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 method of monitoring and controlling a sequential valve gate molding apparatus in an injection molding or other molding process is disclosed. The method includes creating a target strain profile, receiving a deviation limit, receiving a change in strain relating to a first valve gate from a first strain gauge, identifying whether a deviation exists from a first portion of the target strain profile based on the output from the first strain gauge, determining whether any existing deviation exceeds the deviation limit, and adjusting the position of a first valve gate pin in the first valve gate if it does. The method may further include control of subsequent valve gates. Multiple strain gauges may be used to control a single valve gate, and/or each strain gauge may control more than one valve gate.

An injection molding apparatus (10) comprising an actuator (940, 941, 942) comprised of a driver (940dr, 941dr, 942dr) receiving electrical energy or power from an electrical drive (940d, 941d, 942d), the electrical drive (940d, 941d, 942d) comprising an interface that receives and controllably distributes electrical energy or power in controllably varied amounts during the course of an injection cycle to the driver (940dr, 941dr, 942dr), the electrical drive (940d, 941d, 942d) being housed within or by an actuator housing (940h, 941h, 942h) or being mounted on or to the housing (940h, 941h, 942h), the housing (940h, 941h, 942h) and the electrical drive (940d, 941d, 942d) being mounted on, to or in close proximity to the heated manifold (40), a cooling device (940mc, 940mc1, 940mc2, 941mc, 942mc) disposed between the heated manifold (40) and the housing (940h, 941h, 942h) adapted to substantially isolate or insulate at least the electrical drive (940d, 941d, 942d) from substantial communication with heat emanating or emitted from the heated manifold (40).

An injection molding apparatus comprising: An actuator having a driver receiving electrical energy or power from an electrical drive, the electrical drive comprising an interface, the electrical drive being housed within or by and actuator housing or being mounted on or to the housing, the housing and the electrical drive being mounted on, to or in close proximity to the heated manifold, a cooling device disposed between the heated manifold and the housing adapted to substantially isolate or insulate at least the electrical drive from communication with heat emanating from the heated manifold or to heat sink or absorb heat communicated or communicable to the electrical drive from the heated manifold or both.

The disclosure relates to a method for producing an optical element having at least one optically effective surface. The optically effective surface comprises a contour and a surface structure superimposed on the contour. Transparent liquid plastic is injection-molded by means of a (smooth) injection mold of an injection molding machine (500) in dependence on a group of injection molding parameters to form an injection molded component (21) having the contour of the optically effective surface but without the surface structure superimposed on the contour, wherein at least one parameter of the group of injection molding parameters is set and/or corrected in dependence on properties of the injection molded component (21), and wherein the optical element is produced using the group of injection molding parameters.

An injection molding system is disclosed. The injection molding system includes: a mold; a hot runner including: a manifold; one or more injection nozzles coupled to the manifold; a plurality of heaters in thermal contact with the manifold and the one or more injection nozzles, the heaters being 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 setpoint temperature associated with the heating zone; obtain, via a temperature sensor, measurement of a current local temperature of the heating zone; determine a control gain value associated with the heating zone; and compute a predicted heating time for the heating zone based on the setpoint temperature, the current local temperature, and the control gain value, determine a heating schedule for the hot runner based on the predicted heating times for the heating zones; and operate the plurality of heaters in accordance with the heating schedule.

The disclosure relates to a method for producing an optical element having at least one optically effective surface. The optically effective surface comprises a contour and a surface structure superimposed on the contour. Transparent liquid plastic is injection-molded by means of a (smooth) injection mold of an injection molding machine (500) in dependence on a group of injection molding parameters to form an injection molded component (21) having the contour of the optically effective surface but without the surface structure superimposed on the contour, wherein at least one parameter of the group of injection molding parameters is set and/or corrected in dependence on properties of the injection molded component (21), and wherein the optical element is produced using the group of injection molding parameters.

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.

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.

Tooling and components of an injection-molding system may be used to mold a foam article. The tooling and components may include features that control parameters of the injection-molding and foaming process, such as temperature, pressure, shot size, shot placement, and the like.