An injection molding system is disclosed. The injection molding system includes: a hot runner including: a plurality of heaters arranged into one or more defined heating zones within the hot runner; and at least one temperature sensor associated with each heating zone, and a system controller coupled to the plurality of heaters, the system controller being configured to: for each heating zone: determine a first control gain value associated with the heating zone; determine a total heater power of heaters associated with the heating zone; calculate a relative weight associated with the heating zone based on the first control gain value and the total heater power; and determine a zone type associated with the heating zone based on the relative weight.

Disclosed herein is apparatus and methods for separating plastic runners in a cold runner system between injection cycles of an injection molding process. In one exemplary embodiment, the apparatus is a heated runner separator that includes a heated melt disc with a central aperture, a heating band positioned around the heated melt disc, a first insulator ring positioned proximate to a first end of the central aperture of the heated melt disc, and a second insulator ring positioned proximate to a second and opposite end of the central aperture of the heated melt disc. The heated runner separator further includes a first terminal and second terminal extending from the heating band and arranged to couple to a heating source to heat the heating band. The heated runner separator further includes a thermocouple in contact with the heated melt disc and arranged to measure the temperature of the heated melt disc.

Heating device for locally heating of an injection mold cavity wall, comprising: a base plate, an actuator located on the base plate, to perform a linear movement; a heated stamp connected to the actuator and driven by the actuator, to perform a linear movement in direction to and from the injection mold cavity wall; wherein the heated stamp is located below the base plate and the actuator is located on top of the base plate, and wherein the base plate comprises an opening through which a pin extends for transferring the linear movement from the actuator to the heated stamp.

A hot runner process controller configured to monitor the status and operation of a hot runner system to autonomously generate information to improve the quality of injection molding process of a hot runner system having an inlet nozzle, one or more manifolds and one or more nozzles with actuator or without actuator, and one or more heating elements, the hot runner process controller is self-operating, and independent from the injection molding machine, includes: one or more sensors located on, in or at the hot runner system to detect the status and/or the operation of the hot runner system, and a processing unit and a memory. The processing unit is connected to the one or more sensors, wherein the memory stores data and program codes. The processing unit is configured to load and execute the program code to compare sensor information with the stored data and to determine if the hot runner system is in an operable status, and in case the hot runner system is in an operable status, configured to generate status information to activate the one or more heating elements and/or the one or more actuators enabling a production operation of the injection molding machine. In case the hot runner system is not in an operable status, configured to generate status information to deactivate the one or more heating elements and/or close or deactivate the one or more actuators disabling a production operation of the injection molding machine.

An injection molding device injects a plasticized material into a mold and performs injection molding of a molded product, the injection molding device including: a plasticizing unit configured to plasticize a material and generate the plasticized material; a first hot runner including a first flow path that communicates with the plasticizing unit and through which the plasticized material flows, a first nozzle portion that communicates with the first flow path and injects the plasticized material, and a first heater that heats the plasticized material in the first flow path; and a control unit configured to control injection of the plasticized material, in which the first nozzle portion is made of a metal material, and the control unit includes a first temperature control unit that is electrically coupled to the first heater and controls a temperature of the first heater and a second temperature control unit that is electrically coupled to the first nozzle portion and controls a temperature of the first nozzle portion by supplying a current to the first nozzle portion.