Power supply device for an injection moulding machine

• US 10,424,922 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Engel Austria GmbH (Engel Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Engel Austria GmbH (Engel Holding GmbH)
• Inventors: Fraueneder, Harald, Dimmler, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane, Adolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): Iliya, Bart
• Application Number:
  US14/217,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20140285162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,016 Days
• Field of Search: 323204
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/7673 Recovering energy or power from drive motors
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76026 Energy, power
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76033 Electric current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76214 drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/7623 clamping or closing drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76454 Electrical, e.g. thermocouples
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76518 Energy, power
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76525 Electric current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76846 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76866 Mould closing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76869 Mould clamping, compression of the cavity
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76936 The operating conditions are corrected in the next phase or cycle
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/7666 of power or energy, e.g. integral function of force
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/16 using dynamo-electric machines coupled to flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/02 Additional mass for increasing inertia, e.g. flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 11/04 for controlling dynamo-electric converters having a dc output
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2201/03 AC-DC converter stage controlled to provide a defined DC link voltage general aspects of plural converters in cascade H02M
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/10 Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working

Abstract

A power supply device for a molding machine with an intermediate circuit, which can be connected with at least one drive of the molding machine and is suitable for supplying the at least one drive with electrical energy; a supply module connected to the intermediate circuit; an energy storage device connected to the intermediate circuit; and a closed loop control device for closed loop controlling an energy content of the energy storage device. The energy storage device can be closed loop controlled by means of the closed loop control device so that the energy content of the energy storage device does not go outside a range, in which a power input and/or a power output of the energy storage device is essentially constant.

Claims

1. A power supply device for a moulding machine, comprising:

an intermediate circuit, connected with at least one drive of the moulding machine and suitable for supplying the at least one drive with electrical energy;

a supply module connected to the intermediate circuit;

an energy storage device connected to the intermediate circuit, and

a closed loop control device for closed loop controlling an energy content of the energy storage device,

wherein the energy storage device is closed loop controlled by the closed loop control device so that the energy content of the energy storage device does not go outside a range, in which a power input or a power output of the energy storage device is essentially constant.

2. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the energy storage device has a flywheel and an accumulator drive for accelerating and slowing down the flywheel and a speed of the flywheel is closed loop controllable so that the speed does not go outside a range in which a power input or a power output of the accumulator drive is essentially constant.

3. The power supply device according to claim 2, wherein the accumulator drive is in the form of an asynchronous machine.

4. The power supply device according to claim 2, wherein the accumulator drive is in the form of an electrical drive, wherein the flywheel is preferably in the form of a rotor of the accumulator drive.

5. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate circuit is in the form of a DC voltage intermediate circuit.

6. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate circuit voltage is closed loop controlled in the intermediate circuit.

7. The power supply device according to claim 6, wherein a nominal intermediate circuit voltage, at which the intermediate circuit voltage is closed loop controlled, is essentially constant.

8. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein for connecting the intermediate circuit with the at least one drive at least one drive supply module for supplying the at least one drive with at least one drive AC voltage is provided.

9. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the supply module is connected with a power supply network and has a rectifier for rectifying a supply voltage of the power supply network.

10. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein excess electrical energy, present in the intermediate circuit or the energy storage device, is fed back via the supply module to a power supply network.

11. The power supply device according to claim 10, wherein the supply module has a line choke or a line filter for reducing undesired fluctuations in an electrical current fed back to the power supply network.

12. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the moulding machine is an injection moulding machine.

13. A moulding machine with a power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate circuit is connected with the at least one drive.

14. The moulding machine according to claim 13, wherein the at least one drive is in the form of an electrical drive.

15. The moulding machine according to claim 13, wherein the at least one drive comprises a clamping drive or an injection drive.

16. The moulding machine according to claim 13, wherein the moulding machine is an injection moulding machine.

17. A method for operating a power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the energy storage device is charged prior to an injection moulding cycle to a level at which the energy content of the energy storage device is in a range in which the energy storage device is able to absorb or deliver a constant power.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein an energy to supply the at least one drive during the injection moulding cycle is delivered in part by the energy storage device or that an energy returned from the at least one drive during the injection moulding cycle is delivered in part to the energy storage device.