Systems and approaches for controlling an injection molding machine having a mold forming a mold cavity and being controlled according to an injection cycle include extruding a molten polymer according to an extrusion profile and measuring at least one variable during the extrusion profile with a first sensor. At least one extrusion operational parameter is adjusted based on the measured variable. The extrusion profile is terminated upon the molten polymer exceeding a first threshold, and the molten polymer is injected into the mold cavity according to an injection profile via a screw that moves from a first position to a second position. Upon completion of the injection profile, a recovery profile commences in which the screw is moved to the first position.

A material discharge device includes: a drive motor; a screw having a groove formation surface and configured to rotate; a barrel having a facing surface and formed with a communication hole through which a plasticized material flows; a heating unit configured to heat the material; a nozzle from which the material is injected to an outside; and a plurality of measurement units configured to measure a pressure or a temperature of the material. The measurement units are disposed at an outer periphery of a nozzle channel wall, and a thickness of the nozzle channel wall satisfies the following (1) or (2): (1) when the nozzle channel wall is made of a material containing iron as a main component, the thickness of the nozzle channel wall is 0.2 mm or more and 2.5 mm or less; and (2) when the nozzle channel wall is made of a material containing aluminum as a main component, the thickness of the nozzle channel wall is 0.2 mm or more and 4 mm or less.

A remote controller can be provided on any apparatus that employs feedback control from a native controller to add functionality to the apparatus where the native controller is not capable of providing such functionality independently.

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.

An ultrasonic sensing device includes a support body and an ultrasonic sensor. The support body includes an accommodating space, and a positioning space at a center of the accommodating space. The ultrasonic sensor includes a body portion in the positioning space, at least one sensing channel portion extending from the body portion and in the accommodating space, at least one piezoelectric unit at one end surface of the sensing channel portion, and a second channel passing through the body portion. An inner diameter of the positioning space is greater than an inner diameter of the accommodating space, and an outer diameter of the sensing channel portion is smaller than the inner diameter of the accommodating space. Thus, a gap is formed between the sensing channel portion and the accommodating space, and the piezoelectric unit is located outside the accommodating space to come into contact with an exterior.

A remote controller can be provided on any apparatus that employs feedback control from a native controller to add functionality to the apparatus where the native controller is not capable of providing such functionality independently.

An injection molding system comprised of: an injection machine having a barrel and a screw for injecting an injection fluid, a distribution manifold, a valve associated with a corresponding one of one or more downstream gates, a sensor adapted to sense and generate a signal indicative of pressure of the injection fluid in the barrel or an inlet that delivers injection fluid from the barrel to the manifold, and a controller receiving the signal generated from the sensor and including instructions that use the signal as a control value to adjust, during the course of an injection cycle, positioning or velocity of one or more of the valve pins.

A remote controller can be provided on any apparatus that employs feedback control from a native controller to add functionality to the apparatus where the native controller is not capable of providing such functionality independently.

An injection molding machine uses a native controller and a retrofit controller to effectively control its operation. The controllers may determine and/or receive information regarding the machine's maximum load capacity, and may also determine a current operational load value of the machine. The retrofit controller may cause the machine to operate at any number of combinations of settings of operational parameters which result in the machine operating at or below the maximum load value by adjusting any number of machine parameters associated with the injection molding machine based on feedback sensors measuring real-time operating conditions of the machine.

Systems and approaches for controlling a molding machine having a mold forming a mold cavity and being controlled according to a mold cycle include injecting a molten polymer into the mold cavity. A first and a second sensor are used to obtain first measurements of respective first and second variables during the injection cycle. The second sensor is positioned downstream from the first sensor. The first and second sensors are used to obtain second measurements of the respective first and second variables during the injection cycle. A first difference value is determined between the first measurements of the first and second variables. A second difference value is determined between the second measurements of the first and second variables. The first and second difference values are compared, and at least one control parameter is adjusted based on a difference between the first and the second difference values.