A hydraulic system for a cyclically operating shaping machine includes at least one hydraulic drive unit for cyclically driving a component of the shaping machine at a start time; at least one pump; and at least one hydraulic accumulator which can be discharged for driving the at least one hydraulic drive unit and which can be charged up by operation of the at least one pump. An open-loop or closed-loop control unit is also provided for control of the at least one pump. The open-loop or closed-loop control unit is adapted to operate the at least one pump continuously until the start time of the at least one hydraulic drive unit to charge up the at least one hydraulic accumulator until the start time of the hydraulic drive unit.

In order to improve the consistency of molded products as viscosity shifts throughout a run, a controller of an injection molding machine executes a calibration cycle in accordance with a mold cycle. The controller analyzes a plurality of sensed melt pressure values during the calibration cycle to determine one or more calibration metrics. The controller then uses the calibration metrics when executing each mold cycle of the run. More particularly, during each mold cycle of the run, the controller detects a plurality of sensed melt pressures prior to and during a fill phase of the mold cycle and compares the plurality of sensed melt pressures to the one or more calibration metrics to predict cavity pressure for a pack and hold phase of the mold cycle. The controller then adjusts a set point pressure for the pack and hold phase based on the predicted cavity pressure.

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.

Non-time dependent measured variables are used to effectively determine an optimal hold profile for an expanding crosslinking polymer part in a mold cavity. A system and/or approach may first inject molten expanding crosslinking polymer into a mold cavity, then measure at least one non-time dependent variable during an injection molding cycle. Next, the system and/or method commences a hold profile for the part, and upon completing the hold profile, the part is ejected from the mold cavity.

An injection molding system (10) and method of use where the system (10) is comprised of an injection molding system (10), a controller (16) for controlling pack or fill pressures of the injection fluid injected during the pack and fill phases, a recorder, the controller including instructions that controls drive of actuators (1a, 2a, 3a, 4a) to effect an increase or decrease in fill and pack pressures of the injection fluid.

A method for determining an actual volume Vr of an injection-moldable compound during an injection-molding process is disclosed. The injection-moldable compound is introduced into at least one cavity of the mould. The method includes the steps of: a) determining a theoretical volume Vt from process variables at least during a filling phase of the injection-molding process, b) determining and/or measuring at least one value for at least one compound pressure pM, c) selecting a material-specific compression k (p), corresponding to the value of pM, of the injection-moldable compound, and d) calculating an actual volume Vr by taking into account the compression k (p).

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 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.