A heater and thermocouple assembly for use with a hot runner nozzle with an elongated heater body, said heater body having at least one first heating section, which in operation is positioned adjacent to the front end portion of the hot runner nozzle, and at least one second heating section which in operation is positioned adjacent to a nozzle head of the hot runner nozzle and has an at least partly annular distance section with a wall which is arranged between the first and second heating sections.

A hot runner injection molding apparatus includes a hot runner nozzle and a first heater coupled to the nozzle body of the nozzle. A separate mold gate insert surrounds a nozzle tip area of the nozzle. The mold gate insert is heated by a second heater that is separate and independent from the nozzle body heater. The temperature generated by the first and second heaters is measured by a first thermocouple and a second thermocouple, respectively. A controller is used to adjust at any time the temperature of the first and second heaters independently. The second heater is used to either i) melt, and thus enable a faster removal of, a colder molten material accumulated around the nozzle tip during a color change procedure or ii) to reduce or increase the temperature of the nozzle tip differently from one nozzle to the next.

A sleeve heater for supplying heat to a melt delivery component of a hot runner system. The sleeve heater includes a tube-shaped body having an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface of the tube-shaped body defines an opening in which a melt delivery component is received. A heater wraps at least partially around the tube-shaped body and extends along a length of the tube-shaped body. A thermocouple groove is formed in the outer surface of the tube-shaped body. The thermocouple groove includes a lateral bend; and a bore that extends from the lateral bend into a thickness of the tube-shaped body. Together the bore and the latera bend maintain the position of a sensing end of a thermocouple installed therein relative to the tube-shaped body.

An injection molding apparatus having a valve pin plate coupling at least one valve pin to an actuator which, in operation, axially moves the valve pin plate between a closed position and an open position. The valve pin is coupled to the valve pin plate via a valve pin coupler. A biasing member is compressed against a support surface by the valve pin holder when the valve pin plate is in the closed position to create a supplementary coupling force coupling the valve pin to the valve pin holder.

An injection molding apparatus having a valve pin plate coupling at least one valve pin to an actuator which, in operation, axially moves the valve pin plate between a closed position and an open position. The valve pin is coupled to the valve pin plate via a valve pin coupler. A biasing member is compressed against a support surface by the valve pin holder when the valve pin plate is in the closed position to create a supplementary coupling force coupling the valve pin to the valve pin holder.

The present application describes injection molding machines and, more particularly, a removable nozzle tip and nozzle assembly for use with an injection molding machine and an engagement tool and methods for replacing a nozzle tip. In an aspect, an injection molding machine may include a nozzle. The nozzle may include a nozzle housing and a nozzle tip threadably attached to the nozzle housing. At least a portion of an exterior wall of the nozzle housing and at least a portion of an exterior wall of the nozzle tip may align to provide a cylindrical surface. The injection molding machine may further include a tubular heater enclosing at least a portion of the continuous cylindrical surface. The nozzle tip does not include a torque feature in any location that is downstream of the tubular heater and upstream of a mold gate of the nozzle.

An injection molding apparatus having a hot runner including a plurality of thermocouples and a plurality of heaters, a temperature controller remote from the hot runner, and a communication box attached to the hot runner. The communication box being configured to form a fieldbus, via a wireless communication link, with the temperature controller, and the communication box including a communication card connecting the thermocouples to the fieldbus.

A heating apparatus (5) in an injection molding apparatus (1000) comprising: a heatable sleeve or jacket (10) comprised of a sheet (14) of highly heat conductive metal material, formable into a heating cylinder (14c) having a central channel (16) receiving a selected nozzle (40), a stabilization ring or cylinder (20) adapted to receive a selected longitudinal portion (DL) of the downstream or distal end (14de) of the heating cylinder (14c) and to engage or mate an inner circumferential surface (20is) with an outer surface (14os) of the heating cylinder.

A heater system includes a substrate, a layered heater having a resistive layer formed on the substrate by a layered process, the resistive layer having sufficient temperature coefficient of resistance characteristics such that the resistive layer is a heater element and a temperature sensor. A single set of electrical leads having two electrical lead wires provides power to the resistive layer and receives a signal indicative of a temperature of the resistive layer. A two-wire controller includes a power controller, and the two-wire controller is configured to receive the signal indicative of the temperature of the resistive layer, determine the temperature of the resistive layer, and control temperature of the heater system.

An injection molding apparatus and an method for the manufacture of moldable articles having an injection manifold, a plurality of hot runner nozzles, a first nozzle heater, a plurality of mold cavities positioned to receive molten material from the plurality of the hot runner nozzles, each mold cavity having at least one mold gate orifice and a mold cavity heater surrounding each mold cavity at least partially and a thermocouple associated with the mold cavity to measure directly or indirectly a temperature generated by the mold cavity heater.