A method of performing an injection cycle having a duration comprising: beginning the injection cycle with the valve pins associated with two or more nozzles in a gate closed position, selecting a first one of the two or more nozzles and controllably driving its associated valve pin from the gate closed position to a selected first axial upstream position, upon downstream flow of the injection fluid through a cavity the preselected distance, controllably driving the valve pin associated with the other of the two or more nozzles to a selected second axial position upstream, holding or controllably driving the valve pin associated with the first one of the two or more nozzles in or to one or more reduced flow axial upstream positions that are partially closed.

An injection molding apparatus including: a valve pin driven by an actuator, the valve pin extending axially through at least a portion of the channel length of the fluid flow channel, the fluid flow channel including a throat, downstream flow of the injection fluid being restricted by a bulb portion of the pin, the valve pin having an intermediate position where downstream flow of injection fluid is unrestricted and a fully downstream position where downstream flow of injection fluid is stopped at both the gate and at the throat, wherein the actuator is driven by a valve assembly comprised of a spool mechanically driven by first and second actuators or solenoids that each separately engage the spool at opposing axial ends to effect movement of the spool back and forth between the drive fluid flow positions.

A method of injection molding of plastic materials into a cavity of a mold with a molding apparatus including a distributor of the pressurized fluid plastic material connected to at least one injector having a pin valve displaceable between a fully closed position and an open position. The method includes a filling step following displacement of the pin valve from the fully closed position to the open position, a packing step of the pressurized plastic material keeping the pin valve in the open position, and a step of displacement and maintenance of the pin valve in at least one partially closed intermediate position prior to its complete closure.

Apparatus and method for performing an injection molding cycle using the apparatus where the apparatus comprises: a manifold, a pneumatic actuator driven by a pneumatic valve assembly, the actuator driving a valve pin between a gate closed position and a maximum injection fluid flow position, the pneumatic valve assembly having a spool supported within a cylinder driven by a drive device that is supported solely by and translates together with the spool, a controller that instructs the pneumatic valve assembly to cause the actuator to drive the valve pin either upstream or downstream to selected positions or at selected velocities during the course of a single injection cycle based on a feedback signal indicative of position of the pin or actuator or pressure of an injection fluid material.

An injection molding apparatus (10) comprising: a heated manifold (16), one or more fluid driven actuators (210a, 210b) each interconnected to a corresponding valve pin (211a, 211b), a housing comprised of one or more metal plates (202a, 202b, 204a, 204b, 206) arranged to form a manifold chamber (208), each of the fluid driven actuators (210a, 210b) being mounted within or at least about one foot from within the manifold chamber (208), each fluid driven actuator being fluid drive interconnected to a proportional control valve (213a, 213b, 213c) that is mounted either within the manifold chamber (208) or having fluid flow ports (213p1, 213p2) that are interconnected within about one foot of corresponding fluid flow ports (210p1, 210p2) of a corresponding fluid driven actuator (210a, 210b).

A method for injection molding of plastic material by means of at least one injector whose pin valve can be displaced between a fully closed position and a maximum open position in a controlled fashion according to a position and speed of the pin valve. During displacement of the pin valve from the fully closed position to the maximum open position, and/or vice versa, the pin valve is stopped in intermediate positions and the displacement speed thereof is uniform and constant. An initial opening step at maximum speed and one or more steps of inversion of the motion of the pin valve can be provided for.

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).

A system is disclosed for micro-molding articles. The system melts and pre-pressurizes thermoplastic material to a first level, within a plasticizing barrel. The melt pressure of the thermoplastic material is manipulated to a second level, within a hot runner. The melt pressure of the thermoplastic material is manipulated to an ultra-cavity packing pressure within a valve gate nozzle.

An apparatus and method for establishing triggers for the opening of one or multiple gates to a mold cavity of an injection molding system, followed by a sequence of predetermined valve pin movements over the course on an injection cycle. In one embodiment, the invention provides a graphical user interface and control system enabling a user to select from and arrange a plurality of virtual icons into a user-defined virtual sequence that define associated triggering events and actuator controlled pin movements over the course of an injection cycle. In various embodiments, the apparatus and method allows the system operator to view a simulated profile of such triggers and movements and to compare the simulated profile to an actual profile to access differences and make adjustments to the triggers and sequencing more quickly and efficiently. This is particularly useful in sequential molding systems where multiple gates need to be programmed and adjusted to compensate for variations from a predetermined sequence.

An injection molding system (10) and method of use where the system (10) is comprised of an injection molding system (10), a controller (16) for controlling pack or fill pressures of the injection fluid injected during the pack and fill phases, a recorder, the controller including instructions that controls drive of actuators (1a, 2a, 3a, 4a) to effect an increase or decrease in fill and pack pressures of the injection fluid.