An injection molding apparatus comprising:

An actuator having a driver receiving electrical energy or power from an electrical drive, the electrical drive comprising an interface, the electrical drive being housed within or by and actuator housing or being mounted on or to the housing, the housing and the electrical drive being mounted on, to or in close proximity to the heated manifold, a cooling device disposed between the heated manifold and the housing adapted to substantially isolate or insulate at least the electrical drive from communication with heat emanating from the heated manifold or to heat sink or absorb heat communicated or communicable to the electrical drive from the heated manifold or both.

Injection molding apparatus (1) comprising: an actuator (14, 940, 941, 942) comprising a rotor (940r, 941r, 942r) controllably rotatable by electric power, the actuator (14, 940, 941, 942) being interconnected to a controller (16) that generates drive signals (DC), an electrical drive device (940d, 941d, 942d) comprising an interface that receives the drive signals (DC) and controllably distributes electrical energy or power in controllably varied amounts according to the drive signals (DC) to a driver (940dr, 941dr, 942dr) that drives the rotor (940r, 941r, 942r), a valve pin (1040, 1041, 1042) having an axis (X) and a control surface (43, 45, 102m) adapted to interface with a complementary surface (47, 103s) in a downstream feed channel to vary rate of injection fluid flow to a cavity of a mold, and, a sensor adapted to sense a property of the injection fluid upstream and away from a gate, the sensed property being used in a program to controllably position the control surface relative to the complementary surface.

An injection molding apparatus (5) comprising an injection molding machine (IMM), a heated manifold (60) that receives injection fluid (9) and distributes the injection fluid through a fluid distribution channel (120), a mold (70) having a cavity (80) and one or more valves (50) having a valve pin (100) the one or more valves (50) being comprised of: an electrically driven actuator (200), a controller including an algorithm that controllably limits rotation of a shaft (12) or output rotation device (16, 430, 500) during the course of an entire injection cycle to selectable angular positions that create a moment arm that extends between selected a selected minimum moment arm and a selected maximum moment arm, the selectable angular positions being between 70 degrees above and 70 degrees below an angular position that corresponds to the selected maximum moment arm.

An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow of a fluid mold material comprising: a manifold, an actuator interconnected to a valve pin, a position sensor that senses position of the valve pin, a controller that controls movement of the actuator according to instructions that instruct the actuator to drive the valve pin upstream at one or more selected intermediate velocities in response to receipt by the controller of a signal from the position sensor that the valve pin is disposed in the one or more intermediate upstream gate open positions.

An injection molding system (5) comprised of: a valve (10) comprising an actuator (1000) that includes a linear drive member (150, 154, 158) adapted to travel along a first linear path of travel (L1), a valve pin (80) adapted to travel linearly upstream and downstream within the flow passage (15) between pin upstream (81) and pin downstream (82) positions along a second linear path of travel (L2) that is non-coaxial relative to the first linear path of travel (L1), the actuator (1000) being interconnected to the valve pin (80) in an arrangement wherein movement of the linear drive member (150, 154, 158) along the first linear path of travel (L1) drives the valve pin (80) along the second linear path of travel (L2).

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).

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.

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.

An injection molding apparatus (10) comprising: an actuator (940, 941, 942) comprised of a rotor (940r, 941r, 942r) having a drive axis (Y) and a driver (940dr, 941dr, 942dr) receiving electrical energy or power from an electrical drive (940d, 941d, 942d), the electrical drive (940d, 941d, 942d) comprising an interface that receives and controllably distributes electrical energy or power in controllably varied amounts to the driver (940dr, 941dr, 942dr), the actuator including a housing (940h, 941h, 942h) within, on or to which the electrical drive (940d, 941d, 942d) is mounted, the housing (940h, 941h, 942h) being mounted in proximity or disposition relative to the heated manifold (40) such that one or the other or both of the housing (940h, 941h, 942h) and the electrical drive (940d, 941d, 942d) are in substantial heat communication or contact with the heated manifold (40).

Apparatus for injection molding of plastic materials having a mold including at least one plate, a hot runner distributor of the fluid plastic material, at least one injector and an electric motor for controlling opening and the closing of the injector, supported by the distributor and whose cooling is carried out by means of thermal exchange contact with the plate. Provided for the cooling of the electric motor is at least one cover made of thermally conductive material at least partly surrounding the electric motor in a slidable manner and it is maintained in thermal exchange contact with the plate by means of a magnetic or an electro-magnetic force.