An injection molding apparatus comprising an injection molding machine, a manifold, a closure valve pin, a first actuator having a linear or axial driver, a second actuator comprising a rotor interconnected to either the closure valve pin or to a second valve pin such that either the closure valve pin or the second valve pin is rotatably driven in unison with the rotor around the rotation axis, the closure pin or second pin being disposed and rotatable within the flow of injection fluid flowing through a flow channel leading to a mold cavity.

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 method and apparatus for performing an injection molding cycle comprising drivably interconnecting a valve pin to an electric motor actuator and controllably operating the electric motor to drive the valve pin at one or more reduced rates of upstream or downstream travel based on either detection of the position of the pin or actuator or on a preselected length of time at which to drive the valve pin.

Apparatus and method for performing an injection molding cycle in an injection molding apparatus where the apparatus comprises: a manifold, an actuator associated with a respective gate, each gate having a downstream sensor generating a response signal upon sensing a selected condition of the injection fluid material, each gate having an upstream sensor generating a response signal upon sensing the selected condition of the injection fluid material, the upstream and downstream sensors sending response signals to a controller on performance of each successive injection cycle by the apparatus,
the controller comparing a standard amount of elapsed time with a calculated amount of elapsed time and adjusting the velocity or position of each of the actuators such that the amount of time elapsed approaches or matches the standard amount of elapsed time.

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 molding apparatus for the production of articles molded through sequential injection includes a mold having a cavity, a plurality of electrically actuated injectors arranged at central, intermediate and end positions, respectively, with respect to the mold cavity, and an electronic system for controlling the injectors for the actuation thereof according to a sequential cycle which provides for opening the central injector first, followed by the intermediate injectors and then the end injectors. The electronic control system is configured so that the opening sequential cycle occurs in such a way to obtain more linear and homogeneous pressure in the mold filling step, and lower packing pressure.

Apparatus and methods for storage and transmission of recipe data (process parameters) for the molding of articles in an injection molding apparatus. A controller includes a flow control microcontroller (MCU) that receives recipe data from a recipe storage microcontroller (MCU) mounted to a mold of an injection molding machine, the recipe storage MCU storing the recipe data defining process parameters for the molding of articles in the mold. The flow control MCU executes instructions for controlling valve pin motions according to the recipe data. In one embodiment, a human operator interface is provided for transmitting data to and/or from at least one of the recipe storage and flow control MCU's, allowing the operator to monitor, modify and/or control the process parameters during a molding cycle and/or to create a modified or new recipe for subsequent storage on the recipe storage MCU.

A method and apparatus for performing an injection molding cycle comprising drivably interconnecting a valve pin to an electric motor actuator and controllably operating the electric motor to drive the valve pin at one or more reduced rates of upstream or downstream travel based on either detection of the position of the pin or actuator or on a preselected length of time at which to drive the valve pin.

Apparatus and method for performing an injection molding cycle in an injection molding apparatus where the apparatus comprises: a manifold, an actuator associated with a respective gate, each gate having a downstream sensor generating a response signal upon sensing a selected condition of the injection fluid material, each gate having an upstream sensor generating a response signal upon sensing the selected condition of the injection fluid material, the upstream and downstream sensors sending response signals to a controller on performance of each successive injection cycle by the apparatus,
the controller comparing a standard amount of elapsed time with a calculated amount of elapsed time and adjusting the velocity or position of each of the actuators such that the amount of time elapsed approaches or matches the standard amount of elapsed time.

An injection molding apparatus comprising an injection molding machine, a manifold, a closure valve pin, a first actuator having a linear or axial driver, a second actuator comprising a rotor interconnected to either the closure valve pin or to a second valve pin such that either the closure valve pin or the second valve pin is rotatably driven in unison with the rotor around the rotation axis, the closure pin or second pin being disposed and rotatable within the flow of injection fluid flowing through a flow channel leading to a mold cavity.