Die-casting machine having a shut-off valve in the melt inlet channel and operating method

A method for operating a die-casting machine which comprises a casting mould, a casting chamber, a casting piston arranged in an axially moveable manner in the casting chamber, a melt inlet channel leading into the casting chamber and having a shut-off valve, and a melt outlet channel leading from the casting chamber to the casting mould,

• the method comprising the steps of:
• advancing the casting piston in the casting chamber for carrying out a respective casting process from a casting start position to a filling end position so as to press melt material into the casting mould via the melt outlet channel in a mould-filling phase with the shut-off valve being closed, and moving back the casting piston to the casting start position so as to supply the casting chamber with the melt material via the melt inlet channel in a subsequent refilling phase, with the shut-off valve being open;
• and
• moving back the casting piston in the mould-filling phase, with the shut-off valve remaining closed, from the casting start position to an additional stroke position and subsequently advancing the casting piston from the additional stroke position via the casting start position to the filling end position, and keeping a closure nozzle, which is provided in the melt outlet channel, closed in the refilling phase and during a moving back movement of the casting piston to the additional stroke position and opening the closure nozzle only when the casting piston advances again.