Center gating injection molding apparatus with removable hetero-molding tools

An injection molding press apparatus comprising:

• a mold assembly comprising a fixed side and an ejection side which sides when pressed together form- a plurality of mold cavities, said fixed side of said mold assembly comprising a top clamp plate, a manifold plate, a first fixed back-up plate, a stripper plate, a second fixed back-up plate and a fixed plate, said ejector side of said mold assembly comprising a bottom clamp plate, an ejector box assembly comprising a plurality of ejector rails, an ejector box plate and an ejector retainer plate, a first ejector support plate, a second ejector support plate and an ejector plate, wherein said fixed side further comprises a plurality of sucker pin retainer plates substantially affixed to said first fixed back-up plate and a plurality of sucker pins substantially affixed to said sucker retainer plates, said plurality of sucker pins extending through said stripper plate and said second fixed back-up plate;
• a plurality of interchangeable molding tools attached to said mold assembly for molding a plurality of different components, each interchangeable molding tool comprising a fixed tool side having a runner tool distribution system and all ejector tool side having an ejector tool plate, an ejector tool back-up plate, a tool pusher retainer, plate, a pusher tool bar and a plurality of ejector pins substantially affixed to said ejector tool retainer plate extending through said ejector tool retainer plate,
• wherein said fixed side of said mold assembly comprises a fixed molding surface having a plurality of fixed mold cavities for insertion of each fixed tool side of said interchangeable molding tools, said fixed tool side of each interchangeable molding tool having a size smaller than each fixed mold cavity, each fixed mold cavity having an outside fixed mold cavity perimeter.
• wherein said ejector side of said mold assembly comprises an ejector molding surface having a plurality of ejector mold cavities for insertion of each ejector tool side of said interchangeable molding tools, each ejector tool side of each interchangeable molding tool having a size small than each ejector mold cavity, each ejector mold cavity having an outside ejector mold cavity perimeter;
• a securing means for securing said interchangeable molding tools to said mold assembly comprising a plurality of fixed locking keys which releasably lock said fixed tool side of said interchangeable molding tools to said fixed side of said mold assembly, said fixed molding surface having a plurality of fixed locking key holes located substantially adjacent to each outside fixed mold cavity perimeter, and a plurality of ejector rotating locking keys which releasably lock said ejector tool side of said interchangeable molding tools to said ejector side of said mold assembly, said ejector molding surface having a plurality of ejector locking key holes located substantially adjacent to each outside ejector mold cavity perimeter;
• a locking means for locking said mold assembly when said molding surfaces arc pressed together to form said mold cavity comprising a locking apparatus;
• a means for injecting a molding material directly into said interchangeable molding tool for forming said plurality of different components comprises said top clamp plate of said fixed side having a receiving aperture for injection of said molding material by a conventional injection apparatus, a plurality of injection channels, a hot manifold system, and a plurality of injection exit nozzles, wherein said molding material once injected into said receiving aperture of said top clamp plate travels through said injection channels into said hot manifold system until said molding material is released by said injection exit nozzles into each runner tool distribution system located within each fixed tool side of each interchangeable molding tool;
• a plurality of runner tool distribution systems, each runner tool distribution system forming a runner when said injection material has set;
• a cooling means for cooling said plurality of different components comprising a water jacket apparatus for injection molding systems;
• a stripping means for separating each runner from each molded component once said molding material has set, comprising the separation of said stripper plate from said second fixed back-up plate, wherein said sucker pins which are releasably attached to said stripper plates releasably affix to said runners and retract away from said fixed plate causing each runner to break away from each molded component;
• a first removal means for removing said runners from said mold assembly;
• and
• a releasing means for releasing said plurality of different components once said molding material has set comprises robotic removal of said runners.