In a mould-closing unit (F) for an injection-moulding machine for processing plastics, at least one mould carrier (10), which can be moved in a longitudinal direction (L-L) of the mould-closing unit (F), is arranged on a machine base (14) and between itself and a further mould carrier (12) forms a mould-clamping space (C), in which parts of at least one cyclically openable and closable injection mould (M) can be received. At least one linear guide (16), arranged in the longitudinal direction (L-L) on the machine base (14), serves for guiding the at least one movable mould carrier (10) when there is movement in the longitudinal direction (L-L). The mould carrier is supported on the machine base (14) and/or the at least one linear guide (16) by way of a load take-up (18), which has above the at least one linear guide (16) an articulating region (20) for the at least one movable mould carrier (10), which region is connected to the movable mould carrier with a force fit or material bonding and the stiffness of which is greater in the longitudinal direction (L-L) than in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction (L-L). The forces acting on the guide of the movable mould carrier during the operation of the injection-moulding machine are minimized by the load take-up (18) and/or the articulating region (20) being elliptical in cross section, with the minor axis of the ellipse extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction (L-L) of the mould-closing unit (F).

A mold clamping device includes: a fixed die having a fixed mold; a movable die having a movable mold; a toggle link coupled to a link housing placed opposite to the fixed die and the movable die, and changing a distance therebetween by a mold clamping motor; a tie bar coupled to the fixed die and the link housing; a tie bar nut screwed onto the tie bar and placed on the link housing; and a control device that, when performing mold clamping, brings the movable mold close to the fixed mold at a slow speed immediately before the both come into contact with each other, stops the mold clamping motor for a predetermined period when the movable mold and the fixed mold come into contact with each other, increases the rotation speed of the mold clamping motor after the predetermined period elapses, to perform mold clamping.

An injection molding apparatus includes an injection unit, a mold clamping unit, and a controller. The mold clamping unit includes a toggle fixing plate, a fixed mold attachment portion, a movable mold attachment portion movable in a mold clamping direction, a motor, a ball screw configured rotated by the motor, a crosshead configured to move between the toggle fixing plate and the movable mold attachment portion due to rotation of the ball screw, and a toggle section coupled to the toggle fixing plate. The movable mold attachment portion and the crosshead are configured to move the movable mold attachment portion. A position detector is configured to detect a position of the crosshead. The controller controls the position of the crosshead based on a detection result of the position detector to make the toggle section operate to perform the mold clamping of the fixed mold and the movable mold.