Methods and apparatuses are provided for manufacturing a transaction card. The disclosed methods and apparatuses may be used to form a transaction card frame within a mold. The transaction card frame may include one or more recessed portions formed within a first surface of the transaction card frame. The one or more recessed portions may be configured for affixing one or more electronic components.

A threaded mold decoupling system includes at least one unscrewing assembly configured to remove a molded article a threaded core of an injection mold, an elevator assembly, and a driving element disposed in operative communication with the at least one unscrewing assembly and with the elevator assembly. The driving element is configured to actuate the at least one unscrewing assembly to rotate a molded article about a longitudinal axis of the threaded core and actuate the elevator assembly to linearly translate the molded article along the longitudinal axis of the threaded core.

An injection molding machine includes: a fixed side member; and a movable side member fixed to the fixed side member, the movable side member being driven by a motor in order to perform injection molding of a molded product. The injection molding machine further includes a power feeding apparatus, one or more motors, and at least one servo amplifier. The power feeding apparatus converts a three-phase AC voltage into a DC voltage. The one or more of the motors are provided in the movable side member and drive the movable side member. The at least one servo amplifier is provided in the movable side member and drives one of the one or more of the motors by the DC voltage being supplied thereto through a DC power supply line.

Extractor systems for extracting a flexible article of manufacture from a mold include an extraction roller, at least one track configured to support the extraction roller, and a trolley configured to carry the extraction roller from a first side of the mold toward a second, opposite side of the mold. Molding systems include a mold and an extractor system. Methods of extracting a flexible article of manufacture from a mold include separating a first platen and a second platen, positioning an extraction roller between the separated first and second platens, engaging the article of manufacture with a row of teeth positioned along the extraction roller, and rotating the extraction roller to wrap the article of manufacture about the extraction roller.

A method of operating an injection molding machine includes translating a movable platen from a closed position to a part transfer position by overshooting the transfer position in an opening direction away from a stationary platen to an over-travel position, and then translating the moving platen back to the transfer position in a closing direction, opposite the opening direction. Movement of a take-out device towards an advanced position, in which the take-out device reaches between mold halves carried by the stationary and movable platens, occurs while the movable platen is moving between the over-travel and transfer positions, prior to coming to rest in the transfer position. When resting in the transfer position, the method includes transferring molded articles from a first mold section mounted to the movable platen to retained engagement on the take-out device reaching between the platens.

A retaining unit comprising: a first member configured to be movable; a second member used in an unmovable fixed state; and a pressing element attached to the second member, and configured to press the first member to engage the first member with the second member, wherein the retaining unit is configured such that the first member can be moved by release of the engagement with the second member when a force at a predetermined level or higher is applied in a movement direction of the first member, and the pressing element is assembled with the second member to constitute a unit.

Methods and apparatuses are provided for manufacturing a transaction card. The disclosed methods and apparatuses may be used to form a transaction card frame within a mold. The transaction card frame may include one or more recessed portions formed within a first surface of the transaction card frame. The one or more recessed portions may be configured for affixing one or more electronic components.

Methods and apparatuses are provided for manufacturing a transaction card. The disclosed methods and apparatuses may be used to form a transaction card frame within a mold. The transaction card frame may include one or more recessed portions formed within a first surface of the transaction card frame. The one or more recessed portions may be configured for affixing one or more electronic components.

An injection molding machine is equipped with a screw having a spline shaft formed with a spline on an outer circumferential surface, a bush having a spline hole formed with a spline on an inner circumferential surface, a linear motion motor for moving the bush in an axial direction of the screw, a rotational motion motor for rotating the bush about an axis of the screw, and a motor control unit which, in the case of fitting the spline shaft in the spline hole, controls the linear motion motor to advance the bush in a direction approaching the screw in a state that the bush and the screw are separated, and which controls the rotational motion motor to rotate the bush when the acquired output torque becomes equal to or larger than a first predetermined torque.

A method of estimating a normal vector to an attachment mounted to an approach frame of an apparatus for taking out a molded product and a normal vector to a die mounted to a molding machine is provided. A normal vector to a take-out head is estimated through computation using a coordinate/depth determination section and a normal vector computation section on the basis of depth data or coordinate data on three mounting members. Three or more extending portions are specified from the image, the extending portions being each a part of a fixed die or a movable die or a part of a surrounding component and extending in a direction that coincides with the open direction for the dies. A normal vector to the die is estimated through computation on the basis of the depth data or coordinate data on the specified extending portions.