An injection apparatus for injecting molten plastic into a mold of articles made of thermoplastic material, comprising: at least one shutter (3) for opening or closing an injection nozzle (31); at least one cylinder-piston system (104, 204, 304) adapted to move said at least one shutter (3) from an opening position of the injection nozzle to a closing position of said injection nozzle and vice versa; wherein at least one cylinder-piston system (104, 204, 304) comprises a first chamber (142, 242, 342) provided with a first passage (144, 244, 344) for the introduction of fluid into the first chamber (142, 242, 342) to take the shutter (3) to the opening position; and a second passage (149, 249, 349), different from the first passage (144, 244, 344) for the exit of fluid and possible plastic particles from the first chamber (142, 242, 342).

An actuator system for an injection molding system includes a double acting pressurized fluid actuator having a piston drive movable in a cylinder space, a flow control valve for regulating a flow rate of pressurized fluid to and/or from the cylinder space, a flow sensor for detecting the flow rate of pressurized fluid to and/or from the cylinder space, and an electronic controller for controlling the flow control valve to regulate the flow rate of pressurized fluid to and/or from the cylinder space depending on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor.

A system and method for controlling an actuator which actuates an axially displaceable pin valve of an apparatus for injection molding of plastic materials, where the control system includes an electronic control unit of the actuator which adjusts at least one among position, speed and acceleration of the pin valve, and a position sensor which detects a position of a plunger of the actuator and is operatively connected to the electronic control unit. The position sensor indirectly detects the position of the plunger of the actuator.

An injection molding apparatus (10) comprising: a heatable manifold (40) arranged to receive molten injection fluid (18); one or more nozzles (20, 22, 24); a flow channel (19, 42, 44, 46) arranged to deliver the molten injection fluid to a gate (32, 34, 36) of a mold cavity (30); an electrical drive (940d, 941d, 942d) adapted to receive and distribute electrical energy in controllably varied amounts during an injection cycle; a valve pin (1040, 1041, 1042); an actuator (940, 941, 942) coupled to the valve pin, the actuator having: a driver (940dr, 941dr, 942dr), arranged to receive the controllably varied electrical energy from the electrical drive, an actuator housing (940h, 941h, 942h); a source of heat absorptive fluid (260, 125f); and at least one channel (25, 33, 125) formed in or proximate one or the other or both of the actuator housing (940h, 941h, 942h) and the drive mount (940ds, 941ds) wherein the heat absorptive fluid absorbs heat from one or the other or both of the actuator housing and the drive mount.

A system is described comprising an actuator with a piston linearly movable and a needle shutter connected to the piston for regulating the injection flow of molten material from a nozzle into a mold. By a supply circuit pressurized fluid is brought to the piston to move it back and forth. A solenoid valve is connected to the supply circuit and configured so that in resting condition it leaves open a fluid drainage path for bringing the shutter to a closing position.

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.

An injection molding system comprising: a first selected valve, one or more downstream valves, delivering a fluid to a mold cavity, at least one fluid property sensor that detects a flow front of fluid material flowing downstream through the mold cavity at a trigger location within the cavity disposed between the first gate and at least one selected downstream gate, a controller instructing an actuator associated with the downstream gates to open the gates at a predetermined open gate target time on a first injection cycle, each valve associated with a position sensor that detects opening of a gate at an actual open gate time to the controller, the controller automatically adjusting time of instruction to open the gates on a subsequent injection cycle by an adjustment time equal to any delay in time between the predetermined open gate target time and the actual open gate time.

A method is described for operating an actuator (10) adapted for moving by means of a pressurized fluid the shutter (12) of an injection nozzle for molten material into a mould, wherein the shutter (12) moves from a closing position, in which there is no passage of molten material through the nozzle, to an opening position, in which there is passage of molten material through the nozzle, and the shutter (12) comprises a chamber (18), and a piston (14) which is movably mounted in the chamber (18), displaced linearly thanks to the thrust of the fluid and connected to the shutter (12) to move it. The shutter (12) is moved by inserting or removing the predetermined amount of fluid into/from the chamber (18).

A system and method for controlling an actuator which actuates an axially displaceable pin valve of an apparatus for injection molding of plastic materials, where the control system includes an electronic control unit of the actuator which adjusts at least one among position, speed and acceleration of the pin valve, and a position sensor which detects a position of a plunger of the actuator and is operatively connected to the electronic control unit. The position sensor indirectly detects the position of the plunger of the actuator.

An Injection molding apparatus injection molding apparatus (10a) comprising: one or more first downstream channels (166, 166a, 166b) and associated first gates (34, 34a, 34b) that deliver injection fluid (18) to a first cavity (300a) of a mold system (302, 303) and to one or more second downstream channels (168, 168a, 168b) and associated second gates (32, 32a, 32b) that deliver injection fluid to a second cavity (300b) of the mold system (302, 303), the mold system being clamped together under a selected force, the apparatus including a first upstream valve (118) that enables and disables flow of the injection fluid to the first gates (34, 34a, 34b) and a second upstream valve (108) that enables and disables flow of the injection fluid to the one or more second gates (32, 32a, 32b), the apparatus including a control system (20) adapted to open or enable flow of the injection fluid (18) to the one or more first gates (34, 34a, 34b) at a first selected time and to further instruct the second upstream valve (108) to open or enable flow of the injection fluid (18) to the one or more second gates (32, 32a, 32b) at a second selected time that is delayed relative to the first selected time during the course of an injection cycle.