An apparatus and method for eliminating mold lines when molding a part having ferromagnetic pigments is provided. A mold assembly having a mold with a cavity and valve gates is formed. Pucks are fitted at the gates to collect residual cold plastic. The calculation of a specific sequence and timing of the opening of the valve gates is determined based on a calculation of the total number of valve gates needed to fill a part while maintaining acceptable injection molding pressure. Once calculated, the gates are positioned around the mold cavity to balance flow length ratio. A primary gate is chosen for initial injection. The time for the material to flow from the first to the second gate is established. The second gate is opened after the flow front reaches the second gate. This pattern continues until all valve gates are opened.

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.

An injection molding machine includes: a screw inserted in an injection cylinder and configured to be movable in the axial direction; a motor configured to move the screw; a torque detection unit configured to detect the torque of the motor; a position detection unit configured to detect the position of the screw; a motor drive control unit configured to drive the motor while imposing torque limitation so that the motor's torque will not exceed a limit torque, to thereby advance the screw to the foremost position in the direction of injection; and a determination unit configured to determine that unmelted resin remains inside the injection cylinder if the moving speed of the screw becomes lower than or equal to a predetermined speed while the screw is advancing to the foremost position.

System and method for monitoring system parameters from multiple independent controllers that monitor and control an injection process is a plurality of IMSs, including: 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.

A system and method for controlling an actuator which actuates an axially displaceable pin valve of an apparatus for injection molding of plastic materials, where the control system includes an electronic control unit of the actuator which adjusts at least one among position, speed and acceleration of the pin valve, and a position sensor which detects a position of a plunger of the actuator and is operatively connected to the electronic control unit. The position sensor indirectly detects the position of the plunger of the actuator.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide an injection molding machine capable of preventing a molding defect and a method of controlling the injection molding machine. An injection molding machine according to the present embodiment is an injection molding machine that molds a product for each execution of a molding cycle through an injecting process of injecting a material into clamped molds, a dwell process of controlling dwell pressure of the material in the molds, and a cooling process of cooling the material in the molds, the injection molding machine including a mold opening amount sensor and a controlling unit, the mold opening amount sensor being configured to detect a mold opening amount of the molds, the controlling unit being configured to control clamping force of the molds and the dwell pressure based on the mold opening amount during the molding cycle.

A control device of an injection molding machine, the injection molding machine including: a mold clamping device that advances and retracts a movable mold with respect to a fixed mold; and an injection device that injects and fills a molten material into a cavity formed between both the molds, the control device including: a display unit that displays a setting screen for setting molding conditions of the injection molding machine; and a setting unit that sets the molding conditions based on information displayed on the setting screen.

An injection apparatus includes (a) a barrel; (b) a nozzle at a front end of the barrel; (c) a screw in the barrel; and (d) a drive assembly including: (i) a housing having a front end coupled to the barrel; (ii) a spindle in the housing and fixed to the screw; (iii) a first motor in the housing and having a hollow first rotor through which the spindle passes. The first rotor is coupled to the spindle for driving rotation of the screw about the axis. The drive assembly further includes (iv) a second motor in the housing axially rearward of the first motor. The second motor has a hollow second rotor through which the spindle passes. The second rotor is coupled to the spindle for translating the screw along the axis in response to rotation of the second rotor relative to the spindle.

Injection molding apparatus (1) comprising: an actuator (14, 940, 941, 942) comprising a rotor (940r, 941r, 942r) controllably rotatable by electric power, the actuator (14, 940, 941, 942) being interconnected to a controller (16) that generates drive signals (DC), an electrical drive device (940d, 941d, 942d) comprising an interface that receives the drive signals (DC) and controllably distributes electrical energy or power in controllably varied amounts according to the drive signals (DC) to a driver (940dr, 941dr, 942dr) that drives the rotor (940r, 941r, 942r), a valve pin (1040, 1041, 1042) having an axis (X) and a control surface (43, 45, 102m) drivable upstream and downstream through a downstream feed channel (17, 19, 160, 940c, 941c, 942c) the downstream feed channel having a complementary surface (47, 103s) adapted to interface with the control surface (43, 45, 102m) upstream and away from the gate.

An injection molding apparatus comprising:

An actuator having a driver receiving electrical energy or power from an electrical drive, the electrical drive comprising an interface, the electrical drive being housed within or by and actuator housing or being mounted on or to the housing, the housing and the electrical drive being mounted on, to or in close proximity to the heated manifold, a cooling device disposed between the heated manifold and the housing adapted to substantially isolate or insulate at least the electrical drive from communication with heat emanating from the heated manifold or to heat sink or absorb heat communicated or communicable to the electrical drive from the heated manifold or both.