Patent ID: 9352503
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: B29C

Claim Text:
1. A method of controlling a first melt accumulator, the first melt accumulator being part of an injection unit, the injection unit including an extruder for preparing molding material and a second melt accumulator, the first melt accumulator and the second melt accumulator configured to sequentially receive molding material from the extruder, the extruder being operable to produce molding material in at least near continuous manner, both the first melt accumulator and the second melt accumulator being associated with a respective shot size set-point; the method comprising: detecting an indication of an out-of-boundary condition of the first melt accumulator accepting molding material, wherein the indication of the out-of-boundary condition is arranged to be triggered by the first melt accumulator having reached the shot size set-point during a given transfer cycle, while the second melt accumulator is not yet ready to start accepting molding material; responsive to said detecting, controlling the first melt accumulator to continue accepting molding material beyond its respective shot size set-point until the second melt accumulator is ready to accept molding material; and adjusting a fill-to-hold switch-over position of a plunger of the first accumulator at which the first accumulator transitions from a filling operation to a holding operation responsive to over-filling of the first melt accumulator beyond its respective shot size set-point.