Patent ID: 7566214

Claim:
A die clamping unit comprising: a stationary platen configured to hold a stationary die; a tie bar attached to the stationary platen for advance and retreat; a halfnut positioning servomotor which advances and retreats the tie bar; a movable platen configured to hold a movable die and capable of advancing toward and receding from the stationary platen; a halfnut which is provided on the movable platen and fixes the movable platen and the tie bar together by engaging the tie bar; an engaging mechanism which engages the halfnut with the tie bar; a hydraulic die clamping cylinder which causes the tie bar to press the movable platen against the stationary platen, thereby performing a pressing operation in which the movable die and the stationary die are clamped; and a control device which controls the halfnut positioning servomotor and the hydraulic die clamping cylinder, wherein the control device drives the halfnut positioning servomotor with the halfnut and the tie bar engaged with each other by the engaging mechanism to cause a clearance between the halfnut and an engaging groove of the tie bar to be removed before the hydraulic die clamping cylinder performs the pressing operation, and after or during removal of the clearance, the control device starts controlling the hydraulic die clamping cylinder to cause the tie bar to press the movable platen against the stationary platen, thereby clamping the stationary die and the movable die.