A time variation of an internal pressure of the molding cavity of a multi-phase injection molding machine is detected and represented as an internal pressure graph. An internal pressure graph recorded during a production cycle that produced an injection molded part satisfying a predefined quality characteristic is used as a reference graph. If the internal pressure graph of the current production cycle exceeds a predefined threshold value, then a current machine parameter is changed so as to adapt an internal pressure graph of a subsequent production cycle to the reference graph. Each phase of the production cycle is assigned its own machine parameter determined to have a significant impact on the quality of the parts produced. The assigned machine parameters are changed in a predefined order in a plurality of production cycles wherein exactly one assigned machine parameter is changed per production cycle.

A controller includes a mold movement control unit that moves a movable mold between a first position separated from a fixed mold and a second position at which mold closing is completed; a determining unit determines the presence of abnormalities in at least one of the movable mold and the fixed mold on the basis of inspection information acquired from at least one of the movable mold and the fixed mold and outputs a confirmation signal related to the presence of abnormalities; and a mold stopping unit that stops movement of the movable mold on the basis of whether the confirmation signal output from the determining unit is acquired while a safety confirmation condition is satisfied after the mold movement control unit starts moving the movable mold from the first position toward the second position.

A method of forming a urinary catheter is disclosed that includes injecting a polymer melt through a primary melt channel and into an elongated recess around an outer surface of a core; and controlling a first pressure of the polymer melt in a first secondary melt channel separately and individually from a second pressure of the polymer melt in a second secondary melt channel and reducing stress of the polymer melt along the elongated recess. Opening the mould and removing the core provides a moulded intermittent urinary catheter having an open distal end and a closed proximal tip.

In a molding die, movable die elements are respectively received in die element receiving holes formed in a frame plate. An end surface of the frame plate, which faces a cavity at a location that is other than locations of the die element receiving holes, forms a frame portion compression surface. An end surface of each movable die element, which faces the cavity, forms a split compression surface. Die element drive devices respectively drive the split compression surfaces of the movable die elements. A whole compression plate commonly supports an opposite end part of the frame plate and opposite end parts of the movable die elements, which are opposite from the cavity. When the whole compression plate is moved forward, the whole compression plate integrally drives the frame plate and the movable die elements forward. A whole drive device drives the whole compression plate.

A method for the variothermal temperature control of an injection mould using a temperature control device, the method including at least the following steps: in a learning phase, determining a temperature control characteristic of the temperature-controllable system including at least the injection mould and the temperature control device, in order to obtain individual reference values for the system, with which the temperature control device can be controlled in order to obtain a nominal temperature profile; and in a production phase: temperature control of the injection mould with the reference values determined during the learning phase; determining deviations of an actual temperature profile of the injection mould in relation to the nominal temperature profile during the production cycle and calculating corrected reference values from these deviations; and carrying out a resulting production process using the corrected reference values.

A foaming process and a method for operation of the foaming process are provided. The method includes flowing a molten polymeric material into a mold from an upstream device, receiving the molten polymeric material in a cavity of the mold, and maintaining a repeatable, uniform pressure profile as the molten polymeric material is delivered into the mold.

A relay device and a pressure detection device are provided that are configured to eliminate the necessity of calibrating an output value from a pressure sensor in the pressure detection device even when a mold is replaced. A relay device for a pressure detection device provided with a pressure sensor (S1 to Sn) configured to detect an inner pressure in a cavity (CT) of a mold of an injection molding machine is provided. The relay device is integrally fixed to the mold. The relay device includes a storage configured to store specific information of the pressure sensor (S1 to Sn) provided to the mold to detect the inner pressure of the cavity (CT), the cavity (CT) being defined between a fixed-side mold and a movable-side mold of the mold.

A method of molding a thermosetting resin, in particular of the epoxy resin type, in which a first mold is filled with the resin while causing the temperature of the resin to vary in application of a first temperature program, without exceeding the Tg of the resin. After the first mold has been filled, the resin is put under pressure while causing the temperature of the resin to vary in application of a second temperature program, without exceeding Tg, and a drop in the pressure exerted by the resin on the mold is detected with the instant at which this pressure presents a break of slope being identified as the instant t1. A second mold is filled with the thermosetting resin in application of the first temperature program. After the second mold has been filled, the resin is put under pressure in application of the second temperature program until an instant t2 close to t1. As from t2, the temperature of the resin is increased to exceed Tg.

A device for assisting molding condition determination includes a molding state data adjustment amount obtaining unit and a molding condition element adjustment amount obtaining unit. The molding state data adjustment amount obtaining unit obtains, using a first learning model, a molding state data adjustment amount having a value equivalent to a difference between molding state data detected by a sensor and a molding state data target value. The molding condition element adjustment amount obtaining unit obtains, using a second learning model, an adjustment amount for a molding condition element corresponding to the molding state data adjustment amount.

A method for manufacturing an injection molded container includes operating an injection molding apparatus to inject one or more polymeric materials into a mold cavity to form a container. The container includes an energy director ring protruding from an inside surface of the container and extending circumferentially along the inside surface. The method includes welding a filter onto the inside surface by applying a welding force to the inside surface. The energy director ring causes the welding force to be concentrated at a location of the energy director ring, thereby forming a circumferential weld that secures the filter to the inside surface the location of the energy director ring.