Abstract: A hot channel device for guiding an incoming hot melt, in particular a plastic melt, to a gate opening of a mould insert of a tool, which gate opening can be opened and closed again by a movable needle, wherein the hot channel device has a first hot channel region, with a coolable melt transfer region, and a second hot channel region, which are arranged one behind the other in the flow direction of the melt toward the mould insert, wherein the coolable melt transfer region has a melt transfer chamber, which is penetrated by the needle, said needle being guided displaceably in a needle channel so as to be sealed by a needle seal, and the needle channel continues in an aligned manner in a melt channel of the second hot channel region.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling an actuator which actuates an axially displaceable pin valve of an apparatus for injection molding of plastic materials, where the control system includes an electronic control unit of the actuator which adjusts at least one among position, speed and acceleration of the pin valve, and a position sensor which detects a position of a plunger of the actuator and is operatively connected to the electronic control unit. The position sensor indirectly detects the position of the plunger of the actuator.

Abstract: Injection molding apparatus (1) comprising: an actuator (14, 940, 941, 942) comprising a rotor (940r, 941r, 942r) controllably rotatable by electric power, the actuator (14, 940, 941, 942) being interconnected to a controller (16) that generates drive signals (DC), an electrical drive device (940d, 941d, 942d) comprising an interface that receives the drive signals (DC) and controllably distributes electrical energy or power in controllably varied amounts according to the drive signals (DC) to a driver (940dr, 941dr, 942dr) that drives the rotor (940r, 941r, 942r), a valve pin (1040, 1041, 1042) having an axis (X) and a control surface (43, 45, 102m) drivable upstream and downstream through a downstream feed channel (17, 19, 160, 940c, 941c, 942c) the downstream feed channel having a complementary surface (47, 103s) adapted to interface with the control surface (43, 45, 102m) upstream and away from the gate.

Abstract: A method includes placing a package structure into a mold chase, with top surfaces of device dies in the package structure contacting a release film in the mold chase. A molding compound is injected into an inner space of the mold chase through an injection port, with the injection port on a side of the mold chase. During the injection of the molding compound, a venting step is performed through a first venting port and a second venting port of the mold chase. The first venting port has a first flow rate, and the second port has a second flow rate different from the first flow rate.

Abstract: A void former is arranged in a mold (30). The void former includes an insert (1) made of flexible material that forms a loop around a core region (15) within the mold. Casting material is added in a fluid state into the mold so as to fill a predefined volume for the facing element, including the core region. After hardening of the casting material, the facing element (10) is removed from the mold, and the void former is removed from the facing element. The facing element comprises an anchoring core formed by the hardened casting material in the core region (15). Removing the void former comprises pulling the insert (1) away from a rear surface of the facing element (10). The flexible material of the at least one insert is deformed around the anchoring core (15) while it is pulled.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing (AM) system, an AM method, and an AM feature extraction method are provided. The AM system includes an AM tool, a product metrology system, an in-situ metrology system, a virtual metrology (VM) system, a compensator, a track planner, a controller, a simulator and an augmented reality (AR) device. The simulator is used to find feasible parameter ranges, while the AR device is used to support operations and maintenance of the AM tool. The product metrology system, the in-situ metrology system and the VM system are integrated to estimate the variation of material on a powder bed of the AM tool. The compensator is used for compensating the process variation by adjusting process parameters. The product metrology system is used to measure the quality of products. The in-situ metrology system is used to collect features of melt pools on the powder bed.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing (AM) system, an AM method, and an AM feature extraction method are provided. The AM system includes an AM tool, a product metrology system, an in-situ metrology system, a virtual metrology (VM) system, a compensator, a track planner, a controller, a simulator and an augmented reality (AR) device. The simulator is used to find feasible parameter ranges, while the AR device is used to support operations and maintenance of the AM tool. The product metrology system, the in-situ metrology system and the VM system are integrated to estimate the variation of material on a powder bed of the AM tool. The compensator is used for compensating the process variation by adjusting process parameters. The product metrology system is used to measure the quality of products. The in-situ metrology system is used to collect features of melt pools on the powder bed.

Abstract: A method of forming a urinary catheter is disclosed that includes injecting a polymer melt through a primary melt channel and into an elongated recess around an outer surface of a core; and controlling a first pressure of the polymer melt in a first secondary melt channel separately and individually from a second pressure of the polymer melt in a second secondary melt channel and reducing stress of the polymer melt along the elongated recess. Opening the mould and removing the core provides a moulded intermittent urinary catheter having an open distal end and a closed proximal tip.

Abstract: Methods and systems for imprinting, including receiving template slippage data about a change in a position of a template relative to a reference position. Also, a desired actinic radiation pattern to expose formable material in an imprinting field under a template border region of the template may be received. In addition, a new actinic radiation pattern to expose the template border region that compensates for the template slippage may be determined. The formable material in the imprinting field on the substrate may be contacted with the template. The template border region may be exposed to the new actinic radiation pattern while the template is in contact with the formable material.

Abstract: A conditioned jack for actuating a valve pin of an injector for apparatus for injection molding of plastic materials, includes a cylinder having at least one thrust chamber delimited on one side by a first bottom and on the other side by a second bottom, a support of the cylinder for securing the jack to the molding apparatus, and a flow circuit for a conditioning fluid of the jack, which is formed within a bushing which constitutes said second bottom, is separable from the cylinder and is provided with inner and outer annular sealing gaskets of respectively the cylinder and a stem.

Abstract: A mold (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention is a mold which is formed by additive manufacturing. The mold includes: a heat medium channel (10) for a heat medium to flow through, the heat medium channel being provided inside the mold; a medium introduction port (4) at which the heat medium is to be introduced into the mold; a medium discharge port (5) at which the heat medium is to be discharged out of the mold; and a buffer layer (20) located between a mold surface (1a) and the heat medium channel. The buffer layer includes a low-melting percentage portion (21) having a lower melting percentage than does any portion inside the mold other than the buffer layer.

Abstract: A pattern forming method using a photo-nanoimprint process on each of a plurality of shot areas: a step (1) of laying a layer of a curable composition (A1); a step (2) of dispensing liquid droplets of a curable composition (A2) dropwise discretely onto the layer of (A1); a step (3) of sandwiching a layer obtained by partially mixing (A1) and (A2), between a mold and the substrate; a step (4) of irradiating the layer with light to cure the layer; and a step (5) of releasing the mold from the layer of (A1) and (A2), in which when steps from the step (3) to the step (5) are collectively called an imprinting step [Im], in a time period from an end of the step (2) to a beginning of the step [Im] in one shot, the step (2) or the step [Im] is performed on another shot area.

Abstract: A method and device for producing an optimized neck contour on preforms below the neck which is optimal for subsequent stretch blow molding. The geometry has a significantly thinner wall thickness than the neck itself. The preform can only be produced in the injection molding tool, when axial channels are used on the point or the vanes produce the thin points on the preform during injection molding. The thin-walled geometry on the preform can be produced outside of the mold during post-cooling by embossing. The preform is then removed in a cooled receiving sleeve and is cooled in the body by intensive contact cooling while no cooling contact is made with the preform neck due to the initial position of the embossing element. Due to the reheating of the neck they can be mechanically deformed into a new geometry advantageous for blow molding and thus wall thickness can be influenced.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a mold for forming the cover of a golf ball having a non-planar parting line on its spherical surface.

Abstract: One aspect relates to an injection molding system for the injection molding of amorphous metals, an injection molding unit for the injection molding of amorphous metals and an injection molding process for amorphous metals. The injection molding system includes a channel for feeding a molten metal and a slider unit including a slider and a pressure system. The slider is located between the channel and at least one injection molding cavity and is movable between a rest position and an injection position. In the rest position, the slider blocks the access of the molten metal to the injection molding cavity and in the injection position it allows the molten metal to access the injection molding cavity. The pressure system holds the slider in the rest position and allows the slider to move to the injection position when a minimum pressure is exceeded.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating three-dimensional rubber-like objects which utilize one or more modeling material formulations which comprise an elastomeric curable material and silica particles are provided. Objects made of the modeling material formulations and featuring improved mechanical properties are also provided.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system including a two-dimensional energy patterning system for imaging a powder bed is disclosed. Improved chamber designs, multiple chambers, powder handling and re-use systems, and powder characterization methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A system including: a container for holding a photosensitive medium adapted to change states upon exposure to a light source; an optical imaging system, configured to move above the container holding the photosensitive medium, and having the light source; and a control system configured to: slice a digital model of a three-dimensional object into a slice having a cross section; generate a build cross section by filling a two-dimensional image with one or more copies of the cross section; add to the build cross section a conformal lattice to fill space in the build cross section around the one or more copies of the cross section; and control movement of the optical imaging system above the container to cure a portion of the photosensitive medium corresponding to the build cross section to produce a layer of a three-dimensional object.

Abstract: A method for forming a pattern by using a photo-nanoimprint process includes performing, on each of a plurality of shot areas on a surface of a substrate: a step (1) of dispensing liquid droplets of a curable composition (A) dropwise discretely; a step (2) of bringing the curable composition (A) and a mold into contact with each other; a step (3) of irradiating the curable composition (A) with light; and a step (4) of releasing the mold from a cured product of the curable composition (A), in which when steps from the step (2) to the step (4) are collectively called an imprinting step (Im), before the imprinting step (Im) is performed on one shot area on which the step (1) has already been performed out of the plurality of shot areas, the step (1) is performed on another shot area selected from the plurality of shot areas.

Abstract: A build material management system for a 3D printing system is described in which a non-fused purged build material port is to output purged non-fused build material from a build material transportation system. An emptying of substantially all non-fused build material from at least a portion of the build material transportation system to the non-fused purged build material port in response to a received purge signal is controlled by processing circuitry of the build material management system.