A hot-runner injection molding apparatus that facilitates use of electric 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 electric actuator having a body containing an electric motor, wherein the electric actuator body includes channels for circulating a coolant.

A hot-runner injection molding apparatus that facilitates use of electric 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 electric actuator having a body containing an electric motor, wherein the electric actuator body includes channels for circulating a coolant.

A method of molding a personal care product, a manifold, and a cosmetic product molding apparatus are provided. In one embodiment, the method of molding a personal care product comprises: moving a material through a temperature controlled manifold, opening one or more injection valves between the temperature controlled manifold and one or more mold cavities, injecting the material at a controlled pressure into the one or mold cavities in a closed position to form one or more articles, closing the one or more injection valves between the temperature controlled manifold and one or more mold cavities after injecting the material into the one or more mold cavities, opening the one or more mold cavities, and removing the one or more articles from the one or more mold cavities.

Mold including a first shell having a cavity, a second shell having a projection, and an intermediate shell having a projection suitable for being coupled in the cavity of the first shell and a cavity suitable for being coupled with the projection of the second shell. The second shell includes a first injection channel extending from an inlet hole in a side wall of the second shell to an outlet hole in the projection of the second shell. The intermediate shell has a second injection channel extending from an inlet hole in a side wall of the intermediate shell to an outlet hole in the projection of the intermediate shell.

A mold for reducing a molding cycle time and a cost, the mold including a first cavity and a second cavity includes a hot runner that is a flow path to inject a resin injected from an injection unit into the first cavity and the second cavity, and a switching valve configured to divide the flow path into a first flow path connected to the first cavity and a second flow path connected to the second cavity. The injection unit is connected to the first flow path. A pressurizing mechanism is connected to the second flow path.

A polymer injection molding system in one embodiment includes a manifold comprising internal flow conduits configured for conveying polymer in a fluidic state. The manifold may be part of a hot or cold runner type molding unit. An injection nozzle fluidly coupled to the flow conduits interfaces with a mold cavity and is configured to inject polymer therein to form a molded article. The nozzle has a tubular valve body defining a central axial passage which receives a movable elongated valve pin. The valve pin is linearly movable to change the nozzle between open and closed positions for discharging or stopping polymer flow therefrom. The valve pin is further rotatable about its axis to induce shear on the polymer. This maintains the polymer in its flowable fluidic state between molding cycles to prevent polymer cold slug formation within the nozzle which can disrupt the flow resulting in incompletely formed articles.

A method and apparatus for injection molding of plastic material into a cavity of a mold by means of at least one injector whose opening and closing occurs through an electronic control unit and wherein an undesired opening of the mold caused by any overpressure of the plastic material injected into the cavity of the mold is detected by means of transducers and corrected by means of the electronic control unit. The transducers are arranged outside the cavity of the mold.

An injection molding system is disclosed herein that may include a manifold that may have a manifold melt channel for receiving melted resin, a nozzle having a nozzle melt channel for receiving the melted resin from the manifold melt channel and delivering the melted resin to a mold cavity via a mold gate. In other examples, a valve pin may extend through at least a portion of the nozzle melt channel such that a forward end of the valve pin may be seatable within the mold gate. In certain examples, the injection molding system may include one or more drop plate, each of which defines walls of a cylinder within which a piston reciprocates, and each which may contain cooling circuits and pressurized circuits for opening and closing the piston. With regard to injection molding system containing multiple drop plates, each drop plate is independent of the other drop plates, and each drop plate is dedicated to a single nozzle assembly. In other examples, the drop plates may house a valve pin coupling system configured to permit movement of a valve pin in a lateral direction independent from a lateral position of the piston.

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.

An injection molding apparatus (10) comprising: one or more valves each comprised of a valve pin (1040, 1041, 1042) adapted to be driven upstream and downstream through a downstream channel (1006) that has a downstream channel portion (1006ds) that has a control surface (1008), the control surface (1008) forming a channel or restriction gap (CG, 1006rg), the valve pin (1041) being controllably drivable upstream and downstream through the channel or restriction gap (CG, 1006rg) at a single selected rate of upstream acceleration up to a selected reduced upstream velocity that is less than a maximum velocity at which the valve pin (1041) is drivable, the size or configuration of the channel or restriction gap (CG, 1006rg) and the single selected rate of upstream acceleration being selected in combination with each other to control flow of injection fluid (18) through the channel gap (CG, 1006rg).