A method of detecting and compensating for a non-operational mold cavity in an injection molding apparatus having a plurality of mold cavities and an injection molding screw or ram includes injecting, via the injection molding screw or ram, a molten thermoplastic material into the plurality of mold cavities. The method includes measuring a first process parameter of the injection molding apparatus at a pre-determined time during or after the injecting. The method also includes determining, based on the first process parameter, whether one or more mold cavities of the plurality of mold cavities are non-operational. Then, when it is determined that one or more mold cavities are non-operational, the method includes automatically adjusting the first process parameter or a second process parameter of the injection molding apparatus.

An injection molding apparatus comprising an injection machine, a manifold, a mold, a clamp plate, an actuator interconnected to a valve pin and an external actuator controller, the actuator controller comprising a controller housing adapted to control upstream flow of drive fluid from an upstream actuator drive chamber such that the rate of travel of the drive piston is selectively adjustable to a first rate of travel or velocity over a first course of travel from a gate closed position to a predetermined position of upstream travel and such that the rate of travel of the drive piston beyond the predetermined intermediate upstream position occurs at a second rate of travel or velocity that is higher than the first rate of travel or velocity.

An injection molding machine uses a controller to effectively control its operation. The controller may determine and/or receive information regarding the machine's maximum load capacity, and may also determine a current operational load value of the machine. The controller may cause the machine to operate at any number of combinations of settings of operational parameters which result in the machine operating at or below the maximum load value by adjusting any number of machine parameters associated with the injection molding machine based on feedback sensors measuring real-time operating conditions of the machine.

An injection mold for molding a flip-top closure having a body portion and a lid attached to the body portion by a living hinge has first and second mold portions for defining first and second portions of the flip-top closure respectively, a lid closing tool for closing the lid of the flip-top closure on the body portion after a molding of the flip-top closure in the injection mold and before an ejection of the flip-top closure from the injection mold, and first and second linear actuators operatively connected to the lid closing tool for moving the lid closing tool about first and second axes respectively. The first and second linear actuators are controllable to move the lid closing tool along a lid closing path for closing the lid. An in-mold lid closing device and a method for making a flip-top closure are also disclosed.

Injection molding apparatus (1) comprising: an actuator (14, 940, 941, 942) comprising a rotor (940r, 941r, 942r) controllably rotatable by electric power, the actuator (14, 940, 941, 942) being interconnected to a controller (16) that generates drive signals (DC), an electrical drive device (940d, 941d, 942d) comprising an interface that receives the drive signals (DC) and controllably distributes electrical energy or power in controllably varied amounts according to the drive signals (DC) to a driver (940dr, 941dr, 942dr) that drives the rotor (940r, 941r, 942r), a valve pin (1040, 1041, 1042) having an axis (X) and a control surface (43, 45, 102m) adapted to interface with a complementary surface (47, 103s) in a downstream feed channel to vary rate of injection fluid flow to a cavity of a mold, and, a sensor adapted to sense a property of the injection fluid upstream and away from a gate, the sensed property being used in a program to controllably position the control surface relative to the complementary surface.

An injection molding machine including a mold clamping device for clamping a mold comprising a fixed mold and a movable mold by a predetermined mold clamping force; an injection device for injecting and filling a resin into the mold by a predetermined injection pressure, wherein the mold clamping device enables natural compression of the resin at least as the resin inside the mold solidifies; and a molding machine controller at least including a specific molding condition setting function for setting a specific molding condition by obtaining a parting opening amount which becomes a predetermined gap between the movable mold and the fixed mold during injection filling, a molding injection pressure which becomes an injection pressure capable of molding a good product and a molding clamping force which becomes a mold clamping force capable of molding a good product; a fast injection condition setting function for setting, as a fast injection condition, a fast injection speed from the start of injection, the fast injection speed being higher than the injection speed set by the specific molding condition, and a fast injection section for continuing the fast injection speed; and a molding control function for mold-clamping the mold clamping device by the molding clamping force, setting the molding injection pressure to a limit pressure, injecting and filling the mold by the fast injection condition from the start of injection, and filling the mold by the specific molding condition by the end of the fast injection section.

A method, apparatus and press for the injection moulding of plastic material by a plurality of injectors connected to a distributor and provided with respective obturators movable between a closing condition and an opening condition in a controlled fashion. The injection pressure in the distributor is maintained substantially constant by an actuator which actuates a screw of the injection press, from a start of a filling step up to an end of a packing step of the plastic material into a cavity of a mould. A moulding cycle is entirely controlled by each injector, by managing the position/velocity/acceleration of the respective obturator, without affecting the other injectors.

A display device of an injection molding machine includes a circuit configured to display a guidance screen that assists in providing conditions of an injection process. The injection process sequentially includes a filling process of controlling a travel speed of an injection member, a stopping process of stopping travel of the injection member, and a dwelling process of controlling a pressure applied from the injection member to a molding material. The guidance screen includes a first input field configured to receive an input of conditions upon completion of the filling process in a first test molding. In the first test molding, the filling process is performed under the conditions input to the first input field and subsequently the stopping process is performed, and then the dwelling process is performed under conditions that enable confirming a forward flow end position of the molding material upon completion of the stopping process.

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for the preparation of a co-injection molded multilayer plastic article. Some methods include co-extruding a combined polymeric stream having an interior core stream encased by an inner stream and an outer stream. One or more pulses in a thickness of the interior core stream create portions of an edge of the outer flow stream flowing along different streamlines. A first portion of an outer edge of the interior core stream flows beyond a second portion of the outer edge thereby forming one or more cohesion members that physically interlock the interior layer with the inner layer, with the outer layer or with both. Some embodiments reduce or eliminate a need for addition of an adhesive in the composite stream to prevent delamination of layers of the resulting multilayer plastic article. In some embodiments, cohesion members may be employed to produce a desired cosmetic effect in a resulting article.

A remote controller can be provided on any apparatus that employs feedback control from a native controller to add functionality to the apparatus where the native controller is not capable of providing such functionality independently.