A container including a finish at a first end of the container defining an opening. A base is at a second end of the container that is opposite to the first end. A shoulder extends from the finish. A body defines an internal volume and extends from the shoulder to the base. A single layer material portion of the container extends from the first end to form at least a portion of the finish. A multi-layer material portion of the container extends from the single layer material portion to the second end of the container and across the base. A transition area is spaced apart from the first end where the single layer material portion transitions to the multi-layer material portion.

A system includes a cavity, an injection nozzle configured to inject material into the cavity, and a plurality of sensors at sensor locations. Each of the plurality of sensors is configured to measure parameters at one of the sensor locations. The system lacks a strain gauge. The system further includes a controller configured to control a flow rate of the injection of material into the cavity. The controller is configured to receive the measured parameters and compare the received information to predetermined curves. The controller is configured to control the flow rate when the measured parameters deviate from the predetermined curves.

An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow of a fluid mold material comprising: a manifold, an actuator interconnected to a valve pin, a position sensor that senses position of the valve pin, a controller that controls movement of the actuator according to instructions that instruct the actuator to drive the valve pin upstream at one or more selected intermediate velocities in response to receipt by the controller of a signal from the position sensor that the valve pin is disposed in the one or more intermediate upstream gate open positions.

A method and apparatus for producing hollow articles made of injection moulded plastic material by a mould having a die within which there is inserted a core, and at least one injector including a pin valve displaceable between a closing position and an opening position for injecting the pressurized plastic material into a space comprised between the die and the core. During the injection, any flexural deflection of the core is detected and the pin valve of the or of each injector is displaced in a controlled fashion to adjust a pressure and a flow rate of the injected plastic material, so as to reduce or eliminate such deflection of the core.

A hot-runner injection molding apparatus that facilitates use of actuators in a compact design includes a hot-runner manifold defining resin channels for conveying resin to nozzles that serve as conduits for introducing liquid resin into a mold cavity, a valve pin configured for linear movement along a longitudinal axis of the nozzle to control flow of liquid resin through the nozzle, and an actuator having a housing, wherein the valve pin is coupled to a drive shaft within the housing.

A injection molding method involves measuring, using at least one external sensor, a change in a parameter of a mold side of a mold cavity, approximating a condition within the mold cavity based on the change in the parameter, such as pressure within the mold cavity or flow front position, and comparing the approximated condition to a trigger point. If the approximated condition equals or exceeds the trigger point, activating a virtual cavity sensor having an optimal pre-defined pressure-time curve, and upon activation, the virtual cavity sensor tracks an approximated condition calculated from the change in parameter measurements measured by the at least one external sensor over time. In an embodiment, results of the approximated parameter tracking can be used in conjunction with an optimal pre-defined pressure-time curve.

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for co-extruding multiple polymeric material flow streams into a mold cavity to produce a molded plastic article. At least one interior core stream of a first polymeric material is surrounded by inner and outer streams of at least one other polymeric material. The interior core stream serves as an interior layer of a resultant molded plastic article while the inner and outer streams serve as inner and outer layers, respectively, of the resultant plastic article. The interior core stream is selectively directed to flow into or past a downstream branch channel in a mold cavity. The downstream branch channel branches from a primary channel in the mold cavity at a branch junction. The branch channel defines a protrusion portion of the resultant molded plastic article. The leading edge of the interior core stream is selectively controlled in the branch channel to position the leading edge at or near to the terminal end of the branch channel without having the leading edge of the interior core stream breakthrough a flow-front of the inner and outer streams. The resultant molded plastic article includes an interior layer formed of the first polymeric material that extends into, through and to a distal end of the protrusion while still being encased by inner and outer layers formed from the inner and outer flow streams.

Mould for producing plastic items obtained by the injection of thermoplastic material of the hot melt or polyamide type, the mould being made of flexible vulcanised silicone, rubber or other elastomers, the mould being formed by two parts which, when facing each other and attached, generate a series of compartments and channels that allow for the introduction of the melted thermoplastic material and the filling of the cavities with the shape of the item desired, and, in turn, allow for a vacuum to be generated, also removing the inside air from the mould by means of a series of conduits and channels; and a method or methodology for producing said plastic items by means of said mould, allowing for the reproduction of short and medium series of items produced with plastic materials, and in which a control system and a mould incorporating a means to be identified can be added to the method.

The present disclosure provides a molding system for preparing a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite article. The molding system includes: a molding machine; a mold disposed on the molding machine and having a mold cavity for being filled with a composite molding material including a polymeric resin and a plurality of fibers; a processing module configured to generate an anisotropic stress distribution of the composite molding material in the mold cavity based on a molding condition for the molding machine; and a controller coupled to the processing module and configured to control the molding machine with the molding condition to perform an actual molding process for preparing the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite article. The anisotropic stress distribution of the composite molding resin is generated based in part on consideration of an anisotropic rotational diffusion effect of the fibers in the composite molding material.

A strain gauge nozzle adapter that may be placed between a barrel end cap and a nozzle body of an injection molding system, the strain gauge nozzle adapter having a strain gauge pin that measures strain within the strain gauge nozzle adapter for use in approximating conditions within an injection molding system, such as pressure or the location of a melt flow front. The strain gauge nozzle adapter may include a plurality of strain gauge pins. An alternative material insert in the strain gauge nozzle adapter may surround a strain gauge pin to amplify meaningful measurements obtained by the strain gauge pin so that noise measurements do not compromise the accuracy of approximation of conditions within a mold.