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 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.

The present invention surrounds an apparatus and method for the use in injection molding of articles of manufacture using an injection molding apparatus having a valve-gate pin or a plurality of valve-gate pins for actuation to extend and retract from a cavity within an injection mold. The valve-gate pin may have a retention feature or retention features configured for the retention of molded parts such that the retraction or extension of the valve-gate pin provides part removal from an associated injection mold. Further, the valve-gate pin may have a feature or features to facilitate the injection of fluids, gases or particles during or after the primary injection process. Additionally, a plurality of such valve-gate pins may be employed within each mold cavity, or within each valve-gate actuation system.

An injector includes a nozzle provided with a valve seat, a valve body which is seated on or separated from the valve seat, and a displacement means for displacing the valve body. A resin flow passage through which molten resin flows is formed inside the nozzle. The resin flow passage includes a cross-sectional area varying portion having a cross-sectional area, in a direction orthogonal to a flow direction, which varies with increasing distance toward or away from the valve body. The displacement means is capable of stopping the valve body in any position in the cross-sectional area varying portion.

The present disclosure is directed to an injection nozzle with a nozzle head including at least one discharge opening for injecting molding material into a mold cavity of a thereto interconnected injection mold and forming therein a molded body. At least one positively controlled closure element movably supported in the nozzle head for closing a communication opening in the connected injection mold. An actuator cylinder comprises a first piston which is interconnected to the closure element. The first piston is arranged movable between a first position, in which the closure element is fully closed, and a second position in which the closure element is fully open. A second piston is interconnected to the closure element, and is arranged movable between a third position in which the second piston is not interconnected to the closure element and a fourth position in which the closure element is limited in an intermediate position.

An injection molding apparatus (10) comprising a signal converter (1500) interconnected to a machine controller (MC) of an injection molding machine (IMM) that generates standardized signals (VPS), the signal converter (1500) receiving and converting the standardized signals (VS) to a command signal (MOPCS, PDCVS) that is compatible with a signal receptor or interface of an electrically powered actuator (940e, 941e, 942e) or a signal receptor, interface or driver of a proportional directional control valve (V, V1, V2) that drives a fluid driven actuator (940p, 941p, 942p) to respectively operate the electrically powered actuator (940e, 941e, 942e) or the proportional directional control valve (V, V1, V2) to move in a direction that operates to either begin an injection cycle and to end an injection cycle.

The present disclosure is directed to an injection nozzle for an injection molding device comprising a drive train for at least one closure element arranged movable in a nozzle head in a first direction. The drive train comprises a cam mechanism with a cam head comprising a wedge and at least one side plate. The wedge and the side plate are together arranged moveable in a second direction. Per closure element the wedge comprises at least one first drive surface which interacts with a second drive surface arranged at the closure element at least during closing of the closure element. The at least one side plate comprises a third drive surface which interacts with a fourth drive surface arranged at the closure element at least during opening of the closure element.

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.