Disclosed herein is apparatus and methods for separating plastic runners in a cold runner system between injection cycles of an injection molding process. In one exemplary embodiment, the apparatus is a heated runner separator that includes a heated melt disc with a central aperture, a heating band positioned around the heated melt disc, a first insulator ring positioned proximate to a first end of the central aperture of the heated melt disc, and a second insulator ring positioned proximate to a second and opposite end of the central aperture of the heated melt disc. The heated runner separator further includes a first terminal and second terminal extending from the heating band and arranged to couple to a heating source to heat the heating band. The heated runner separator further includes a thermocouple in contact with the heated melt disc and arranged to measure the temperature of the heated melt disc.