A shut-off nozzle includes: an injection nozzle in which a flow path is formed; a needle valve provided in the flow path coaxially with the injection nozzle, the needle valve being movable forward and backward in an axial direction; and a guide ring provided in the flow path. The needle valve includes a columnar shaft portion, and the guide ring is configured to guide the forward and backward movement of the needle valve at the shaft portion. An injection device includes: a heating cylinder; a screw provided in the heating cylinder; and the shut-off nozzle provided in the heating cylinder. An injection molding machine includes: a mold clamping device configured to clamp a mold; and the injection device configured to inject a resin.

Apparatus and method for performing an injection molding cycle using the apparatus where the apparatus comprises: a manifold, a pneumatic actuator driven by a pneumatic valve assembly, the actuator driving a valve pin between a gate closed position and a maximum injection fluid flow position, the pneumatic valve assembly having a spool supported within a cylinder driven by a drive device that is supported solely by and translates together with the spool, a controller that instructs the pneumatic valve assembly to cause the actuator to drive the valve pin either upstream or downstream to selected positions or at selected velocities during the course of a single injection cycle based on a feedback signal indicative of position of the pin or actuator or pressure of an injection fluid material.

A nozzle retention arrangement is provided for an injection molding manifold system, such as a hot runner manifold system. The nozzle retention arrangement couples an injection nozzle to a distribution manifold in a manner that locates the nozzle in its final operating position and applies an initial assembly load to retain the nozzle in position on the manifold to facilitate installation of a manifold system into a manifold plate. The nozzle retention arrangement may provide a compliant load application feature to limit sealing surface pressure between the nozzle and the manifold to prevent surface damage between the components, while also accommodating thermal expansion of the heated components during operation of the system. The nozzle retention arrangement may also provide a load control feature to prevent the machining quality of the nozzle bore in the manifold plate from determining the sealing load between the nozzle and the manifold.

An injection molding apparatus (10) comprising: a heated manifold (16), one or more fluid driven actuators (210a, 210b) each interconnected to a corresponding valve pin (211a, 211b), a housing comprised of one or more metal plates (202a, 202b, 204a, 204b, 206) arranged to form a manifold chamber (208), each of the fluid driven actuators (210a, 210b) being mounted within or at least about one foot from within the manifold chamber (208), each fluid driven actuator being fluid drive interconnected to a proportional control valve (213a, 213b, 213c) that is mounted either within the manifold chamber (208) or having fluid flow ports (213p1, 213p2) that are interconnected within about one foot of corresponding fluid flow ports (210p1, 210p2) of a corresponding fluid driven actuator (210a, 210b).

A valve gate assembly having an actuator assembly configured to simultaneously control a plurality of valve pins to regulate flow of a liquid resin to a mold cavity of an injection molding apparatus is configured to allow fast and easy removal of the actuator assembly from the pins simultaneously by providing a valve plate having a plurality of slots or pockets for receiving and releasably holding a corresponding one of the pins.

A polymer injection molding system in one embodiment includes a manifold comprising internal flow conduits configured for conveying polymer in a fluidic state. The manifold may be part of a hot or cold runner type molding unit. An injection nozzle fluidly coupled to the flow conduits interfaces with a mold cavity and is configured to inject polymer therein to form a molded article. The nozzle has a tubular valve body defining a central axial passage which receives a movable elongated valve pin. The valve pin is linearly movable to change the nozzle between open and closed positions for discharging or stopping polymer flow therefrom. The valve pin is further rotatable about its axis to induce shear on the polymer. This maintains the polymer in its flowable fluidic state between molding cycles to prevent polymer cold slug formation within the nozzle which can disrupt the flow resulting in incompletely formed articles.

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 hotrunner assembly for an injection molding apparatus includes a hotrunner manifold, a nozzle for conveying liquid resin from an outlet of the hotrunner manifold, a valve pin linearly movable within and along a longitudinal axis of the nozzle to control flow of the liquid resin from the outlet of the hotrunner manifold, an actuator for driving the valve pin, a primary seal disposed radially between the valve pin and walls of a bore extending through the hotrunner manifold, and a secondary seal located axially between the hotrunner manifold and the actuator and circumscribing a section of the valve pin to prevent gases or liquid resin from contacting the actuator.

Injection molding system having a flow control apparatus and method that controls the movement and/or rate of movement of a valve pin over the course of an injection cycle to cause the pin to move to one or select positions and/or to control the rate of movement of the pin over the course of the injection cycle. In one embodiment the method includes steps of: a) first controllably operating the actuator to drive the valve pin upstream beginning from the first closed position (50) to be moved to and held in a first selected position (51) for a first selected period of time during the course of an injection cycle, the first selected position (51) being the full open position; b) second controllably operating the actuator to drive the valve pin, during the injection cycle, downstream beginning from the first selected position (51) to be moved to and held in a second closed position (52) for a second selected period of time; c) third controllably operating the actuator to drive the valve pin, during the injection cycle, upstream beginning from the second closed position (52) to be moved to and held in a second selected position (53) for a third selected period of time, the second selected position being an intermediate position or the full open position; and d) fourth controllably operating the actuator to drive the valve pin, during the injection cycle, downstream beginning from the second selected position (53) to be moved to a third closed position (54).

Provided are a support structure whereby the load on a motor drive shaft or bearing can be reduced, and an industrial machine. The support structure according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a bearing (112) positioned between a motor (102) and a drive pulley (104), and a bearing holder (114) provided to the motor (102). An inner race (120) of the bearing (112) is fixed to the drive pulley (104) so as to be incapable of sliding in the axial direction of a drive shaft (102S), and an outer race (122) of the bearing (112) is allowed to move in the axial direction between the bearing holder (114) and the drive pulley (104).