An injection-molding tool comprising at least two separate mold parts arranged so that they can be moved along a central tool axis between a closed and an open position. At least one of the mold parts comprises an alignment compensator with a first and a second compensator part. The first compensator part has a socket adapted for receiving the second compensator part so that it can slide along the central tool axis in the socket, and for allowing the second compensator part to tilt in the socket. A seal is arranged so that the seal and the first and the second compensator part encloses a space in the socket containing an elastic or fluid material. The seal also comprises a lid made from a plastic material arranged between the second compensator part and the liquid filled space in the socket.

The injection molding machine includes a fixed platen, a moveable platen moving forward and backward by a toggle link, a base plate supporting the toggle link, a driving part for mold clamping to operate the toggle link, a driving part for mold thickness adjustment to adjust a mold thickness, and a control unit to calculate a movement distance gap before a clamping process by controlling the driving part for mold thickness adjustment to move the base plate backward and then move the base plate forward to a target movement position based on a fold amount of the toggle link, and control the driving part for mold thickness adjustment using a value obtained by deducting the movement distance gap from the fold amount of the toggle link when producing a clamp force.

An injection molding machine has a die-height adjustment system. External screws formed individually on four tie-bars and die-height adjusting nuts threadedly engaged therewith are configured to be rotated independently with one another. In processes prior to mold clamping, the die-height adjusting nuts are rotated so that movable and stationary platen surfaces maintain a desired parallelism. During mold clamping, the die-height adjusting nuts are rotated so that clamping forces produced by the tie-bars are in a desired balance.

A moulding machine suitable for producing an article having two or more parts, the moulding machine comprising two or more mould sections for respective article parts and an in-mould pick and place mean. A moulding machine including one or more moulds and a robot pick-and-place system, in which the robot pick-and-place system is fixed to a mould. A method of forming an article having two or more parts, in which a first part of the article is moulded in a first mould section of a moulding machine comprising two or more mould sections for respective article parts and an in-mould pick and place means, and the in-mould pick and place means moves a moulded first part of the article from the first mould section to a second mould section of the two or more mould sections.

A mold clamping apparatus includes a mold clamping cylinder. The mold clamping cylinder has, in a region thereof located below left and right lower tie bars and above left and right sliders, a left grooved portion opened leftward and elongated horizontally, a right grooved portion opened rightward and elongated horizontally, and a leg portion formed between the left and right grooved portions. The leg portion and the left and right grooved portions together form a constricted part.

A mold clamping apparatus includes a fixed platen, a mold clamping cylinder, a movable platen moved by the mold clamping cylinder toward the fixed platen, and a mold opening/closing actuator for moving the movable platen or the mold clamping cylinder. The mold clamping apparatus further includes a mold thickness adjustment cylinder provided between the mold clamping cylinder and the movable platen, the mold thickness adjustment cylinder being configured to generate an axial force larger than an axial force in an expanding direction of the mold opening/closing actuator and smaller than an axial force in a contracting direction of the mold clamping cylinder.

The present disclosure concerns an apparatus and a method for injection molding of an elongated hollow article, such as a urinary catheter, said apparatus comprising a heated central mold with an inlet opening for entering liquid molding compound into a substantially tubular cavity formed in said central mold; an elongated central mold core which is provided in the tubular cavity and extends beyond said tubular cavity and into a tip mold cavity of a tip mold part which is aligned with the tubular mold cavity in the longitudinal axis of the central mold core; wherein the tip mold part is moveable in a linear movement in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the elongated central mold core.

A mold clamping apparatus includes a mold clamping cylinder. The mold clamping cylinder has, in a region thereof located below left and right lower tie bars and above left and right sliders, a left grooved portion opened leftward and elongated horizontally, a right grooved portion opened rightward and elongated horizontally, and a leg portion formed between the left and right grooved portions. The leg portion and the left and right grooved portions together form a constricted part.

A mold clamping apparatus includes a fixed platen, a mold clamping cylinder, a movable platen moved by the mold clamping cylinder toward the fixed platen, and a mold opening/closing actuator for moving the movable platen or the mold clamping cylinder. The mold clamping apparatus further includes a mold thickness adjustment cylinder provided between the mold clamping cylinder and the movable platen, the mold thickness adjustment cylinder being configured to generate an axial force larger than an axial force in an expanding direction of the mold opening/closing actuator and smaller than an axial force in a contracting direction of the mold clamping cylinder.

A mold clamping device includes: a fixed die having a fixed mold; a movable die having a movable mold; a toggle link coupled to a link housing placed opposite to the fixed die and the movable die, and changing a distance therebetween by a mold clamping motor; a tie bar coupled to the fixed die and the link housing; a tie bar nut screwed onto the tie bar and placed on the link housing; and a control device that, when performing mold clamping, brings the movable mold close to the fixed mold at a slow speed immediately before the both come into contact with each other, stops the mold clamping motor for a predetermined period when the movable mold and the fixed mold come into contact with each other, increases the rotation speed of the mold clamping motor after the predetermined period elapses, to perform mold clamping.