Abstract: A method is described for operating an injection moulding machine, which has one or more movable machine parts which can be moved by suitable drives along specifiable travelling distances. Movement of a movable machine part is repeated cyclically. In order to reduce the movement times of the movable machine parts to a minimum, provision is made for one or more of the movable machine parts to successively reduce the power reserves of one or more of the drives associated with a movable machine part, until a specifiable minimum of power reserve is reached, wherein the minimum can be zero. In each cycle, the power reserve of the drive or drives is determined and is successively reduced, in particular from cycle to cycle. A movable platen, an ejector, a core puller, a plasticizing screw and/or an injection piston can be provided as movable machine part.

Abstract: A toggle lever clamping unit for an injection molding machine includes fixed and movable platens, a support plate, a toggle lever mechanism operatively connected with both the support plate and the movable platen, a cross clamp operatively connected with the toggle lever mechanism and movable along a machine longitudinal axis, and an electric drive for moving the cross clamp. In addition, a hydraulic drive is operatively connected with the cross clamp and includes a fluid-operated piston cylinder system, with the lengths of the cylinder and the piston rod being coordinated with one another such that the hydraulic drive follows a travel path of the cross clamp as the movable platen travels between an open position of the clamping unit, in which the toggle lever mechanism is swung in, and a closed position in which the toggle lever mechanism assumes a predeterminable extended position and a clamping force is built up.

Abstract: An injection-molding machine includes a stack mold having a snorkel supplying melt to a central part of the stack mold. A biased movable part of the snorkel and a nozzle of an injection unit can be pressed against one another during the injecting process, wherein a position of the injection unit can be fixed in the longitudinal machine direction, when the stack mold is in a position for performing a compression molding stroke. A bias and a stroke executable by the movable part of the snorkel can be adjusted, so that the nozzle and the snorkel remain pressed against each other at least while the compression molding stroke is executed during the injection process.

Abstract: Preforms with a neck region and a preform body and having an enlarged geometry in comparison with the cavity of the injection mold are produced by injecting a polymer melt into the mold with a geometry of the cavity in the mold such that the radial extent of an inner space in the preform body thereby produced is not greater than the radial extent of the inner space in the neck region, the preforms are removed from the open mold by a removal gripper, and the preforms in the removal gripper are inflated using positive pressure such that the geometry of the inflated preform body is larger than the cavity in the injection mold.

Abstract: A toggle lever clamping unit for an injection moulding machine includes fixed and movable platens, a support plate, a toggle lever mechanism operatively connected with both the support plate and the movable platen, a cross clamp operatively connected with the toggle lever mechanism and movable along a machine longitudinal axis, and an electric drive for moving the cross clamp. In addition, a hydraulic drive is operatively connected with the cross clamp and includes a fluid-operated piston cylinder system, with the lengths of the cylinder and the piston rod being coordinated with one another such that the hydraulic drive follows a travel path of the cross clamp as the movable platen travels between an open position of the clamping unit, in which the toggle lever mechanism is swung in, and a closed position in which the toggle lever mechanism assumes a predeterminable extended position and a clamping force is built up.

Abstract: A method is described for operating an injection moulding machine, which has one or more movable machine parts which can be moved by suitable drives along specifiable travelling distances. Movement of a movable machine part is repeated cyclically. In order to reduce the movement times of the movable machine parts to a minimum, provision is made for one or more of the movable machine parts to successively reduce the power reserves of one or more of the drives associated with a movable machine part, until a specifiable minimum of power reserve is reached, wherein the minimum can be zero. In each cycle, the power reserve of the drive or drives is determined and is successively reduced, in particular from cycle to cycle. A movable platen, an ejector, a core puller, a plasticizing screw and/or an injection piston can be provided as movable machine part.

Abstract: Preforms with a neck region and a preform body and having an enlarged geometry in comparison with the cavity of the injection mould are produced by injecting a polymer melt into the mould with a geometry of the cavity in the mould such that the radial extent of an inner space in the Preform body thereby produced is not greater than the radial extent of the inner space in the neck region, the preforms are removed from the open mould by a removal gripper, and the preforms in the removal gripper are inflated using positive pressure such that the geometry of the inflated preform body is larger than the cavity in the injection mould.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for producing preforms (14) with a special geometry, wherein the finished preforms have a neck region with a thread and a preform body, which adjoins the neck region and has an enlarged geometry in comparison with the cavity of the injection mould.

Abstract: In a device and a method for operating a driven axle in a machine tool, in particular in an injection-molding machine, at least two different drives are coupled to form a common effective drive, wherein the performance and energy consumption data for each drive are stored in the form of characteristic values or characteristic curves. To use the effective drive as optimally as possible in terms of energy, it is proposed to determine the performance requirement for the driven axle, to determine the particular operational combination of the different drives that requires the least expenditure of energy based on the determined performance requirement and to drive the drives with the determined particular operational combination.

Abstract: A hybrid drive includes an electric motor coupled to a hydraulic drive having a double-acting hydraulic piston and a piston rod, and a substantially throttle-less valve for actuating the hydraulic drive, and a control unit for actuating the electric machine. To avoid unnecessary energy consumption, an actuating direction requested by the hybrid drive and a desired actuating force are determined, the valve is switched to a position such that the hydraulic drive is effective in the actuating direction, at least when the actuating force cannot be generated by the electric motor alone, the difference between the force generated by the hydraulic drive and the actuating force is determined, and the electric motor is operated such that the desired actuating force is achieved by adding the force generated by the motor to the force generated by the hydraulic drive, or subtracting the first from the latter.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a plastic container having a container wall provided with a barrier foil, comprising the following steps: forming a foil body from a barrier foil, the shape of which corresponds to at least part of the container wall of the plastic container to be produced, arranging the foil body in an injection mold, applying a first plastic layer onto a first side of the foil body that corresponds to an inner side or outer side of the plastic container, and applying a second plastic layer onto a second side of the foil body that corresponds to an outside or inside of the plastic container, and to a plastic container comprising a container wall having a barrier foil, wherein the barrier foil is arranged centrally between an inner side and an outer side of the plastic layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and to a device for extracting air in an injection molding device. The device comprises an extraction hood having a housing, in which one or more extraction ducts are provided, wherein the extraction hood can be disposed in the region of the injection nozzle of an injection unit, the housing at least partially encloses the injection nozzle of the injection unit, and air can be extracted from the region of the injection nozzle via openings (38) or ducts (34), and a ventilation device connected to the housing of the extraction hood (16) for flowing. According to the invention, the extraction hood and/or the ventilation device can be adjusted for implementing different extraction intensities in at least two operating modes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a universal auxiliary controller for an injection molding machine, comprising an operating panel, a machine controller coupled to the operating panel, a converter acted on by the machine controller, a controllable electric motor that can be actuated by the converter, and a resolver. According to the invention, the controllable electric motor is coupled to a standardized shaft interface, which can selectively be connected to a complementary shaft interface of a mechanical operating element or a hydraulic operating element.

Abstract: In a device and a method for operating a driven spindle in a machine tool, in particular in an injection-molding machine, at least two different drives are coupled to form a common effective drive, wherein the performance and energy consumption data for each drive are stored in the form of characteristic values or characteristic curves. To use the effective drive as optimally as possible in terms of energy, it is proposed to determine the performance requirement for the driven spindle, to determine the particular operational combination of the different drives that requires the least expenditure of energy based on the determined performance requirement and to drive the drives with the determined particular operational combination.

Abstract: The novel invention relates to a method and an apparatus for controlling one or more machines or a production cell with repeatable sequences using a machine controller, and to an operating unit in the form of a man-machine interface (MMI). The novel invention proposes making at least some of the operative control inputs for machine movement using haptic keys which can be programmed for their function and are applied to a screen and/or tactile touchscreen keys which can be seen and sensed, for example with an edge which can be sensed, with a respective associated screen field. The operator is thus provided with a guide function for operation, whether by the fact that he haptically senses the keystroke, for example via snap domes, or by the fact that he only tactually feels an edge around the screen key.

Abstract: A hybrid drive includes an electric motor coupled to a hydraulic drive having a double-acting hydraulic piston and a piston rod, and a substantially throttle-less valve for actuating the hydraulic drive, and a control unit for actuating the electric machine. To avoid unnecessary energy consumption, an actuating direction requested by the hybrid drive and a desired actuating force are determined, the valve is switched to a position such that the hydraulic drive is effective in the actuating direction, at least when the actuating force cannot be generated by the electric motor alone, the difference between the force generated by the hydraulic drive and the actuating force is determined, and the electric motor is operated such that the desired actuating force is achieved by adding the force generated by the motor to the force generated by the hydraulic drive, or subtracting the first from the latter.

Abstract: In a method for the representation of the programmable sequence for one or more machines with a cyclic machine sequence on a screen, a sequence is programmed or altered using commands, production parameters are predetermined, actual values for the machine components are determined through the cycle operation and the sequence with the individual process steps and the dependencies thereof are represented on the screen. A chronological correlation of the individual process steps is then produced and is represented on the screen from a fully programmed sequence or partial sequence, taking into consideration the predetermined production parameters and the actual values for the machine components.

Abstract: A method for assembly of injection molding machines of different sizes constructed in modular form at a machine manufacturer and for transport of such modular injection molding machines to an installation site. The mold clamping side and the injection unit side are assembled during final assembly at the installation site of the complete injection molding machine by connecting the mold clamping module with the injection module or with a drive module by way of the standardized upper and lower assembly or coupling interfaces of the mold clamping side and the injection unit side, so as to form a one-piece injection molding machine having a bending-resistant substructure.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for producing preforms (14) with a special geometry, wherein the finished preforms have a neck region with a thread and a preform body, which adjoins the neck region and has an enlarged geometry in comparison with the cavity of the injection mould.

Abstract: An auxiliary device and a method for finishing and calibrating preforms that are removed from a multiple tool in an unstable shape, the calibration process being performed with compressed air immediately after removing and withdrawing the preforms from the multiple tool. Nipples that can be inserted into the preforms are provided with expandable press rings or sealing rings in order to seal the interior of the blow-molded part of the preforms. The compressed air is introduced via the nipples, the sealing process being performed by radially expanding the press rings or sealing rings in analogy to the closing process of thermoses, thus protecting the preforms from adverse forces. The sealing point can be randomly selected in the transition zone from the threaded part to the blow-molded part of the preforms. The interior of the blow-molded part is optimally sealed without affecting the form stability and dimensional stability of the preforms.