Systems and approaches for controlling an injection molding machine and a mold forming a mold cavity and being controlled according to an injection cycle. The systems and methods include analyzing a model of at least one of the injection molding machine, the mold, and a molten material to determine initial values for one or more control parameters of the injection molding machine, and executing a run of injection cycles at the injection molding machine; measuring operation of the injection molding machine during a particular injection cycle of the run of injection cycles; determining one or more operational parameters exceed a threshold; and upon determining that the one or more operational parameters exceed the threshold, adjusting the one or more control parameters for subsequent injection cycles of the run of injection cycles.

A method and system for co-injection molding of two molten plastic materials that allows monitoring and utilization of injection pressure and optionally melt pressure and/or flow front pressure during an injection run. A controller alters the injection pressure so as to achieve and maintain optimal or desired ratios of injection pressure, and optionally melt pressure and/or flow front pressure, of the two molten plastic materials. This allows for more precise part manufacture, including reducing the thickness of a skin or shell layer compared to a core layer of a molded part.

A method for monitoring a molding process carried out in cycles includes determining at least two nearest neighbors in the form of cycle data from at least two past cycles, such that the cycle data of the at least two nearest neighbors lie nearer to the current cycle data than the cycle data which do not pertain to the at least two nearest neighbors. Only those past cycles for which quality data are contained in the data collection are used for the determination of the at least two nearest neighbors. A predictability criterion is checked to determine whether a quality variation of the quality data of the cycles of the at least two nearest neighbors is smaller than a maximum variation and/or larger than a minimum variation. If the predictability criterion is not met, a first notification that a quality and/or a quality datum of the molded part is not reliably predictable is issued.

A system for taking out a molded product that does not require an operator to determine the sucking operation start time for a vacuum sucker by himself/herself by trial and error is provided. A controller includes a time interval measuring section configured to measure a time interval judging from an output from a pressure detector. The time interval measuring section measures a stable time interval since the pressure in a pipe reaches a predetermined pressure until a sucking operation start pressure is detected judging from an output from the pressure detector. The sucking operation start pressure indicates that a suction nozzle starts operation to suck up a molded product hereby the predetermined pressure is maintained. A sucking operation start time determining section of the controller determines a sucking operation start time such that a stable time interval is longer than a bias time interval, concurrently with movement control for a moving mechanism.

Provided is an apparatus for taking out a molded product, which is capable of determining occurrence of a suction error and/or likelihood of a suction error of the molded product with high accuracy and of knowing a cause thereof. A pressure data storing section stores time-series pressure data from a pressure detector. A suction error cause determining section determines occurrence of a suction error and/or likelihood of a suction error of a molded product by a suction member on a basis of a time-series comparison result obtained by comparing the stored time-series pressure data with predetermined time-series reference data. When the suction error cause determining section determines the occurrence of the suction error and/or the likelihood of the suction error, the suction error cause determining section determines a cause of the occurring suction error and a solution therefor based on a time-series change pattern.

A method for adjusting the closing force of a mold of a plastics processing machine. In order to work with an optimized closing force, the method comprises the steps of: a) in a first production cycle: Closing the mold with a nominal initial closing force and recording the mold deformation caused thereby and calculating the deformation work introduced by the mold deformation; b) in a subsequent further production cycle: Closing the mold with a reduced closing force and recording the resulting mold deformation and calculating the deformation work introduced by the mold deformation; c) Recording the determined deformation work versus the closing force, carrying out a linear extrapolation of the course of the deformation work versus the closing force and determining a reduced closing force which is at a predetermined percentage value of one of the previously determined deformation work; d) Carrying out the subsequent further production cycle with the determined reduced closing force.

In one aspect, there is provided an injection molding system configured to operate in a plurality of cycles. The system comprises, amongst other things, a controller that is configured for performing a comparison of a variable pressure setpoint with a target pressure value. The controller is configured to, when the target pressure value is less than the variable pressure setpoint by at least a predetermined lower bound, (i) decrease the variable pressure setpoint to a reduced variable pressure setpoint and (ii) not further decrease the variable pressure setpoint from the reduced variable pressure setpoint until the pump assembly operates for a plurality of stabilizing cycles at the reduced variable pressure setpoint.

Systems and approaches for controlling an injection molding machine and a mold forming a mold cavity and being controlled according to an injection cycle. The systems and methods include analyzing a model of at least one of the injection molding machine, the mold, and a molten material to determine initial values for one or more control parameters of the injection molding machine, and executing a run of injection cycles at the injection molding machine; measuring operation of the injection molding machine during a particular injection cycle of the run of injection cycles; determining one or more operational parameters exceed a threshold; and upon determining that the one or more operational parameters exceed the threshold, adjusting the one or more control parameters for subsequent injection cycles of the run of injection cycles.

An injection molding apparatus, comprising: an injection molding machine; a distribution manifold having a distribution channel, a clamp device arranged to clamp together, under a selected clamp force, a mold system having a plurality of mold cavities one or more first downstream channels fluidly coupled to the distribution channel; one or more first gates arranged to deliver injection fluid to a first cavity; one or more second downstream channels fluidly coupled to the distribution channel; one or more second gates arranged to deliver injection fluid to a second cavity; a control system adapted to: instruct the first upstream valve and a second upstream valve; and at least one downstream valve having a valve pin having a control surface for controlling flow of injection fluid.

A closed-loop control device includes a target value entrance for inputting a target value for at least one control value, an actual value entrance for inputting an actual value for the at least one control value, wherein the actual value is determined based on the at least one measuring value, a calculation unit for calculating the actuation value based on a deviation of the actual value from the target value in such a way that the actual value follows the target value, and a control exit for outputting the actuation value for the actuator of the at least one tempering circle. The calculation unit is configured in such a way that the actuation value is calculated based on the present operating point or in a manner adapted to the present operating point.