for providing a volume-flow of a hydraulic fluid, a first cylinder with a housing, a piston, a cylinder rod, and a first and a second cylinder chamber, a second cylinder with a piston, a cylinder rod, and a first and a second cylinder chamber, a moveable carrier plate, a pillar, and a clamping apparatus to clamp and/or unclamp the first cylinder to the pillar, where the hydraulic drive has a closed hydraulic circuit, which has, when run, a positive pressure above atmospheric pressure and which, by utilizing the hydro-machine, can pressurize either the first or the second cylinder chamber of the first cylinder and/or the first or the second cylinder chamber of the second cylinder. The moveable carrier plate is connected both to the first cylinder and to the second cylinder. For the force-building movement, the first cylinder is clamped, by the clamping apparatus, to the pillar and one cylinder chamber of the first cylinder is pressurized with the hydraulic fluid, and for the rapid movement, the first cylinder is unclamped, by the clamping apparatus, from the pillar and one cylinder chamber of the second cylinder is pressurized with the hydraulic fluid.