Method for viewing and selecting production resources, in particular peripheral devices, for the injection molding industry, which are organized in at least one work cell for producing an injection-molded part and connected to one another via a network. Following a manual storage request on a control device, in particular a work cell controller, or on a production resource, in particular a processing machine, all connected production resources are queried and defined data, such as the respective settings, as well as program sequences, formulations and other configurations, are read out from these and, together with the internal settings, in particular those of the processing machine, combined to form a mold data record for this injection-molded part. A listing of production resources for the injection-molded part producible on this processing machine can be automatically generated from the mold data record and displayed at an output location, preferably of the processing machine.

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.

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.

An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow of mold material to a mold cavity, the apparatus comprising: an injection molding machine and a manifold; an actuator interconnected to a valve pin having a tip end; a valve system in fluid communication with the actuator to drive the actuator at one or more rates of travel, the valve system having a start position, one or more intermediate drive rate positions and a high drive rate position, the start position holding the valve pin in a gate closed position; a controller that instructs the valve system to move from the start position to the one or more intermediate drive rate positions and to remain in the one or more intermediate drive rate positions for one or more corresponding predetermined amounts of time.

An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow of fluid mold material from an injection molding machine to a mold cavity, the apparatus comprising: a manifold having a fluid delivery channel, an actuator interconnected to a valve pin having a tip end drivable between a first position, a second position upstream and a third position upstream of the second position, the actuator and the valve pin being translationally driven by a valve system adjustable between a start position, a plurality of intermediate drive rate positions and a high drive rate position, a pressure sensor and a controller, the pressure sensor sensing a metered pressure of a drive fluid, the controller instructing the valve system to drive valve pin continuously upstream and including instructions that instruct the valve system to move according to a predetermined profile of metered pressures from the start position to selected intermediate drive rate positions and subsequently to the high drive rate position.

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.

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.

Injection molding apparatuses and methods wherein a valve pin is controllably driven upstream and downstream along an axis between a first closed position where the tip end of the valve pin obstructs the gate to prevent the injection fluid from flowing into the cavity, a full open position and one or more intermediate positions, wherein the valve pin is drivable to be disposed or held in a selected intermediate position for a selected period of time during the course of an injection cycle where the tip end of the valve pin restricts flow of injection fluid through the gate to the mold cavity.

An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow to a mold cavity including a controller instructing a valve system to drive an actuator and a valve pin and including instructions that instruct the valve system to drive an actuator and a valve pin and including instructions that instruct the valve system to move from a start position to one or more intermediate drive rate positions and subsequently from the one or more intermediate drive rate positions to a high drive rate position on receipt by the controller of a signal from a position sensor that is indicative of the valve pin having reached a second position.

An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow of mold material to a mold cavity, the apparatus comprising: an injection molding machine and a manifold; an actuator interconnected to a valve pin having a tip end; a valve system in fluid communication with the actuator to drive the actuator at one or more rates of travel, the valve system having a start position, one or more intermediate drive rate positions and a high drive rate position, the start position holding the valve pin in a gate closed position; a controller that instructs the valve system to move from the start position to the one or more intermediate drive rate positions and to remain in the one or more intermediate drive rate positions for one or more corresponding predetermined amounts of time and further drives the valve system to move from the one or more intermediate drive rate positions to the high drive rate position on expiration of the one or more predetermined amounts of time.