Milacron Inc.

Sean F Johnson

Andrew Keith Stirn

Matthew August Gunderson

James Michael Lightfield

Andrew K Stirn

James M Lightfield

An apparatus simultaneously operates all split locking nuts of an injection molding machine two-platen clamp unit to engage and disengage the split locking nuts with clamp unit strain rods. Each split locking nut has opposed pivoting nut halves operated by coupling rotation of a rotating member through a predetermined angular range to the nut halves via translating members such as push rods. The push rods are pivotably connected to the rotating member and to the nut halves so that the direction of each push rod relative to the rotating member and to the nut half changes with rotation of the rotating member. A method of molding comprises: disengaging split locking nuts from strain rods; positioning a moveable platen assembly to abut mating mold components; simultaneously operating the split locking nuts to engage the strain rods; and, applying force to the abutted mold components sufficient for injection and cure of melt.

Apparatus and method for injection molding

Force from an electrically operated ejector mechanism of a molding machine is selectably supplemented by operation of second actuators. Second actuators are advantageously fluid (hydraulic or pneumatic) operated to supplement force provided by an electrically operated primary actuator when the ejector mechanism is driven to advance ejector members into cavities of a mold assembly. The second actuators may be enabled to be operated during automatically controlled execution of a machine cycle of operation and may be operated in response to operator selections when machine operation is controlled manually.

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Hamilton, OH, United States of America

Sean F Johnson