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The constant/variable kinematics adjustment of the crosshead and the mold’s stability management in injection molding

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Abstract

During the clamping process in an injection-molding machine, the mold’s movement is directly driven by the velocity of the crosshead. The form of the adjustment on the crosshead’s kinematics can influence the final dynamics of the mold, which can contribute to the stability of the clamping duration further. This article is aimed at investigating the kinematics analysis and the stability management strategy of the mold in the early design stage for the clamping mechanism. The two different velocity-controlled forms of the crosshead, constant and variable kinematics adjustments, are applied and compared in the clamping analysis. Three factors of the crosshead, the maximum velocity, the acceleration/deceleration stage adjustment, and the multi acceleration/deceleration process, are validated for the stability control of the mold’s motion in the injection molding process. The results show an extra “fast” process is detected in the constant condition when compared to the variable crosshead’s kinematics adjustment. Furthermore, by the reasonable adjustment of the maximum velocity and two special positions of the crosshead during the acceleration and deceleration stages, the maximum acceleration fluctuation of the mold is decreased by more than 50%, allowing the mold to move more steadily.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52073247), the Special Innovation Fund of Zhejiang University (No. 702002J20211109), and the Institute of Robotics at Zhejiang University under (Grant K12105).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Nan-yang Zhao, Zhong-bin Xu & Yan Shan

  2. Ningbo Research Institute, and Institute of Robotics, Zhejiang University, Ningbo, 315100, China

    Zhong-bin Xu

  3. School of Automation, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, 310018, China

    Hou-pan Zhou

  4. School of Engineering, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou, 310015, China

    Xing Huang

  5. Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, 325001, China

    Xing Huang

Authors
  1. Nan-yang Zhao
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  4. Hou-pan Zhou
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  5. Xing Huang
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Contributions

Nan-yang Zhao: writing—original draft, methodology, conceptualization. Zhong-bin Xu: supervision, conceptualization, project administration. Yan Shan: writing—review and editing. Hou-pan Zhou: writing—review and editing. Xing Huang: writing—review and conceptualization.

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Correspondence to Zhong-bin Xu.

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Zhao, Ny., Xu, Zb., Shan, Y. et al. The constant/variable kinematics adjustment of the crosshead and the mold’s stability management in injection molding. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 133, 901–912 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-023-11044-6

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