Precision article molding methods and apparatus

In an injection molding apparatus for precision molding articles of thermoplastic material, the molding apparatus including a molding assembly having a moveable mold part and a fixed mold part, a force imparting mechanism for forcing the moveable mold part against the fixed mold part during a molding cycle and for thereafter retracting the moveable mold part from the fixed mold part, and an injection system for injecting thermoplastic material during the molding cycle into a precision molding cavity defined by adjacent faces of the moveable mold part and the fixed mold part of the molding assembly, an improvement comprising:

• an adjustable mold component and a fixed mold component, for molding said articles,
• a bias force providing means for applying a bias force to the adjustable mold component,
• an adjustable mold component fine position adjustment means operable exteriorly of the mold for applying a position adjustment force to the adjustable mold component to overcome the bias force and thereby adjust position of the adjustable mold component relative to a fixed mold component to reduce positional offset in at least one adjustment dimension.

A mold block for use in a precision injection molding apparatus having an opening-closing axis, the mold block defining a generally rectangular box-shaped cavity, a cavity block having a plurality of spatially separated precision features on an outer surface and being located in the cavity and biased in at least one dimension normal to the opening-closing axis by displaceable bias force providing means, and a precision force-providing device operable exteriorly of the mold block for precisely positioning the cavity block in the cavity by displacing the block against the displaceable bias force means in at least one lineal adjustment dimension.