A system including an injector, a press, and a robotic conveyance is used to form a physically foamed article of footwear component from a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid. The parameters and features of the system are configured for the formation of the footwear component in an automated manner with enhanced throughput by the system.

The present disclosure provides an injection molding apparatus, including a fixed mold component, a movable mold component, a first positive electrode module, and a first negative electrode module. The fixed mold component has an injection port and a transmission runner, to receive injection-molding melt. The movable mold component has a molding groove communicated with the transmission runner. The first positive electrode module and the first negative electrode module are disposed on a first side and a second side of the molding groove respectively, where the first side and the second side are opposite to each other. The first positive electrode module cooperates with the first negative electrode module to form an electric field between the first side and the second side of the molding groove, to perform electric field excitation on the injection-molding melt flowing into the molding groove.

A device for producing components using an injection molding method includes at least one cavity (1a) for forming a respective product, at least one injection nozzle (3a) through which material is injected into the cavity (1a), a mold release (4), a distribution channel (10), a media supply (11), an exhaust air channel or return channel (12), at least one shut-off needle (6a). The shut-off needle is connected to a piston in a force-fitting or form-fitting manner and is inserted into the injection nozzle (3a). At least one valve (7a) for opening the needle (6a) and at least one valve (8a) for closing the needle (6a) are provided, such that the valve (7a) and the valve (8a) are arranged directly adjacent to the shut-off needle (6a). A control unit for the valve (7a) and the valve (8a) is also provided.

A foam article, such as a cushioning element for an article of footwear, apparel or sporting equipment is provided that comprises a foam component, such as a midsole, having a number of beneficial physical characteristics. The cushioning element is a low-density foamed component with a surface skin that encases the remaining foam volume. The cushioning element has a number of foam volumes, arranged to achieve a more consistent foam component. Additionally, the cushioning element includes a series of concentric ridges extending radially outwardly from injection gate vestige locations, and a number of striation bands near the perimeter of the cushioning element. The location of the gate vestiges can be beneficially arranged to produce intersecting flow boundaries that are located away from key strain areas of the cushioning element. The cushioning element is more environmentally-friendly, requiring less energy to produce while still providing acceptable energy return and low density.

System and method for monitoring system parameters from multiple independent controllers that monitor and control an injection process. In one embodiment the method includes steps of: establishing a common graphical user interface (common GUI) for viewing system parameters of a tool based injection molding system (IMS), the IMS including a plurality of different local controllers that control different tool based system functions of the IMS and one common graphical user interface (local GUI) with GUI routines specific to the local controllers for set up and monitoring of the respective tool based system function of the respective local controllers; providing set up parameters, to each of the local controllers, for establishing the injection molding processes receiving, from each of the local controllers, data indicating a local state of the respective tool based system function; propagating to the common GUI one or more common views of the set up parameters and received local states of the various tool based system functions, the common views comprising a common set of graphical routines for set up and monitoring of the tool based system functions of the IMS and for providing input to one or more of the local controllers.

Disclosed is a method of refilling a shooting pot cavity in a molding system, the method comprising: determining that a trigger event has occurred in the molding system; and coordinating a refill of the shooting pot cavity with the occurrence of the trigger event.

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.

Physical foaming a footwear component with a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid is provided. The method include temperature conditioning a mold and then engaging the mold with a robot that conveys the mold to a press. At the press a gas counter pressure is applied to a cavity of the mold before injecting a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid into the cavity of the mold. The process continues with releasing the gas counter pressure from the cavity of the mold and then removing the footwear component from the cavity of the mold. The parameters of the method are configured for the formation of the footwear component in an automated manner.

A foam article, such as a cushioning element for an article of footwear, apparel or sporting equipment is provided that comprises a foam component, such as a midsole, having a number of beneficial physical characteristics. The cushioning element is a low-density foamed component with a surface skin that encases the remaining foam volume. The cushioning element has a number of foam volumes, arranged to achieve a more consistent foam component. Additionally, the cushioning element includes a series of concentric ridges extending radially outwardly from injection gate vestige locations, and a number of striation bands near the perimeter of the cushioning element. The location of the gate vestiges can be beneficially arranged to produce intersecting flow boundaries that are located away from key strain areas of the cushioning element. The cushioning element is more environmentally-friendly, requiring less energy to produce while still providing acceptable energy return and low density.

A method of simulating a shaping process involves calculating states of objects involved in the shaping process in discrete and successive time steps with presetting of conditions, and the conditions represent input parameters of the shaping process. After a time step which is before the end of the simulated shaping process, (a) a check on the calculated states of the objects involved in the shaping process is carried out based on a quality criterion. If the check in step (a) shows that the quality criterion is not met, then (b) at least one of the following is carried out: resumption of the simulation with repeated calculation of the time step and/or a preceding time step, and continuation of the simulation with calculation of a time step following the time step. When method step (b) is carried out, the conditions are at least partially altered.