Method for improving a cycle time of a molding system operating in cycles, wherein the molding system is set up to produce molded parts in cycles, wherein the cycles include partial phases, for at least one partial phase or at least one group of partial phases a partial phase duration is measured or ascertained with reference to settings of the molding system, an optimum partial phase duration is calculated for the at least one partial phase or the at least one group of partial phases on the basis of a machine configuration, if the measured or ascertained partial phase duration deviates from the optimum partial phase duration by more than a predefined amount, an indication that the setting of the molding system is improvable with respect to the at least one partial phase or the at least one group of partial phases is issued.

To provide a new foam molding method and injection molding machine capable of solving variation in a wall thickness and a foamed state, sensor corrosion, a complexity of sensor positioning, and the like. The above-described problem is solved by a foam molding method comprising a resin filling step of filling a mold (2), clamped by a predetermined mold clamping force (Pc), with a resin (R) at a predetermined molding injection pressure (Pi), a filling stopping step of stopping the filling of the resin (R) when, while monitoring a mold gap (Lm) of the mold (2) during the filling, a predetermined mold gap value set in advance is reached, a surface layer curing and filled resin cooling step of curing a surface layer of the resin (R) for a certain time and cooling the filled resin (R) for a certain time after the filling of the resin (R) is stopped, a volume controlling step of controlling a volume increase by reducing the mold clamping force after curing the surface layer of the resin (R) for a certain time, and a taking out step of taking out a foam-molded product by opening the mold (2) after the volume control is performed and after cooling the filled resin (R) for a certain time.

To provide a new foam molding method and injection molding machine capable of solving variation in a wall thickness and a foamed state, sensor corrosion, a complexity of sensor positioning, and the like. The above-described problem is solved by a foam molding method comprising a resin filling step of filling a mold (2), clamped by a predetermined mold clamping force (Pc), with a resin (R) at a predetermined molding injection pressure (Pi), a filling stopping step of stopping the filling of the resin (R) when, while monitoring a mold gap (Lm) of the mold (2) during the filling, a predetermined mold gap value set in advance is reached, a surface layer curing and filled resin cooling step of curing a surface layer of the resin (R) for a certain time and cooling the filled resin (R) for a certain time after the filling of the resin (R) is stopped, a volume controlling step of controlling a volume increase by reducing the mold clamping force after curing the surface layer of the resin (R) for a certain time, and a taking out step of taking out a foam-molded product by opening the mold (2) after the volume control is performed and after cooling the filled resin (R) for a certain time.

A shaped article comprising a polymer-based resin derived from cellulose, wherein the polymer-based resin has an HDT of at least 95° C., a bio-derived content of at least 20 wt %, a notched izod impact strength of greater than 80 J/m and at least one of the following properties chosen from: flexural modulus of greater than 1900 MPa; a spiral flow length or at least 3.0 cm; a flex creep deflection of less than 12 mm; a transmission of at least 70%; a ΔE value of less than 25; or an L* color of at least 85.

Non-time dependent calculated variables based on measured strain are used to effectively determine an optimal hold profile for an expanding crosslinking polymer part in a mold cavity. A system and/or approach may first inject molten expanding crosslinking polymer into a mold cavity, then measure strain at the mold cavity or at another location within the injection molding system, and then calculate at least one non-time dependent variable during an injection molding cycle. Next, the system and/or method commences a hold profile for the part, and upon completing the hold profile, the part is ejected from the mold cavity, whereupon a cure profile is commenced.

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.

A time Gt from the start of an injection step until a mold clamping operation is complete is compared with an operation time Ct for a mold clamping step. For Gt<Ct, the injection step is started when a time Dt equal to a difference between Gt and Ct elapses. On the other hand, for Gt≧Ct, after the start of the injection step, a movable platen is stopped at a mold touch position until the time Dt elapses. When the time Dt elapses, the mold clamping step is started.

A process for resin transfer molding (RTM) with staggered injection of a resin is provided that injects resin into a plurality of injection ports of a mold. The temperature and pressure applied to the mold are controlled during injection to limit promote rapid filling of the mold cavity. The injection ports are activated for injecting the resin in any order of individually, in groups, or pairings. Fibers are readily added to the mold separately or within the resin. Cycle times of from 1 to 5 minutes are provided for the process.

A cycle time administration section 3 of an apparatus for taking out a molded product of the present invention includes: a measurement section 5 for measuring a cycle time for every one cycle of taking out a molded product; a setting and storing section 7 for setting and storing a target cycle time; a comparison section 9 for comparing the measured cycle time and the target cycle time for every one cycle; a counting section 11 for counting the number of times that the measured cycle times consecutively exceed target time, following the measured cycle time that has first exceeded the target cycle time, if it is determined that the measured cycle time has exceeded the target cycle time as a result of the comparing; and an outputting section 13 for outputting a detection signal if the counted number of times is more than n times.

A molding machine is provided with a basic information setting function unit for setting basic information including resin data relating to pellet material, screw data relating to screw, and molding condition data relating to molding conditions, computation processing function unit comprising a provisional plastication time computation processing unit for calculating a provisional plastication time from the basic information, a melt film heating amount computation processing unit for calculating a heating amount of a melt film from the provisional plastication time obtained from the provisional plastication time computation processing unit, and a plastication delay time conversion processing unit for converting the heating amount of the melt film obtained from the melt film heating amount computation processing unit into a plastication delay time, and an output function unit for outputting plastication delay time or plastication information obtained based on the plastication delay time.