Visual control process for valve gates

A system for electronically controlling the movement of pin assembly for a valve gate mechanism of an injection molding machine comprising:

• at least one valve being part of said injection molding machine, said injection molding machine having a press screw for delivering molten material through said at least one valve into a mold based on a plurality of trigger parameters;
• a graphical user interface operable for controlling said at least one valve of said injection molding machine;
• a plurality of parameters comprising said plurality of trigger parameters, said plurality of parameters operable with said graphical user interface for sending commands to said injection molding machine;
• and
• wherein said at least one valve of said injection molding machine is controlled electronically;
• one of said plurality of trigger parameters further comprising a specific amount of time, and another of said plurality of trigger parameters further comprising a flow gap, wherein the position of said valve is changed such that said at least one valve has said flow gap when said press screw has been moving for said specific amount of time.

A method for controlling the opening and closing of a valve used in an injection molding machine, comprising the steps of:

• providing an injection molding machine;
• providing at least one valve gate used with said injection molding machine;
• providing a plurality of parameters comprising one or more recipes, said one or more recipes comprising a plurality of trigger parameters;
• providing a press screw operable for moving molten material through said at least one valve into a mold based on said plurality of trigger parameters;
• providing a graphical user interface between a user and said injection molding machine;
• and
• electronically controlling said at least one valve gate with said graphical user interface;
• wherein said plurality of trigger parameters comprises the steps of:
• providing a press position, said press position is the position of said press screw in said injection molding machine;
• providing a specific amount of time that the press screw has moved in said injection molding machine;
• and
• providing a flow gap, wherein said at least one valve is positioned to have said flow gap such that said molten material will flow through said flow gap, and said at least one valve will move to create said flow gap when said press screw is in said press position or said press screw has been operating for said specific amount of time.