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.

The present disclosure provides a molding machine and a method of molding a part. The molding machine may include multiple molding systems (e.g., extruders) for pumping molten material into one or more mold cavities. The multiple molding systems may pump the same material or different materials into the one or more mold cavities. The multiple molding systems may be individually and/or collectively controlled. A method of molding a part may include pumping material into one or more mold cavities via multiple molding systems, ceasing pumping material into the one or more mold cavities when one or more pressures associated with the multiple molding systems are achieved, and releasing a molded part from the one or more mold cavities after the one or more pressures are achieved.

Methods and apparatuses for encoding and/or decoding digital images or video streams, wherein the encoding apparatus includes a processor configured for reading a portion of the image (f), computing difference values between pixel values of the image, quantizing such pixel difference values for obtaining a quantized weight map (W), computing an edge map (f) composed by elements (f.sub.i) indicating whether a corresponding pixel of the portion of the image is an edge or not on the basis of the quantized weight map, determining a reconstructed weight map (W) on the basis of the edge map (f), determining a graph transform matrix (U) on the basis of the reconstructed weight map (W), computing transform coefficients (f) on the basis of the graph transform matrix (U) and said portion of the image (f), transmitting the computed transform coefficients (f) and the edge map (f).

An extruder has a barrel extending from a feed inlet end to an extruder outlet end. The barrel has an inner surface, an outer surface, and a wall thickness between the inner and outer surfaces. The extruder also has at least one heating member positioned provided on the barrel; a screw drive motor drivingly connected to a rotatably mounted screw positioned within the barrel, whereby the screw is rotatable at various revolutions per minute (RPM); and a controller is operably connected to the screw drive motor to adjust the RPM of the screw based upon a temperature of material passing through and/or being extruded from the barrel. Methods for operating an extruder filling a mold are also provided.

An assembly for measuring wear of a barrel and feedscrew combination, wherein the barrel has a longitudinally extending feedscrew disposed therein and a radially extending measuring aperture formed in a wall thereof, includes a measuring probe having a proximity detecting sensor, a barrel plug for removable insertion into the measuring aperture, and a measuring fixture. The barrel plug is configured to undergo wear in an axial direction thereof while inserted into the measuring aperture. The measuring probe and the barrel plug are installed into the measuring fixture for determining wear of the barrel plug in the axial direction thereof. The measuring probe is further configured for removable insertion into the measuring aperture for measuring wear of a flight of the feedscrew. A spacer and rotational tool cooperate with the measuring probe when installing the measuring probe in the measuring aperture.

A barrel main body, a sleeve, and a fixing mechanism (a fastening hole and a fastening device) are provided. The barrel main body includes a barrel hole having a cylindrical shape and a slit dividing an inner circumferential surface of the barrel hole. The sleeve having a hollow cylindrical shape is removably incorporated into the barrel hole. The slit includes two cutout surfaces facing each other with a space between. The fixing mechanism brings the inner circumferential surface of the barrel hole into close contact with the sleeve without any gap by narrowing the space between the cutout surfaces and deforming the barrel main body.

A device for checking the construction of an extruder screw having a shaft and screw elements that are to be pushed or have been pushed one after the other onto the shaft in a defined sequence. Each screw element has an element-specific external geometry. A recording device being provided for determining information concerning the sequence of the screw elements that are to be pushed on or have been pushed on and for comparing the information determined with target information, which directly or indirectly describes the target sequence.

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.

In the disclosed method, in order to control an extruder including two intermeshing screws for driving a material to be extruded, the following steps are performed while a material to be extruded is being processed by the extruder: constantly measuring the viscosity of the material in the flow of the material in the extruder, and adjusting the extruder in accordance with the viscosity measurement. In order to adjust the extruder in an effective and efficient manner, the rate at which the extruder is filled with material along the intermeshing screws is modified by adjusting, downstream from the screws, a flow cross-section for the material in accordance with the viscosity measurement.

A method of recycling a PET-containing material comprises: (1) providing a polymer crystallizer comprising at least one heating element, and at least one blower; (2) providing an MRS extruder having an MRS section comprising a plurality of satellite screws; (3) providing a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the MRS section; (4) grinding and washing the PET-containing material; (5) heating the PET-containing material in the crystallizer to at least partially dry the PET-containing material; (6) shearing the PET-containing material in the MRS extruder to produce a PET-containing melt; (7) increasing a surface area of the PET-containing melt by distributing the PET-containing melt across a plurality of satellite screws in the MRS extruder; (8) drawing off vapors from the PET-containing melt by reducing the pressure in the MRS section with the vacuum pump; (9) collating the PET-containing melt in the MRS extruder; and (10) extruding a recycled PET-containing material.