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.

In the present invention, constructed is a highly reliable system that does not allow unforeseen conditions to occur in the remote diagnosis of a clamp device. All combinations of status of a state detection switch mounted on a clamp device are anticipated in advance by a recursive method, and the states are defined with no omissions. A control unit 9 includes: a main body memory 9c that stores the ON/OFF state of a state switch together with the status of an injection molding machine main body, the clamp status and time information; and a main body communication unit 9d which is capable of short-range wireless communication. A message diagnosing a failure is stored in a smartphone 12 for all combinations of the ON/OFF state of the state detection switch for each of the following cases: whether in mold replacement mode or not; and whether a clamp device is in a clamped state or an unclamped state, or in a state other than the forgoing. The history of the ON/OFF state of the state detection switch with respect to the status of the main body and the clamp status is read from the main body memory 9c by wireless communication, and a corresponding message is displayed.

In the present invention, constructed is a highly reliable system that does not allow unforeseen conditions to occur in the remote diagnosis of a clamp device. All combinations of status of a state detection switch mounted on a clamp device are anticipated in advance by a recursive method, and the states are defined with no omissions. A control unit 9 includes: a main body memory 9c that stores the ON/OFF state of a state switch together with the status of an injection molding machine main body, the clamp status and time information; and a main body communication unit 9d which is capable of short-range wireless communication. A message diagnosing a failure is stored in a smartphone 12 for all combinations of the ON/OFF state of the state detection switch for each of the following cases: whether in mold replacement mode or not; and whether a clamp device is in a clamped state or an unclamped state, or in a state other than the forgoing. The history of the ON/OFF state of the state detection switch with respect to the status of the main body and the clamp status is read from the main body memory 9c by wireless communication, and a corresponding message is displayed.

A injection molding method involves measuring, using at least one external sensor, a change in a parameter of a mold side of a mold cavity, approximating a condition within the mold cavity based on the change in the parameter, such as pressure within the mold cavity or flow front position, and comparing the approximated condition to a trigger point. If the approximated condition equals or exceeds the trigger point, activating a virtual cavity sensor having an optimal pre-defined pressure-time curve, and upon activation, the virtual cavity sensor tracks an approximated condition calculated from the change in parameter measurements measured by the at least one external sensor over time. In an embodiment, results of the approximated parameter tracking can be used in conjunction with an optimal pre-defined pressure-time curve.

A injection molding method involves measuring, using at least one external sensor, a change in a parameter of a mold side of a mold cavity, approximating a condition within the mold cavity based on the change in the parameter, such as pressure within the mold cavity or flow front position, and comparing the approximated condition to a trigger point. If the approximated condition equals or exceeds the trigger point, activating a virtual cavity sensor having an optimal pre-defined pressure-time curve, and upon activation, the virtual cavity sensor tracks an approximated condition calculated from the change in parameter measurements measured by the at least one external sensor over time. In an embodiment, results of the approximated parameter tracking can be used in conjunction with an optimal pre-defined pressure-time curve.

Disclosed herein, amongst other things, is a control structure for a molding system (900). The control structure includes a controller (106, 934) and a valve actuator (104) for positioning a valve member (102) of a valve (101) for regulating flow of molding material in the molding system (900), wherein the controller (106, 934) is configured to monitor an operating parameter of the valve actuator (104) for indirectly appreciating an indication of a molding parameter of the molding system (900).

Disclosed herein, amongst other things, is a control structure for a molding system (900). The control structure includes a controller (106, 934) and a valve actuator (104) for positioning a valve member (102) of a valve (101) for regulating flow of molding material in the molding system (900), wherein the controller (106, 934) is configured to monitor an operating parameter of the valve actuator (104) for indirectly appreciating an indication of a molding parameter of the molding system (900).

Apparatus for checking a state of a machine part of a shaping machine, comprising an evaluation unit, at least one power loss sensor for ascertaining a power loss measurement signal which is representative of a power loss in and/or at the machine part, and at least one movement sensor for ascertaining a movement measurement signal which is representative of a movement of the machine part, wherein the evaluation unit is adapted to compute a damage indicator for the machine part from the power loss measurement signal and from the movement measurement signal.

A first rotation controller that rotates a rotary table by feedback control based on a rotation amount detected by a rotation amount detection unit and a second rotation controller that rotates the rotary table by the feedback control based on a distance detected by a distance detection unit are included and rotation control by the first rotation controller is switched to that by the second rotation controller at a predetermined rotation angle.

A first rotation controller that rotates a rotary table by feedback control based on a rotation amount detected by a rotation amount detection unit and a second rotation controller that rotates the rotary table by the feedback control based on a distance detected by a distance detection unit are included and rotation control by the first rotation controller is switched to that by the second rotation controller at a predetermined rotation angle.