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.

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.

A method for injection molding of plastic materials into a cavity of a mold by means of a molding apparatus including at least one injector having a pin valve displaceable between a fully closed position and a maximum opening position, and vice versa, in a controlled fashion in respect of its position and speed. In the opening displacement from the fully closed position to the maximum opening position, the pin valve is initially moved at a first speed and subsequently at a second speed, where the first speed is the highest opening displacement speed of the pin valve.

A process includes: supplying a main resin from outer and inner flow channel, to a joined flow channel at a predetermined supply velocity for a predetermined time; supplying a second resin from a middle flow channel to the joined flow channel simultaneously with the main resin at a predetermined supply velocity for a certain time within the predetermined time; and sliding a shut-off pin to bring the pin forefront to a predetermined position near an outlet of the inner flow channel, open to the joined flow channel, before the second resin is supplied, or during a time starting after a time from the start of the second resin supply and ending with the termination of the supply, so that the velocity of main resin supply from the inner flow channel to the joined flow channel is reduced to a predetermined level by adjusting the degree of aperture for the outlet.

A process includes: supplying a main resin from outer and inner flow channel, to a joined flow channel at a predetermined supply velocity for a predetermined time; supplying a second resin from a middle flow channel to the joined flow channel simultaneously with the main resin at a predetermined supply velocity for a certain time within the predetermined time; and sliding a shut-off pin to bring the pin forefront to a predetermined position near an outlet of the inner flow channel, open to the joined flow channel, before the second resin is supplied, or during a time starting after a time from the start of the second resin supply and ending with the termination of the supply, so that the velocity of main resin supply from the inner flow channel to the joined flow channel is reduced to a predetermined level by adjusting the degree of aperture for the outlet.

Injection molding apparatuses and methods wherein a valve pin is controllably driven upstream and downstream along an axis between a first closed position where the tip end of the valve pin obstructs the gate to prevent the injection fluid from flowing into the cavity, a full open position and one or more intermediate positions, wherein the valve pin is drivable to be disposed or held in a selected intermediate position for a selected period of time during the course of an injection cycle where the tip end of the valve pin restricts flow of injection fluid through the gate to the mold cavity.

A method for injection molding of plastic materials into a cavity of a mold by means of a molding apparatus including at least one injector having a pin valve displaceable between a fully closed position and a maximum opening position, and vice versa, in a controlled fashion in respect of its position and speed. In the opening displacement from the fully closed position to the maximum opening position, the pin valve is initially moved at a first speed and subsequently at a second speed, where the first speed is the highest opening displacement speed of the pin valve.

An injection molding system for implementing a molding process, comprising: a mold, a controller, a position sensor, wherein during an injection cycle, the system feeds the fluid material to one or more nozzles at one or more predetermined times, the controller being configured to receive and process the output signal from the position sensor to determine one or more actual flow rate indicative parameters, a user interface that displays one or more pin positions and one or more flow rate indicative parameters by which a user of the system can track the one or more pin positions and flow rate indicative parameters in real time during the injection cycle.

A method for injection molding of plastic materials into a cavity of a mold by means of a molding apparatus including at least one injector having a pin valve displaceable between a fully closed position and a maximum opening position, and vice versa, in a controlled fashion in respect of its position and speed. In the opening displacement from the fully closed position to the maximum opening position, the pin valve is initially moved at a first speed and subsequently at a second speed, where the first speed is the highest opening displacement speed of the pin valve.

A method of controlling a manufacturing process having a machine to form a material in to a component. The method comprises the steps of establishing an initial set of operating parameters for the machine, producing an initial component from the machine, inspecting the component to determine its acceptability relative to a desired component, determining a variation in the operating parameters to improve the acceptability of the component, effecting changes in the operating parameters and inspecting subsequent components to determine their acceptability.