A weight of material remaining in a container of an application machine is detected, and operation characteristics corresponding to the operation being performed are also obtained. A time to empty value is calculated that is indicative of a time until the container on the material application machine is empty, based upon the weight of material remaining in the container of the application machine and based the operation characteristics. A control signal is generated based upon the time to empty value.

A method for operating a molding machine includes specifying a simulating domain corresponding to a genuine domain in a mold disposed on the molding machine. The method proceeds to perform a virtual molding by using a setting packing pressure profile to generate a simulated state waveform, generating a designed state waveform including an isobaric phase and an isochoric phase while taking into consideration the simulated state waveform, and obtaining an updated packing pressure profile for applying a molding pressure to a portion of the genuine domain while taking into consideration a difference between the simulated state waveform and the designed state waveform. Subsequently, the method proceeds to set the molding machine while taking into consideration the updated packing pressure profile to perform an actual molding by applying an actual molding pressure to the at least a portion of the genuine domain to prepare the molding product.