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US 11,718,003 B2Granted
Method for simultaneous closed loop control of gas assist and gas counter pressure in an injection molding process relative to plastic melt pressure and plastic melt flow position
AssigneeImflux Inc.
InventorsWilliam Francis Lawless, III, H. Kenneth Hanson, III, Gene Michael Altonen, Chow-Chi Huang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A controller for an injection molding system is in communication with a melt flow control unit, a gas assist control unit, and a gas counter pressure control unit. The controller can effect real-time adjustments to gas assist pressure and/or gas counter pressure as a function of melt pressure or flow front position.
Claims10
A method for controlling an injection molding filling cycle, comprising:
- injecting a molten thermoplastic material into a mold cavity;
- injecting a first gas at an initial pressure into a portion of the mold cavity downstream of a flow front of the injected molten thermoplastic material;
- determining a melt pressure of the injected molten thermoplastic material;
- determining a flow front position of the injected molten thermoplastic material;
- injecting, after the flow front has reached a first part specific position in the mold cavity, a second gas at an initial pressure into a portion of the mold cavity upstream of the flow front of the injected molten thermoplastic material;
- increasing the pressure of the second gas until the melt flow reaches a second part specific position of the mold cavity;
- changing, in real-time during a single injection molding filling cycle, the pressure of the first gas at least in part based on at least one of (i) the determined melt pressure of the injected molten thermoplastic material, or (ii) the determined flow front position of the injected molten thermoplastic material;
- and
- changing, in real-time during the single injection molding filling cycle, in addition to increasing the pressure of the second gas until the melt flow reaches a second part specific position of the mold cavity, the pressure of the second gas at least in part based on at least one of (i) the determined melt pressure of the injected molten thermoplastic material, or (ii) the determined flow front position of the injected molten thermoplastic material.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.