A hot runner system having a nozzle and a manifold seated against the nozzle. An actuator plate is spaced apart from the manifold by a support pad which surrounds a lower mouth of an actuator bore that extends through the actuator plate. A valve pin extends through the support pad and the manifold to a downstream end of the nozzle. A cylinder is received in the actuator bore from a rearward side of the actuator plate and a piston coupled to the valve pin is received in the cylinder from a forward end of the cylinder.

An injection molding nozzle system for delivering molten material from a manifold to a nozzle is disclosed. The manifold and nozzle are disposed within pocket of a manifold plate. The nozzle is secured to a melt-transfer bushing disposed within the manifold via a collar. The collar is secured to the bushing such that it is centered about the axis of the outlet of the bushing. A support ring supports the nozzle within the pocket such that the nozzle is centered about the axis of the pocket. In a cold state, the outlet of the bushing and the inlet of the nozzle are misaligned. In operation, thermal expansion of the components bring the outlet of the bushing and the nozzle into alignment. The melt-transfer bushing and the connection of the nozzle to the manifold, via the releasable connection between the collar and the bushing facilitates manufacture and assembly of the system.

An injection molding system is disclosed herein that may include a manifold that may have a manifold melt channel for receiving melted resin, a nozzle having a nozzle melt channel for receiving the melted resin from the manifold melt channel and delivering the melted resin to a mold cavity via a mold gate. In other examples, a valve pin may extend through at least a portion of the nozzle melt channel such that a forward end of the valve pin may be seatable within the mold gate. In certain examples, the injection molding system may include one or more drop plate, each of which defines walls of a cylinder within which a piston reciprocates, and each which may contain cooling circuits and pressurized circuits for opening and closing the piston. With regard to injection molding system containing multiple drop plates, each drop plate is independent of the other drop plates, and each drop plate is dedicated to a single nozzle assembly. In other examples, the drop plates may house a valve pin coupling system configured to permit movement of a valve pin in a lateral direction independent from a lateral position of the piston.

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 and hot runner system are disclosed. The injection molding apparatus includes a plurality of mold plates in which the hot runner system is received. A manifold receives molding material and has a manifold channel that extends between an inlet and an outlet. A nozzle delivers moldable material to a mold cavity. The nozzle has a nozzle channel in fluid communication between the manifold channel and the mold cavity. A valve pin seal is located at the upstream end of the nozzle, and a valve pin that is connected to an actuator extends through the manifold and nozzle is slidably received in the valve pin seal. The hot runner system further includes a thermal bridge that is in conductive thermal communication with the valve pin seal and a cooled one of the plurality of mold plates.

A hot runner system having a nozzle received in a well in a mold plate. The nozzle has a melt channel, a nozzle body through which the melt channel extends, and a collar connected to and spaced apart from the nozzle body. A manifold is seated against the nozzle. The manifold has a melt channel in fluid communication between a source of moldable material and the nozzle channel. A bearing member against which a seating surface of the collar is supported is received in the well, and a biasing member is seated between a step in the well and the bearing member. The biasing member has plate loading surface and a nozzle loading surface. The nozzle loading surface and the plate loading surface are concentric with the seating surface of the collar and are circumferentially offset from the seating surface of the collar in opposite directions.

A hot runner system having a nozzle and a manifold seated against the nozzle. An actuator plate is spaced apart from the manifold by a support pad which surrounds a lower mouth of an actuator bore that extends through the actuator plate. A valve pin extends through the support pad and the manifold to a downstream end of the nozzle. A cylinder is received in the actuator bore from a rearward side of the actuator plate and a piston coupled to the valve pin is received in the cylinder from a forward end of the cylinder.

A hot runner system having a nozzle received in a well in a mold plate. The nozzle has a melt channel, a nozzle body through which the melt channel extends, and a collar connected to and spaced apart from the nozzle body. A manifold is seated against the nozzle. The manifold has a melt channel in fluid communication between a source of moldable material and the nozzle channel. A bearing member against which a seating surface of the collar is supported is received in the well, and a biasing member is seated between a step in the well and the bearing member. The biasing member has plate loading surface and a nozzle loading surface. The nozzle loading surface and the plate loading surface are concentric with the seating surface of the collar and are circumferentially offset from the seating surface of the collar in opposite directions.

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a manifold for use in plastic injection molding, the method comprising additive manufacturing a melt distribution structure onto a manifold base plate, wherein the manifold base plate comprises a critical assembly feature.

An injection molding apparatus and hot runner system are disclosed. The injection molding apparatus includes a plurality of mold plates in which the hot runner system is received. A manifold receives molding material and has a manifold channel that extends between an inlet and an outlet. A nozzle delivers moldable material to a mold cavity. The nozzle has a nozzle channel in fluid communication between the manifold channel and the mold cavity. A valve pin seal is located at the upstream end of the nozzle, and a valve pin that is connected to an actuator extends through the manifold and nozzle is slidably received in the valve pin seal. The hot runner system further includes a thermal bridge that is in conductive thermal communication with the valve pin seal and a cooled one of the plurality of mold plates.