Automatic lubricant supplying method and an apparatus therefor

Abstract

A method for automatically timely supplying a lubricant to a machine working section driven by a motor and an apparatus therefor. The quantity of increase of the driving current of a mold clamping servomotor (12) during the process in which a mold clamping mechanism (10) of an injection molding machine shifts from a proper lubrication state to an improper lubrication state is previously decided for each combination of the type of the injection molding machine, injection molding conditions, and the type of grease. While a normal injection molding cycle in the proper lubrication state is being executed, a reference value for the motor driving current is decided on the basis of the normal motor driving current in a specific moved position of a movable platen (14), at which the motor current is measured for the aforesaid decision, and the increase of the motor driving current, the reference value and the specific moved position of the movable platen being loaded into a memory of a numerical control device (50). In response to a grease supply timing command, the control device drives a grease pump (40) if the detected value of the motor current in the specific moved position of the movable platen is not smaller than the reference value. Grease from the grease pump is supplied to a predetermined quantity to each of a plurality of parts of the mold clamping mechanism through a distributor (43).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.