Method and apparatus for adjustment in mold thickness of a complex mold clamping system

A two platen mold clamping system comprising:

• a fixed platen having a fixed die;
• a movable platen having a movable die;
• mold opening and closing cylinders having cylinder rods, the cylinder rods opening and closing,
• a clamping cylinder ram being coupled to the movable platen;
• a clamping cylinder mechanically being coupled to the clamping cylinder ram;
• tie bars having screw portions;
• half nuts being provided on the clamping cylinder, the half nuts being selectively engaged by the tie bars via the screw portions of the tie bars,
• a screw engaging position adjuster for controlling a distance between the movable platen and the clamping cylinder prior to the half nuts engaging the tie bar screw portions and further adjusting the mold thickness prior to the clamping of the movable die to the fixed die by the mold clamping cylinder,
• wherein the screw engaging position adjuster comprises:
• a theoretical deviation setting up device setting up a theoretical deviation value of a screw engaging position calculated based upon a moving distance between a mold thickness adjustment origin position of the movable die on the closing process and a closed position through an operational pressure of the mold opening and closing cylinders;
• a measuring deviation setting up device setting up a measuring deviation value of a screw engaging position measured from a distance between the movable platen on the closing position and the mold clamping cylinder;
• an allowable deviation setting up device setting up an allowable deviation value of the screw engaging position;
• a control driver controlling a distance between the movable platen and the mold clamping cylinder, and
• a controller controlling the screw engaging position adjuster so that if a difference between the theoretical deviation value set up and the measuring deviation value measured is within the allowable deviation value set up, then the screw engaging position adjuster is driven.

A screw engaging position adjuster for a two platen mold clamping system, said adjuster comprising:

• a theoretical deviation setting up device for setting up a theoretical deviation value of a screw engaging position engaging a half nut on a clamping cylinder and calculated based upon a moving distance between a mold thickness adjustment origin position of the movable platen on a closing process and a closed position through an operational pressure of mold opening and closing cylinders;
• a measuring deviation setting up device for setting up a measuring deviation value of a screw engaging position measured from a distance between the movable platen on the closing position and a mold clamping cylinder;
• an allowable deviation setting up device for setting up an allowable deviation value of the screw engaging position;
• a control driver for controlling a distance between the movable platen and the mold clamping cylinder;
• and
• a controller for controlling the screw engaging position adjuster so that the screw engaging position adjuster is driven when a difference between the theoretical deviation value set up and the measuring deviation value measured is within an allowable deviation value set up.