A nozzle for an injection molding apparatus is provided. The injection
molding apparatus includes a manifold and a mold component. The manifold
has at least one runner therein that is downstream from a melt source.
The mold component defines at least one mold cavity and defining a gate
into each mold cavity. The gate defines an axis. The mold component has a
mold component alignment surface thereon. The nozzle includes a nozzle
body, a tip, a tip surrounding piece and an alignment piece. The nozzle
body defines a nozzle body melt passage, which is adapted to be in fluid
communication and downstream from the at least one runner. The tip is
removably connected to the nozzle body. The tip defines a tip melt
passage therethrough. The tip melt passage is downstream from and in
fluid communication with the nozzle body melt passage, and is upstream
from and in fluid communication with the gate. The tip surrounding piece
is removably connected with respect to the nozzle body. The alignment
piece is positioned between the tip and the tip surrounding piece. The
tip contacts the alignment piece to align the tip with respect to the
alignment piece. The alignment piece contacts the tip surrounding piece
to align the alignment piece with respect to the tip surrounding piece.
The tip surrounding piece is adapted to contact the mold component to
align the tip surrounding piece with respect to the gate, so that the tip
is aligned with respect to the gate. The contact between the tip, the
alignment piece, the tip surrounding piece and the mold component is
adapted to be axially proximate the gate.