An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow of fluid mold material comprising: a manifold, a valve pin having a pin axis, a pin connector and a stem, the valve pin being drivable into and out of open and closed positions relative to the gate, an electric actuator comprising an electric motor comprised of a motor housing that houses a drive shaft having a drive gear and a drive axis, a transmission comprised of a transmission gear having a gear axis, the drive gear, the transmission gear and the valve pin being drivably interconnected and arranged such that the drive axis and the gear axis are non-coaxially mounted or disposed relative to each other and the valve pin is drivable linearly along the pin axis, wherein one or the other of the motor housing or the transmission housing are removably attached to a top clamping or mounting plate that is mounted upstream of the manifold and fixedly interconnected to a mold.

An injection molding system (5) comprised of: a valve (10) comprising an actuator (1000) that includes a linear drive member (150, 154, 158) adapted to travel along a first linear path of travel (L1), a valve pin (80) adapted to travel linearly upstream and downstream within the flow passage (15) between pin upstream (81) and pin downstream (82) positions along a second linear path of travel (L2) that is non-coaxial relative to the first linear path of travel (L1), the actuator (1000) being interconnected to the valve pin (80) in an arrangement wherein movement of the linear drive member (150, 154, 158) along the first linear path of travel (L1) drives the valve pin (80) along the second linear path of travel (L2).

A method is described for operating an actuator adapted to move via a pressurized fluid circuit a valve pin of an injection nozzle for molten material within a mold, wherein the valve pin moves from a closing position, where no molten material passes through the nozzle, to an opening position, where molten material passes through the nozzle, and the actuator comprises a chamber and a piston that is movably mounted in the chamber, linearly displaced by the thrust of the fluid and connected to the valve pin to move it.

The valve pin is moved by injecting or extracting a predetermined amount of fluid into/from the chamber.

A container made by blow molding out of crystallisable polymers having regular sequence of variations in molecular pre-alignment/orientation between different locations of the cross-section of the preform.

An apparatus and method for actuating a valve stem between an open position and a closed position and for taking one or more valve gated nozzle out of service is disclosed. The hot runner includes a valve gated nozzle having a valve stem, the valve stem coupled to a piston that is held against an actuation plate via pressurized air. When a valve stem becomes stuck in a gate of the hot runner, the actuation plate can continue to move while the piston remains stationary. The valve stem may also be protected from an over force situation such as if the valve stem encounters an obstruction as the actuation plate is moving toward the closed position.

An injection molding system comprising: a first selected valve, one or more downstream valves, delivering a fluid to a mold cavity, at least one fluid property sensor, each valve associated with a position sensor that detects opening of a gate at an actual open gate time to the controller, the controller automatically adjusting time of instruction to open the gates on a subsequent injection cycle by an adjustment time equal to any delay in time between a predetermined open gate target time and an actual open gate time, wherein the system forms a first one or more parts or objects, the user inspecting or measuring the first one or more parts or objects and manually adjusts the predetermined open gate target time.

An injection molding system comprising: a first selected valve, one or more downstream valves, delivering a fluid to a mold cavity, at least one fluid property sensor that detects a flow front of fluid material flowing downstream through the mold cavity at a trigger location within the cavity disposed between the first gate and at least one selected downstream gate, a controller instructing an actuator associated with the downstream gates to open the gates at a predetermined open gate target time on a first injection cycle, each valve associated with a position sensor that detects opening of a gate at an actual open gate time to the controller, the controller automatically adjusting time of instruction to open the gates on a subsequent injection cycle by an adjustment time equal to any delay in time between the predetermined open gate target time and the actual open gate time.

An injection molding apparatus comprising a clamp plate, a heated manifold, an actuator, a mold and a cooling device, wherein the cooling device comprises: a heat transmitter comprising a distal arm or member and a proximal base or member, the distal arm or member being mounted by a spring loadable interconnection or engagement to or with the proximal base or member, the clamp plate, the mold, the manifold, the actuator and the heat transmitter being assemblable together in an arrangement wherein the spring loadable interconnection is loaded urging the distal end surface of the distal arm or member into compressed engagement with the clamp plate.

An injection molding apparatus (10) comprising a signal converter (1500) interconnected to a machine controller (MC) of an injection molding machine (IMM) that generates standardized signals (VPS), the signal converter (1500) receiving and converting the standardized signals (VS) to a command signal (MOPCS, PDCVS) that is compatible with a signal receptor or interface of an electrically powered actuator (940e, 941e, 942e) or a signal receptor, interface or driver of a proportional directional control valve (V, V1, V2) that drives a fluid driven actuator (940p, 941p, 942p) to respectively operate the electrically powered actuator (940e, 941e, 942e) or the proportional directional control valve (V, V1, V2) to move in a direction that operates to either begin an injection cycle and to end an injection cycle.

A method for injection molding of plastic material by means of at least one injector whose pin valve can be displaced between a fully closed position and a maximum controlled fashion according to a position and speed of the pin valve. During displacement of the pin valve from the fully closed position to the maximum open position, and/or vice versa, the pin valve is stopped in intermediate positions and the displacement speed thereof is uniform and constant. An initial opening step at maximum speed and one or more steps of inversion of the motion of the pin valve can be provided for.