Systems and approaches for controlling an injection molding machine having a mold forming a mold cavity and being controlled according to an injection cycle include obtaining a pattern for the injection cycle, operating the injection molding machine to inject a molten material into the mold cavity , and measuring a cavity pressure value of the mold cavity during the mold cycle. Upon measuring a nominal cavity pressure value, a pattern recognition portion of the injection cycle that is at least partially dependent on the obtained pattern commences where a driving force being exerted on the molten material is adjusted such that the measured cavity pressure matches the obtained pattern for the injection cycle.

According to one embodiment, a mold includes a substrate clamping surface, a cavity, a suction part, a vent, an intermediate cavity, and an opening/closing part. The substrate clamping surface contacts a surface of a processing substrate. The cavity is recessed from the substrate clamping surface. The suction part is recessed from the substrate clamping surface. The vent is provided on a path between the cavity and the suction part, communicates with the cavity, is recessed from the substrate clamping surface to a vent depth. The intermediate cavity is provided between the vent and the suction part on the path, communicates with the vent, and is recessed from the substrate clamping surface to an intermediate cavity depth deeper than the vent depth. The opening/closing part opens and closes the path and is provided between the intermediate cavity and the suction part on the path.

A method of determining a solution state of a gas in a plastic melt used in a plastic shaping method includes: (vi) providing the plastic melt together with the gas in a chamber, (vii) altering—in particular reducing—a volume of the chamber to alter a pressure of the plastic melt together with the gas—in particular increased from a first pressure value to a second pressure value, (viii) introducing the plastic melt into a shaping cavity, (ix) computing at least one compression parameter characteristic of the compression behaviour of the plastic melt, in particular a modulus of compression, from the first pressure value and the second pressure value, and (x) determining from the at least one compression parameter whether the gas is substantially completely dissolved in the plastic melt and/or a solubility limit of the gas in the plastic melt is determined from the at least one compression parameter.

In one aspect, there is provided an injection molding system configured to operate in a plurality of cycles. The system comprises, amongst other things, a controller that is configured for performing a comparison of a variable pressure setpoint with a target pressure value. The controller is configured to, when the target pressure value is less than the variable pressure setpoint by at least a predetermined lower bound, (i) decrease the variable pressure setpoint to a reduced variable pressure setpoint and (ii) not further decrease the variable pressure setpoint from the reduced variable pressure setpoint until the pump assembly operates for a plurality of stabilizing cycles at the reduced variable pressure setpoint.

An injection molding machine includes a cylinder that accommodates a molten resin, a discharging nozzle, a piston that discharges the molten resin from the discharging nozzle, and one or more processors configured to execute the following functions. The functions include calculating a target pressure at which a flow rate of the molten resin discharged from the discharging nozzle becomes an indicated flow rate, controlling a pressure of the molten resin in the cylinder such that the pressure becomes the target pressure, acquiring a temperature of the molten resin in the cylinder, and acquiring a pseudo-plastic viscosity corresponding to the temperature of the molten resin. The target pressure is calculated based on the indicated flow rate, the temperature of the molten resin, the pseudo-plastic viscosity, and the size of the discharging nozzle.

An injection molding machine management system that manages an injection molding machine configured to mold a molded product by injection molding, and the injection molding machine management system includes: a physical quantity acquisition unit configured to acquire physical quantity information including at least any one of a first physical quantity representing a physical quantity related to the injection molding of the injection molding machine, a second physical quantity representing a physical quantity related to the injection molding of a molding mold mounted on the injection molding machine, and a third physical quantity representing a physical quantity related to quality of the molded product; a storage unit configured to store a cumulative number of shots of the molding mold in a predetermined maintenance period and the physical quantity information in time series; and a display unit configured to display a display screen on which the cumulative number of shots and a physical quantity included in the physical quantity information are displayed in the same time series. The maintenance period is a period from a first time point that is a time point at which the molding mold is maintained to a second time point that is a time point at which the molding mold is maintained after the first time point.

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 and system for co-injection molding of two molten plastic materials that allows monitoring and utilization of injection pressure and optionally melt pressure and/or flow front pressure during an injection run. A controller alters the injection pressure so as to achieve and maintain optimal or desired ratios of injection pressure, and optionally melt pressure and/or flow front pressure, of the two molten plastic materials. This allows for more precise part manufacture, including reducing the thickness of a skin or shell layer compared to a core layer of a molded part.

Provided is an injection molding machine management system that includes an injection molding machine and manages one or a plurality of injection molding units that produce a molded article. The injection molding machine management system includes a display unit configured to display a display screen on which operation information on an operation status of the injection molding unit and at least one of container shortage information on a shortage of a container that accommodates the molded article and material shortage information on a shortage of a material for molding the molded article are displayed on an injection molding unit basis. The container shortage information is displayed on the display screen in association with the operation information when the container is insufficient in the injection molding unit, and the material shortage information is displayed on the display screen in association with the operation information when the material is insufficient in the injection molding unit.

According to one embodiment, a mold includes a substrate clamping surface, a cavity, a suction part, a vent, an intermediate cavity, and an opening/closing part. The substrate clamping surface contacts a surface of a processing substrate. The cavity is recessed from the substrate clamping surface. The suction part is recessed from the substrate clamping surface. The vent is provided on a path between the cavity and the suction part, communicates with the cavity, is recessed from the substrate clamping surface to a vent depth. The intermediate cavity is provided between the vent and the suction part on the path, communicates with the vent, and is recessed from the substrate clamping surface to an intermediate cavity depth deeper than the vent depth. The opening/closing part opens and closes the path and is provided between the intermediate cavity and the suction part on the path.