Ultrasonic measurement of clamping force for injection molding machine

摘要

An online and feasible clamping force measurement method is important in the injection molding process and equipment. Based on the sono-elasticity theory, an in situ clamping force measurement method using ultrasonic technology is proposed in this paper. A mathematical model is established to describe the relationship between the ultrasonic propagation time, mold thickness, and clamping force. A series of experiments are performed to verify the proposed method. Experimental findings show that the measurement results of the proposed method agree well with those of the magnetic enclosed-type clamping force tester method, with difference squares less than 2 (MPa)(2) and errors bars less than 0.7 MPa. The ultrasonic method can be applied in molds of different thickness, injection molding machines of different clamping scales, and large-scale injection cycles. The proposed method offers advantages of being highly accurate, highly stable, simple, feasible, non-destructive, and low-cost, providing significant application prospects in the injection molding industry.