The invention relates to a method for the online sensing of the rheology of thermoplastic and/or elastomer material for the production of injection-molded parts, wherein a measuring tool (6) is arranged in an injection-molding machine (1) between the stationary clamping plate (2) and the movable clamping plate (3) thereof instead of a mold die, wherein the measuring tool (6) comprises a measuring channel (13), in the course of which at least two pressure sensors (16) and at least two temperature sensors (17) are arranged, which transfer corresponding measured values of the material injected by means of an injection assembly (5) into the measuring channel (13) to a programmable logic controller (PLC) belonging to the injection-molding machine (1), with these measured values being processed by means of an algorithm in the PLC, evaluated and made available for the actual injection process.

In order to improve the consistency of molded products as viscosity shifts throughout a run, a controller of an injection molding machine executes a calibration cycle in accordance with a mold cycle. The controller analyzes a plurality of sensed melt pressure values during the calibration cycle to determine one or more calibration metrics. The controller then uses the calibration metrics when executing each mold cycle of the run. More particularly, during each mold cycle of the run, the controller detects a plurality of sensed melt pressures prior to and during a fill phase of the mold cycle and compares the plurality of sensed melt pressures to the one or more calibration metrics to predict cavity pressure for a pack and hold phase of the mold cycle. The controller then adjusts a set point pressure for the pack and hold phase based on the predicted cavity pressure.

A method for determining optimized shape data representing a shape of a molded workpiece formed from a molded material or/and a mold cavity of a molding tool, wherein the molded material hardens depending on at least one solidification parameter, the method including: a) providing shape data representing a shape of the workpiece or/and cavity, b) providing material data representing the molded material, c) providing molding process data representing the molding process, d) providing tool data representing the tool embodying the cavity, e) determining predictive shape data based on initial model data comprising the at least one solidification parameter and data provided in steps a), b), c), and d) simulating the molding process, f) generating optimized predictive shape data as the optimized shape data based on at least predictive shape data determined in step e) and based on first initial AI data comprising the at least one solidification parameter and data provided in steps a, b), c), and d), by means of an artificial neural simulation optimization network trained to optimize predictive shape data.

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 measuring apparatus of bulk viscosity includes a temperature-controlling cylinder having a test chamber for holding a molding material and at least one piston configured to seal an opening of the temperature-controlling cylinder. The temperature-controlling cylinder and the at least one piston are configured for measuring pressures, specific volumes and temperatures (PVT) of the molding material by applying a plurality of cooling rates to the molding material inside the testing chamber under an isobaric environment, or applying a plurality of mechanical pressures to the molding material inside the testing chamber under an isothermal environment. The measuring apparatus further includes a process module configured for deriving a plurality of parameters in relation to the pressures, specific volumes and temperatures (PVT) of the molding material based on the measurement; deriving an equilibrium pressure based on the plurality of parameters obtained from a first slowest cooling rate among the plurality of cooling rates.

As a molded article that has gas barrier properties even if a gas barrier layer is not provided and that also has molding stability and biodegradability, there is proposed a molded article containing an aliphatic polyester-based resin (A) and a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin (B) as main component resins, wherein the molded article has a resin phase-separated structure having a continuous phase including the aliphatic polyester-based resin (A) as a main component, and a ribbon-like dispersed phase including the polyvinyl alcohol-based resin (B) as a main component.

The present disclosure provides a method of measuring a true shear viscosity profile of a molding material in a capillary and a molding system performing the same. The method includes the operations of: determining a setpoint temperature of the molding material before injecting into the capillary; obtaining an initial shear viscosity profile at the setpoint temperature with respect to a shear rate of the molding material; fitting an initial temperature profile with respect to the shear rate according to the initial shear viscosity based on Cross William-Landel-Ferry model; fitting a first shear viscosity profile and a first temperature profile with respect to the shear rate according to the initial temperature profile based on the Cross-WLF model; and setting the first shear viscosity profile as the true shear viscosity profile when a difference between the first temperature profile and the initial temperature profile is not greater than a threshold.

The present disclosure provides a method of measuring a true shear viscosity profile of a molding material in a capillary and a molding system performing the same. The method includes the operations of: determining a setpoint temperature of the molding material before injecting into the capillary; obtaining an initial shear viscosity profile at the setpoint temperature with respect to a shear rate of the molding material; fitting an initial temperature profile with respect to the shear rate according to the initial shear viscosity based on Cross William-Landel-Ferry model; fitting a first shear viscosity profile and a first temperature profile with respect to the shear rate according to the initial temperature profile based on the Cross-WLF model; and setting the first shear viscosity profile as the true shear viscosity profile when a difference between the first temperature profile and the initial temperature profile is not greater than a threshold.

Rheological measurement systems for use with systems including pressurized polymer melts and/or other viscous materials are described. In one embodiment, a rheometer is connected to an associated system with a bent, curved, or bendable tube to permit the rheometer to measure rheological properties in locations where the rheometer could not otherwise be located due to the presence of obstructions. Embodiments including rigid straight tubes for connecting a rheometer to an associated system are also described. In another embodiment, a flow-through rheometer is connected to an industry standard ½-20 thermowell aperture that is typically used for attaching temperature and pressure probes to a vessel containing a viscous material such as an extruder or injection molding system.

The present disclosure provides a molding system for preparing an injection-molded plastic article. The molding system includes a molding machine; a mold disposed on the molding machine and having a mold cavity for being filled with a molding resin including a plurality of polymer chains; a processing module configured to generate an anisotropic viscosity distribution of the molding resin in the mold cavity based on a molding condition for the molding machine; wherein the anisotropic viscosity distribution of the molding resin is generated based in part on consideration of an integral effect of a volume fraction and an aspect ratio of the plurality of fibers; and a controller coupled to the processing module and configured to control the molding machine with the molding condition using the generated anisotropic viscosity distribution of the molding resin to perform an actual molding process for preparing the injection-molded plastic article.