Injection molding machine having mold parallelism control structure, and method for controlling injection molding machine

Abstract

An injection molding machine having a mold parallelism control structure, and a method for controlling an injection molding machine. The injection molding machine comprises a mold-closing structure (10), a mold (20), a plurality of range finders (30) and a controller (50). The mold-closing structure (10) comprises a fixed mold plate (11), a movable mold plate (12) and a plurality of first driving members (13), wherein the fixed mold plate (11) is arranged opposite the movable mold plate (12), and the plurality of first driving members (13) are arranged on the end face of the movable mold plate (12) away from the fixed mold plate (11). The mold (20) comprises a fixed mold (21) and a movable mold (22). The range finders (30) are arranged on the mold (20), the range finders (30) correspond to the first driving members (13) on a one-to-one basis, and the position where the range finders (30) are mounted corresponds to the position where the first driving members (13) are mounted. The controller (50) is electrically connected to both the range finders (30) and the first driving members (13). When the first driving members (13) on the movable mold plate (12) move, the range finders (30) can accurately measure the distance change of the position on the movable mold (22) corresponding to the first driving members (13), and the range finders (30) feed back the measurement results to the controller (50); and the controller (50) then controls a corresponding first driving member (13) to adjust the movement speed and distance, thereby ensuring that the measurement results of the plurality of range finders (30) keep consistent within a certain range, effectively improving the accuracy and parallelism of the movement of the movable mold (22), and ensuring that the product thickness is more uniform and more accurate during injection molding and foaming.

Description

An injection molding machine with a mold parallelism control structure and its control method.

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 2025100886453, filed on January 20, 2025, entitled "An Injection Molding Machine with a Mold Parallelism Control Structure and a Control Method thereof", the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to the field of injection molding machine technology, and in particular to an injection molding machine with a mold parallelism control structure and its control method. Background Technology

[0004] Injection molding machines, also known as injection molding machines or injection molding machines, are the main molding equipment used to produce various shapes of plastic products from thermoplastic or thermosetting plastics using plastic molds. Injection molding machines generally consist of an injection screw, a mold closing mechanism, and a mold. The mold closing mechanism drives the mold to open and close, while the injection screw heats the plastic and applies high pressure to the molten plastic, injecting it out of the screw to fill the mold cavity. With the development of plastic parts, especially in the field of new energy vehicles, parts produced using conventional injection molding technology can no longer meet the increasing demands for functionality and performance. Combining injection compression molding technology with mold-opening foaming technology to produce lighter and more integrated products has become an industry trend.

[0005] To ensure the stability and uniformity of product wall thickness, the moving platen, carrying the moving mold, must remain parallel to the stationary mold throughout the injection molding and foaming processes. In the automotive industry, injection molding machines typically range from 1600 to 4000 tons, and molds weigh between 15 and 40 tons. Therefore, the combined weight of the moving platen and the moving mold ranges from approximately 25 to 57 tons, making the parallel movement of the moving mold a technically challenging task.

[0006] In existing injection molding machines, whether during injection compression or mold opening compression, the moving mold platen, driving the moving half of the mold, must always maintain a parallel relationship with the fixed mold half; otherwise, the product wall thickness will deviate significantly. If a problem suspected to be caused by platen non-parallelism is found, the machine needs to be stopped and manually measured. Manual measurement inevitably leads to excessive downtime, affecting processing efficiency. If no problem is found, appropriate testing should be performed during machine downtime maintenance. If the problem is only discovered during maintenance, the machine will have been running for a long time with non-parallel platens, inevitably leading to equipment damage, mold damage, and product defects. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art by providing an injection molding machine with a mold parallelism control structure and its control method.

[0008] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0009] An injection molding machine with a mold parallelism control structure includes:

[0010] A mold-closing structure includes a fixed mold plate, a movable mold plate, and a plurality of first driving members. The fixed mold plate and the movable mold plate are disposed opposite to each other. The plurality of first driving members are disposed on the end face of the movable mold plate away from the fixed mold plate and are used to drive the movable mold plate to move closer to or away from the fixed mold plate.

[0011] The mold includes a fixed mold and a movable mold, the movable mold being connected to the movable template, and the fixed mold being connected to the fixed template;

[0012] Multiple rangefinders are mounted on the mold. Each rangefinder corresponds to a first driving component, and the mounting position of the rangefinder corresponds to the mounting position of the first driving component. The rangefinders are used to detect the distance between the parting surface of the moving mold and the parting surface of the fixed mold at the corresponding mounting position of the first driving component.

[0013] The controller is electrically connected to both the rangefinder and the first drive unit. The controller is used to control the first drive unit at the corresponding installation position based on the detection result of the rangefinder.

[0014] In one embodiment, the rangefinder includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter is disposed on the fixed mold or the moving mold, and the receiver is disposed on the moving mold or the fixed mold. The transmitter and the receiver are disposed opposite to each other, and the receiver is used to receive the signal emitted by the transmitter. The transmitter is installed at a position parallel to the parting surface of the fixed mold or the moving mold, and the receiver is installed at a position parallel to the parting surface of the moving mold or the fixed mold.

[0015] In one embodiment, the first driving component includes a high-pressure cylinder, a proportional valve, and a hydraulic power source. The high-pressure cylinder is connected to the end face of the moving template away from the fixed template. The proportional valve is connected to both the high-pressure cylinder and the hydraulic power source. The controller is connected to the proportional valve and is used to control the flow rate and pressure of the proportional valve according to the detection result of the rangefinder.

[0016] In one embodiment, the injection molding machine further includes a second driving member disposed on the end face of the moving template near the fixed template, for driving the moving template to move closer to or away from the fixed template.

[0017] In one embodiment, the injection molding machine further includes a sealing frame and a telescopic drive. The sealing frame is arranged around the injection-molded foam product and is used to abut against the four sides of the injection-molded foam product. The telescopic drive is connected to the sealing frame and is used to change the distance by which the sealing frame extends or retracts from the mold surface.

[0018] A control method for an injection molding machine, applicable to the aforementioned injection molding machine, includes the following steps:

[0019] S1: Zero-point calibration of multiple rangefinders;

[0020] S2: Preset mold opening and closing dimensions;

[0021] S3: Control the first driving component to move the moving template closer to or away from the fixed template;

[0022] S4: During the movement of the moving template, acquire the detection results of multiple rangefinders;

[0023] S5: Control multiple first driving units to ensure that the detection results of multiple rangefinders are consistent;

[0024] S6: When the detection results of multiple rangefinders reach the opening and closing size, control the first driving member so that the moving template and the fixed template remain relatively stationary;

[0025] S7: Acquire the detection results of multiple rangefinders while the moving template is stationary;

[0026] S8: Control multiple first driving elements so that the detection results of multiple rangefinders are consistent with the opening and closing dimensions.

[0027] In one embodiment, step S1 includes the following steps:

[0028] The first driving component is controlled to move the moving template closer to the fixed template and enter the mold closing calibration state. The calibration mold closing force of the first driving component is 50% of the maximum mold closing force.

[0029] In the closed-mode calibration state, zero-point calibration is performed on multiple rangefinders.

[0030] In one embodiment, step S5 includes the following specific steps:

[0031] Select any one of the rangefinders as the target rangefinder, and other rangefinders as other rangefinders, and obtain the result difference between the detection result of the target rangefinder and the detection result of other rangefinders;

[0032] Based on the difference in the result, the first driving component of the target rangefinder at the corresponding installation position is controlled, so that the moving template at the corresponding installation position moves closer to or further away from the fixed template.

[0033] In one embodiment, the first drive unit that controls the installation position of the target rangefinder according to the result difference includes the following specific steps:

[0034] If the difference in the results satisfies the following relationship: d1-d2<-e, the driving force of the first driving component at the installation position corresponding to the target rangefinder is reduced until the detection result of the target rangefinder satisfies the following relationship: -e≤d1-d2≤e;

[0035] If the difference in the results satisfies the following relationship: d1-d2>e, the driving force of the first driving component at the installation position corresponding to the target rangefinder is increased until the detection result of the target rangefinder satisfies the following relationship: -e≤d1-d2≤e;

[0036] Where d1 is the detection result of the target rangefinder, d2 is the detection result of other rangefinders besides the target rangefinder, e is the allowable thickness deviation of the product, and -0.1≤e≤0.1.

[0037] In one embodiment, step S8 includes the following specific steps:

[0038] If the detection result of the rangefinder satisfies the following relationship: d < De, the driving force of the first driving component at the corresponding installation position of the rangefinder is reduced until the detection result of the target rangefinder satisfies the following relationship: De ≤ d ≤ D + e;

[0039] If the detection result of the rangefinder satisfies the following relationship: d>D+e, the driving force of the first driving component at the corresponding installation position of the rangefinder is increased until the detection result of the target rangefinder satisfies the following relationship: De≤d≤D+e;

[0040] Where d is the detection result of any rangefinder, D is the opening and closing size of the mold, e is the allowable thickness deviation of the product, and -0.1≤e≤0.1.

[0041] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0042] 1. The aforementioned injection molding machine is equipped with a mold clamping structure, including a fixed mold plate, a moving mold plate, and a first driving component. The fixed mold plate is used to fix the fixed mold, the moving mold plate is used to fix the moving mold, and the first driving component is used to move the moving mold plate closer to or away from the fixed mold, realizing injection molding and foaming compression processes. To achieve precise movement of the moving mold and ensure that the moving mold and the fixed mold always move in parallel, multiple rangefinders are installed on the mold. The installation positions of the rangefinders correspond to the installation positions of the first driving component. Therefore, when the first driving component moves on the moving mold plate, the rangefinders can accurately measure the distance change on the moving mold corresponding to the first driving component. The rangefinders feed back the measurement results to the controller, which then controls the corresponding first driving component to adjust the moving speed and distance, ensuring that the measurement results among the multiple rangefinders are consistent within a certain range. This effectively improves the accuracy and parallelism of the moving mold movement, ensuring a more uniform and precise product thickness during injection molding and foaming processes.

[0043] 2. The rangefinder includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter and receiver are installed in positions parallel to the moving mold and the fixed mold, respectively. The rangefinder measures the distance between the moving mold and the fixed mold, which is equivalent to measuring the distance between the parting surfaces of the moving mold and the fixed mold. This effectively improves the accuracy of the rangefinder's test results, thereby making the controller's control over parallelism more accurate.

[0044] 3. The first driving component uses a high-pressure hydraulic cylinder to move the moving template, which has greater driving force and can be used for larger and heavier molds. At the same time, the controller can control the moving speed and distance of the high-pressure hydraulic cylinder by controlling the flow and pressure of the proportional valve, making the control more precise.

[0045] 4. The second driving component assists the first driving component in providing power for the opening of the moving mold plate. During the mold opening and foaming process, it provides the moving mold plate with a force opposite to that of the first driving component, i.e., from the fixed mold direction towards the opening direction of the moving mold. Its auxiliary mold opening force tends to be constant. When the distance between the moving mold and the fixed mold is too large, the driving force of the first driving component increases, which together assists the moving mold plate to reduce the opening speed or remain relatively stationary. When the distance between the moving mold and the fixed mold is too small, the driving force of the first driving component decreases, which together causes the moving mold plate to increase its speed and move away from the fixed mold plate. This control method helps to make the precision mold opening process of the moving mold plate more stable and controllable. At the same time, the second driving component can also be activated or deactivated by the controller, which effectively improves the freedom of process programming and the accuracy and repeatability of the entire mold opening and foaming process.

[0046] 5. The injection molding machine is further equipped with a retractable sealing frame that can abut against the perimeter of the foamed product. It is used to seal and shape the product when there is a gap between the moving mold and the fixed mold during injection compression or mold opening foaming. Since the sealing frame is retractable, for example, if the mold opening distance of the molded foamed product is too large or too small during process adjustment, the distance of the sealing frame extending out of the mold surface can change with the change of the mold opening distance, thus avoiding glue overflow during the foaming process.

[0047] 6. The above-mentioned control method for injection molding machines is applicable to changing or maintaining the gap between molds during product injection compression or foaming. When changing the gap between molds, the controller controls multiple first driving components by comparing the detection results of multiple rangefinders, so that the detection results of multiple rangefinders remain dynamically consistent, thereby achieving flatness between the moving mold and the stationary mold during the movement. When maintaining the gap between molds, the controller uses the preset mold opening and closing dimensions as a standard, compares the detection results of the rangefinders, and adjusts the driving force of the first driving components in real time to ensure that the detection results of multiple rangefinders are dynamically consistent with the mold opening and closing dimensions, thereby achieving higher product thickness uniformity.

[0048] 7. When performing zero-point calibration of the rangefinder, this control method sets the calibration clamping force between the moving template and the fixed template to 50% of the maximum clamping force. At this time, the clamping force will not be too large, which would cause excessive extrusion and deformation between the moving and fixed molds, nor will the clamping force be too small, which would cause excessive production gaps between the moving and fixed molds. This effectively improves the calibration accuracy and helps to improve the product production quality. Attached Figure Description

[0049] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an injection molding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the mold structure in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the distance measuring instrument in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the control of the mold closing structure in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the control of the mold closing structure in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the control of the mold closing structure in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the control of the mold closing structure in the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the injection molding machine control method of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 9 shows the test result curves of multiple rangefinders during the injection molding machine control process in this invention.

[0058] Figure 10 shows the thickness data of the foam layer of the product manufactured by the injection molding machine in this invention.

[0059] Reference numerals: 100, Injection molding machine; 10, Mold closing structure; 11, Fixed mold plate; 12, Moving mold plate; 13, First driving component; 131, High-pressure hydraulic cylinder; 132, Proportional valve; 133, Hydraulic power source; 14, Slide rail; 15, Second driving component; 16, Tie rod; 20, Mold; 21, Fixed mold; 22, Moving mold; 30, Rangefinder; 31, Transmitter; 32, Receiver; 33, First mounting component; 34, Second mounting component; 40, Equipment body; 41, Robotic arm; 42, Injection table; 43, Back pressure assembly; 44, Infrared heater; 50, Controller. Detailed Implementation

[0060] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. These embodiments are based on the technical solution of the present invention and provide detailed implementation methods and specific operating procedures. However, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0061] The injection molding machine 100 with mold parallelism control structure and its control method in some embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, in one embodiment, an injection molding machine 100 with a mold parallelism control structure is provided, including a mold closing structure 10, a mold 20, a plurality of rangefinders 30 and a controller 50;

[0063] The mold closing structure 10 includes a fixed template 11, a moving template 12, and a plurality of first driving members 13. The fixed template 11 and the moving template 12 are arranged opposite to each other. The plurality of first driving members 13 are disposed on the end face of the moving template 12 away from the fixed template 11, and are used to drive the moving template 12 to move closer to or away from the fixed template 11.

[0064] The mold 20 includes a fixed mold 21 and a movable mold 22. The movable mold 22 is connected to the movable template 12, and the fixed mold 21 is connected to the fixed template 11. A rangefinder 30 is installed on the mold 20. The rangefinder 30 corresponds one-to-one with the first driving component 13, and the installation position of the rangefinder 30 corresponds to the installation position of the first driving component 13. It is used to detect the distance between the parting surface of the movable mold 22 and the parting surface of the fixed mold 21 at the corresponding installation position of the first driving component 13.

[0065] Furthermore, the controller 50 is electrically connected to the rangefinder 30 and the first drive unit 13 respectively. The controller 50 is used to control the first drive unit 13 at the corresponding installation position according to the detection result of the rangefinder 30.

[0066] The aforementioned injection molding machine 100 is equipped with a mold closing structure 10, including a fixed mold plate 11, a moving mold plate 12, and a first driving component 13. The fixed mold plate 11 is used to fix the fixed mold 21, the moving mold plate 12 is used to fix the moving mold 22, and the first driving component 13 is used to move the moving mold plate 12, carrying the moving mold 22, closer to or further away from the fixed mold 21, thereby achieving processes such as injection compression and mold opening foaming of the product. To achieve precise movement of the moving mold 22 and ensure that the moving mold 22 and the fixed mold 21 always maintain parallel movement, multiple rangefinders 30 are installed on the mold 20. The mounting positions of the rangefinders 30 are... The distance measuring instrument 30 is positioned corresponding to the installation position of the first driving component 13. Therefore, when the first driving component 13 moves on the moving mold plate 12, the distance measuring instrument 30 can accurately measure the distance change on the moving mold 22 corresponding to the position of the first driving component 13. The distance measuring instrument 30 feeds back the measurement result to the controller 50, and the controller 50 then controls the corresponding first driving component 13 to adjust its moving speed and distance, ensuring that the measurement results among multiple distance measuring instruments 30 are consistent within a certain range. This effectively improves the accuracy and parallelism of the moving mold 22, and ensures that the product thickness is more uniform and accurate during injection molding and foaming.

[0067] Specifically, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, in one embodiment, the rangefinder 30 includes a transmitter 31 and a receiver 32. The transmitter 31 is disposed on the fixed mold 21 or the moving mold 22, and the receiver 32 is disposed on the moving mold 22 or the fixed mold 21. The transmitter 31 and the receiver 32 are disposed opposite to each other, and the receiver 32 is used to receive the signal transmitted by the transmitter 31. The installation position of the transmitter 31 is parallel to the parting surface of the fixed mold 21 or the moving mold 22, and the installation position of the receiver 32 is parallel to the parting surface of the moving mold 22 or the fixed mold 21.

[0068] The rangefinder 30 includes a transmitter 31 and a receiver 32. The transmitter 31 and receiver 32 are respectively installed in positions parallel to the moving mold 22 and the fixed mold 21. The rangefinder 30 measures the distance between the moving mold 22 and the fixed mold 21, which is equivalent to measuring the distance between the parting surfaces of the moving mold 22 and the fixed mold 21. This effectively improves the accuracy of the test results of the rangefinder 30, thereby making the controller 50's control over parallelism more accurate.

[0069] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the transmitter 31 is provided with a first mounting member 33, which is connected to the fixed mold 21 or the moving mold 22, and the receiver 32 is provided with a second mounting member 34, which is connected to the moving mold 22 or the fixed mold 21 respectively.

[0070] In this specific embodiment, the first mounting component 33 is mounted on the moving mold 22, and the second mounting component 34 is mounted on the fixed mold 21. That is, the transmitter 31 is mounted on the moving mold 22, and the receiver 32 is mounted on the fixed mold 21.

[0071] In this specific embodiment, the rangefinder 30 includes a magnetic induction electronic ruler, a transmitter is an induction magnetic block, a receiver receives the position information of the induction magnetic block, converts the magnetic signal into distance information, and then transmits the distance information to the controller 50, with an accuracy of 0.01mm.

[0072] Furthermore, in one embodiment, four first driving members 13 are provided, respectively disposed in the four corner areas of the end face of the moving template 12 away from the fixed template 11, and four rangefinders 30 are provided. The rangefinders 30 and the first driving members 13 at the corresponding installation positions are arranged collinearly along the direction in which the fixed template 11 and the moving template 12 are arranged opposite each other.

[0073] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, in one embodiment, the first driving component 13 includes a high-pressure cylinder 131, a proportional valve 132, and a hydraulic power source 133. The high-pressure cylinder 131 is connected to the end face of the moving template 12 away from the fixed template 11. The proportional valve 132 is connected to both the high-pressure cylinder 131 and the hydraulic power source 133. The controller 50 is connected to the proportional valve 132 and is used to control the flow rate and pressure of the proportional valve 132 according to the detection results of the rangefinder 30.

[0074] In processes such as injection compression or mold opening foaming, the first driving component 13 uses a high-pressure hydraulic cylinder 131 to move the moving template 12, which has greater driving force and can be used for larger and heavier molds 20. At the same time, the controller 50 can control the moving speed and distance of the high-pressure hydraulic cylinder 131 by controlling the flow and pressure of the proportional valve 132, so that the control is more precise.

[0075] In this specific embodiment, a valve block is provided between the high-pressure cylinder 131 and the proportional valve 132, and a high-pressure valve block is provided between the proportional valve 132 and the hydraulic power source 133.

[0076] The injection molding machine 100 is a horizontal injection molding machine. The mold closing structure 10 of the injection molding machine 100 also includes a slide rail 14. The fixed mold plate 11 is fixedly connected to the slide rail 14, and the moving mold plate 12 is slidably connected to the slide rail 14. The fixed mold plate 11 and the moving mold plate 12 are arranged opposite each other in the horizontal direction. A plurality of tie rods 16 are provided between the fixed mold plate 11 and the moving mold plate 12. The tie rods 16 pass through the fixed mold plate 11 and the moving mold plate 12 in sequence, and the moving mold plate 12 can slide along the tie rods 16.

[0077] As shown in Figure 6, the mold closing structure 10 also includes an intermediate template, which is located between the fixed template and the moving template. The moving template and the fixed template are respectively provided with a first mold and a second mold. The two sides of the intermediate template are respectively provided with a third mold and a fourth mold. The intermediate template can rotate around the vertical axis, so that the mold closing structure 10 has a first mold closing state and a second mold closing state.

[0078] In the first mold-closing state, the first mold is closed with the third mold, and the second mold is closed with the fourth mold; in the second mold-closing state, the first mold is closed with the fourth mold, and the second mold is closed with the third mold. The third and fourth molds of the intermediate template are respectively equipped with a first transmitter and a second transmitter. The first mold on the moving template 12 and the second mold on the fixed template 11 are respectively equipped with a corresponding first receiver and a second receiver. In the first mold-closing state, the first receiver and the first transmitter form a first rangefinder, and the second receiver and the second transmitter form a second rangefinder; in the second mold-closing state, the first receiver and the second transmitter form a first rangefinder, and the second receiver and the first transmitter form a second rangefinder.

[0079] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, in one embodiment, the injection molding machine 100 further includes a second driving member 15, which is disposed on the end face of the moving template 12 near the fixed template 11, and is used to drive the moving template 12 to move closer to or away from the fixed template 11.

[0080] In this specific embodiment, the second driving component 15 includes a hydraulic cylinder and a piston with sufficient length. The hydraulic cylinder is fixed on the fixed template 11, and one end of the piston with sufficient length extends into the hydraulic cylinder, while the other end of the piston is connected to the moving template 12.

[0081] The second drive unit 15 is connected to the controller 50, which controls the opening and closing of the second drive unit 15 in the injection compression or mold opening foaming process.

[0082] The second driving component 15 assists the first driving component 13 in providing power for the opening of the moving mold plate 12. It provides the moving mold plate 12 with a force opposite to that of the first driving component 13, i.e., from the fixed mold direction towards the opening direction of the moving mold. Its auxiliary opening force tends to be constant. When the distance between the moving mold 22 and the fixed mold 21 is too large, the driving force of the first driving component 13 increases, which together assists the moving mold plate 12 to reduce the opening speed or remain relatively stationary. When the distance between the moving mold 22 and the fixed mold 21 is too small, the driving force of the first driving component 13 decreases, which together makes the moving mold plate 12 increase its speed and move away from the fixed mold plate 11. This control method helps the precision opening process of the moving mold plate 12 to be more stable and controllable. At the same time, the second driving component 15 can also be activated or deactivated by the controller 50, which effectively improves the freedom of process programming and the accuracy and repeatability of the entire mold opening and foaming process. Specifically, in one embodiment, the injection molding machine 100 further includes a sealing frame and a telescopic drive. The sealing frame is arranged around the injection-molded foam product and is used to abut against the four sides of the injection-molded foam product. The telescopic drive is connected to the sealing frame and is used to change the distance by which the sealing frame extends out of the mold surface.

[0083] Furthermore, the sealing frame comprises multiple segments to accommodate different product circumferential shapes. Each segment has an independent cooling water channel to prevent jamming due to thermal expansion after continuous contact with the high-temperature molten plastic. The segments are mechanically connected as a whole and linked to the telescopic drive component, thereby controlling the ejection distance and force of the sealing frame. The controller can also be connected to the telescopic drive component to control its hydraulic pressure and flow rate.

[0084] The injection molding machine is further equipped with a retractable sealing frame that can abut against the perimeter of the foamed product. It is used to seal the foamed product on the sealing surface of the mold during the mold opening and foaming process. Since the sealing frame is retractable and can be set by the controller, it can prevent glue overflow during the foaming process.

[0085] The injection molding machine 100 is further equipped with a retractable sealing frame that can abut against the perimeter of the foamed product. It is used to seal and shape the product in the mold 20, which has a mold opening gap, during injection compression or mold opening foaming. Since the sealing frame is retractable, if the mold opening distance of the foamed product is too large or too small during process adjustment, the distance of the sealing frame extending out of the mold surface can change with the change of the mold opening distance, thus avoiding glue overflow during the foaming process.

[0086] Specifically, as shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7, in one embodiment, the injection molding machine 100 includes an injection stage 42 and a back pressure assembly 43. The fixed mold 21 is provided with an injection hole, the injection stage 42 is connected to the injection hole, and the back pressure assembly 43 is used to drive the injection stage 42 to inject molten material.

[0087] Furthermore, there are two injection stations 42, which are distributed on both sides of the mold closing structure 10. The first injection station 42 is connected to the fixed mold 21 and is used to inject the main body material of the product. The other injection station 42 is connected to the moving mold 22 and is used to inject the foaming material of the product.

[0088] In this specific embodiment, an infrared heater 44 and a robotic arm 41 are also included. The infrared heater 44 is used to heat the thermoplastic organic sheet (such as glass fiber reinforced polypropylene with a fiber content of 47%). The robotic arm 41 is used to hold and move the organic fiber board, moving the organic fiber board from the production line into the infrared heater 44. After heating is completed in the infrared heater 44, the robotic arm 41 moves the organic fiber board from the infrared heater 44 into the mold 20.

[0089] Among them, the robotic arm 41 can be a six-axis robotic arm 41 in conventional technology and a clamping component connected to it. The six-axis robotic arm 41 is used to improve the flexibility of movement, and the clamping component is used to clamp the heated thermoplastic organic sheet.

[0090] Therefore, this injection molding machine 100 can integrate multiple product processing technologies on the same equipment. The specific processing flow is as follows:

[0091] The robotic arm 41 places the thermoplastic organic sheet into the infrared heating station for heating. After the sheet reaches the preset temperature, it is sent into the mold 20. The thermoplastic organic sheet is used to locally reinforce the product.

[0092] Close mold 20 and set the clamping force;

[0093] The first injection stage 42 injects component 1 (such as unfoamed TPE material) and cools it for a certain period of time;

[0094] The second injection stage 42 injects component 2 (such as physically foamed PP+TV20 material);

[0095] The mold 20 is slightly opened for foaming, and the controller 50 controls the first drive component 13 according to the rangefinder 30 to keep the moving mold 22 parallel to the fixed mold 21.

[0096] After the mold opening and foaming are completed, the injection molded product is obtained after cooling for a certain period of time;

[0097] Open mold 20, and robotic arm 41 removes the injection molded product.

[0098] The injection-molded product is ultimately composed of component 1 (such as unfoamed TPE material) and component 2 (such as physically foamed PP+TV20 material). In some areas, thermoplastic organic sheets are used for reinforcement. Since the controller 50 keeps the moving mold 22 parallel to the fixed mold 21 during the mold opening and foaming process, the thickness difference of the injection-molded product is kept within ±0.1mm (as shown in Figure 9). At the same time, by measuring the thickness of the same key area of ​​the product in each mold, the thickness repeatability deviation is kept within ±0.1mm (as shown in Figure 10), which effectively improves the quality and thickness uniformity of the injection-molded product and reduces the weight of the injection-molded product.

[0099] As shown in Figure 8, in one embodiment, a control method for an injection molding machine 100 is provided, applicable to the injection molding machine 100 described above, comprising the following steps:

[0100] S1: Zero-point calibration of multiple rangefinders 30;

[0101] S2: Preset opening and closing dimensions of mold 20;

[0102] S3: Control the first driving component 13 to move the moving template 12 closer to or away from the fixed template 11;

[0103] S4: During the movement of the moving template 12, acquire the detection results of multiple rangefinders 30;

[0104] S5: Control multiple first driving elements 13 to ensure that the detection results of multiple rangefinders 30 are consistent;

[0105] S6: When the detection results of multiple rangefinders 30 reach the opening and closing size, control the first driving component 13 so that the moving template 12 and the fixed template 11 remain relatively stationary;

[0106] S7: Acquire the detection results of multiple rangefinders 30 while the moving template 12 is stationary;

[0107] S8: Control multiple first drive units 13 so that the detection results of multiple rangefinders 30 are consistent with the opening and closing dimensions.

[0108] As shown in Figure 9, the control method of the injection molding machine 100 described above is applicable to changing or maintaining the gap between molds 20 during product injection compression or mold opening foaming. When changing the gap between molds 20, the controller 50 controls multiple first driving components 13 by comparing the detection results of multiple rangefinders 30, so that the detection results of multiple rangefinders 30 remain dynamically consistent, thereby achieving flatness between the moving mold 22 and the fixed mold 21 during the movement. When maintaining the gap between molds 20, the controller 50 uses the preset mold 20 opening and closing dimensions as a standard, compares the detection results of the rangefinders 30, and adjusts the driving force of the first driving components 13 in real time to ensure that the detection results of multiple rangefinders 30 are dynamically consistent with the mold 20 opening and closing dimensions, thereby achieving higher product thickness uniformity.

[0109] Specifically, this control method is applied to the injection molding compression or mold opening foaming process of the product, and includes the following specific steps:

[0110] Zero-point calibration is performed on multiple rangefinders 30;

[0111] Preset mold 20 opening and closing dimensions;

[0112] Control the first driving component 13 so that the moving template 12 moves away from the fixed template 11 at a constant speed;

[0113] During the movement of the moving template 12, the detection results of multiple rangefinders 30 are acquired;

[0114] Control multiple first drive units 13 to ensure that the detection results of multiple rangefinders 30 are consistent;

[0115] When the detection results of multiple rangefinders 30 reach the opening and closing size, the first driving component 13 is controlled to keep the moving template 12 and the fixed template 11 relatively stationary.

[0116] During the stationary state of the moving template 12, the detection results of multiple rangefinders 30 are acquired;

[0117] Multiple first drive components 13 are controlled to ensure that the detection results of multiple rangefinders 30 are consistent with the opening and closing dimensions.

[0118] In one embodiment, step S1 includes the following steps:

[0119] Control the first driving component 13 to move the moving template 12 closer to the fixed template 11 and enter the mold closing calibration state. The calibration mold closing force between the moving template 12 and the fixed template 11 is 50% of the maximum mold closing force.

[0120] In the closed-mode calibration state, zero-point calibration is performed on multiple rangefinders 30.

[0121] When performing zero-point calibration of the rangefinder 30, this control method sets the calibration clamping force between the moving template 12 and the fixed template 11 to 50% of the maximum clamping force. At this time, the clamping force will not be too large, which would cause excessive extrusion and deformation between the moving mold 22 and the fixed mold 21. Nor will the clamping force be too small, which would cause the gap between the moving mold 22 and the fixed mold 21 to be too large. This effectively improves the calibration accuracy and helps to improve the product manufacturing quality.

[0122] In one embodiment, step S5 includes the following specific steps:

[0123] Select any one rangefinder 30 as the target rangefinder 30, and other rangefinders 30 are designated as other rangefinders 30. Obtain the result difference between the detection result of the target rangefinder 30 and the detection results of other rangefinders 30.

[0124] Based on the result difference, control the first drive component 13 of the target rangefinder 30 at the corresponding installation position, so that the moving template 12 at the corresponding installation position moves closer to or further away from the fixed template 11.

[0125] In one embodiment, the first drive unit 13, which controls the installation position of the target rangefinder 30 according to the result difference, includes the following specific steps:

[0126] If the difference in the result satisfies the following relationship: d1-d2<-e, the driving force of the first driving component 13 at the corresponding installation position of the target rangefinder 30 is reduced until the detection result of the target rangefinder 30 satisfies the following relationship: -e≤d1-d2≤e;

[0127] If the difference in the results satisfies the following relationship: d1-d2>e, the driving force of the first driving component 13 at the corresponding installation position of the target rangefinder 30 is increased until the detection result of the target rangefinder 30 satisfies the following relationship: -e≤d1-d2≤e;

[0128] Where d1 is the detection result of the target rangefinder 30, d2 is the detection result of other rangefinders 30 besides the target rangefinder 30, and e is the allowable thickness deviation of the product, -0.1≤e≤0.1.

[0129] In one embodiment, step S8 includes the following specific steps:

[0130] If the detection result of the rangefinder 30 satisfies the following relationship: d < De, the driving force of the first driving component 13 at the corresponding installation position of the rangefinder 30 is reduced until the detection result of the target rangefinder 30 satisfies the following relationship: De ≤ d ≤ D + e;

[0131] If the detection result of the rangefinder 30 satisfies the following relationship: d>D+e, the driving force of the first driving component 13 at the corresponding installation position of the rangefinder 30 is increased until the detection result of the target rangefinder 30 satisfies the following relationship: De≤d≤D+e;

[0132] Where d is the detection result of any rangefinder 30, D is the opening and closing size of mold 20, e is the allowable thickness deviation of the product, and -0.1≤e≤0.1.

[0133] In one embodiment, in step S1, the mold-closing structure 10 further includes an intermediate template, a first mold and a second mold respectively provided on the moving template and the fixed template, a third mold and a fourth mold respectively provided on both sides of the intermediate template, a first transmitter and a second transmitter respectively provided on the third mold and the fourth mold, and a first receiver and a second receiver respectively provided on the first mold and the second mold. In the first mold-closing state, the first receiver and the first transmitter form a first rangefinder, and the second receiver and the second transmitter form a second rangefinder; in the second mold-closing state, the first receiver and the second transmitter form a first rangefinder, and the second receiver and the first transmitter form a second rangefinder; the method further includes the following steps:

[0134] Determine the mold closing state of the mold closing structure 10;

[0135] Select either the first or the second rangefinder as the rangefinder to be used 30 based on the mold closing state;

[0136] Zero-point calibration is performed on the rangefinder 30 to be used.

[0137] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0138] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0139] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0140] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0141] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0142] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make numerous modifications and variations based on the concept of the present invention without creative effort. Therefore, all technical solutions that can be obtained by those skilled in the art based on the concept of the present invention through logical analysis, reasoning, or limited experimentation on the basis of existing technology should be within the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. An injection molding machine with a mold parallelism control structure, characterized in that, include: A mold closing structure (10) includes a fixed template (11), a moving template (12), and a plurality of first driving members (13). The fixed template (11) and the moving template (12) are arranged opposite to each other. The plurality of first driving members (13) are disposed on the end face of the moving template (12) away from the fixed template (11) for driving the moving template (12) to move closer to or away from the fixed template (11). Mold (20), the mold (20) includes a fixed mold (21) and a movable mold (22), the movable mold (22) is connected to the movable template (12), and the fixed mold (21) is connected to the fixed template (11); Multiple rangefinders (30) are mounted on the mold (20). Each rangefinder (30) corresponds to one of the first driving components (13), and the mounting position of the rangefinder (30) corresponds to the mounting position of the first driving component (13). The rangefinders are used to detect the distance between the parting surface of the moving mold (22) and the parting surface of the fixed mold (21) at the mounting position corresponding to the first driving component (13). A controller (50) is electrically connected to the rangefinder (30) and the first drive unit (13) respectively. The controller (50) is used to control the first drive unit (13) at the corresponding installation position according to the detection result of the rangefinder (30).

2. The injection molding machine with a mold parallelism control structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rangefinder (30) includes a transmitter (31) and a receiver (32). The transmitter (31) is disposed on the fixed mold (21) or the moving mold (22), and the receiver (32) is disposed on the moving mold (22) or the fixed mold (21). The transmitter (31) and the receiver (32) are disposed opposite to each other. The receiver (32) is used to receive the signal emitted by the transmitter (31). The installation position of the transmitter (31) is parallel to the parting surface of the fixed mold (21) or the moving mold (22), and the installation position of the receiver (32) is parallel to the parting surface of the moving mold (22) or the fixed mold (21).

3. The injection molding machine with a mold parallelism control structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first driving component (13) includes a high-pressure cylinder (131), a proportional valve (132), and a hydraulic power source (133). The high-pressure cylinder (131) is connected to the end face of the moving template (12) away from the fixed template (11). The proportional valve (132) is connected to the high-pressure cylinder (131) and the hydraulic power source (133) respectively. The controller (50) is connected to the proportional valve (132) and is used to control the flow rate and pressure of the proportional valve (132) according to the detection result of the rangefinder (30).

4. An injection molding machine with a mold parallelism control structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The injection molding machine also includes a second driving member (15), which is disposed on the end face of the moving template (12) near the fixed template (11) and is used to drive the moving template (12) to move closer to or away from the fixed template (11).

5. An injection molding machine with a mold parallelism control structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The injection molding machine also includes a sealing frame and a telescopic drive component. The sealing frame is arranged around the injection-molded foam product and is used to abut against the four sides of the injection-molded foam product. The telescopic drive component is connected to the sealing frame and is used to change the distance by which the sealing frame extends or retracts from the mold surface.

6. A control method for an injection molding machine, applicable to the injection molding machine according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Zero-point calibration of multiple rangefinders (30); S2: Preset opening and closing dimensions of the mold (20); S3: Control the first driving element (13) to make the moving template (12) move closer to or away from the fixed template (11); S4: During the movement of the moving template (12), the detection results of multiple rangefinders (30) are acquired; S5: Control multiple first drive units (13) to ensure that the detection results of multiple rangefinders (30) are consistent; S6: When the detection results of multiple rangefinders (30) reach the opening and closing size, control the first drive member (13) so that the moving template (12) and the fixed template (11) remain relatively stationary; S7: During the process of the moving template (12) being stationary, the detection results of multiple rangefinders (30) are obtained; S8: Control multiple first drive units (13) so that the detection results of multiple rangefinders (30) are consistent with the opening and closing dimensions.

7. The control method for an injection molding machine according to claim 6, characterized in that, Step S1 includes the following steps: Control the first driving component (13) to move the moving template (12) closer to the fixed template (11) and enter the mold closing calibration state. The calibration mold closing force of the first driving component (13) is 50% of the maximum mold closing force. In the closed-mode calibration state, zero-point calibration is performed on multiple rangefinders (30).

8. The control method for an injection molding machine according to claim 6, characterized in that, Step S5 includes the following specific steps: Select any one of the rangefinders (30) as the target rangefinder (30), and other rangefinders (30) are other rangefinders (30). Obtain the result difference between the detection result of the target rangefinder (30) and the detection result of other rangefinders (30). Based on the difference in the result, the first drive unit (13) of the target rangefinder (30) at the corresponding installation position is controlled so that the moving template (12) at the corresponding installation position moves closer to or further away from the fixed template (11).

9. A control method for an injection molding machine according to claim 8, characterized in that, The step of controlling the first drive unit (13) corresponding to the installation position of the target rangefinder (30) based on the result difference includes the following specific steps: If the difference in the result satisfies the following relationship: d1-d2<-e, control the driving force of the first driving component (13) at the installation position of the target rangefinder (30) to decrease until the detection result of the target rangefinder (30) satisfies the following relationship: -e≤d1-d2≤e; If the difference in the result satisfies the following relationship: d1-d2>e, the driving force of the first driving component (13) at the installation position of the target rangefinder (30) is increased until the detection result of the target rangefinder (30) satisfies the following relationship: -e≤d1-d2≤e; Wherein, d1 is the detection result of the target rangefinder (30), d2 is the detection result of other rangefinders (30) besides the target rangefinder (30), e is the allowable thickness deviation of the product, -0.1≤ e ≤0.

1.

10. A control method for an injection molding machine according to claim 6, characterized in that, Step S8 includes the following specific steps: If the detection result of the rangefinder (30) satisfies the following relationship: d < De, the driving force of the first driving member (13) at the corresponding installation position of the rangefinder (30) is reduced until the detection result of the target rangefinder (30) satisfies the following relationship: De ≤ d ≤ D + e; If the detection result of the rangefinder (30) satisfies the following relationship: d>D+e, the driving force of the first driving member (13) at the corresponding installation position of the rangefinder (30) is increased until the detection result of the target rangefinder (30) satisfies the following relationship: De≤d≤D+e; Where d is the detection result of any rangefinder (30), D is the opening and closing size of the mold (20), e is the allowable thickness deviation of the product, and -0.1≤e≤0.1.

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