A mold clamp control method for an injection molding machine having a toggle-type mold clamping mechanism. The mold clamp control method includes: a low-pressure mold clamping step that performs position hold control by which a crosshead is held in a set holding position in a state where a toggle link has been bent, when injection-filling is started; and a compression-press step that performs speed and position control by which the crosshead is advanced toward a set advancement position from the set holding position in a state where a first output upper limit value has been provided to a driving section. Advancement of the crosshead is continued in at least part of the compression-press step in a state where a generated output of the driving section is maintained at the first output upper limit value.

System and method for monitoring system parameters from multiple independent controllers that monitor and control an injection process. In one embodiment the method includes steps of: establishing a common graphical user interface (common GUI) for viewing system parameters of a tool based injection molding system (IMS), the IMS including a plurality of different local controllers that control different tool based system functions of the IMS and one common graphical user interface (local GUI) with GUI routines specific to the local controllers for set up and monitoring of the respective tool based system function of the respective local controllers; providing set up parameters, to each of the local controllers, for establishing the injection molding processes receiving, from each of the local controllers, data indicating a local state of the respective tool based system function; propagating to the common GUI one or more common views of the set up parameters and received local states of the various tool based system functions, the common views comprising a common set of graphical routines for set up and monitoring of the tool based system functions of the IMS and for providing input to one or more of the local controllers.

An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow of a fluid mold material comprising: a manifold, an actuator interconnected to a valve pin, a position sensor that senses position of the valve pin, a controller that controls movement of the actuator according to instructions that instruct the actuator to drive the valve pin upstream at one or more selected intermediate velocities in response to receipt by the controller of a signal from the position sensor that the valve pin is disposed in the one or more intermediate upstream gate open positions.

Apparatus and method for detecting a position of an actuator piston driving a valve pin in an injection molding system. The apparatus includes an actuator housing having a body portion, surrounding an axial bore, of a substantially non-magnetic and/or magnetically permeable material, a piston, movable within the axial bore for driving a valve pin, the piston including a magnetic member generating a magnetic field such that axial movement of the piston in the bore modifies the magnetic field according to the position of the piston relative to a detection position, and a magnetic field detector attached to an exterior surface of the body portion at the detection position for detecting the magnetic field associated with the position of the piston and generating an output signal determined by the piston position.

An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow of mold material to a mold cavity, the apparatus comprising: an injection molding machine and a manifold; an actuator interconnected to a valve pin having a tip end; a valve system in fluid communication with the actuator to drive the actuator at one or more rates of travel, the valve system having a start position, one or more intermediate drive rate positions and a high drive rate position, the start position holding the valve pin in a gate closed position; a controller that instructs the valve system to move from the start position to the one or more intermediate drive rate positions and to remain in the one or more intermediate drive rate positions for one or more corresponding predetermined amounts of time.

An injection molding machine according to the present invention is a machine tool comprising: a measurement unit that measures a predetermined measured value; a calculation unit that calculates attitude accuracy information about the injection molding machine based on the measured value measured by the measurement unit; and a display that displays the attitude accuracy information calculated by the calculation unit together with an overhead view of the injection molding machine.

A method for controlling an injection molding machine comprising a reciprocating plasticizing screw and a controller system adapted for measuring or calculating at least one first production parameter and for controlling/setting at least one second production parameter on the injection molding machine. The method comprises setting a preselected target value for the first production parameter, and inputting the target value into the controller system. The method comprises comparing the measured first production parameter of one production cycle with the preselected target value for the first production parameter. The method comprises calculating by the controller system a new value for the second production parameter as a function of the difference between the first production parameter and the preselected target value for the selected actual production parameter. The method comprises setting by the controller system said new value for the second production parameter for a subsequent production cycle.

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 method for determining positions of a real moulding material front during a process to be carried out with a moulding machine, wherein a simulation progression (SV) of a variable characteristic of the process is calculated, positions of a simulated moulding material front are determined from the simulation, the real process is carried out, and at least one measurement progression (MV) of the at least one characteristic variable is measured directly or indirectly, a transformation is chosen, which has at least one parameter (?V, kp, V.sub.unknown), the transformation is applied to the at least one simulation progression (SV), with the result that a transformed simulation progression (tSV) is formed, and a parameter value is determined for the parameter (?V, kp, V.sub.unknown) such that a deviation between the measurement progression (MV) and the transformed simulation progression (tSV) is minimized according to a predetermined error measure or according to an operator input.

The present invention provides an injection device which is capable of injecting a certain amount of a resin material in each injection process, while suppressing entry of air into a barrel and cost increase due to increase in the number of components. An injection device 1 according to the present invention is provided with: a resin material inlet 13; a drive unit 20 which generates a driving force for injecting a resin material from an injection port 12; a plunger 17 which is provided so as to be movable forward and backward in the axial direction of a barrel 11, and moves backward when the resin material flows into the barrel 11 and injects the resin material filled in the barrel 11 through the injection port 12 by moving forward within the barrel 11; a pusher member 18 which pushes the plunger 17 toward the injection port 12 of the barrel 11; a driving force transmission unit 21 which transmits the driving force generated in the drive unit 20 to the pusher member 18; and a control unit 25 which controls these constituent units so that the inflow of the resin material into the barrel 11 is started and measurement of the resin material is completed when the load received by the drive unit 20 from the pusher member 18 located at a specified position reaches a predetermined value.