Injection molding and assembly apparatus and method of molding and assembling a plurality of two different molded parts

An injection molding and assembly apparatus comprising:

• a first injection unit to provide a first molten material comprising a hot runner system;
• a first machine platen and a second machine platen;
• a first injection molding station defined between the first machine platen and the second machine platen;
• a first mold plate and
• a second mold plate, the second mold plate comprising at least a portion of a plurality of first mold cavities of type A and at least a portion of a plurality of mold cavities of type B,
• wherein the second mold plate is laterally movable relative to the first mold plate and outside the injection molding station
• wherein the plurality of first mold cavities of type A are configured to form a plurality of molded parts of type A′, and
• wherein the plurality of mold cavities of type B are configured to form a plurality of molded parts of type B′ that have a different structure relative to the molded parts of type A′;
• a transferring mechanism to carry the second mold plate including the molded parts of type A′ and of type B′ outside the injection molding station;
• a tempering device located at a tempering station to temper the molded parts of type A′ and type B′;
• a first device located at a removing and coupling station to remove the molded parts of type A′ from the second mold plate;
• a second device located at the removing and coupling station to position the molded parts of type A′ in a predetermined position relative to the molded parts of type B′;
• and
• a removing and coupling device located at the removing and coupling station to separate the molded parts of type B′ from the second mold plate and to couple the molded parts of type A′ and type B′ to create an assembly of molded parts of type A′ and type B′,
• wherein the transferring mechanism is configured to carry the second mold plate to the tempering station after the first injection unit has provided the first molten material to the plurality of mold cavities of type A and B;
• and
• wherein the transferring mechanism is configured to carry the second mold plate to the removing and coupling station after the tempering device has tempered the plurality of molded parts of type A′ and the plurality of molded parts of type B′.