Systems and approaches for controlling an injection molding machine and a mold forming a mold cavity and being controlled according to an injection cycle. The systems and methods include analyzing a model of at least one of the injection molding machine, the mold, and a molten material to determine initial values for one or more control parameters of the injection molding machine, and executing a run of injection cycles at the injection molding machine; measuring operation of the injection molding machine during a particular injection cycle of the run of injection cycles; determining one or more operational parameters exceed a threshold; and upon determining that the one or more operational parameters exceed the threshold, adjusting the one or more control parameters for subsequent injection cycles of the run of injection cycles.

A plasticizing device includes a plasticizing cylinder and a plasticizing screw arranged in the plasticizing cylinder. The plasticizing screw is rotatable about, and linearly movable along, a longitudinal axis. The plasticizing screw comprises a functioning section. A sensor is arranged in or on the plasticizing cylinder, and a distance to the surface of the functioning section of the plasticizing screw can be measured by the sensor. A detecting device can detect a type of the functioning section and/or an operating state of the functioning section, can detect a distance signal progression by a movement of the functioning section relative to the sensor, can compare the detected distance signal progression with a stored distance signal progression, and can issue a signal representing the type of functioning section and/or the operating state of the functioning section depending on a matching of the detected distance signal progression with a stored distance signal progression.

A shrinkage detection device for a polymer injection molding apparatus detects a shrinkage experienced by an injection molded element for assessing a quality of the molded element. Shrinkage, along with temperature and pressure of the melt within the mold during cooling, indicates a sufficiency of the resulting molded element for intended purposes. Sufficiency includes parameters such as flexibility, shear strength and longevity, and is accurately performed can replace conventional sample testing of molded articles that are expensive and time consuming.

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.

An operation abnormality detection method for detecting an operation abnormality in a molding device having a movable part includes: acquiring a prescribed measured value relating to operation of the movable part and calculating, as statistical information, an average value of prescribed information values based on the prescribed measured values: calculating a first threshold and a second threshold; acquiring a current measured value and comparing a current information value based on the current measured value with the greater of the first threshold and the second threshold; and issuing a warning if the current information value at least exceeds the greater of the first threshold and the second threshold.

An inspection apparatus includes an imaging device acquiring a polarization image of a molding product, and a determination unit determining quality of the molding product. The determination unit includes an image generating unit generating a pseudo image from an input image in accordance with a machine-learned learning model, and the determination unit inputs the polarization image or a calculation image obtained by calculation from the polarization image to the image generating unit as the input image and determines the quality of the molding product based on the input image and the pseudo image generated by the image generating unit.

A state determination device that determines an operation state of an injection molding machine stores respective specification data of a reference injection molding machine and an injection molding machine that is different from the reference injection molding machine, and acquires data related to the injection molding machine. Then, the state determination device converts the acquired data into yardstick data by a conversion formula set for every type of data, by using the stored specification data of the reference injection molding machine and the stored specification data of the injection molding machine and performs machine learning using the yardstick data obtained through the conversion so as to generate a learning model.

Provided is a foreign substance inspection method for inspecting presence or absence of a foreign substance embedded in a tubular resin molded product. A dome is prepared. The foreign substance inspection method includes: a first measurement step of measuring a dimension of a first projection image of the embedded foreign substance; a second measurement step of measuring a dimension of a second projection image of the embedded foreign substance: and a calculation step of calculating the dimension of the embedded foreign substance based on a proportional relationship between the dimension of each of the projection images to a distance from a corresponding one of the light sources to the each of the projection images and the dimension of the embedded foreign substance to a distance from the corresponding one of the light sources to the embedded foreign substance.

A method and device for injection moulding, in particular for micro-injection moulding, at least comprising a mould with a first mould half and a second mould half, wherein the first mould half and the second mould half define an injection moulding space in the closed state of the mould, and an insert arranged in the injection moulding space.

A method and apparatus for producing hollow articles made of injection moulded plastic material by a mould having a die within which there is inserted a core, and at least one injector including a pin valve displaceable between a closing position and an opening position for injecting the pressurized plastic material into a space comprised between the die and the core. During the injection, any flexural deflection of the core is detected and the pin valve of the or of each injector is displaced in a controlled fashion to adjust a pressure and a flow rate of the injected plastic material, so as to reduce or eliminate such deflection of the core.