An additive injection system for use in injection molding machines to inject additive materials, such as fluids or powders, downstream of a nozzle of the injection molding machine. The additive injection unit has an additive tank to store or contain additive material and additive injectors that inject an additive material into an injection molding machine. A pump pumps the additive material from the tank through a common manifold connected to the additive injectors to be injected into the injection molding machine. A controller controls operation of the additive injection device and one or more sensors coupled to the additive injection device can provide feedback to the controller.

A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a resin molded article includes: an injection molding part configured to inject resin into an injection mold and injection-mold the resin molded article; a control unit configured to control the injection by the injection molding part; a calculation unit configured to calculate a pressure reduction curve for reducing a pressure generated by the injection; and an input unit via which a user inputs a condition of the pressure reduction curve, in which the control unit is configured to control the injection based on the pressure reduction curve.

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.

Injection molding system having a flow control apparatus and method that controls the movement and/or rate of movement of a valve pin over the course of an injection cycle to cause the pin to move to one or select positions and/or to control the rate of movement of the pin over the course of the injection cycle. In one embodiment the method includes steps of: a) first controllably operating the actuator to drive the valve pin upstream beginning from the first closed position (50) to be moved to and held in a first selected position (51) for a first selected period of time during the course of an injection cycle, the first selected position (51) being the full open position; b) second controllably operating the actuator to drive the valve pin, during the injection cycle, downstream beginning from the first selected position (51) to be moved to and held in a second closed position (52) for a second selected period of time; c) third controllably operating the actuator to drive the valve pin, during the injection cycle, upstream beginning from the second closed position (52) to be moved to and held in a second selected position (53) for a third selected period of time, the second selected position being an intermediate position or the full open position; and d) fourth controllably operating the actuator to drive the valve pin, during the injection cycle, downstream beginning from the second selected position (53) to be moved to a third closed position (54).

A method of injection molding thick plastic parts, comprising molding a transitional part using by a first shot through the first or A-side of the mold, moving the transitional part and mold core away from the mold cavity to create a second shot space, and injecting a second shot which merges with the transitional part to create a final part.

A specific mold status Ac is caused in advance in which the interval of an inner portion Xi in the parting plane direction of a parting gap C between a fixed mold 2c and a movable mold 2m during the injection filling is larger than the interval of an outer edge portion Xo and the interval of the outer edge portion Xo is equal to or lower than a predetermined size Ls including 0. A molding injection pressure Pi is set as an injection pressure at which a non-defective product can be molded and a molding mold clamping force Pc is set as a mold clamping force by which a non-defective product can be molded. During the production, a mold 2 is clamped by a molding mold clamping force Pc and the clamped mold 2 is filled with the injected resin R by a molding injection pressure Pi. After a predetermined cooling time Tc has passed, a molded piece G is removed.

In a temperature control device, a resin flow channel is formed from a nozzle section and a cylinder section that is connected to the nozzle section and the device controls the temperature of the resin that flows in the resin flow channel. The temperature control device is provided with: a first temperature sensor for detecting the nozzle temperature of the resin flowing through the nozzle section; a first temperature control unit for performing PID control so that the nozzle temperature achieves a first target temperature; multiple second temperature sensors for detecting the cylinder temperature of the resin flowing through the cylinder section; and second temperature control units for performing PID control so that the cylinder temperature achieves a second target temperature. The second temperature control units perform PID control of the cylinder temperature using temperature control information from the first temperature control unit.

A controller for an injection molding system is in communication with a melt flow control unit, a gas assist control unit, and a gas counter pressure control unit. The controller can effect real-time adjustments to gas assist pressure and/or gas counter pressure as a function of melt pressure or flow front position.

An actuator system for an injection molding system includes a double acting pressurized fluid actuator having a piston drive movable in a cylinder space, a flow control valve for regulating a flow rate of pressurized fluid to and/or from the cylinder space, a flow sensor for detecting the flow rate of pressurized fluid to and/or from the cylinder space, and an electronic controller for controlling the flow control valve to regulate the flow rate of pressurized fluid to and/or from the cylinder space depending on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor.

A method of detecting and compensating for a non-operational mold cavity in an injection molding apparatus having a plurality of mold cavities and an injection molding screw or ram includes injecting, via the injection molding screw or ram, a molten thermoplastic material into the plurality of mold cavities. The method includes measuring a first process parameter of the injection molding apparatus at a pre-determined time during or after the injecting. The method also includes determining, based on the first process parameter, whether one or more mold cavities of the plurality of mold cavities are non-operational. Then, when it is determined that one or more mold cavities are non-operational, the method includes automatically adjusting the first process parameter or a second process parameter of the injection molding apparatus.