Abstract:
An injection molding apparatus (5) comprising an injection molding machine (15), one or more upstream channels (19bfc, 40dfc) and one or more nozzle channels (42a), wherein a spring, coil, wire, rod or cylinder (800) configured in the form or shape of a spiral or helix is disposed within and extending axially through one or more of the upstream channels and the nozzle channel, the spring, coil, wire, rod or cylinder being adapted to guide flow of injection fluid flowing downstream through the channels in a disrupted or discontinuous manner.
Abstract:
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).
Abstract:
An injection molding system (10) and method of use, where the system (10) comprises an injection molding machine (40), a controller (16) for controlling pack or fill pressures of an injection fluid (1153) injected during the pack and fill phases and a recorder, whereas the controller (16) includes instructions that control drive of actuators (1a, 2a, 3a, 4a) to effect an increase or decrease in fill and pack pressures of the injection fluid.
Abstract:
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 (211 a, 211 b), 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).
Abstract:
An injection molding apparatus (19) comprising: a manifold (30), a nozzle (50), a distal tip of the nozzle being comprised of a highly heat conductive insert (55) and an insulation cap (64) that is substantially less heat conductive than the insert, the downstream end portion of the insulation cap being disposed between the gate and the downstream end portion of the highly heat conductive insert forming a fluid seal (S) around the gate (85), a valve pin (90), wherein when the valve pin is in a gate closed position (P4), an axially interior surface (76s) of a fluid exit aperture of the insulation cap surrounds a gap enabling circumferential surface (92) of the valve pin forming a spatial gap immediately upstream of the gate between the interior surface (64s) of the fluid exit aperture (64) of the insulation cap (60) and the gap enabling circumferential surface (92) of the valve pin (90)
Abstract:
An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow of fluid mold material from an injection molding machine to a mold cavity, the apparatus comprising: a manifold having a delivery channel that delivers fluid material to a first gate; an actuator interconnected to a valve pin having a tip end drivable along a drive path that extends between a first position, a second position upstream of the first position and a third position upstream of the second position, the actuator and the valve pin being translationally driven at a controllable rate of travel by a valve system that is controllably adjustable between a start position, one or more intermediate drive rate positions and a high drive rate position, the valve system comprising a source of valve drive fluid that pumps the drive fluid at a maximum drive rate, a first valve interconnected to the source that is selectively adjustable to adjust rate of flow of the drive fluid from the source to a selected less than maximum drive rate and a second valve controllably movable between a first position and a second position; a controller instructing the valve system to drive the actuator and the valve pin continuously upstream from the start position to the second position to the third position; the controller including instructions that instruct the second valve to move from the second position to the first position on receipt by the controller of a signal that is indicative of the valve pin having reached the second position or an elapse of a predetermined amount of time.
Abstract:
Apparatus for heating a fluid being injected in an injection molding system, the apparatus comprising a mold having a cavity, a fluid flow distribution manifold, a fluid flow channel body (12), a coiled heater tube (24) comprised of a thermally conductive wall, a heater device disposed within the coiled tube; the coiled tube having an upstream (20), downstream (22) and intermediate (26) coiled portions, the upstream and downstream coiled portions of the coiled tube being selectively movable away from each other along the coil axis to cause the intermediate coiled portion of the coiled tube to stretch or extend in coil axial length..
Abstract:
An injection molding machine (1000) having first and second nozzles (1093, 1095) for delivering melt material to first and second mold cavities (1308, 1328) of first and second molds (1010, 1020) respectively, apparatus for controlling delivery of the melt material from the nozzles to the mold cavities, each nozzle having an exit aperture communicating with a gate of a cavity of a respective mold and being associated with an actuator (1300, 1320) interconnected to a melt flow controller, the apparatus comprising a sensor (1304, 1306, 1324, 1326) for sensing a selected condition of the melt material through at least one of the nozzles; an actuator controller interconnected to each actuator, the actuator controller interconnected to the actuator associated with the at least one nozzle comprising a computer interconnected to the sensor, the computer receiving a signal representative of the selected condition sensed by the sensor, the computer including an algorithm utilizing a value corresponding to a signal received from the sensor.
Abstract:
A wireless communication device programmed to display the synchronized control of and accept user input in real time relevant to a pre-configured synchronization of valve pin positioning during injection molding, enabling the user to monitor and communicate changes to such control via a sync controller that communicates with the plurality of electric actuator assemblies that are inaccessible during such molding processes and wherein such pre-configured synchronization may need to be re-configured based on real time variations in the delivery of molten plastic material from the barrel screw of the IMM to the actuator assemblies and associated gates of the mold cavity.
Abstract:
An injection molding apparatus (10) comprising: an actuator (940, 941, 942) comprised of a rotor (940r, 941r, 942r) having a drive axis (Y) and a driver (940dr, 941dr, 942dr) receiving electrical energy or power from an electrical drive (940d, 941d, 942d), the electrical drive (940d, 941d, 942d) comprising an interface that receives and controllably distributes electrical energy or power in controllably varied amounts to the driver (940dr, 941dr, 942dr), the actuator including a housing (940h, 941h, 942h) within, on or to which the electrical drive (940d, 941d, 942d) is mounted, the housing (940h, 941h, 942h) being mounted in proximity or disposition relative to the heated manifold (40) such that one or the other or both of the housing (940h, 941 h, 942h) and the electrical drive (940d, 941d, 942d) are in substantial heat communication or contact with the heated manifold (40).