Injection molding machine and mold thickness control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016185023-A1
Application number	US-201514962323-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 8, 2015
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The injection molding machine includes a fixed platen, a moveable platen moving forward and backward by a toggle link, a base plate supporting the toggle link, a driving part for mold clamping to operate the toggle link, a driving part for mold thickness adjustment to adjust a mold thickness, and a control unit to calculate a movement distance gap before a clamping process by controlling the driving part for mold thickness adjustment to move the base plate backward and then move the base plate forward to a target movement position based on a fold amount of the toggle link, and control the driving part for mold thickness adjustment using a value obtained by deducting the movement distance gap from the fold amount of the toggle link when producing a clamp force.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An injection molding machine comprising:
a fixed platen on which a fixed mold is mounted; a moveable platen disposed facing the fixed platen and installed moveably forward and backward by a toggle link, the moveable platen on which a moveable mold is mounted facing the fixed mold; a base plate supporting the toggle link and installed moveably forward and backward; a driving part for mold clamping to operate the toggle link; a driving part for mold thickness adjustment to adjust a mold thickness by moving the base plate forward and backward in relation to the fixed platen, and a control unit to calculate a movement distance gap before a clamping process by controlling the driving part for mold thickness adjustment to move the base plate backward and then move the base plate forward to a target movement position based on a fold amount of the toggle link, and control the driving part for mold thickness adjustment using a value obtained by deducting the movement distance gap from the fold amount of the toggle link when producing a clamp force.

2 . The injection molding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit calculates the movement distance gap as many as a predetermined number of times, and determines an average value as a final movement distance gap.

3 . The injection molding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit turns on the driving part for mold thickness adjustment to move the base plate forward to the target movement position, and when the base plate reaches the target movement position, turns off the driving part for mold thickness adjustment and determines a difference between a current position of the base plate and the target movement position as the movement distance gap.

4 . The injection molding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the driving part for mold thickness adjustment is a 3-phase induction motor, and
the control unit collects measured information from a sensor which measures a number of rotations of the 3-phase induction motor, and calculates a position of the base plate.

5 . The injection molding machine according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit controls the 3-phase induction motor by supplying power to the 3-phase induction motor or blocking the power supply through a magnetic contact.

6 . The injection molding machine according to claims 1 , wherein the control unit controls the driving part for mold clamping and the driving part for mold thickness adjustment to fully unfold the toggle link so that the moveable mold comes into contact with the fixed mold and the toggle link becomes a folded state at a predetermined amount, and controls the driving part for mold thickness adjustment to move the base plate forward as much as a value obtained deducting the movement distance gap from the fold amount of the toggle link to produce a clamp force.

7 . A mold thickness control method for an injection molding machine comprising a fixed platen on which a fixed mold is mounted; a moveable platen disposed facing the fixed platen and installed moveably forward and backward by a toggle link, the moveable platen on which a moveable mold is mounted facing the fixed mold; and a base plate supporting the toggle link and installed moveably forward and backward, the mold thickness control method comprising:
receiving an input of a fold amount of the toggle link from a user; before a clamping process, calculating a movement distance gap by moving the base plate backward and moving the base plate forward to a target movement position based on the fold amount of the toggle link; and when producing a clamp force, moving the base plate forward using a value obtained by deducting the movement distance gap from the fold amount of the toggle link.

8 . The mold thickness control method according to claim 7 , wherein the calculating comprises calculating the movement distance gap as many as a predetermined number of times, and determining an average value as a final movement distance gap.

9 . The mold thickness control method according to claim 7 , wherein the calculating comprises turning on the driving part for mold thickness adjustment which moves the base plate forward and backwards, to move the base plate backward and then move the base plate forward to the target movement position;
turning off the driving part for mold thickness adjustment when the base plate reaches the target movement position; and determining a difference between a current position of the base plate after turned off and the target movement position as the movement distance gap.

10 . The mold thickness control method according to claim 7 , wherein the calculating and the moving forward comprises moving the base plate using a 3-phase induction motor, and
collecting measured information from a sensor which measures a number of rotations of the 3-phase induction motor, and calculating a position of the base plate.

11 . The mold thickness control method according to claim 10 , wherein the 3-phase induction motor is controlled by supplying power to the 3-phase induction motor or blocking the power supply through a magnetic contact.

12 . The mold thickness control method according to claim 7 , wherein the moving forward comprises fully unfolding the toggle link so that the moveable mold comes into contact with the fixed mold;
controlling the toggle link so that the toggle link becomes a folded state at a predetermined amount; and moving the base plate forward as much as a value obtained deducing the movement distance gap from the fold amount of the toggle link to produce a clamp force.

Assignees

• Ls Mtron Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Sun-Woo
• Yu Hyeon-Jae

Classifications

• B29C2945/76431

  Calibration, e.g. zero-point correction · CPC title

• B29C45/1751

  Adjustment means allowing the use of moulds of different thicknesses · CPC title

• B29C45/661

  using a toggle mechanism for mould clamping · CPC title

• G05B2219/45244

  Injection molding · CPC title

• B29C2945/76505

  Force · CPC title