1790 results about "Hot runner" patented technology

A heater system is provided with a layered heater in communication with a two-wire controller, wherein a resistive layer of the layered heater is both a heater element and a temperature sensor. The two-wire controller thus determines temperature of the layered heater using the resistance of the resistive layer and controls heater temperature through a power source. Furthermore, a heater system using a layered heater in communication with a two-wire controller for a specific application of a hot runner nozzle in an injection molding system is provided by the present invention.

Improved mold manifold and hot runner nozzle using thin film elements include at least one active or passive thin film element disposed along a melt channel between the manifold inlet and the hot runner nozzle. Preferably, the thin film element may comprise a thin film heater in direct contact with the molten resin and position to aid in the heat and flow management of the resin within the melt channel. Thin film temperature sensors, pressure sensors, and leak detectors may also be provided in the vicinity of the melt channel to enhance process control in the injection molding machine.

Improved mold manifold and hot runner nozzle using thin film elements include at least one active or passive thin film element disposed along a melt channel between the manifold inlet and the hot runner nozzle. Preferably, the thin film element may comprise a thin film heater in direct contact with the molten resin and position to aid in the heat and flow management of the resin within the melt channel. Thin film temperature sensors, pressure sensors, and leak detectors may also be provided in the vicinity of the melt channel to enhance process control in the injection molding machine.

The invention discloses a melt differential three-dimensional printer. The melt differential three-dimensional printer mainly comprises a material melting unit, a micro-droplet jetting unit, a cylindrical-coordinate system molding unit and a rack, wherein a servo motor drives a screw rod to rotate in the material melting unit; a heater, which is fixedly arranged inside a machine cylinder, ensures that granules are entirely plastified through temperature regulation; a molten material is transmitted by the screw rod to the micro-droplet jetting unit; in the micro-droplet jetting unit, the molten material is transmitted into a valve body through a hot runner in a runner plate; a linear servo motor drives a valve needle to do reciprocating motion in the valve body so as to quantitatively and intermittently squeeze the molten material out of a nozzle to form melt micro-droplets; in the cylindrical-coordinate system molding unit, the molten micro-droplets are injected to a bearing table for cooling and deposition molding; the servo motors in the left-right direction and in the vertical direction are respectively engaged with the corresponding screw rod to rotate so as to drive the material melting unit and the micro-droplet jetting unit to move along the left-right direction and the vertical direction; a circumference servo motor drives the bearing table with a worm gear to rotate through a worm rod so as to realize three-dimensional movement under a cylindrical-coordinate system.

A method and apparatus for rotating a cross-sectional asymmetrical condition of a laminar flowing material is provided in a hot runner system for supplying a laminar flowing material. The hot runner system has (i) an upstream melt passage, (ii) a pair of intermediary melt passages downstream from the upstream melt passage, and (iii) for at least one intermediary melt passage, an associated pair of downstream melt passages downstream from the at least one intermediary melt passage. The cross-sectional asymmetrical condition of a laminar flowing material is rotated by providing a bending path for orienting at least one path outlet relative to a path inlet to rotate the cross-sectional asymmetrical condition of the laminar flowing material such that the cross-sectional asymmetrical condition is substantially equally divided between the two downstream portions.

A valve stem has a reverse taper thereon used in an injection nozzle for a hot runner system. The valve stem is moved downward into a closed position, such that a valve stem tip plugs or blocks an opening in a gate area, thereby precluding molten plastic from exiting the injection nozzle. The valve stem is moved upward into an open position, thereby allowing molten plastic to flow from the injection nozzle. In the open position, the reverse taper seals a clearance between the valve stem and either a manifold bushing or valve bushing, thereby precluding stem leakage or weepage. The reverse taper has a diameter which is larger than an internal diameter of internal passage of the valve bushing or manifold bushing. The valve stem also includes a headless end.

A nozzle for an injection molding apparatus is provided. The injection molding apparatus has a mold component that defines a mold cavity and a gate into the mold cavity. The nozzle includes a nozzle body, a heater, a tip, a tip surrounding piece and a mold component contacting piece. The nozzle body defines a nozzle body melt passage therethrough, that is adapted to receive melt from a melt source. The heater is thermally connected to the nozzle body for heating melt in the nozzle body. The tip defines a tip melt passage therethrough, that is downstream from the nozzle body melt passage, and that is adapted to be upstream from the gate. The tip surrounding piece is removably connected with respect to said nozzle body. The mold component contacting piece is connected with respect to the nozzle body. The material of the mold component contacting piece has a thermal conductivity that is less than at least one of the thermal conductivity of the material of the tip and the thermal conductivity of the material of the tip surrounding piece.

An injection molding apparatus includes an injection manifold having an inlet and a melt channel. The manifold melt channel branches to a plurality of melt channel outlets. A hot runner injection nozzle includes an axial melt channel extending along a central axis and communicating with one of the manifold melt channel outlets. The nozzle further includes at least two angled melt channels disposed at an angle to the central axis. At least two nozzle tips are provided, and each includes a nozzle tip melt channel in communication with one of the angled melt channels. A valve pin is disposed at least partially within the axial melt channel coaxially with the central axis and movable within the axial melt channel. Lateral valve pins movable within the nozzle tip melt channels are disposed at an angle to the valve pin. Linkage elements continuously connect the lateral valve pins to the valve pin. Axial movement of the valve pin is transmitted through the linkage elements to the lateral valve pins to open and close communication between the nozzle tip melt channels and the lateral mold gates.

A magnetic coupling for an injection molding apparatus, such as a hot half or hot runner, includes a first magnetic part for connection to an actuator, a valve pin plate, or the like and a movable second magnetic part for connection to a valve pin. The first magnetic part and the second magnetic part are coupled by a magnetic force. The first magnetic part can be part of the actuator. The second magnetic part can be part of the valve pin. A valve pin plate can be provided for a plurality of valve pins.

A hot-runner system (100), comprising: a manifold assembly (102), including: a manifold body (104) defining a melt channel (109, 110) being smooth-flowing, direction-changing and uninterrupted.

Method and apparatus are provided for sealing interfaces within an injection mold having a first surface and a second surface includes an active material actuator configured to be disposed in a manner suitable for generating a force between the first surface and the second surface. The active material actuator is configured to generate a force in response to sense signals from a transmission structure. Methods and apparatus are also provided for centering a nozzle tip within a gate opening, and adjusting tip height of a nozzle tip with respect to a gate opening, also using active material inserts.

A plug for use with a residual hole of a passageway in a hot runner system manifold may include an external surface for sealing with the residual hole, wherein a portion of the external surface is in direct contact with the resin in the passageway, a cavity having an internal surface that does not contact the resin, and a sensor secured to the internal surface using chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, plasma spray, or an adhesive. An ejector pin may include a sensor secured to the sidewall using chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, plasma spray, or an adhesive. A mold may include two inserts each an external surface and an internal surface defining a mold cavity. A sensing element may be secured to the external surface the first or second mold inserts wherein the sensing element does not contact the internal surface of the mold cavity.

An injection molding system includes a hot runner comprising a memory device configured to contain at least one process control parameter. The memory device may transmit a signal representative of the process control parameter to a machine controller associated with the injection molding system. The machine controller may generate control signal to operate the injection molding machine based on, at least in part, the signal from the memory device.

A hot runner nozzle heater is provided that includes a sleeve defining a slot extending along a length of the sleeve. A first dielectric layer is disposed over an outer surface of the sleeve, and a resistive element layer is disposed over the first dielectric layer, wherein the resistive element layer defines a resistive circuit pattern that is preferably formed by a laser trimming process. A pair of terminal leads are secured to a portion of the resistive element layer thus defining a termination area, and the termination area is positioned proximate the slot and away from the proximal end and the distal end of the sleeve. A second dielectric layer is disposed over the resistive element layer but not over the termination area, a third dielectric layer is disposed over the termination area, and a protective layer disposed over the second dielectric layer and the third dielectric layer.

An apparatus for injection molding plastic articles with integral RFID tags includes an injection molding machine comprising a melt reservoir, a plunger, heating elements, an injection nozzle, a hot runner passageway, a mold having at least one mold cavity, and an RFID injection element having a valve and an RFID hopper? The method for creating injection molded plastic articles having integrally molded RFID tags includes injecting an RFID tag into liquid plastic resin during the injection molding process.

A hot runner system including a shoot pot system for transferring melt from a single shooting pot to multiple nozzles. Melt is fed from a source of melt into the cavity through the multiple nozzles, and a valve isolates melt in the cavity from melt in the source. A plunger within the cavity is driven forward to inject melt in the cavity into a mold cavity at high pressure without significantly increasing the pressure of melt in the source. The plunger optionally functions as both the plunger and the valve by opening and closing communication between the cavity and the manifold as it is rotated.

An injection molding apparatus for injection molding a multi-layered article is disclosed. The apparatus comprises; (a) a mold having a cavity block provided with a cavity and a hot runner block, (b) at least a first injection cylinder and a second injection cylinder, (c) a first resin-flow-passage for connecting an inside of the first injection cylinder and the cavity, and (d) a second resin-flow-passage for connecting an inside of the second injection cylinder and the cavity. The injection molding apparatus has a structure in which those portions of the first and second resin-flow-passages which are located within the mold are provided in the hot runner block, and the first resin-flow-passage and the second resin-flow-passage meet with each other in a junction portion upstream to a gate portion opened to the cavity. The injection molding apparatus is provided with a back flow device for letting first molten resin in the first resin-flow-passage flow into the second resin-flow-passage after second molten resin is injected into the cavity through the second resin-flow-passage. The back flow device is operable in response to pressure which the first molten resin in the first resin-flow-passage exerts on second molten resin in the second resin-flow-passage.

The present invention relates to plastic diaphragm forming process and equipment. During the process, plastic material is first heated and plasticized in injection molding machine and then injected into the hot flow channel of the plastic diaphragm forming mold and sprayed via the heating nozzle into mold cavity, and the plastic diaphragm is finally taken out after cooling, setting and mold opening. The structure of hot injection flow channel ensures the plasticized material to fill the different parts of the mold cavity and this makes it possible to make thin diaphragm with very large area. The combined design of hot flow channel forming mold and the injection part makes the present invention is superior to available technology, especially being suitable for producing thin-wall plastic diaphragm.

A hot runner nozzle system (500) comprising a nozzle tip (100) adjacent to a nozzle (405) in series, and a retainer (400) adjoining both the nozzle tip (100) and the nozzle (405) in parallel, the retainer (400) having a first retainer thread (435), for connection to a nozzle thread (420) to form a first seal (450) between the nozzle end (440) of the retainer (400) and a nozzle shoulder (430), a second retainer thread (460), for connection to a tip thread (455) to form a second seal (470) between the inlet end (475) of the nozzle tip (100) and the gate end (425) of the nozzle (405), a seal ring (115) for creating a gate seal (496) with a gate insert (120), and a plurality of flats (410) thereon to facilitate torquing of the retainer (400) to the nozzle (405), the torque value applied to the retainer (400) being about two to four times of that applied to the nozzle tip (100) to facilitate removal of the nozzle tip (100) independent of the retainer (400).

A magnetic coupling for an injection molding apparatus, such as a hot half or hot runner, includes a first magnetic part for connection to an actuator, a valve pin plate, or the like and a movable second magnetic part for connection to a valve pin. The first magnetic part and the second magnetic part are coupled by a magnetic force. The first magnetic part can be part of the actuator. The second magnetic part can be part of the valve pin. A valve pin plate can be provided for a plurality of valve pins.

A method and apparatus of controlling commencement of an injection of a melt stream of moldable material from an auxiliary injection unit. A sensor is placed in an injection molding system to sense a condition related to an injection of a first melt stream of a first moldable material provided by a primary injection unit. Commencement of a second melt stream of a second moldable material from the auxiliary injection unit is initiated upon the sensed condition related to the injection of the first melt stream being detected at a preselected value. The sensed condition may be a pressure, velocity or temperature of the first melt stream as provided by a direct sensor, a force or strain on a hot runner component as provided by an indirect sensor or the occurrence of a function of the injection molding system as provided by a functional sensor.

Disclosed is a safety connector (100; 200; 300) for a hot runner (600) having a valve stem (104) and an actuation assembly (102), the safety connector (100) including: a shear member (106) releasably interlocking the valve stem (104) with the actuation assembly (102), once the shear member (106) has interlocked the valve stem (104) with the actuation assembly (102), the valve stem (104) becomes movable in response to movement of the actuation assembly (102), and the shear member (106) being configured to shear destructively, and responsive to a predetermined undesired force acting on the shear member (106), the shear member (106) shears and the valve stem (104) becomes released from the actuation assembly (102).

An injection molding apparatus having a manifold and several manifold melt channels communicating with several hot runner nozzles includes a melt redistribution element. The melt redistribution element is placed at specific locations along the melt channels to balance the uneven shear stress profile accumulated during the flow of a melt along the manifold channels. The melt redistribution element has an unobstructed central melt bore having at its inlet a narrowing tapered channel portion. The melt redistribution element also includes a helical melt pathway portion that surrounds the central melt bore. The incoming melt is first subjected to a pressure increase by the tapered portion that causes the melt to flow at a higher velocity through the central melt bore. The outer portion of the melt is forced to flow along the helical path and thus it changes direction multiple times and partially mixes with the melt flowing through the central melt bore. Accordingly, at the outlet of the melt redistribution element the shear stress profile is more evenly distributed than at the inlet of the redistribution element.

A hot runner system for injecting plastics material from a plasticizer unit into an injection mold for molding very small plastic devices, includes a hot runner manifold having an inlet for receiving melted plastics material from the plasticizer unit and a heater for maintaining the manifold at an elevated temperature. A check valve mounted in the manifold allows one way flow of the plastic in the feed conduit. This valve preferably comprises a ball type valve. A metering apparatus includes a cylinder forming an elongate metering chamber and a ram movable therein. An inner end of the chamber opens into one side of the feed conduit downstream of the check valve and the longitudinal axis of the chamber is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the conduit where they meet. At least one injector is connected to a downstream end of the feed conduit and it is spaced from the metering apparatus.

A nozzle for an injection molding apparatus is provided. The injection molding apparatus includes a manifold and a mold component. The manifold has at least one runner therein that is downstream from a melt source. The mold component defines at least one mold cavity and defining a gate into each mold cavity. The gate defines an axis. The mold component has a mold component alignment surface thereon. The nozzle includes a nozzle body, a tip, a tip surrounding piece and an alignment piece. The nozzle body defines a nozzle body melt passage, which is adapted to be in fluid communication and downstream from the at least one runner. The tip is removably connected to the nozzle body. The tip defines a tip melt passage therethrough. The tip melt passage is downstream from and in fluid communication with the nozzle body melt passage, and is upstream from and in fluid communication with the gate. The tip surrounding piece is removably connected with respect to the nozzle body. The alignment piece is positioned between the tip and the tip surrounding piece. The tip contacts the alignment piece to align the tip with respect to the alignment piece. The alignment piece contacts the tip surrounding piece to align the alignment piece with respect to the tip surrounding piece. The tip surrounding piece is adapted to contact the mold component to align the tip surrounding piece with respect to the gate, so that the tip is aligned with respect to the gate. The contact between the tip, the alignment piece, the tip surrounding piece and the mold component is adapted to be axially proximate the gate.

The invention relates to a semiautomatic argon tungsten-arc welding technological process of a bimetal compounding sea pipe, a labour hand-held semi-automatic welding gun welding is adopted, a wire feeder continuously feeds wires, and argon gas is utilized as protective gas. The technological process comprises the following operation steps of: firstly, procedure preparation before welding: manufacturing a groove, picking up fitting the groove, and selecting a welding material; secondly, backing welding process: adopting single layer one-pass welding, wherein two welders respectively stand thetwo sides of a welding seam so as to finish the backing welding; thirdly, hot-runner welding procedure: adopting single layer two-way welding and two-person welding; fourthly, filling welding procedure: adopting five-layer two-way welding and the two-person welding, and dismantling the protective gas after welding four layers; and fifthly, a cover surface welding process: adopting the single layer one-pass welding. The technological process provided by the invention has the advantages of high welding quality, small labour intensity, low construction cost, and high production efficiency; and the technological process is suitable for a compounding submarine pipeline and welding procedure of a subsidiary vertical pipe of the compounding submarine pipeline, and is suitable for the welding of a deep water composite material pressure container and deep water pipe manifold nickel base alloy and the like.

A side gate nozzle assembly for a hot runner apparatus comprises a disc shaped base body, a probe member, a sealing insulator, and a shape memory alloy washer. The probe member with a probe channel extends from the base body. A molten molding material is received through a melt channel of the nozzle body, and allowed to pass through the probe channel to be transferred to a cavity of a cavity member. The shape memory alloy washer is positioned between the base body and the sealing insulator. The shape memory alloy washer distorts linearly to push the sealing insulator and the probe member according to change in temperature due to transfer of the molten molding material from the melt channel to the cavity member via the probe channel. The distorted shape memory alloy washer prevents leakage of the molten molding material from the melt channel, and the probe channel.

A manifold system (50) comprising a main manifold (56) with a plurality of arms (64), a plurality of sub-manifolds (52) spaced from the main manifold (56) and communicating with the main manifold (56) through a plurality of melt transfer bushings (68) disposed between the main manifold (56) and the sub-manifolds (52). The melt transfer bushings (68) may include static mixers (140) to homogenize the melt. An air plate (70) is disposed between a backing plate (58) preferably housing the main manifold (56) and a manifold plate (54) preferably housing the sub-manifolds (52). The air plate (70) has a plurality of air channels (74) that communicate with valve gate nozzle actuators (90), which are received in actuator cavities (72) in the air plate (70). The air plate (70) is bolted to the manifold plate (54), and the backing plate (58) is bolted to the air plate (70) with bolting patterns not constrained by location of the main manifold (56) or sub-manifolds (52). The manifold system (50), as shown in FIG. 5, has better thermal and geometric balance, closer nozzle spacing, and better bolting for less plate bowing.

An injection molding system is disclosed having a self-regulating valve for balancing melt flow. The self-regulating valve includes a control rod configured to balance the melt flow rate through a hot runner system. The self-regulating valve reacts to an injection or melt pressure within the hot runner system and a pre-set force provided by an external force device. The self-regulating valve is an open-loop system as it requires neither a measurement of pressure by a sensor nor feedback from a processor in order to regulate the melt flow. The self-regulating valve mechanically reacts to changes in melt pressure on control surfaces thereof by “bobbing” upwards / downwards to decrease / increase the melt flow accordingly. The self-regulating valve compensates for conditions that affect melt pressure, such as an increase / decrease in melt viscosity, changes in melt temperature, and / or mold cavity size without the use of a processing device.