An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow of fluid mold material from an injection molding machine to a mold cavity, the apparatus comprising: a manifold that receives an injection fluid mold material, the manifold having a delivery channel that delivers the injection fluid mold material under an injection pressure to a gate of a mold cavity disposed within a mold, the gate being controllably opened and closed by a valve pin having a pin axis, the valve pin being slidably mounted for reciprocal upstream and downstream linear movement along the pin axis such that a downstream end of the valve pin is drivable into and out of open and closed positions relative to the gate, an electric actuator comprising an electric motor comprised of a motor housing that houses a drive shaft having a drive gear and a drive axis that is rotatably mounted within the motor housing and is drivably rotatable around the drive axis by a source of electrical power or energy and a transmission comprised of a gear shaft rotatably mounted within a transmission housing, the gear shaft having a gear axis and a transmission gear (72, 190, 195, 197) drivably rotatable around the gear axis, the drive gear and the transmission gear (72, 190, 195, 197) being drivably interconnected and arranged such that the drive axis and the gear axis are non-coaxially mounted or disposed relative to each other and such that driven rotation of the drive gear around the drive axis rotatably drives the gear shaft around the gear axis, the gear shaft being interconnected to an upstream end of a linear travel converter (72, 802) and the valve pin being interconnected to a downstream end of the linear travel converter (72, 802), the interconnection between the converter (72, 802) and the gear shaft being adapted to convert rotation of the gear shaft to linear travel of the valve pin, wherein the motor housing and the transmission housing are fixedly connected to each other and mounted within a top clamping or mounting plate (39, 45) that is mounted upstream of the manifold and fixedly interconnected to the mold, the valve pin comprising a pin stem and a pin head (34, 94) reversibly receivable within a coupling in a radial direction that couples the valve pin to the actuator which is removable from within the mounting plate (39, 45) leaving the valve stem behind extending into the manifold and the mounting plate (39, 45) coupled to the mold (13, 14). a manifold that receives an injection fluid mold material, the manifold having a delivery channel that delivers the injection fluid mold material under an injection pressure to a gate of a mold cavity disposed within a mold, the gate being controllably opened and closed by a valve pin having a pin axis, the valve pin being slidably mounted for reciprocal upstream and downstream linear movement along the pin axis such that a downstream end of the valve pin is drivable into and out of open and closed positions relative to the gate, an electric actuator comprising an electric motor comprised of a motor housing that houses a drive shaft having a drive gear and a drive axis that is rotatably mounted within the motor housing and is drivably rotatable around the drive axis by a source of electrical power or energy and a transmission comprised of a gear shaft rotatably mounted within a transmission housing, the gear shaft having a gear axis and a transmission gear (72, 190, 195, 197) drivably rotatable around the gear axis, the drive gear and the transmission gear (72, 190, 195, 197) being drivably interconnected and arranged such that the drive axis and the gear axis are non-coaxially mounted or disposed relative to each other and such that driven rotation of the drive gear around the drive axis rotatably drives the gear shaft around the gear axis, the gear shaft being interconnected to an upstream end of a linear travel converter (72, 802) and the valve pin being interconnected to a downstream end of the linear travel converter (72, 802), the interconnection between the converter (72, 802) and the gear shaft being adapted to convert rotation of the gear shaft to linear travel of the valve pin, wherein the motor housing and the transmission housing are fixedly connected to each other and mounted within a top clamping or mounting plate (39, 45) that is mounted upstream of the manifold and fixedly interconnected to the mold, the valve pin comprising a pin stem and a pin head (34, 94) reversibly receivable within a coupling in a radial direction that couples the valve pin to the actuator which is removable from within the mounting plate (39, 45) leaving the valve stem behind extending into the manifold and the mounting plate (39, 45) coupled to the mold (13, 14).