An injection molding apparatus and an method for the manufacture of moldable articles having an injection manifold, a plurality of hot runner nozzles, a first nozzle heater, a plurality of mold cavities positioned to receive molten material from the plurality of the hot runner nozzles, each mold cavity having at least one mold gate orifice and a mold cavity heater surrounding each mold cavity at least partially and a thermocouple associated with the mold cavity to measure directly or indirectly a temperature generated by the mold cavity heater.

A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes the steps of: preparing a lead frame; mounting a plurality of semiconductor chips on the lead frame; and sealing one portion of the lead frame with a sealing resin. The resin-sealing step includes the step of: disposing the lead frame, molds having main surfaces on which cavity parts are formed, the lead frame being disposed on the main surface of the heated molds; injecting a resin in the main surfaces of the heated molds so as to seal the one portion of the lead frame with the sealing resin; and taking out the lead frame from the heated molds. In the taking-out step, while the lead frame is taken out, the main surfaces of the molds are inspected by using a sensor, and the sensor is cooled and formed integrally with an arm used for taking out the lead frame.

An injection molding system includes injecting resin into a mold, moving a mold between a first position within an injection molding machine and a second position outside the injection molding machine, wherein improvement to the injection molding system includes not moving a first mold until the injection molding machine performs N times of an injection process with the first mold, where the first mold is moved from the first position to the second position after the N times of the injection process with the first mold so a second external mold moves into the injection molding machine, and inserting a first molded part obtained based on the N times injection process with the first mold into the second mold such that resin is injected into the second mold in which the first molded part is inserted to obtain a second molded part.

A injection molding method involves measuring, using at least one external sensor, a change in a parameter of a mold side of a mold cavity, approximating a condition within the mold cavity based on the change in the parameter, such as pressure within the mold cavity or flow front position, and comparing the approximated condition to a trigger point. If the approximated condition equals or exceeds the trigger point, activating a virtual cavity sensor having an optimal pre-defined pressure-time curve, and upon activation, the virtual cavity sensor tracks an approximated condition calculated from the change in parameter measurements measured by the at least one external sensor over time. In an embodiment, results of the approximated parameter tracking can be used in conjunction with an optimal pre-defined pressure-time curve.

Non-time dependent calculated variables based on measured strain are used to effectively determine an optimal hold profile for an expanding crosslinking polymer part in a mold cavity. A system and/or approach may first inject molten expanding crosslinking polymer into a mold cavity, then measure strain at the mold cavity or at another location within the injection molding system, and then calculate at least one non-time dependent variable during an injection molding cycle. Next, the system and/or method commences a hold profile for the part, and upon completing the hold profile, the part is ejected from the mold cavity, whereupon a cure profile is commenced.

A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes the steps of: preparing a lead frame; mounting a plurality of semiconductor chips on the lead frame; and sealing one portion of the lead frame with a sealing resin. The resin-sealing step includes the step of: disposing the lead frame, molds having main surfaces on which cavity parts are formed, the lead frame being disposed on the main surface of the heated molds; injecting a resin in the main surfaces of the heated molds so as to seal the one portion of the lead frame with the sealing resin; and taking out the lead frame from the heated molds. In the taking-out step, while the lead frame is taken out, the main surfaces of the molds are inspected by using a sensor, and the sensor is cooled and formed integrally with an arm used for taking out the lead frame.

An injection molding method for a molded item uses a polyether ether ketone (PEEK) material, wherein a filling peak pressure is 40 MPa to 150 MPa. The PEEK material may be injected to form the molded item from a runner member through a multipoint gate and then optionally a subrunner. The runner member and the subrunner may be connected to each other by a film gate. A stretching processing may be applied after the PEEK material is injected to increase a length 1.2 to 5 fold and increase a diameter to 0.2 mm to 1.0 mm. The stretching processing may use an in-mold stretching method.

In order to improve the consistency of molded products as viscosity shifts throughout a run, a controller of an injection molding machine executes a calibration cycle in accordance with a mold cycle. The controller analyzes a plurality of sensed melt pressure values during the calibration cycle to determine one or more calibration metrics. The controller then uses the calibration metrics when executing each mold cycle of the run. More particularly, during each mold cycle of the run, the controller detects a plurality of sensed melt pressures prior to and during a fill phase of the mold cycle and compares the plurality of sensed melt pressures to the one or more calibration metrics to predict cavity pressure for a pack and hold phase of the mold cycle. The controller then adjusts a set point pressure for the pack and hold phase based on the predicted cavity pressure.

Component manufacturing methods and systems and methods are provided for six degree of freedom control of a component prior to molding. A method involves obtaining measurement data from a measurement device indicative of a measured orientation of a component mounted to a surface of a tool associated with a molding assembly, determining an orientation adjustment based on a relationship between the measured orientation of the component and a reference orientation associated with the molding assembly, determining an actuation command for operating an actuation arrangement coupled to the tool based at least in part on the orientation adjustment, and providing the actuation command to the actuation arrangement to actuate the tool to rotate the surface in accordance with the orientation adjustment prior to forming a molding compound on an exposed surface of the component using the molding assembly.

A device for assisting molding condition determination includes a molding state data adjustment amount obtaining unit and a molding condition element adjustment amount obtaining unit. The molding state data adjustment amount obtaining unit obtains, using a first learning model, a molding state data adjustment amount having a value equivalent to a difference between molding state data detected by a sensor and a molding state data target value. The molding condition element adjustment amount obtaining unit obtains, using a second learning model, an adjustment amount for a molding condition element corresponding to the molding state data adjustment amount.