A plasticizing device includes a plasticizing cylinder and a plasticizing screw arranged in the plasticizing cylinder. The plasticizing screw is rotatable about, and linearly movable along, a longitudinal axis. The plasticizing screw comprises a functioning section. A sensor is arranged in or on the plasticizing cylinder, and a distance to the surface of the functioning section of the plasticizing screw can be measured by the sensor. A detecting device can detect a type of the functioning section and/or an operating state of the functioning section, can detect a distance signal progression by a movement of the functioning section relative to the sensor, can compare the detected distance signal progression with a stored distance signal progression, and can issue a signal representing the type of functioning section and/or the operating state of the functioning section depending on a matching of the detected distance signal progression with a stored distance signal progression.

An injection molding machine includes a control device configured to output at least one set of operator support information. The operator support information includes a set of support target setting data and control target predicted amount of power. The support target setting data includes at least one piece of setting data configuring a molding condition. The control target predicted amount of power is a predicted amount of power consumption of a control target controlled in association with the support target setting data with respect to a change in the support target setting data.

A plasticizing device includes a first flat screw including a first groove forming surface in which a groove is formed and configured to rotate; a second flat screw including a second groove forming surface in which a groove is formed and configured to rotate; a barrel including a first facing surface facing the first groove forming surface and a second facing surface facing the second groove forming surface and formed with a communication hole through which a plasticized material is fed outside; and a heating section configured to heat the material supplied to the grooves of the first flat screw and of the second flat screw.

When an injection molding machine performs molding, the mold clamping force on the mold is adjusted on the basis of a mold displacement of the mold or the injection peak pressure and injection foremost position so that the molding is performed without causing flash and by an appropriate mold clamping force with which energy can be reduced. The amount of mold displacement and also the injection peak pressure and the injection foremost position are monitored during automatic operation. If there occurs no mold displacement change exceeding a threshold or if there occurs no injection peak pressure anomaly or injection foremost position anomaly exceeding thresholds, the automatic operation is continued. If the mold displacement change occurs or if the injection peak pressure anomaly and the injection foremost position anomaly occur, the operation of the injection molding machine is stopped.

A method of determining melt flow front travel in a molding apparatus includes setting a sensor threshold, receiving a sensor amount as an output from a sensor monitoring a nozzle of the molding apparatus, and determining that the sensor amount exceeds the sensor threshold. The method further includes receiving a screw location, calculating a travel distance of the screw from the screw location, and calculating melt flow front travel based on the travel distance of the screw. The method further includes receiving, via an interface, an operator generated value for the desired melt flow front travel to be reached, and sending, via an interface, an analog or digital output after the operator generated value has been reached. A method of detecting a leaking condition of a check valve is also included.

When an injection molding machine performs molding, the mold clamping force on the mold is adjusted on the basis of a mold displacement of the mold or the injection peak pressure and injection foremost position so that the molding is performed without causing flash and by an appropriate mold clamping force with which energy can be reduced. The amount of mold displacement and also the injection peak pressure and the injection foremost position are monitored during automatic operation. If there occurs no mold displacement change exceeding a threshold or if there occurs no injection peak pressure anomaly or injection foremost position anomaly exceeding thresholds, the automatic operation is continued. If the mold displacement change occurs or if the injection peak pressure anomaly and the injection foremost position anomaly occur, the operation of the injection molding machine is stopped.

A molding system includes a molding machine, a mold disposed on the molding machine, a processing module, and a controller operably communicating with the processing module. The molding machine includes a barrel, a screw moving within the barrel, a driving motor driving the screw to move a molding material. The mold has a mold cavity with a die swell structure for being filled with the molding material. The processing module simulating a filling process of the molding material based on a molding condition including a predetermined screw speed for the molding machine, wherein simulating the filling process of the molding material comprises simulating a die swell effect of the molding material in the die swell structure by taking into consideration of an effective factor, a shear viscosity, an extension viscosity, a shear rate, and a molecular orientation effect of the molding material.

An injection molding apparatus and method of fabricating a molded part are provided. The apparatus may include a barrel, a nozzle enclosing an end of the barrel and defining an opening in fluid communication with an inside of the barrel, and an extrusion screw positioned at least partially inside the barrel and rotatable relative to the barrel. The extrusion screw may include a screw tip. Relative axial movement between the barrel and the extrusion screw may open or close the opening of the nozzle to permit or prevent, respectively, material flow through the opening of the nozzle. The method may include clamping a mold, opening a nozzle, rotating the extrusion screw to pump a molten material into the mold until the mold is filled, closing the nozzle, and unclamping the mold to release a molded part.

A plasticizing device that plasticizes a material and includes a drive motor, a screw that is rotated by the drive motor and that has a grooved face provided with a groove, a barrel that has an opposed face opposed to the grooved face and that includes a communication hole communicating with the groove at the opposed face, a heating section that heats the material supplied to the groove, a first temperature sensor that measures a temperature of the groove, and a control unit that controls the drive motor, wherein the control unit performs a first process for rotating the screw at a first rotation speed when a temperature measured by the first temperature sensor is a first temperature, and a second process for rotating the screw at a second rotation speed lower than the first rotation speed when a second measured temperature measured is higher than the first temperature.

A plasticizing device includes a drive motor, a screw that is rotated by the drive motor and that has a grooved face provided with a groove, a barrel that has an opposed face opposed to the grooved face and that is provided with a communication hole communicating with the groove at the opposed face, a first heating section that heats the material supplied to the groove, a temperature sensor that measures a temperature of the groove, and a control unit that controls the drive motor and the first heating section, wherein the control unit performs a first process for rotating the screw at a first rotation speed by controlling the drive motor, and a second process for rotating the screw at a second rotation speed higher than the first rotation speed by controlling the drive motor, and the control unit controls the first heating section so that a temperature measured by the temperature sensor falls within a predetermined range when performing the first process and the second process.