A system for printing a label for a molded object is provided. The system includes a molding machine. A mold is provided having a first part and a second part, the mold being removably coupled to the molding machine. The mold first part and second part being movable between an open and closed position. An RFID module is coupled to the mold first part. An RFID reader is arranged to receive a signal from the RFID module when the mold first part is in the closed position. A controller is operably coupled to the RFID reader, wherein the controller includes a processor that is responsive for receiving an object identification data in response to the RFID reader receiving the signal from the RFID module. A printer configured to print a label including the object identification data in response to the controller receiving the signal.

An apparatus for injection molding of plastic materials includes a mold, at least one injector having a valve pin actuated by an electric motor, and a supply and control unit of the electric motor. The supply and control unit includes a memory and remote control drivers of the electric motor operatively connected to the memory. At least one part of the memory is separated from the drivers, arranged at a remote position with respect to the mold, and is fixed to the mold.

A remote control system to remotely control a take-out robot of an injection molding machine on a production site through network includes an injection molding machine to produce and convey injection molded products through the take-out robot. A remote controller transmits and receives the operation data of the take-out robot and the information data on the injection molding to and from the injection molding machine through the wireless internet. The remote controller remotely controls the injection molding machine based on the utilized operation data and information data. A control pendent connected to the injection molding machine remotely controls the take-out robot, performs three-dimensional graphic simulation for the previous operations before operating the take-out robot and for loading motions of the injection molded products, and stores and outputs the three-dimensional graphic images of the injection molded products, based on a previously stored remote control access program.

Injection molding apparatuses and methods wherein a valve pin is controllably driven upstream and downstream along an axis between a first closed position where the tip end of the valve pin obstructs the gate to prevent the injection fluid from flowing into the cavity, a full open position and one or more intermediate positions, wherein the valve pin is drivable to be disposed or held in a selected intermediate position for a selected period of time during the course of an injection cycle where the tip end of the valve pin restricts flow of injection fluid through the gate to the mold cavity.

The invention relates to a device for handling and/or transporting workpieces (5), in particular for removal of injection-molded items from an injection-molding machine, wherein a handling robot (4) having a programmable control and regulating unit (10) is provided that comprises a gripper (6) having at least one suction nozzle (7) for grasping of the workpiece (5) or fixating it by suction. In the gripper (6) of the handling robot (4) a distance-measuring device (8) for detection of the distance (a.sub.1+a.sub.2) from the gripper (6) to a reference point or a reference surface (9), for example to the mold tool half (2), which is preferably movable, with the workpiece (5), is provided. The measured value of the distance-measuring device (8) is fed into the control and regulation unit (10). The distance-measuring device (8) can be a light-transit time measuring device, in particular a time-of-flight (TOF) sensor.

Injection molding plastic parts includes furnishing resin material to a screw barrel having a rotatable screw therewithin, rotating the screw to work the resin material into a molten state, furnishing additive such as liquid color or another additive to the screw barrel interior at a first rate during screw rotation and driving the screw longitudinally from a first position to a second position to force an additive-resin material mixture resulting from screw rotation into a mold while furnishing additive with resin to the screw barrel interior at a second additive addition rate.

A method of optimizing a process optimization system for a moulding machine includes setting a setting data by a user on the actual moulding machine, obtaining first values for at least one descriptive variable of the moulding process based on the setting data set and/or on the basis of the cyclically carried out moulding process, and obtaining second values for the at least one descriptive variable based on data from the process optimization system. According to a predetermined differentiating criterion, it is checked whether the first values and the second values differ from each other. If the checking shows that the first values and the second values differ from each other, the process optimization system is modified such that, when applied to the moulding machine and/or the moulding process, the first values for the descriptive variable substantially result instead of the second values for the descriptive variable.

Systems and methods describe supplementing a native controller of an injection molding with a remote controller, via a retrofitting of the remote controller the injection molding machine. The remote controller may thereby modify control of an injection molding process based upon a control strategy of the remote controller, e.g., by providing a modified feedback signal to be used by a control algorithm of the native controller in lieu of a feedback signal previously used by the native controller. The remote controller may generate the modified feedback signal based upon its own control algorithm and control strategy. Furthermore, the remote controller may be configured to robustly account for behavior of the native controller so as to provide stable control of a control variable of the process according to a setpoint defined by the remote controller.

Apparatus and methods for storage and transmission of recipe data (process parameters) for the molding of articles in an injection molding apparatus. A controller includes a flow control microcontroller (MCU) that receives recipe data from a recipe storage microcontroller (MCU) mounted to a mold of an injection molding machine, the recipe storage MCU storing the recipe data defining process parameters for the molding of articles in the mold. The flow control MCU executes instructions for controlling valve pin motions according to the recipe data. In one embodiment, a human operator interface is provided for transmitting data to and/or from at least one of the recipe storage and flow control MCU's, allowing the operator to monitor, modify and/or control the process parameters during a molding cycle and/or to create a modified or new recipe for subsequent storage on the recipe storage MCU.

A production management system includes: an injection molding unit producing a molded product; and a control device. The injection molding unit includes: an injection molding machine molding the molded product by injection molding; a determination unit determining whether a number of the molded products to be produced is equivalent to a predetermined unit of production or not; and an operation information transmitting unit transmitting operation information of the injection molding unit when it is determined that the number of the molded products to be produced is equivalent to the predetermined unit of production. The control device includes an operation information receiving unit receiving the operation information transmitted from the operation information transmitting unit.