An injection molding machine which includes a mold clamping device (20) that opens and closes a mold (90) and clamps the closed mold, an injection device (30) that injects a material into the clamped mold, and an ejecting device (21) that ejects a molded product (100) molded in the mold is provided. The injection molding machine further includes a plurality of cameras (2) that photograph the injection molding machine to generate image data, a memory (6) that records the image data, an input device that sets at least one photographing time by selecting the start or end of each process in a molding cycle, and a control device that controls the camera to photograph the injection molding machine at the at least one photographing time, and controls the memory to record the image data.

Disclosed herein, amongst other things, is a molding system (100) comprising control structure that includes a mold (120) that is configured to mold a molded article (180), a controller (170) with which to control the operation of the molding structure, and a vision system (174) with which to appreciate a parameter of the molded article (180) for control of molding system (100).

An injection molding tool for producing a molded part and a corresponding method are disclosed. The injection mold tool comprises a first tool mold half and a second tool mold half, which together with a first slider and at least one second slider define a free space for the molded part to be produced. A lever which is pretensioned with an elastic element is assigned to an end switch such that a movable and free end of the lever cooperates with the end switch due to a movement of the first slider.

A cycle time administration section 3 of an apparatus for taking out a molded product of the present invention includes: a measurement section 5 for measuring a cycle time for every one cycle of taking out a molded product; a setting and storing section 7 for setting and storing a target cycle time; a comparison section 9 for comparing the measured cycle time and the target cycle time for every one cycle; a counting section 11 for counting the number of times that the measured cycle times consecutively exceed target time, following the measured cycle time that has first exceeded the target cycle time, if it is determined that the measured cycle time has exceeded the target cycle time as a result of the comparing; and an outputting section 13 for outputting a detection signal if the counted number of times is more than n times.

A method of estimating a normal vector to an attachment mounted to an approach frame of an apparatus for taking out a molded product and a normal vector to a die mounted to a molding machine is provided. A normal vector to a take-out head is estimated through computation using a coordinate/depth determination section and a normal vector computation section on the basis of depth data or coordinate data on three mounting members. Three or more extending portions are specified from the image, the extending portions being each a part of a fixed die or a movable die or a part of a surrounding component and extending in a direction that coincides with the open direction for the dies. A normal vector to the die is estimated through computation on the basis of the depth data or coordinate data on the specified extending portions.

An acceleration distance for acceleration at a set acceleration rate, required for an ejection start position passing speed in an ejection start position, is obtained, and a position behind the ejection start position by the acceleration distance is set as an advance start position of an ejector. Thus, an ejector plate can start to move at an optimal speed.

Non-time dependent measured variables are used to effectively determine an optimal ejection time of a part from a mold cavity. A system and/or approach may first measure at least one non-time dependent variable during an injection molding cycle. The part is ready to be ejected from the mold upon the measured variable reaching a threshold value indicative of, for example, a part temperature dropping below an activation temperature.

In an ejection controller for an injection molding machine, an image of an ejection process for a molded article is captured, a point in time when the molded article starts to drop from a mold is obtained as a drop start time point, an ejection stop time point is set based on the obtained drop start time point, and an ejection operation of an ejection device is interrupted at the set time point. Thus, the ejection is interrupted in a predetermined position, so that an operator can manually remove the molded article.

An injection molding system capable of easily calculating relative position information between a movable part of an injection molding machine and a movable part of a peripheral device is provided. A first control unit 110 of an injection molding machine 2 calculates first relative position information which is relative position information of a first movement position M1 set to a movable part 50 in relation to a first reference position K1 set to a first connection portion 80. A second control unit 210 of a robot 3 calculates second relative position information which is relative position information of a second movement position M2 set to a hand 65 in relation to a second reference position K2 set to a second connection portion 85. The first control unit 110 and the second control unit 210 calculate inter-drive-unit relative position information which is relative position information between the first movement position M1 and the second movement position M2 on the basis of the first relative position information and the second relative position information.

An ejection controller for an injection molding machine has a function of interrupting ejection by an ejection device before the ejection is completed, a function of detecting closing of an open safety door surrounding a mold clamping unit of the injection molding machine, and a function of restarting the ejection by the ejection device when the closing of the open safety door is detected while the ejection device is interrupted.