Abstract: Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for combining two or more streams of a polymeric material to form a plastic object. The method and apparatus are capable of ending an interior layer of the plastic object at a desired length to avoid the need to clean selected surfaces of components used to form the plastic object. The method and apparatus increase the velocity of the polymeric material used to form the plastic object in certain components used to form the plastic object. The increase in the velocity of the polymeric material facilitates the ending of the interior layer of the plastic object.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for forming a plurality of multiple layer plastic articles. The methods and systems utilize shooting pot technology in combination with a combination of thermal control elements and in some instances, specialized flow bore geometries to control a thermal property and a flow parameter of selected polymeric material flowing through the system to mold the plurality of multiple layer plastic articles. Both the systems and methods are well suited for use to perform simultaneous flow injection or sequential flow injection to form the plurality of multiple layer plastic articles. The systems and methods described therein beneficially reduce the mold cavity pitch size for multiple layer molds used with systems having shooting pot technology to a mold cavity pitch size found on conventional monolayer molds to provide a plurality of multiple layer plastic articles having a cost similar to monolayer plastic articles.

Abstract: A method of co-extruding a plurality of plastic material flowing streams into a mold cavity produces a molded product. Inner and outer streams of covering plastic materials are combined with at least one interior stream that is to serve as an interior core of a resulting molded plastic product. The combined streams are forced to flow along annular flow paths, with the annular interior stream encased within the inner and outer annular covering plastic material stream layers. The flows of the interior stream and the inner and outer streams are controlled so that: the interior stream has a flow velocity that is greater than an average velocity of the combined stream, and the interior stream does not flow along or across a zero-velocity-gradient streamline of the combined streams.

Abstract: A control system for use with a multi-layer molding device having an inspection device for measuring a characteristic of a product of a cavity of the molding device and a controller adapted to receive information corresponding to the at least one characteristic from the inspection device and to alter the molding device based on the information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for evenly distributing a fluid that exhibits shear heating is disclosed herein. The method and apparatus provide an intersection geometry for an intersection of a bore and sub-bore. The intersection geometry controls distribution of a flow asymmetry of a working material to facilitate the division of shear heated material into substantially equal portions at subsequent downstream locations. At least one method is disclosed for forming the flow bore intersections of the present invention.

Abstract: A measurement method and apparatus for measuring the thickness of a layered material such as a co-injection preform to be used in injection molding or blow molding of articles. One exemplary method includes applying a killing function to reduce the ringing associated with projection and measuring of wave energy. A second exemplary method includes summing characteristic function to determine the thickness of the core.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for combining two or more streams of a polymeric material to form a plastic object. The method and apparatus are capable of ending an interior layer of the plastic object at a desired length to avoid the need to clean selected surfaces of components used to form the plastic object. The method and apparatus increase the velocity of the polymeric material used to form the plastic object in certain components used to form the plastic object. The increase in the velocity of the polymeric material facilitates the ending of the interior layer of the plastic object.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for extruding plastic articles, the method comprising the steps of injecting at least one stream of plastic material into a mold, the mold including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of said mold being used for forming at least one article, and the second portion of said article forming a sprue attached to the at least one article, and, terminating the at least one stream of plastic material in the second portion.

Abstract: A novel technique for molding multi-layer polymer plastic articles having inner, outer and interior or core layers by controlling relative volumetric flow rates of the inner and outer layers to enable relative shifting of the position of the core, and also the relative thickness of the inner and outer layers in the molded articles; and with leading, and, where desired, trailing ends of the interior layer flow into the mold cavity substantially positioned on the zero gradient of the velocity profile of the flowing polymer streams.

Abstract: A novel technique for molding multi-layer polymer plastic articles having inner, outer and interior or core layers by controlling relative volumetric flow rates of the inner and outer layers to enable relative shifting of the position of the core, and also the relative thickness of the inner and outer layers in the molded articles; and with leading, and, where desired, trailing ends of the interior layer flow into the mold cavity substantially positioned on the zero gradient of the velocity profile of the flowing polymer streams.

Abstract: A multiple-plastic stream co-extruder, as for injection-molding cavities, in which the extruder is internally provided therewithin and therealong with a restrictor or throttle pin, rod or element that forces combined plastic material streams, formed with an interior core stream encased in outer and inner stream layers, into corresponding concentric annular flow stream layers that are ultimately split transversely in opposite directions into a cavity gated to the extruder, and with the core stream at a region of zero gradient in the transverse flow velocity profile within the extruder and cavity.

Abstract: A multiple-plastic stream co-extruder as for injection-molding cavities, in which the extruder is internally provided therewithin and therealong with a restrictor or throttle pin, rod or element that forces combined plastic material streams, formed with an interior core stream encased in outer and inner stream layers, into corresponding concentric annular flow stream layers that are ultimately split transversely in opposite directions into a cavity gated to the extruder, and with the core stream at a region of zero gradient in the transverse flow velocity profile within the extruder and cavity.