A user guide for the injection molding process settings on APSX-LSR

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APSX-LSR User Screen and Injection Molding Parameters

The machine performs the injection molding functions of mixing, clamping, injection, and ejection accordingly and completes the job as set by the user.  

The user interface is connected to the machine via the USB cable. There are three sections on the user interface: The main dashboard, the manual controls and the settings.

MAIN DASHBOARD

The dashboard has a status message display on top. It shows the current injection cycle step and also notifies the user when necessary. 

• STAND BY: Ready for the operation command.
• CLAMPING: Clamp block (2 & 3) is approaching the mold area. Be cautious. 
• FEEDING: The APSX LSR pump feeds the barrel based on the user feed volume setting. 
• INJECTING: The nozzle opens, and the plastic is injected into the mold cavity. 
• CURING: The machine is waiting for the injected LSR to be cured.
• HOMING: Clamp and injection travel back to their home locations for the next injection cycle.

The status display also shows the cycle timer in seconds. The number on the bottom right corner shows the cycle count until you reset by pressing on it. 

SYSTEM button:  It turns ON or OFF the system components such as motors and sensors.

HEAT button: It turns ON or OFF the heaters on the mold. If you do not need to use the fan for cooling, please uncheck the ENABLE FAN checkbox. 

TEMPERATURE display: The current temperature of the mold. 

RUN button: The button to start or stop the injection cycle. 

SINGLE cycle mode: The machine stops and waits when it completes one cycle. To start the next cycle, you need to press the RUN button again.

MULTI cycle mode: The machine does not stop at the end of a cycle. It fills the barrel and moves on to the next cycle. It should be used only with a mold with an ejector system.   

APSX-LSR Manual Controls

They are to control the machine motors manually. They can be used when installing a mold or for testing the motors. To stop the motors, please use the HALT button.

Injection controls: 

• SET INJECTION HOME: Sets home position for the injection side. Ideally it is advised to set it about 1/8" close to the barrel to have minimum amount of material left inside the barrel at the end of the cycle. 
• "<<<" and ">>>" buttons: To move the injection side to the left and right. 
• PUMP ON/OFF: Creates the pump pressure on the material.
• FEED ON/OFF: Feeds the barrel.

Nozzle valve controls:

• OPEN VALVE: Opens the nozzle valve 100% to let the under-pressure material flow into the mold cavity - DO NOT USE IT UNTIL THE MOLD TEMPERATURE REACHES TO SET VALUE.
• CLOSE VALVE: Closes the nozzle valve.

Clamp controls:

• HOME CLAMP: Moves the clamp mechanism back to its home base where the clamp switch is set. There are SLOW and FAST modes. The machine should be homed before pressing the RUN button.
• ENGAGE CLAMP: Starts the clamp motor for clamping action. There are SLOW and FAST modes. The final clamping action occurs in SLOW mode. 

HALT: It stops on all motors during the manual control actions. It stops the entire injection cycle and homes clamp and injection motors in injection cycle mode (RUN).

E-STOP button on the control panel: Turns off all motors, shuts down the system and disables the heat.   

APSX-LSR Settings

The settings section has several controls to optimize the injection cycle for each mold installed and plastic type used. 

SAVE: Once the parameters are optimized, press this button to store the settings for the profile number shown next to it. The picture below shows the settings for profile number 1. You can change the profile number by using the plus (+) and negative (-) sign buttons. 

OPEN: Press this button to recall a specific settings profile number.

EXIT: Press this button to exit from the application. 

CONFIG: You can control settings behind the scene, such as fast clamp speed, clamp calibration etc.

X1/X10 button: You can change the parameters by using the + and - buttons in small increments when in X1 mode. In X10 mode, the parameters can be changed in larger increments.  

TEMPERATURES

MOLD TEMPERATURE: The current and the set temperatures of the mold in Celsius. There are two temperature reading on both sides (A and B) of the mold. 

MINIMUM MOLD TEMPERATURE: If the mold temperature drops below this minimum temperature, it will wait to reach that temperature before running. It should be set at least higher than the material's suggested curing temperature.    

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INJECTION PRESSURE and CLAMP FORCE

FEED PRESSURE: The current and the set feeding pressures applied to the material in BAR.

INJECTION PRESSURE: The current and the set pressures applied to the material inside the barrel in BAR. It is suggested to follow manufacturer's prospectus. 

CLAMP FORCE: The current and set clamp force in Kgs are applied to the mold when fully clamped.   

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TIMES

CURING TIME: The time in msec set to keep the injected material the hot mold. In the end, the machine homes.

CLAMP TIME: The machine clamp mechanism moves towards the mold at a certain speed then switches to a slower speed when it gets about 1/8 inches to the mold to complete the clamping at that slow speed. The clamp time is the travel time in milliseconds of the clamp side at a faster speed. Depending on the clamp switch position and the mold thickness, the clamp time needs to be adjusted for a proper clamping procedure. If it is too high, the clamping occurs at a fast speed and may not be accurate. If it is too low, the clamping travel takes too much time since it moves at a slow speed, too long to reach the mold and the cycle may be aborted.   

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PART CHARACTERISTICS

INJECT VOLUME: The amount in cu-cm that the machine injects the material.

SLOW INJECT VOLUME: The stage of the injection process where the machine slows down in injection speed. APSX recommends this number be set at 95% of the total part volume.

INJECTION SPEED: The speed of the plunger during the injection stroke. The SLOW value is the injection speed at the end of the injection stroke based on the "slow injection volume" setting.

VALVE POSITION: The machine opens the nozzle valve when both the clamping and the set injection pressure are completed. It controls the angle of the nozzle pin - 200 max value means 90 degrees (fully) open.   

PUMP SPEED: It controls how fast the hopper motor turns. You can adjust this when you use different types of plastics until you get a good fill rate.   

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