1. A plasticizing device includes a barrel including a resin material supply port portion and a fiber supply port portion which is formed on a distal side from the resin material supply port portion; and a screw that comprises a shaft body and a flight, and is received in the barrel. The barrel is disposed with a posture in which its axial line intersects a gravitational direction. A maximum length of an opening in the barrel of the fiber supply port portion along an axial direction of the barrel is 1 time or more and 2 times or less as much as a pitch of the flight disposed in a portion of the screw which faces the opening in the barrel of the fiber supply port portion in a direction perpendicular to the axial line of the barrel.

A mold tool is provided that includes plural mold sub-volumes configured to receive a sealant, a mold channel in fluid communication with the mold sub-volumes, a sealant injection port in fluid communication with the mold channel, vacuum application ports in fluid communication with the mold sub-volumes, and an air control system. The air control system is operably coupled to the mold sub-volumes and the mold channel, and is configured to apply a vacuum to the mold sub-volumes via the vacuum application ports.

A mold tool is provided that includes plural mold sub-volumes configured to receive a sealant, a mold channel in fluid communication with the mold sub-volumes, a sealant injection port in fluid communication with the mold channel, vacuum application ports in fluid communication with the mold sub-volumes, and an air control system. The air control system is operably coupled to the mold sub-volumes and the mold channel, and is configured to apply a vacuum to the mold sub-volumes via the vacuum application ports.

A method of forming a molding tool includes performing a computer aided engineering (CAE) analysis on a molding tool design. The CAE analysis predicts flow of injection molded material and a location of gas entrapment within a molding recess of the molding tool design. At least one venting design constraint is applied to the molding tool design as a function of the gas entrapment location. Also, a biomimetic shaped passageway for venting gas away from the gas entrapment location is selected from a plurality of biomimetic shaped passageways. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) CAE analysis of the molding tool design with the selected biomimetic shaped passageway is performed and modifications of the selected biomimetic shaped passageway are CFD CAE analyzed until a final biomimetic shaped passageway is determined and a molding tool with the final biomimetic shaped passageway is formed.

An interior part for a vehicle is formed by core-back expansion molding. The interior part includes a foamed plastic body formed by injecting a foamable plastic resin into a mold and separating the mold portions of the mold to allow foaming expansion of the foamable plastic resin. An edge portion of the foamed plastic body includes a projecting freeze section and a core-back expansion radius located adjacent to the projecting freeze section. The projecting freeze section is formed in a freeze seal area of the mold adjacent a parting line to help prevent excessive flashing of material at the parting line during separation.

An interior part for a vehicle is formed by core-back expansion molding. The interior part includes a foamed plastic body formed by injecting a foamable plastic resin into a mold and separating the mold portions of the mold to allow foaming expansion of the foamable plastic resin. An edge portion of the foamed plastic body includes a projecting freeze section and a core-back expansion radius located adjacent to the projecting freeze section. The projecting freeze section is formed in a freeze seal area of the mold adjacent a parting line to help prevent excessive flashing of material at the parting line during separation.

A mold unit (30) defines an elongate cavity (70) and has an injection inlet port (90) for a viscous material at one end of the cavity and an injection outlet port (92) at the other end of the cavity. The mold unit includes a gas vent formed by a gap (G2) between two parts of the mold unit. The gap extends continuously or intermittently in the length direction of the the mold unit, while penetrating through the mold unit in the thickness direction such that it provides fluid communication between an interior space and an exterior space of the cavity. The gap is shaped such that, although gasses pass through, the viscous material does not pass due to fluidity resistance of the viscous material resulting from its viscosity. As a result, the gas vent acts to block leakage of the viscous material while permitting degassing of the viscous material.

A mold unit (30) defines an elongate cavity (70) and has an injection inlet port (90) for a viscous material at one end of the cavity and an injection outlet port (92) at the other end of the cavity. The mold unit includes a gas vent formed by a gap (G2) between two parts of the mold unit. The gap extends continuously or intermittently in the length direction of the the mold unit, while penetrating through the mold unit in the thickness direction such that it provides fluid communication between an interior space and an exterior space of the cavity. The gap is shaped such that, although gasses pass through, the viscous material does not pass due to fluidity resistance of the viscous material resulting from its viscosity. As a result, the gas vent acts to block leakage of the viscous material while permitting degassing of the viscous material.

In an aspect, a mold stack may comprise two adjacent components, one at least partially defining a vent adjustable between a molding configuration and a cleaning configuration. A junction of the components may be adjustable between a molding configuration, wherein mating faces contact one another to define a parting line, and a cleaning configuration, wherein mating faces are separated to create a molding cavity extension therebetween and an auxiliary melt barrier prevents uncontrolled flashing from the extension. In another aspect, a mold shut height adjustment mechanism may include a mold component movable along an operational axis of the mold, a stop member, movable along the axis relative to the mold component, having first and second stops for providing first and second gaps on the front and back sides, respectively, of the mold component when the stop member is deployed, and a spacer for use in selectively deploying the stop member.

In an aspect, a mold stack may comprise two adjacent components, one at least partially defining a vent adjustable between a molding configuration and a cleaning configuration. A junction of the components may be adjustable between a molding configuration, wherein mating faces contact one another to define a parting line, and a cleaning configuration, wherein mating faces are separated to create a molding cavity extension therebetween and an auxiliary melt barrier prevents uncontrolled flashing from the extension. In another aspect, a mold shut height adjustment mechanism may include a mold component movable along an operational axis of the mold, a stop member, movable along the axis relative to the mold component, having first and second stops for providing first and second gaps on the front and back sides, respectively, of the mold component when the stop member is deployed, and a spacer for use in selectively deploying the stop member.