Injection-molding product wall-thickness control methods

A method of controlling the wall thickness of a plastic product while injection molding the product in a mold cavity of a mold comprising a core section and a cavity section, separated by a parting line and defining the mold cavity therebetween,

• the method comprising the steps of
• (a) forming a mold cavity having a longitudinal axis by combining the core section with the cavity section, wherein at least one section includes a longitudinally protractable and retractable contact element, with the end of the contact element that faces the mold cavity including a contact surface;
• (b) protracting the contact element to a forward position so that the contact surface of the contact element contacts an associated contact surface of the other mold section;
• (c) injecting a first quantity of plastic material to cause said first quantity of plastic material to flow into the mold cavity while the contact element is in the forward position to form at least one first-plastic-material wall section of the product;
• (d) cooling the injected first quantity of plastic material in the mold cavity while discontinuing the flow of plastic material into the mold cavity for a predetermined period;
• (e) retracting the contact element to a rear position where the contact surface of the contact element ceases to contact the associated contact surface of the other mold section;
• (f) injecting a second quantity of plastic material into the mold cavity after the injected first quantity of plastic material has at least partly solidified and while the contact element is in the rear position, wherein any lateral movement of the core section in relation to the cavity section that might be caused by injection of the second quantity of plastic material is impeded by the at-least-partly-solidified first-plastic-material wall section;
• wherein step (d) comprises the step of
• (g) at least partly solidifying the first-plastic-material wall section having a controlled thickness to impede lateral movement of the core section in relation to the cavity section;
• wherein step (f) comprises the step of
• (h) injecting a second quantity of plastic material into the mold cavity while movement of the core section in relation to the cavity section is impeded by the at-least-partly-solidified wall section having a controlled thickness;
• and
• wherein step (a) comprises the step of
• (i) forming the mold cavity with a core section that includes said contact element, and with the mold sections that define a gate, an end region adjacent the gate, and a side region adjacent the end region, wherein the side region has a negative slope so that when the contact element is retracted to the rear position during step (e) the first-plastic-material wall section formed during step (c) is compressed.