A mold system and method for forming a casting article for investment casting is disclosed. The mold system includes a mold for receiving therein a selected core chosen from a plurality of varied cores. The mold includes a plurality of separable mold portions that are coupleable together to create the mold and configured to form a sacrificial material from a sacrificial material fluid about the selected core. At least one selected separable mold portion of the plurality of separable mold portions includes a set of varied interchangeable versions of the at least one selected separable mold portion. Each varied interchangeable version of the selected separable mold portion is configured to accommodate a different core of the plurality of varied cores. A number of systems for controlling a temperature of the mold are also disclosed.

A closed-loop control device includes a target value entrance for inputting a target value for at least one control value, an actual value entrance for inputting an actual value for the at least one control value, wherein the actual value is determined based on the at least one measuring value, a calculation unit for calculating the actuation value based on a deviation of the actual value from the target value in such a way that the actual value follows the target value, and a control exit for outputting the actuation value for the actuator of the at least one tempering circle. The calculation unit is configured in such a way that the actuation value is calculated based on the present operating point or in a manner adapted to the present operating point.

A closed-loop control device includes a target value entrance for inputting a target value for at least one control value, an actual value entrance for inputting an actual value for the at least one control value, wherein the actual value is determined based on the at least one measuring value, a calculation unit for calculating the actuation value based on a deviation of the actual value from the target value in such a way that the actual value follows the target value, and a control exit for outputting the actuation value for the actuator of the at least one tempering circle. The calculation unit is configured in such a way that the actuation value is calculated based on the present operating point or in a manner adapted to the present operating point.

A controller for an injection molding machine having a heater and serving to estimate the surface temperature of the heater at a predetermined time, the controller comprising: an operation information acquiring unit for acquiring, as operation information, heater output power and heater setting temperature of the heater during a predetermined period immediately before the predetermined time; a surface temperature acquiring unit for acquiring the surface temperature of the heater during the predetermined period; an actual performance information acquiring unit for acquiring, as actual performance information, the actual performance on the transition of the ratio between the surface temperature of the heater and the setting temperature relative to the transition of the heater output power of the heater; and an estimating unit for estimating the surface temperature of the heater at the predetermined time on the basis of the operation information, the actual performance information, and the acquired surface temperature.

A controller for an injection molding machine having a heater and serving to estimate the surface temperature of the heater at a predetermined time, the controller comprising: an operation information acquiring unit for acquiring, as operation information, heater output power and heater setting temperature of the heater during a predetermined period immediately before the predetermined time; a surface temperature acquiring unit for acquiring the surface temperature of the heater during the predetermined period; an actual performance information acquiring unit for acquiring, as actual performance information, the actual performance on the transition of the ratio between the surface temperature of the heater and the setting temperature relative to the transition of the heater output power of the heater; and an estimating unit for estimating the surface temperature of the heater at the predetermined time on the basis of the operation information, the actual performance information, and the acquired surface temperature.

A material feeding device includes a plasticizing unit configured to plasticize resin pellets to generate a plasticized material, a nozzle that has a nozzle opening and is configured to send out the plasticized material from the nozzle opening to the outside, a flow path that communicates with the nozzle opening and through which the plasticized material flows, a suction unit including a plunger configured to suction the plasticized material into a first cylinder coupled to the flow path, and a plunger motor configured to drive the plunger, and a detection unit configured to detect a position of the plunger in the first cylinder.

A material feeding device includes a plasticizing unit configured to plasticize resin pellets to generate a plasticized material, a nozzle that has a nozzle opening and is configured to send out the plasticized material from the nozzle opening to the outside, a flow path that communicates with the nozzle opening and through which the plasticized material flows, a suction unit including a plunger configured to suction the plasticized material into a first cylinder coupled to the flow path, and a plunger motor configured to drive the plunger, and a detection unit configured to detect a position of the plunger in the first cylinder.

An injection molding machine includes a resin scattering preventing cover configured to prevent resin scattering from injection nozzle fixed to an end of an injection unit, a lighting unit configured to molding contact portion where the injection nozzle and a mold contact, a fixing unit configured to fix the lighting unit, and an opening/closing portion where the resin scattering prevention cover is configured to open and close; wherein the fixing unit is connected interlocked with opening and closing of the opening/closing portion.

A controller includes an operation information acquisition unit that acquires operation information, a characteristic information acquisition unit that acquires characteristic information of heat dissipation characteristics of a heater, a surface temperature acquisition unit that acquires the surface temperature of the heater, and a results information acquisition unit that acquires results of a transition in the ratio of the surface temperature and a set temperature with respect to a transition in the heater output as results information. The controller also includes an estimation unit that uses the operation and results information, and the acquired surface temperature to estimate the surface temperature of the heater, and an energy quantity calculation unit that uses the estimated surface temperature and characteristic information to calculate the heat quantity dissipation from the surface of the heater and calculates heat transfer energy quantity transmitted from the heater to a resin and the shear energy quantity.

A controller includes an operation information acquisition unit that acquires operation information, a characteristic information acquisition unit that acquires characteristic information of heat dissipation characteristics of a heater, a surface temperature acquisition unit that acquires the surface temperature of the heater, and a results information acquisition unit that acquires results of a transition in the ratio of the surface temperature and a set temperature with respect to a transition in the heater output as results information. The controller also includes an estimation unit that uses the operation and results information, and the acquired surface temperature to estimate the surface temperature of the heater, and an energy quantity calculation unit that uses the estimated surface temperature and characteristic information to calculate the heat quantity dissipation from the surface of the heater and calculates heat transfer energy quantity transmitted from the heater to a resin and the shear energy quantity.