An abnormality detection apparatus for detecting an abnormality of a ball screw provided in an injection molding machine includes a current sensor configured to detect an alternating current of a motor for applying a driving force to the ball screw; and a computation unit configured to detect an abnormality of the ball screw based on information related to a distribution of frequency components obtained by frequency analysis of an alternating current detected by the current sensor, and information related to a distribution of frequency components obtained by frequency analysis of an alternating current detected when the ball screw, which is normal, operates.

An electric injection molding machine includes an injection apparatus including a screw configured to inject a resin, a driving direction conversion part configured to move the injection apparatus forward and backward in an axial direction of the screw, and a first motor coaxially connected to a rotation shaft of the driving direction conversion part, the first motor being configured to drive the driving direction conversion part. The first motor includes a motor connection part, the motor connection part being configured to connect a second motor to the first motor coaxially with the driving direction conversion part on a side of the first motor opposite to a side thereof on which the driving direction conversion part is connected thereto, the second motor being configured to drive the driving direction conversion part in an interlocking manner with the first motor.

An injection molding machine and an additional injection device are provided such that a power interruption signal is output to a controller of the injection molding machine or the additional injection device on the destination when it is detected that a movable door is opened and a state of position confirmation means for the movable door is transmitted to the injection molding machine or the additional injection device on the destination through a communication line. Thus, the state of the position confirmation means can be transmitted and notified without decreasing maintainability.

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.

Provided is a magnetic clamp device that is capable of more finely measuring an induced voltage generated in a coil and selecting countermeasures against reductions in magnetization force. Multiple magnet blocks 11, 21 each comprising an invertible magnet 18, the polarity of which can be inverted, and non-invertible magnet 15, are positioned on a surface of a plate PL composed of magnetic body magnetically clamping a mold M1, M2 when in a magnetized state. The magnetic flux traversing the invertible magnet 18; and a control device 33 that determines whether or not there has been a polarity inversion in the induced voltage detected from the coil 31, and if there has been a polarity inversion, warns that the adhesion of the molds M1, M2 has decreased.

A method to predict the remaining useful life of a plasticizing screw for an injection molding machine is provided. The method comprises: creating an energy-pressure ratio distribution estimate for normal operation of the screw for a mold; creating a temporally local energy-pressure ratio distribution estimate from real time data for the screw for the mold; comparing the local distribution with the distribution for normal operation; and generating an alert if the comparison of the two distributions predicts that the remaining useful life is negligible.

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 motor driving apparatus includes a first motor group including a number N of individual servo motors, a second motor group including a number N of individual second servo motors driven synchronously with the servo motors, and an inverter control unit. The inverter control unit controls a first switching total value and a second switching total value to be reversed in positive/negative sign. The first switching total value is obtained by subtracting the number of semiconductor switching devices opened in circuit on low potential side from the number of semiconductor switching devices opened in circuit on first high potential side, corresponding to the first motor group. The second switching total value is obtained by subtracting the number of semiconductor switching devices opened in circuit on high potential side from the number of second switching elements opened in circuit on low potential side, corresponding to the second motor group.

A motor driving apparatus includes a first motor group including a number N of individual servo motors, a second motor group including a number N of individual second servo motors driven synchronously with the servo motors, and an inverter control unit. The inverter control unit controls a first switching total value and a second switching total value to be reversed in positive/negative sign. The first switching total value is obtained by subtracting the number of semiconductor switching devices opened in circuit on low potential side from the number of semiconductor switching devices opened in circuit on first high potential side, corresponding to the first motor group. The second switching total value is obtained by subtracting the number of semiconductor switching devices opened in circuit on high potential side from the number of second switching elements opened in circuit on low potential side, corresponding to the second motor group.

There is disclosed a method (400) of operating a molding system (100), the method (400) executable by a controller (140) of the molding system (100). The method comprises appreciating (402) a plurality of operational parameters associated with the molding system (100); based on at least a sub-set of the plurality of operational parameters, generating (404) a machine performance index, the machine performance index being a single value representative of the at least a sub-set of the plurality of operational parameters and being instrumental in enabling an operator of the molding system (100) to appreciate an economic productivity factor associated therewith; causing (406) the machine performance index to be displayed on an interface of the controller (140).