A method and apparatus for injection molding of plastic material into a cavity of a mold by means of at least one injector whose opening and closing occurs through an electronic control unit and wherein an undesired opening of the mold caused by any overpressure of the plastic material injected into the cavity of the mold is detected by means of transducers and corrected by means of the electronic control unit. The transducers are arranged outside the cavity of the mold.

An injection molding machine is provided that includes a clamping force sensor that detects a clamping force of a mold, and a clamping force monitoring unit that monitors a detected value of the clamping force sensor and calculates a first mold open distance and/or a second mold open distance. The first mold open distance is calculated based on the difference between the maximum value of the detected values obtained during an injection process and a pressure holding process and the detected value obtained at the start of the injection process. The second mold open distance that is calculated based on the difference between the detected value obtained at the end of the pressure holding process and the detected value obtained at the start of the injection process.

An injection molding hot runner system adapted for leak detection during injection molding includes a manifold and a housing surrounding the manifold, wherein the manifold and the housing are spaced apart defining one or more pockets, the manifold comprises at least one junction point establishing a connection to a component attached to the manifold, wherein at the at least one junction point a sensor is located in the pocket, wherein the sensor is configured to indicate a leak when getting in contact with the molten plastic due to a leak at the junction point.

A method of detecting and compensating for a non-operational mold cavity in an injection molding apparatus having a plurality of mold cavities and an injection molding screw or ram includes injecting, via the injection molding screw or ram, a molten thermoplastic material into the plurality of mold cavities. The method includes measuring a first process parameter of the injection molding apparatus at a pre-determined time during or after the injecting. The method also includes determining, based on the first process parameter, whether one or more mold cavities of the plurality of mold cavities are non-operational. Then, when it is determined that one or more mold cavities are non-operational, the method includes automatically adjusting the first process parameter or a second process parameter of the injection molding apparatus.

Systems and approaches for controlling an injection molding machine having a mold forming a mold cavity include feeding a molten polymer into a barrel containing a screw disposed in a first position, advancing the screw a first instance, from the first position to a second position, to inject the molten polymer into the mold cavity to form a molded part, and ejecting a first molded part or a first set of molded parts from the mold cavity. Further, the screw is advanced a second instance, from the second position to a third position, to inject the molten polymer into the mold cavity to form an additional molded part. A second molded part or a second set of molded parts is ejected from the mold cavity. After the second advancing instance, a recovery profile is commenced in which the screw is returned to the first position.

A molding injection pressure and a molding clamping force are determined in advance to obtain a parting opening amount, which is a predetermined gap, between a movable mold and a fixed mold of a mold during injection filling. The molding injection pressure and the molding clamping force are determined to obtain a molding injection pressure capable of molding a good product and a mold clamping force capable of molding a good product, respectively, thereby setting a specific molding condition, setting a fast injection speed from the start of injection, which is higher than the injection speed set by the specific molding condition, and setting a fast injection section for continuing the fast injection speed as a fast injection condition, mold-clamping the mold by the molding clamping force during molding, and setting the molding injection pressure to a limit pressure, injecting and filling resin into a mold by the fast injection condition from the start of injection, and injecting and filling resin by the specific molding condition when the fast injection section ends.

An injection molding machine includes: a timing belt wound around a driving-side rotation member and a driven-side rotation member and configured to transmit power from the driving-side rotation member to the driven-side rotation member; a driving-side rotation detecting unit configured to detect a rotational speed of the driving-side rotation member; a driven-side rotation detecting unit configured to detect a rotational speed of the driven-side rotation member; and an abnormality detecting unit configured to detect an abnormality in the timing belt based on a relative speed difference between the rotational speed of the driving-side rotation member detected by the driving-side rotation detecting unit and the rotational speed of the driven-side rotation member detected by the driven-side rotation detecting unit in a predetermined period after the driving-side rotation member starts to rotate from a stopped state.

A vertical injection molding machine includes a mold clamping device configured to clamp a mold, an injection device provided on the mold clamping device, the injection device being configured to inject an injection material, a controller including an operation terminal, the operation terminal provided on an operation side of the vertical injection molding machine, and a safety fence surrounding other three sides of the vertical injection molding machine except for the operation side. Alight curtain and a cover are provided on the operation side. The light curtain includes a plurality of spaced light sources and the same number of light receiving sensors, the light curtain being configured to detect an entry into the mold clamping device from the operation side. The cover is disposed on or above the light curtain.

A molding machine management system includes: a molding machine configured to mold a molded product using a molding mold having a plurality of cavities; a camera configured to capture an image of the molded product molded by the molding machine; an inspection device configured to inspect the molded product; and a management server including a control unit configured to acquire the image captured by the camera and an inspection result by the inspection device and cause a display unit to display the image and the inspection result. The management server includes a storage unit configured to store the image of the molded product, the inspection result of the molded product, and information on a cavity in which the molded product is molded in association with each other, and the control unit causes the image of the molded product molded by the molding machine, the inspection result of the molded product, and the information on the cavity in which the molded product is molded to be displayed on a same screen of the display unit.

A molding machine management system includes: an injection molding machine including a mold, an injection unit, and a mold clamping unit; a management server coupled to the injection molding machine via a network; a first camera configured to capture an image of the mold; a second camera configured to capture an image of a drive unit provided in the injection molding machine; and a storage unit that stores first moving image data which is moving image data of the mold captured by the first camera, and second moving image data which is moving image data of the drive unit captured by the second camera, in association with a shot number of the injection molding machine. The management server includes a control unit configured to cause a display unit to display the first moving image data and the second moving image data in association with the shot number.