Post-mold cooling method

A method of cooling a molded article having a first region at a relatively high heat and an adjacent region at a relatively lower heat, the method comprising the steps of:

• removing a molded article from a mold comprising mold halves, the molded article removed into a holder of an end of arm tool while said molded article retains an amount of heat, the end of arm tool being movable between (i) a first position between the mold halves where the holder receives the molded article and (ii) a second position outside of the mold;
• withdrawing the end of arm tool from between the mold halves to the second position;
• at a time after withdrawal of the end of arm tool to the second position, inserting a tip of a cooling pin into the molded article while the molded article is held within the holder;
• forming an open system in relation to the cooling pin and the molded article, the open system comprising a substantially annular outlet defined by an outer surface of the cooling pin and an inner surface of the molded article, the open system having a passageway allowing venting of gaseous cooling fluid from an interior of the molded article to an ambient environment;
• and
• forcing a gaseous cooling fluid along an internal channel of the cooling pin, the internal channel terminating at the tip that, upon insertion into the molded article, is spaced away from the first region, the gaseous cooling fluid being expelled from the tip mostly in a direction of the first region to accentuate cooling within at least the first region, and whereby the gaseous cooling fluid is allowed to flow from the interior of the molded article and via the passageway to vent into the ambient environment.

A method of cooling a molded article having a gate portion, the method comprising the steps of:

• removing a molded article from a mold comprising mold halves, the molded article removed into a holder of an end of arm tool while said molded article retains an amount of heat;
• withdrawing the end of arm tool front between the mold halves;
• at a time immediately following withdrawal of the end of arm tool from between the mold halves, inserting a tip of a cooling pin into the molded article while the molded article is held within the holder;
• forming an open system by positioning the cooling pin relative to an open end of said molded article to define an annular space between a region of an external surface of the cooling pin and the open end of said molded article adjacent the region of the external surface, the space allowing venting of gaseous cooling fluid from an interior of the molded article to an ambient environment;
• and
• forcing a gaseous cooling fluid along an internal channel of the cooling pin, the internal channel terminating at the tip that, upon insertion into the molded article, is spaced away from the gate portion, the gaseous cooling fluid expelled from the tip mostly in a direction of the gate portion to accentuate cooling within at least a region of the molded article surrounding the gate portion, and whereby the gaseous cooling fluid is allowed to flow, in use, from the interior of the molded article to vent into the ambient environment from the space at the open end of the molded article.

A method for cooling a plurality of molded articles, comprising the steps of;

• separating the plurality of molded articles from a mold cavity device;
• inserting the plurality of molded articles into an exterior cooling device, said exterior cooling device including an array of cooling cavities, each cooling cavity having a plurality of cooling fluid passageways configured to cool an exterior surface of a respective molded article;
• cooling the exterior surfaces of the plurality of molded articles after they have been removed from a mold cavity device, using the exterior cooling device;
• and
• inserting an interior cooling device into an interior of the plurality of molded articles, said interior cooling device including an array of cooling cavity pins, each cooling pin having (i) an interior cooling fluid passageway configured to supply cooling fluid to a distal end of said each cooling pin, and (ii) a cooling fluid exit, in fluid communication with said cooling fluid passageway, for directing cooling fluid at an interior surface of a portion of the respective molded article, an annular space being formed between an external surface of each interior cooling device and an open end of a corresponding molded article, upon insertion into the molded article each interior cooling device is spaced away from the corresponding molded article;
• and
• cooling interior surfaces of the plurality of molded articles, said interior cooling device supplying the cooling fluid to said cooling fluid exit at a time when said exterior cooling device is cooling the exterior surface of the respective molded article.

A method of cooling a molded article having a first region at a relatively high heat and an adjacent region at a relatively lower heat, the method comprising:

• removing a molded article from a mold comprised from mold halves, the molded article removed into a holder of an end-of-arm tool while said molded article retains an amount of heat, the end-of-arm tool operational between a first position between the mold halves where the holder receives the molded article and a second position outside of the mold;
• withdrawing the end-of-arm tool from between the mold halves to the second position;
• at a time after withdrawal of the end-of-arm tool to the second position, inserting a tip of a cooling pin into the molded article while the molded article is held within the holder;
• forming an open system in relation to the cooling pin and the molded article, the open system having a passageway allowing venting of gaseous cooling fluid from an interior of the molded article to an ambient environment, the open system formed by positioning the cooling pin relative to an open end of said molded article to define a space between a region of an external surface of the cooling pin and the open end of said molded article adjacent the region of the external surface, wherein the space defines the passageway;
• and
• forcing a gaseous cooling fluid along an internal channel of the cooling pin, the internal channel terminating at the tip that, upon insertion into the molded article, is spaced away from the first region, the gaseous cooling fluid expelled from the tip mostly in a direction of the first region to accentuate cooling within at least the first region, and whereby the gaseous cooling fluid is allowed to flow from the interior of the molded article and via the passageway to vent into the ambient environment and wherein cooperation of the internal channel and the tip, when located within the molded article, focuses the cooling fluid on the first region.