Apparatus for performing an injection molding cycle comprising: a manifold that receives an injection fluid material, the manifold having or communicating with a delivery channel that delivers the injection fluid mold material under an injection pressure to a gate of a mold cavity, a pneumatic actuator driven by a source of pressurized gas having a selected maximum pressure capable of driving the actuator and an interconnected valve pin at one or more maximum velocities, the pneumatic actuator comprising a pair of opposing first and second gas drive chambers (102, 104), the actuator driving the valve pin upstream and downstream along a path of travel having a selected stroke length that extends between a first position where the valve pin prevents the injection fluid material from flowing into the cavity and one or more selected maximum flow positions at which the injection fluid material flows at a maximum rate through the gate into the cavity, the valve pin and the fluid delivery channel being adapted to vary rate of flow of the injection fluid material to less than the maximum rate when the valve pin is disposed at one or more selectable intermediate positions between the first position and the maximum flow position, the pneumatic actuator being controllably drivable to drive the valve pin upstream at one or more selectable reduced velocities that are less than the one or more maximum velocities, characterized in that the apparatus further comprises a pneumatic valve assembly (90, 500) that controls the rate of delivery of the pressurized gas from the source to and from the gas drive chambers (102, 104) of the pneumatic actuator to controllably drive the actuator and valve pin upstream and downstream, wherein the pneumatic valve assembly (90, 500) comprises a cylinder housing having fluid delivery ports (CP1, CP2) for delivering pressurized gas to and from the gas drive chambers (102, 104) of the actuator, an interior bore defined by an interior wall, and a spool having one or more heads (540, 550, 560) and recesses disposed between the heads, the heads (540, 550, 560) having an outside surface (HS1, HS2, HS3) integral with the heads (540, 550, 560) that slidably engages with the interior wall of the cylinder housing to form a seal against flow of the pressurized gas between the engaged surfaces, wherein a drive mechanism is mounted to the spool, the drive mechanism being controllably energizable to cause the spool to travel, the drive mechanism travelling together with the spool and being supported during travel solely by mounting (SA, 607) to the spool, the spool being controllably and translationally drivable within the cylinder housing by the drive mechanism to selectively open and close the fluid delivery ports (CP1, CP2) a selected degree to control flow of pressurized gas to and from the drive chambers (102, 104), the apparatus includes a controller containing instructions that instruct the pneumatic valve assembly (90, 500) to drive the valve pin either upstream or downstream through selected ones of the intermediate positions at one or more selected reduced velocities that are reduced relative to the one or more maximum velocities, and wherein the outside surfaces (HS1, HS2, HS3) of the heads (540, 550, 560) are comprised of a metal material and the interior wall of the bores that is slidably engaged with the outside surfaces (HS1, HS2, HS3) of the heads (540, 550, 560) is comprised of a metal material, the engaged surfaces being metal on metal. a manifold that receives an injection fluid material, the manifold having or communicating with a delivery channel that delivers the injection fluid mold material under an injection pressure to a gate of a mold cavity, a pneumatic actuator driven by a source of pressurized gas having a selected maximum pressure capable of driving the actuator and an interconnected valve pin at one or more maximum velocities, the pneumatic actuator comprising a pair of opposing first and second gas drive chambers (102, 104), the actuator driving the valve pin upstream and downstream along a path of travel having a selected stroke length that extends between a first position where the valve pin prevents the injection fluid material from flowing into the cavity and one or more selected maximum flow positions at which the injection fluid material flows at a maximum rate through the gate into the cavity, the valve pin and the fluid delivery channel being adapted to vary rate of flow of the injection fluid material to less than the maximum rate when the valve pin is disposed at one or more selectable intermediate positions between the first position and the maximum flow position, the pneumatic actuator being controllably drivable to drive the valve pin upstream at one or more selectable reduced velocities that are less than the one or more maximum velocities,