Platen assembly, molding system and method for platen orientation and alignment

A platen assembly for use in a molding machine, the platen assembly comprising:

• a) a platen having a front face arranged to mount, in use, a mold half thereon to produce, in an operational environment, a mold-platen sub-assembly that is potentially affected by sagging and tilting related to at least one of an overall mass thereof, its centre of gravity, inertia effects arising from movement of the mold-platen sub-assembly and a structural configuration of the platen;
• and
• b) an anti-tilt apparatus coupled to the platen, the anti-tilt apparatus having:
• an actuator controllable in response to at least one of:
• i) a measured inclination of the platen;
• and ii) a tilting moment acting on the platen;
• the actuator generating a compensating up-lift that acts to substantially horizontally align the mold-platen sub-assembly by compensating for sagging and bending effects caused by at least one of the overall mass, the centre of gravity, the inertia effects arising from movement of the mold-platen sub-assembly and the structural configuration of the platen;
• and
• wherein the actuator is operable to act under the front face of the platen to generate the compensating up-lift at any position of the mold-platen sub-assembly during its movement between an open and a closed position.