In order to reduce oscillations in process variables of an injection molding process, a variable-gain proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller is utilized to control one or more of the process variables. The injection molding system may also include a tuning controller to automatically tune at least one of the proportional, integral, or derivative gains within a mold cycle. The tuning controller may obtain sensor data that monitors the operation of the injection molding machine to determine an adjustment to at least one of the proportional, integral, or derivative gains. The tuning controller may adjust the gains of the variable-gain PID controller in accordance with the determined adjustment to the at least one of the proportional, integral, or derivative gains.

The invention relates to a system for controlling a shutter (110) slidably arranged in a plastic material injection nozzle (11), comprising a rotary electric motor (M) and a mechanism adapted to couple said motor (M) to the shutter to slidably drive it between a closing position of the nozzle and a maximum opening position of the nozzle, characterised in that said mechanism comprises: an eccentric (21) integral with an output shaft (20) of the motor so as to be rotationally driven by said output shaft, comprising a crank pin (22) parallel to the output shaft but non-coaxial with said shaft (20), a slide (23) adapted to be made integral with one end of the shutter (110), and a connecting rod (25), a first end of which is articulated on the crank pin (22) of the eccentric (21) and a second end is articulated on an axis (25b) of the slide (23) such that the rotation of the eccentric causes sliding of the oscillating shutter between the closing position and the maximum opening position.

The invention relates to a mould (1) for manufacturing three-dimensional items, comprising a body (2); a lid (4) configured to close said body (2); and incorporated closing and opening means (5) configured to keep the body (2) and the lid (4) joined during the movement thereof. A machine (M1) for manufacturing three-dimensional items, comprising a receiving module (M2) configured to receive the mould (1); a conditioning module (M3) configured to receive the mould (1) from the receiving module (M2) and act on the incorporated closing and opening means (5) in order to separate the lid (4) from the body (2); and a handling module (M4) configured to receive the body (2) from the conditioning module (M3) and enable the placement of the components of the item to be manufactured. A method for manufacturing three-dimensional items and manufacturing plant associated with said machine (M1).

Provided is a molded product manufacturing method, including attachment of attaching a partially exposed member that extends from inside a sealed portion in the molded product to be exposed to outside to a sealing target member that is to be sealed inside the sealed portion in the molded product; injecting of inserting the sealing target member having the partially exposed member attached thereto in a die and injecting a sealing material into the die; adjustment of, in a first time period during which the sealing material is injected, holding the partially exposed member at a position differing from a final position in the molded product and adjusting a flow of the sealing material with an adjusting member attached to the partially exposed member; and hardening the sealing material after the first time period.

According to one embodiment, a mold includes a substrate clamping surface, a cavity, a suction part, a vent, an intermediate cavity, and an opening/closing part. The substrate clamping surface contacts a surface of a processing substrate. The cavity is recessed from the substrate clamping surface. The suction part is recessed from the substrate clamping surface. The vent is provided on a path between the cavity and the suction part, communicates with the cavity, is recessed from the substrate clamping surface to a vent depth. The intermediate cavity is provided between the vent and the suction part on the path, communicates with the vent, and is recessed from the substrate clamping surface to an intermediate cavity depth deeper than the vent depth. The opening/closing part opens and closes the path and is provided between the intermediate cavity and the suction part on the path.

A hot runner injection molding apparatus includes a hot runner nozzle and a first heater coupled to the nozzle body of the nozzle. A separate mold gate insert surrounds a nozzle tip area of the nozzle. The mold gate insert is heated by a second heater that is separate and independent from the nozzle body heater. The temperature generated by the first and second heaters is measured by a first thermocouple and a second thermocouple, respectively. A controller is used to adjust at any time the temperature of the first and second heaters independently. The second heater is used to either i) melt, and thus enable a faster removal of, a colder molten material accumulated around the nozzle tip during a color change procedure or ii) to reduce or increase the temperature of the nozzle tip differently from one nozzle to the next.

An injection molding hot runner system adapted for leak detection during injection molding includes a manifold and a housing surrounding the manifold, wherein the manifold and the housing are spaced apart defining one or more pockets, the manifold comprises at least one junction point establishing a connection to a component attached to the manifold, wherein at the at least one junction point a sensor is located in the pocket, wherein the sensor is configured to indicate a leak when getting in contact with the molten plastic due to a leak at the junction point.

A plasticizing apparatus, includes: a drive motor; a rotor that is rotated around a rotation axis by the drive motor and that has a groove forming surface on which a groove is formed; a barrel that has a facing surface facing the groove forming surface and that includes a communication hole in the facing surface; a heating portion that heats a material supplied to between the groove and the barrel; and a controller that controls the drive motor and the heating portion to plasticize the material supplied to between the groove and the barrel and discharge the material from the communication hole, the facing surface includes a first region and a second region that is closer to the communication hole than is the first region, the controller controls the heating portion to set a temperature of the second region to be higher than a temperature of the first region, and the controller controls the heating portion to reduce a temperature difference between the first region and the second region when the material includes a crystalline resin as compared with a case where the material includes an amorphous resin.

A method and a device for detecting a geometric feature of consistent molded parts takes into account the different stages of cooling due to different durations of transport of the individual removed molded parts to the inspection system. Both the geometric feature and the temperature of each molded part is measured. The detected geometric features are corrected using a calibration function taking into account the measured temperatures.

A sleeve heater for supplying heat to a melt delivery component of a hot runner system. The sleeve heater includes a tube-shaped body having an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface of the tube-shaped body defines an opening in which a melt delivery component is received. A heater wraps at least partially around the tube-shaped body and extends along a length of the tube-shaped body. A thermocouple groove is formed in the outer surface of the tube-shaped body. The thermocouple groove includes a lateral bend; and a bore that extends from the lateral bend into a thickness of the tube-shaped body. Together the bore and the latera bend maintain the position of a sensing end of a thermocouple installed therein relative to the tube-shaped body.