Method for manufacturing molded parts made of environmentally friendly degradable fiber materials

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method (100) for manufacturing a molded article (10) made of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11) by a fiber molding process in a fiber molding facility (20), comprising the following steps: providing (110) a slurry (1) as a liquid solution of the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material; placing a suction mold (2) on the slurry or at least partially immersing it in the slurry so that the suction mold is in contact with the slurry (120), wherein the suction mold comprises a suction head (21), the suction head having a three-dimensional suction head suction side (21i) whose shape matches the suction head suction side (21i) of the suction head. The invention also relates to a fiber molding device for implementing the above method and a molded part manufactured using the fiber molding device or the method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a molded article made of environmentally friendly degradable fiber material by a fiber molding method in a fiber molding facility, the fiber molding facility for implementing the method, and a molded article manufactured by using the fiber molding facility or the method. Background Art

[0002] People and the environment want to be protected from plastic pollution. In particular, disposable plastic products such as packaging materials or plastic cutlery and cookware generate a lot of waste. In this regard, there is a growing demand for alternative materials to packaging materials and containers made of plastic, which can be made from recyclable plastic, materials with a lower plastic content or even materials that are plastic-free.

[0003] The concept of using natural fibers instead of typical plastics in extrusion processes has been around since at least the early 1990s, see for example patent document EP 0447 792 Bl. As in most fiber processing processes, the raw material basis here is a slurry. In principle, the slurry consists of water, natural fibers and a binder such as industrial starch (potato starch) and has a paste-like consistency.

[0004] Since consumers are interested in a variety of eco-friendly products of different sizes, shapes and requirements, but do not necessarily need a very large number of products, it is desirable to have a manufacturing process for environmentally friendly molded parts made of natural fibers and a corresponding machine that can manufacture such products (molded parts) efficiently, flexibly, with high quality and reproducibly. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing environmentally friendly shaped parts made of natural fibers and a corresponding machine, by means of which such products (shaped parts) can be produced efficiently, flexibly, with high quality and reproducibly.

[0006] The solution of the present invention to achieve the above-mentioned object is a method for manufacturing a molded part made of environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material through a fiber molding process in a fiber molding facility, comprising the following steps:

[0007] - Providing slurry as a liquid solution of environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material;

[0008] - bringing the suction mold into contact with the slurry by placing the suction mold onto the slurry or at least partially immersing it in the slurry, wherein the suction mold comprises a suction head having a three-dimensionally shaped suction side of the suction head, the shape of which matches the contour of the subsequent molded part;

[0009] - In the suction mold, the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material is sucked onto the suction side of the suction head by negative pressure to mold the molded part;

[0010] - pre-pressing the molded part with a pre-pressing pressure in a pre-pressing station to reduce the proportion of liquid solution in the molded part;

[0011] - hot pressing the pre-pressed molded part with hot pressing pressure in a hot pressing station to complete the final molding of the molded part and further reduce the proportion of liquid solution in the molded part; and

[0012] - Output the final formed part.

[0013] The term "environmentally friendly degradable fiber material" refers to a fiber material that can be decomposed under environmental influences such as humidity, temperature and / or light, wherein the decomposition process occurs in a short period of time, such as within the range of a few days, weeks or months. For simplicity, "environmentally friendly degradable fiber material" is sometimes referred to as "fibrous material" hereinafter. Preferably, both the fiber material and the decomposition product will not cause harm or pollution to the environment. The fiber material representing the environmentally friendly degradable fiber material within the scope of the present invention is, for example, natural fibers from pulp, paper, cardboard, wood, grass, plant fiber, bagasse, hemp, etc. or from their components or parts and / or corresponding recycled materials. However, the environmentally friendly degradable fiber material can also refer to artificial fibers corresponding to the above-mentioned fiber material or having its properties, such as PLA (polylactic acid) and the like. The environmentally friendly degradable fiber material is preferably compostable. The environmentally friendly degradable fiber material and the container made thereof are preferably suitable for the material cycle of the organic garbage bin introduced into Germany and as a resource for a biogas plant. According to EU standard EN 13432, the fiber material and the container made thereof are preferably biodegradable.

[0014] The term "slurry" refers to a fluid substance containing fibers, which is an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material. The term "liquid" refers to the aggregated state of the slurry, and the liquid slurry contains environmentally friendly and degradable fiber materials in the form of fibers. Here, the fibers can be presented as single fibers, fiber structures, or fiber groups composed of multiple continuous fibers. Fibers represent fiber materials, whether they are in the slurry as single fibers, fiber structures, or fiber groups. Here, the fibers are dissolved in the liquid solution so that they float around in the liquid solution with the same concentration as much as possible, for example, as a mixture or suspension of liquid solution and fiber material. For this reason, in certain embodiments, for example, the slurry can be tempered and / or circulated accordingly. The slurry is preferably of low consistency, that is, the proportion of fiber material is less than 8%. In one embodiment, in the method according to the present invention, a slurry with a proportion of environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material less than 5%, preferably less than 2%, and particularly preferably 0.5% to 1.0% is used. This low proportion of fiber material can especially prevent the fiber material from agglomerating in the liquid solution, so that the fiber material can still be molded on the suction mold with high quality. The suction die can suck up agglomerated fiber material, but this can lead to fluctuations in the layer thickness of the molded part, which should be avoided as much as possible in the production of molded parts. In this regard, the proportion of fiber material in the slurry should be low enough that agglomeration or chain formation does not occur, or occurs only to a negligible extent. The liquid solution can be any solution that is suitable for the fiber forming process. For example, the slurry can be an aqueous solution containing environmentally friendly, degradable fiber material. An aqueous solution is particularly easy to handle.

[0015] The fiber forming process refers to the process steps involved in the forming of a molded part, which starts with providing a slurry, molding a molded part from the fiber material in the slurry in a suction mold, pre-pressing the molded part, hot pressing the molded part, and optionally coating the molded part with a functional layer, wherein the coating can be arranged at any position in the fiber forming process suitable for the corresponding application layer.

[0016] The molded part can have any shape, also referred to herein as profile, provided that the shape (or profile) is producible in the method according to the invention or that the method is suitable for producing the shape (or profile). Here, the components used for the fiber forming process can be matched to the corresponding shape (or profile) of the molded part. In the case of different molded parts having different shapes (or profiles), different correspondingly matched components can be used, such as suction molds, suction tips, pre-pressing stations, hot pressing stations, etc. The final molded part can represent a variety of products for various uses, such as cups, containers, containers, lids, plates, partial containers, shells or peripheral containers.

[0017] A suction mold is a mold in which one or more suction heads are arranged for molding a molded part. As far as a single suction head is concerned, it is also a suction mold. If a plurality of suction heads are operated simultaneously, they are all arranged in a common suction mold, so that as the suction mold moves, the individual suction heads in the suction mold also move with it in equal amounts. The medium supplied to the suction mold with a plurality of suction heads is guided to the individual suction heads in the suction mold in a suitable manner.

[0018] Placing the suction mold onto the slurry means that the slurry comes into contact with all the suction heads in the suction mold, which are provided for molding the shaped part, so that the fiber material is sucked out or the slurry with the fiber material dissolved therein is sucked out due to the negative pressure applied to the slurry by the suction mold. When the suction mold is partially immersed in the slurry, the suction mold is not only placed onto the slurry but also immersed in the slurry. The immersion depth of the suction mold in the slurry depends on the respective application and the respective fiber molding process and may vary depending on the application and the shaped part that may be molded. The reason why the suction head or the suction mold is partially immersed is that the slurry level in the container may fluctuate due to the movement of the suction head / suction mold, and if the slurry has an uneven surface due to wave movement, simple placement onto the slurry may lead to insufficient suction locally.

[0019] Here, the nozzle may be of a so-called negative type. The negative type refers to a type in which the suction side of the nozzle (i.e., the side where the fiber material is deposited due to the suction force of the nozzle and then molded into a shaped part) is located on the inner side of the nozzle, so that after the nozzle is placed on the slurry or immersed in the slurry, the inner side forms a cavity into which the slurry containing the fiber material is sucked (e.g., Figure 2 In the case of the female version, the outside of the subsequent shaped part faces the inside of the nozzle. Therefore, the shaped part is located on the inside of the nozzle after molding.

[0020] Here, the nozzle tip may alternatively be of a so-called male type. The male type refers to a type in which the suction side of the nozzle tip (i.e. the side where the fiber material is deposited due to the suction force of the nozzle tip and the molded part is molded) is located on the outside of the nozzle tip, so that after the nozzle tip is placed on the slurry or immersed in the slurry, the outside does not form a cavity (such as Figure 3 In the case of the male version, the inner side of the subsequent shaped part faces the outer side of the nozzle. Therefore, the shaped part is located on the outer side of the nozzle after molding.

[0021] The molding of the molded part represents a first preforming of the molded part, wherein the molded part is formed from the fiber material previously randomly distributed in the slurry by accumulating the fiber material with a corresponding contour on the contour of the nozzle. The molded molded part still has a large proportion (e.g. 70%-80%) of liquid solution, such as water, and is therefore not yet stable in shape. Pre-pressing the molded part reduces the proportion of liquid solution in the molded part, for example to 55%-65%, so that the contour of the molded part is already more stable. By hot-pressing the pre-pressed molded part with a hot-pressing press, the molded part is finally formed, and the proportion of liquid solution in the molded part is further reduced, for example to less than 10%, preferably to about 7%, and the molded part is then stable and does not deform.

[0022] Outputting the finished shaped part means releasing the shaped part for further conveying or further processing, for example conveying to a cutting station, a labelling station, a printing station and / or a packaging station.

[0023] By combining a molding step, a pre-pressing step and a hot pressing step, it is possible to easily manufacture molded parts from fiber materials, so that molded parts with different profiles can be provided very flexibly depending on the design of the nozzle profile. Here, the ratio of the width or diameter of the molded part to the height does not represent a limiting or critical parameter with regard to the manufacturing quality of the corresponding molded part. By combining a molding step, a pre-pressing step and a hot pressing step, it is possible to manufacture molded parts in a very reproducible manner with high precision and quality in terms of the shape and layer thickness of the individual parts of the molded part. The manufacturing method is able to process various fibers, provided that these fibers are soluble so that large agglomerations of the fibers in the liquid solution can be avoided before processing. In particular, in this way, high-quality, reproducible and stable molded parts can be easily, efficiently and flexibly manufactured from environmentally friendly and degradable fiber materials.

[0024] The method according to the invention represents a method for producing environmentally friendly shaped parts made of natural fibers and a corresponding machine, by means of which such products (shaped parts) can be produced efficiently, flexibly, in high quality and reproducibly.

[0025] In one embodiment, the slurry is free of organic binders, preferably also free of non-organic binders. In the absence of binders, the molded parts made of the original environmentally friendly degradable fiber material can also be degraded in an environmentally friendly manner, because no environmentally critical binders are used, preferably no binders at all. By combining the molding step, the pre-pressing step and the hot pressing step, these steps generally ensure that the individual fibers in the fiber material of the molded part are well mechanically linked to each other, and the binder can be omitted. In the method according to the invention, the strength of the mechanical crosslinking is sufficient to achieve dimensional stability of the molded part without the binder.

[0026] In another embodiment, the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material is essentially composed of fibers with a fiber length of less than 5 mm. With fibers of this length, a good and uniform solution of the fiber material in the liquid solution can be obtained, so that the degree of agglomeration of the fibers in the slurry is low enough to achieve a good and reproducible fiber forming process for the molded part.

[0027] In another embodiment, the slurry is provided at a temperature of less than or equal to 80° C., preferably less than or equal to 50° C., particularly preferably room temperature. Such low temperatures allow, in particular, simple process control, particularly at room temperature.

[0028] In another embodiment, at the beginning of the shaping process, the dopants or components contained in the slurry are introduced into the fiber material through the slurry. Such dopants can be, for example, flavors, flavor enhancers, active ingredients, minerals, nutritional supplements, etc., which diffuse out of the fiber material, precipitate out due to subsequent use and the prevailing conditions, or remain in the environmental degradation of the molded part.

[0029] In another embodiment, the suction tip is completely immersed in the slurry for contact. Complete immersion is particularly suitable for suction tips of the male type, since in this respect, compared to the female type, there is no internal cavity in the suction tip that could generate a negative pressure between the slurry and the suction surface and suck in the fiber material. In order to ensure that the fiber material is sucked in as evenly as possible, it is advantageous to completely immerse the suction tip in the slurry with the male type.

[0030] In another embodiment, the suction side of the suction tip is formed by a porous screen, and on the slurry side thereof facing the slurry, the environmentally friendly degradable fiber is attached due to suction for molding. The screen must have a certain porosity so that the slurry and the fiber material can be sucked through the screen, and the liquid solution of the slurry can flow through the screen. However, the porosity of the screen cannot be too large so that the fiber material can be attached to the slurry side.

[0031] In another embodiment, during molding, the slurry liquid solution flowing through the screen is discharged from the suction mold. During molding or suction, the content of liquid solution in the molded fiber material has been reduced by, for example, about 20%-30% compared with the slurry. This liquid solution passes through the screen and enters the suction head. In order to make the suction head not have to temporarily store the liquid solution, the liquid solution is discharged from the suction head and then also discharged from the suction mold. The discharged liquid solution can be returned to the slurry preparation device and reused in the fiber forming process.

[0032] In another embodiment, the suction head comprises a collecting ring for receiving the discharged liquid solution at its end side facing the slurry, and the collecting ring is connected to the drainage channel of the liquid solution. In particular, the liquid solution that has flowed through the screen can be safely discharged from the suction head and then from the suction mold, and such liquid solution will not have a negative impact on the suction force of the suction head.

[0033] In another embodiment, the suction mold comprises several suction channels which are distributed around the screen on the screen side opposite to the slurry side. Through the several suction channels, the slurry containing the fiber material can be sucked over the entire surface of the screen so that the molded part can be molded into a flat shape on the screen.

[0034] In another embodiment, the suction channels are distributed and arranged around the screen so that the structure of the screen is designed to provide substantially equal suction capacity in all areas of the slurry side of the screen. The term "substantially" here refers to the uniformity of the suction capacity, which should be sufficient to achieve uniformly molded molded parts without significant layer thickness variations at the corners and edges of the molded parts and on the surface of the molded parts. As a result, the layer thickness variation of the resulting final molded molded parts is less than 7% compared to the required layer thickness. In another embodiment, the suction channels are unevenly distributed below the screen, wherein the suction channels per unit area are reduced by about 50% in the edge (negative or inner edge) area of ​​the molded part. For the positive edge or outer edge, the number of suction channels per unit area increases by about 20%. This lower density of suction channels in the edge area (here refers to all corners and edges, indentations and other strong contour changes in the molded part) leads to the avoidance of excessive or insufficient material thickness in the edge area relative to other material on the edgeless surface.

[0035] In another embodiment, the suction mold is a multi-purpose mold with several suction heads. With this multi-purpose mold, a large number of molded parts can be molded simultaneously from a common slurry bath according to the number of suction heads, which will increase the output of the fiber molding facility, thereby making the production of the fiber molding facility more economical.

[0036] In another embodiment, the suction surface of the tip is configured as female on the inside of the tip or male on the outside of the tip. For the terms "female" and "male", please refer to the above explanation. Depending on the desired shape or contour of the molded part, a female or male shape of the tip may be advantageous.

[0037] In another embodiment, the molded part remains on the suction mold for pre-pressing. Since the molded part is still relatively moist when molded in the pipette tip and is therefore not very dimensionally stable, for a trouble-free, high-quality process, the advantage of leaving the molded part in the pipette tip at least until the end is that possible shape defects caused by mold changes of the molded part are avoided.

[0038] In another embodiment, the pre-pressing station includes a pre-pressing lower mold, and the suction mold and the molded shaped part are placed at the pre-pressing lower mold, so that the shaped part is arranged between the pre-pressing lower mold and the suction mold and the suction mold is pressed onto the pre-pressing lower mold with a pre-pressing pressure. The suction mold is designed to be suitable for applying pre-pressing pressure to the pre-pressing lower mold. Here, the suction mold can be pressed onto a stationary pre-pressing lower mold, or the pre-pressing lower mold can be pressed onto a stationary suction mold. The term "placing" only refers to the relative movement of the suction mold relative to the pre-pressing lower mold. During pre-pressing, the suction mold represents the pre-pressing upper mold of the pre-pressing station. In one embodiment, the suction mold is placed on the pre-pressing lower mold and is pressed onto the pre-pressing lower mold by a separate pressing unit, preferably a piston rod. Alternatively, the suction mold can also be fastened to a robotic arm, which itself applies pre-pressing pressure to the pre-pressing lower mold via the suction mold. Here, similar to the suction mold as a multi-purpose mold, the pre-pressing lower mold can also be configured as a multi-purpose mold so as to simultaneously load pre-pressing pressure on all molded parts of the suction mold, thereby pre-pressing all molded parts at the same time.

[0039] In another embodiment, the suction mold is placed with the negative shape as the suction surface of the suction head on the pre-pressing lower mold (with the corresponding positive shape) or with the positive shape as the suction surface of the suction head into the pre-pressing lower mold (as the corresponding negative shape).

[0040] In another embodiment, the pre-pressing lower mold has a pressing surface facing the molded part, which has a lower surface roughness than the screen. In this way, uniform pressure is applied to the molded part. In addition, the adhesion between the pre-pressing lower mold and the molded part is lower than the structured surface of the pre-pressing lower mold, which ensures that the pre-pressed molded part can be retained in the suction mold and transferred to the hot forming without further technical measures, and will not stay in the pre-pressing lower mold, otherwise it may cause the production process to be interrupted. If necessary, the suction mold can generate a suitable negative pressure in the suction mold for transferring the pre-pressed molded part to the hot pressing station to improve the adhesion of the molded part to the suction mold.

[0041] In another embodiment, the pre-pressing lower mold is made of metal or at least partially of an elastomer, preferably of silicone. The pre-pressing lower mold made of metal is particularly suitable for situations where a temperature higher than room temperature or an extremely high pre-pressing pressure is to be applied during pre-pressing. The pre-pressing lower mold made of elastomer or at least partially of elastomer is advantageous for a multi-purpose mold as a suction mold and a pre-pressing lower mold, because the elastomer can still be easily deformed under pressure and flexibly adapted to a multi-purpose mold that can be bent under pre-pressing pressure, thereby improving the molding uniformity of various molded parts in the multi-purpose suction mold. For increased pre-pressing temperatures below 100°C, silicone, for example, as an elastomer is also very suitable as a temperature-resistant material in this range.

[0042] In another embodiment, the pre-pressing is performed as a membrane press. The membrane press is particularly suitable for molded part geometries that are to be pressurized over a large area. With the membrane press, surfaces that are perpendicular to one another in any spatial direction can also be simultaneously subjected to the same pressure, because during the membrane press, the pre-pressing pressure generated by the gas pressure (e.g. compressed air) acts on the membrane in any direction. This is not possible with a pressure piston rod, for example.

[0043] Therefore, in another embodiment, for membrane pressing, the pre-pressing lower die is configured as a flexible membrane, the pre-pressing pressure is applied to the membrane as gas pressure, and then the membrane is pressed onto the outer contour of the molded part. For this purpose, the membrane is airtight and flexible so that it can conform to the shape of the molded part under gas pressure. The membrane can use a rubber membrane, for example. The membrane should have a contour fidelity of less than 20%, and can be designed differently locally, for example, with thinner and thicker wall thicknesses and / or arranged close to or away from the contour.

[0044] In another embodiment, the pre-pressing is carried out at a temperature of less than 80° C., preferably less than 50° C., particularly preferably at room temperature, in the pre-pressing station. The liquid content in the molded part is reduced to about 55%-65% by the pre-pressing, and the molded part is thus pre-cured so that its dimensional stability is sufficient for transfer to the mold. Too high a temperature would lead to an excessive reduction in the liquid content in the molded part, which would make the material too hard for subsequent hot pressing. In particular, the combination of pre-pressing and hot pressing allows the production of molded parts with high quality and low rejection rates.

[0045] In another embodiment, at 0.2 N / mm 2 Up to 0.3N / mm 2 , preferably 0.23N / mm 2 Up to 0.27N / mm 2 These moderate pressures, which are lower than the hot pressing pressure, allow for gentle solidification of the molded part and moderate reduction of liquid, which is conducive to the hot pressing process with low scrap rate.

[0046] In another embodiment, after pre-pressing, the method comprises the steps of transferring the pre-pressed molded part to a hot press station by a suction mold, wherein the molded part is taken out of the suction mold for subsequent hot pressing. The advantage of the transfer is that the hot pressing is performed at a significantly higher pressure at high temperature. If the molded part is left in the suction mold and is not transferred for hot pressing, the fiber material may be stuck in the screen of the suction mold and difficult to remove from the suction mold, possibly only in the case of damage after hot pressing. In addition, the screen may be damaged by high pressure, so that the suction mold can no longer work properly. The transfer can be completed by passively transferring one or more molded parts from the suction mold to the hot press station by disengagement or actively transferring to the hot press station by the ejection pressure of the molded part in the suction mold.

[0047] In another embodiment, the hot pressing station includes a hot pressing lower mold whose hot pressing side matches the contour of the molded part and a correspondingly molded hot pressing upper mold, wherein during the transfer, the molded part is placed on or in the hot pressing lower mold from the suction mold, and during the hot pressing, the hot pressing upper mold is pressed onto the hot pressing lower mold, and the molded part is arranged between the two. Depending on whether the suction head of the suction mold is a female or male type, the molded part is placed on the hot pressing lower mold (female type) or placed in the hot pressing lower mold (male type). In this regard, in the case of the female type, the hot pressing side is the outer side of the hot pressing lower mold, and in the case of the male type, the hot pressing side is the inner side of the hot pressing lower mold. The hot pressing upper mold is formed in a corresponding complementary manner. The hot pressing upper mold and the hot pressing lower mold can cooperate to apply high pressure to the molded part therebetween at high temperature. For this reason, in another embodiment, at least the hot pressing lower mold is made of metal.

[0048] In another embodiment, the hot pressing lower mold comprises channels leading to its outside, through which the liquid solution can be at least partially discharged during the hot pressing. By reducing the liquid (or moisture) in the molded part from about 55%-60% to less than 10%, a certain amount of liquid is released, which at least partially evaporates due to the high temperature during the hot pressing. Therefore, the steam is discharged through the channels so that the molded part is not damaged by the steam in particular.

[0049] In another embodiment, the hot pressing upper die is matched to the contour of the molded part at least on the side facing the molded part. Preferably, the hot pressing upper die is made of metal.

[0050] In another embodiment, the hot pressing lower die and the hot pressing upper die have different temperatures during hot pressing, preferably, the temperature of the hot pressing upper die is higher than that of the hot pressing lower die. This provides a better surface for the molded part, especially on the side with higher temperature. In another embodiment, the temperature difference is at least 25°C, preferably not more than 60°C, and particularly preferably 50°C.

[0051] In another embodiment, hot pressing is carried out at a temperature above 150° C., preferably 180° C. to 250° C. This makes it possible to reduce the liquid (or moisture) in the molded part to less than 10%.

[0052] In another embodiment, the hot pressing is carried out at a hot pressing pressure higher than the pre-pressing pressure. This, in particular in combination with the above-mentioned temperature, enables the liquid (or moisture) in the molded part to be reduced to less than 10% quickly and reliably. For this purpose, in another embodiment, at 0.5 N / mm 2 Up to 1.5N / mm 2 , preferably 0.8N / mm 2 Up to 1.2N / mm 2 Hot pressing is carried out under hot pressing pressure.

[0053] In another embodiment, the pressing time of applying the hot pressing pressure can be less than 20 seconds, preferably more than 8 seconds, particularly preferably 10 seconds to 14 seconds, and more preferably 12 seconds. In this way, especially in combination with the above-mentioned temperature and hot pressing pressure, the liquid (or moisture) in the molded part can be quickly and reliably reduced to less than 10%.

[0054] In another embodiment, the profile of the molded part is designed so that each surface of the molded part is at an angle α of at least 3 degrees to the pressing direction during hot pressing. This ensures that the hot pressing pressure can be applied to each surface of the molded part. During hot pressing, the surfaces parallel to the pressure direction cannot be pressurized. The hot pressing pressure is applied to the hot pressing station hydraulically, for example, by a piston rod, wherein the piston rod is pressed, for example, onto a hot pressing upper die, which in turn is pressed onto a stationary hot pressing lower die, with the molded part located between the two. This arrangement can also be reversed.

[0055] In another embodiment, the finished formed part is then output to a further processing station of the fiber forming facility, for example for further transport or for further processing, for example in a cutting station, labeling station, printing station and / or packaging station.

[0056] In another embodiment, the above method comprises the additional step of applying one or more functional layers to the shaped part, preferably the final shaped part. Such functional layers may in particular be additional functions such as moisture, fragrance, odor or taste barriers.

[0057] The present invention also relates to a fiber forming facility for manufacturing a molded part made of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material by the method according to the present invention, comprising:

[0058] - a storage tank for providing slurry as a liquid solution of environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material;

[0059] a suction mold attached to a mobile unit, whose tip has a three-dimensionally shaped suction side of the tip, the shape of which is adapted to the contour of the subsequent molded part, wherein the mobile unit is designed to bring the suction mold into contact with the slurry by placing the suction mold onto the slurry or at least partially immersing it in the slurry,

[0060] - wherein the suction mold is designed to mold the shaped part by sucking the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material onto the suction side of the suction head in the suction mold by means of negative pressure;

[0061] - a pre-pressing station for pre-pressing the molded part with a pre-pressing pressure to reduce the proportion of liquid solution in the molded part; and

[0062] - a hot pressing station, used to hot press the pre-pressed molded part with hot pressing pressure to complete the final molding of the molded part and further reduce the proportion of liquid solution in the molded part; and

[0063] - Output unit, used to output the final formed molded parts.

[0064] In this case, the discharge unit discharges the molded parts for further transport or further processing, for example to a subsequent cutting station, labeling station, printing station and / or packaging station.

[0065] By combining the use of a slurry and a suction mold for molding, pre-pressing using a pre-pressing station, hot pressing using a hot pressing station and subsequently outputting the molded part using the above-mentioned fiber molding facility, molded parts can be easily manufactured from fiber materials, so that molded parts with different contours can be provided very flexibly according to the design of the nozzle contour. Here, the ratio of the width or diameter of the molded part to the height does not represent a limiting or critical parameter for the manufacturing quality of the corresponding molded part. By combining the suction mold for molding with the pre-pressing station and the hot pressing station, it is possible to manufacture molded parts in a very reproducible manner with high precision and quality in terms of the shape and layer thickness of the individual parts of the molded part. The fiber molding facility according to the invention is capable of processing various fibers, provided that these fibers can be dissolved so that large agglomerations of the fibers in the liquid solution can be avoided before processing. In particular, in this way, high-quality, reproducible and stable molded parts can be easily, efficiently and flexibly manufactured from environmentally friendly and degradable fiber materials.

[0066] The fiber forming device according to the invention can produce environmentally friendly formed parts from natural fibers in an efficient, flexible, high-quality and reproducible manner.

[0067] In one embodiment, the fiber forming facility comprises a control unit for controlling the method being performed. The control unit can be configured as a processor, a separate computer system or network-based, suitably connected to the components of the fiber forming facility to be controlled, for example via a data cable connection or wirelessly connected by WLAN, radio or other wireless transmission mechanisms.

[0068] In another embodiment, the fiber forming facility additionally comprises a coating unit for applying one or more functional layers to the molded part. With such functional layers, additional functions such as moisture, fragrance, odor or taste barriers can be applied to the molded part in particular. To this end, the coating unit can be arranged at any position in the process for producing the molded part that is suitable for applying the layer. Here, depending on the application, the functional layer can be arranged during the suction process, after pre-pressing or after hot pressing. The term "functional layer" refers here to any additional layer applied to the original fiber material, which is applied to the inside and / or outside of the molded part over the entire area or a partial area.

[0069] The present invention also relates to a molded part made of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material manufactured by the method according to the present invention or the fiber molding facility according to the present invention.

[0070] In one embodiment, the profile of the molded part is such that each surface of the molded part is at an angle of at least 3 degrees to the pressing direction during hot pressing. In such a molded part, the minimum required hot pressing pressure can be applied to each surface in order to reduce the content of liquid solvent in the fiber material to a level that makes the molded part shape stable.

[0071] In another embodiment, the environmentally friendly degradable fiber material does not contain any organic binder, and preferably also does not contain any non-organic binder. This achieves particularly good environmentally friendly degradability of the molded part.

[0072] In another embodiment, the environmentally friendly degradable fiber material consists essentially of fibers having a fiber length of less than 5 mm. As a result, on the one hand, a higher quality molded part can be produced. On the other hand, shorter fibers reduce the surface roughness and porosity of the molded part, making it easier to apply any coating to the molded part.

[0073] In another embodiment, one or more functional layers are applied to the environmentally friendly degradable fiber material of the molded part. Such functional layers can be, in particular, moisture, water vapor, fragrance, odor or taste barriers or fats, oils, gases (such as O 2 and N 2 ), light acids and all food perishable and / or non-food grade substances as a barrier.

[0074] In another embodiment, the fiber material of the molded part contains dopants or components that are extracted from the fiber material of the molded part in a desired manner based on their concentration, the application of the molded part, and environmental conditions, so as to play an effect that supports the application of the molded part. Such dopants or components may already exist in the slurry and enter the molded part during the fiber molding process. Such dopants can be, for example, spices, flavor enhancers, active ingredients, minerals, nutritional health additives, etc.

[0075] It should be clearly pointed out that in order to improve readability, the expression "at least" is avoided as much as possible. Specifically, indefinite articles ("one", "two", etc.) should generally be understood as "at least one, at least two, etc.", unless the context indicates that "exactly" refers to the written number.

[0076] In this regard, it should also be pointed out that within the scope of this patent application, the expression "especially" is understood throughout as introducing optional preferred features. Therefore, this expression should neither be understood as "actually" nor as "that is".

[0077] It should be understood that the features of the solutions described above or in the claims may also be combined as necessary to cumulatively achieve feasible advantages and effects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0078] In addition, other features, effects and advantages of the present invention are explained by using the drawings and the following description. In each figure, components that substantially correspond to each other at least in function are marked with the same reference numerals, and these components are not necessarily cited and explained in all drawings.

[0079] In the figure:

[0080] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the method according to the present invention;

[0081] Figure 2 An embodiment of a female type suction tip in the contact and molding and transfer to the pre-pressing step in the method according to the present invention is shown;

[0082] Figure 3 An embodiment of a male type pipette tip in contact and molding and transferring to a pre-pressing step in the method according to the present invention is shown;

[0083] Figure 4 A side sectional view showing an embodiment of a pre-pressing station of a fiber forming facility according to the present invention;

[0084] Figure 5 A side sectional view showing another embodiment of a pre-pressing station, in which a membrane serves as a pre-pressing lower mold of a fiber forming facility according to the present invention;

[0085] Figure 6 A side cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a hot press station of a fiber forming facility according to the present invention;

[0086] Figure 7 An example of manufacturing a molded article made of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material by the method according to the present invention on a fiber molding facility according to the present invention is shown;

[0087] Figure 8 Another embodiment of a pre-pressing station with a mobile unit and a stock preparation feeding unit of a fiber forming facility according to the invention is shown;

[0088] Fig. 9 shows an embodiment of a fiber forming facility according to the present invention; and

[0089] Fig.10 A further embodiment of the fiber forming installation according to the invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0090] Figure 1A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a method 100 for manufacturing a molded article 10 made of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material 11 by a fiber molding process in a fiber molding facility 20 according to the present invention is shown, and the method includes the following steps. Thereby, the method can start by providing 110 a slurry 1 as a liquid solution of the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material 11; the suction mold 2 is contacted with the slurry 1 by placing the suction mold 2 on the slurry 1 or at least partially immersing it in the slurry 1, wherein the suction mold 2 has a suction head 21, and the suction head 21 has a three-dimensional suction head suction side 21i, whose shape is suitable for the contour of the subsequent molded article 10; then, the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material 11 is sucked onto the suction head suction side 21i by negative pressure in the suction mold 2 to mold 130 the molded article 10. Here, the suction mold can include a single suction head or a multi-purpose mold including a plurality of suction heads. A suction mold having two suction heads 21 is called a multi-purpose mold. However, in other embodiments, the multi-purpose mold may also include 10, 20, 30 or more suction heads 21. Subsequently, the molded shaped part 10 is pre-pressed 140 in the pre-pressing station 3 with a pre-pressing pressure VD to reduce the proportion of liquid solution in the shaped part 10. The pre-pressing station is adapted to a suction mold that may be in the form of a multi-purpose mold. After pre-pressing 140, the pre-pressed shaped part 10 is transferred to the hot pressing station 4 by the suction mold 2, whereby the shaped part 10150 is removed from the suction mold 2 for subsequent hot pressing. To this end, the hot pressing station 4 includes a hot pressing lower mold 41 whose hot pressing side 41a matches the inner contour 10i of the shaped part 10 and a hot pressing upper mold 42, wherein during the transfer 170, the shaped part 10 is placed from the suction mold 2 on or in the hot pressing lower mold 41, and during the hot pressing 150, the hot pressing upper mold 42 is pressed onto the hot pressing lower mold 41, and the shaped part 10 is arranged between the two. During the hot pressing 150 of the pre-pressed molded part 10 with the hot pressing pressure HD, the molded part 10 is finally formed, and the proportion of the liquid solution in the molded part 10 is further reduced in the corresponding hot pressing station 4. The above method may also include the following additional step: coating 180 one or more functional layers 15 on the molded part 10, preferably the final molded part 10. At the end of the process, the final molded part 10 is output 160 to a further processing station of the fiber forming facility 20.

[0091] Figure 2An embodiment of a female suction head 21 is shown in the step of contacting 120 and molding 130 and the transfer of the molded part 10 to the pre-pressing 140 in the method 100 according to the present invention. The suction head 21 shown in this figure can be a single suction head 21 in the suction mold 2, or it can be part of a multi-purpose mold with several suction heads 21. For the sake of clarity, this figure only illustrates one suction head 21. The slurry reservoir 30 in the manufacturing process is schematically shown below the suction head 21, wherein the fiber material 11 is represented as "waves". In the method 100, a slurry 1 can be used, wherein the proportion of the environmentally friendly degradable fiber material 11 in the liquid solution (e.g., aqueous solution) is less than 5%, preferably less than 2%, and particularly preferably 0.5% to 1.0%. Advantageously, the slurry 1 does not contain any organic binder, preferably does not contain any binder at all. The environmentally friendly degradable fiber material 11 can be essentially composed of fibers with a fiber length of less than 5 mm. The slurry is provided at a temperature lower than or equal to 80° C., preferably lower than or equal to 50° C., and particularly preferably at room temperature. The suction side 21i of the suction head 21 is formed by a porous screen 22, and on the slurry side 22p thereof facing the slurry 1, the environmentally friendly degradable fibers 11 are attached due to suction for molding 130 the molded part 10 (see Figure 2 c). In addition, the suction mold 2 also includes a plurality of suction channels 23 for sucking the slurry 1, which are distributed around the screen 22 to the screen side 22s opposite to the slurry side 22p. Here, the suction channels 23 are distributed and arranged around the screen 22, and the structure (surface shape, screen size, pore size) of the screen 22 is designed to achieve substantially the same suction capacity in the entire area of ​​the slurry side 22p of the screen 22. To this end, the suction channels 23 are, for example, unevenly distributed under the screen 23, wherein fewer suction channels 23 are arranged per unit area in the edge area of ​​the molded part 10. As shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the suction head for the molded part is only slightly immersed in the slurry 1, thereby forming a closed cavity in the inner side 21i of the suction head. In other embodiments, the suction head 21 can also be completely immersed in the slurry 1. During the molding 130, the liquid solution of the slurry 1 flowing through the screen 22 is discharged from the suction mold 2. For this purpose, the suction head 21 includes a collecting ring 24 for receiving the discharged liquid solution at its end side 21p facing the slurry 1, which is connected to the drainage channel 25 of the liquid solution. Then, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 3 c , the molded part 10 (the gray inner layer in the suction head 21 ) is placed on the pre-pressing lower mold 31 for pre-pressing, wherein the pressing surface 31 a serves as the outer surface of the pre-pressing lower mold 31 .

[0092] Figure 31 shows an embodiment of a male suction tip 21 in the contact 120 and molding 130 and transfer to the pre-pressing 140 step in the method 100 according to the present invention. The suction tip 21 shown in this figure can be a single suction tip 21 in the suction mold 2, or it can be a part of a multi-purpose mold with several suction tips 21. For the sake of clarity, this figure only shows one suction tip 21. Here, the characteristics of the slurry reservoir 30 and the slurry 1 also apply to the above. Figure 2 But different from Figure 2 The suction side 21p of the suction head is designed as a male type and forms the outer side 21a of the suction head. The same is applicable to the configuration of the suction head 21 with the screen 22 and the suction channel 23. Figure 2 To suck up the slurry 1 containing the fiber material 11, the suction head 21 is completely immersed in the slurry for contact 120 with the suction side 21p of the suction head in a positive shape. Then, as Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 3 , the molded part 10 (the gray outer layer on the suction head 21 ) is placed into the pre-pressing lower mold 31 for pre-pressing, and its shape matches the positive shape of the suction head 21 , wherein the pressing surface 31 serves as the inner surface of the pre-pressing lower mold 31 .

[0093] Figure 4 A side sectional view of an embodiment of a pre-pressing station 3 in a fiber forming facility 20 according to the present invention is shown. For pre-pressing 140, the molded part 10 remains in the suction mold 2, which then assumes the function of a pre-pressing upper mold. The suction mold 2 is shown here as a suction head 21 of a female type. The pre-pressing station 3 includes a pre-pressing lower mold 31, on which the suction mold 2 and the molded molded part 10 are placed, so that the molded part 10 is arranged between the pre-pressing lower mold 31 and the suction mold 2, whereby the suction mold 2 can be pressed onto the pre-pressing lower mold 31 with a pre-pressing pressure VD, thereby removing moisture from the molded part and stabilizing the size of the fiber material by pre-pressing. Here, the pre-pressing lower mold 31 has a pressing surface 31a facing the molded part 10, which has a lower surface roughness than the screen 22. The pre-pressing lower mold 31 can be made of metal or at least partially made of an elastomer, such as silicone, the latter being conducive to the case where the suction mold is designed as a multi-purpose mold. The pre-pressing 140 is carried out at a temperature below 80° C., preferably below 50° C., particularly preferably at room temperature, at the pre-pressing station 3 , wherein the pre-pressing pressure VD is 0.2 N / mm 2 Up to 0.3N / mm 2 , preferably 0.23N / mm 2 Up to 0.27N / mm 2 .

[0094] Figure 5A side sectional view of another embodiment of a pre-pressing station 3 is shown, in which a membrane 32 is used as a pre-pressing lower mold 31 of a fiber forming device 20 according to the invention for performing a pre-pressing 140 as a film pressing. Here, the suction mold 2 is placed into the correspondingly shaped pre-pressing lower mold 31 with the male shape as the suction side 21s of the suction head. For the film pressing 150, the membrane 32 is configured as a flexible membrane 32. The pre-pressing pressure VD is applied to the membrane 32 as a gas pressure, and the membrane 32 is then pressed onto the outer contour 10a of the molded part 10. As a result, pressure can also be applied to the surface of the molded part 10, which cannot be pressurized by hydraulic means, because the gas pressure applies the membrane to each surface with the same pressure regardless of the direction.

[0095] Figure 6 A side sectional view of an embodiment of a hot press station 4 in a fiber forming facility 20 according to the present invention is shown. After pre-pressing 140, the pre-pressed molded part 10 is transferred 170 to the hot press station 4 by the suction mold 2, and the molded part 10 is taken out of the suction mold 2 for subsequent hot pressing 150. The hot press station 4 includes a hot press lower mold 41 whose hot press side 41a matches the inner contour 10i of the molded part 10 and a hot press upper mold 42, wherein the molded part 10 is placed on or in the hot press lower mold 41 from the suction mold 2 during the transfer 170 (depending on whether it is a female or male type). Then, during the hot press 150, the hot press upper mold 42 is pressed onto the hot press lower mold 41, and the molded part 10 is arranged between the two. Here, the hot press lower mold 41 can be made of metal. The hot press lower mold 41 also includes a channel 41k leading to its hot press side 41a, and the liquid solution can be at least partially discharged through these channels 41k during the hot press 150. The hot pressing upper die 42 is matched to the outer contour 10a of the molded part 10 at least with the side 42i facing the molded part. Preferably, the hot pressing upper die 42 is also made of metal. Different temperatures can be applied in the hot pressing lower die 41 and the hot pressing upper die 42 during hot pressing. Preferably, the temperature of the hot pressing upper die 42 is higher than the temperature of the hot pressing lower die 41, wherein the temperature difference is at least 25°C, preferably the temperature difference does not exceed 60°C, and particularly preferably the temperature difference is 50°C. Hot pressing can be carried out at a temperature higher than 150°C, preferably 180°C to 250°C. Here, hot pressing 140 is carried out at a hot pressing pressure HD higher than the pre-pressing pressure VD. The hot pressing pressure HD can be 0.5N / mm 2 Up to 1.5N / mm 2 , preferably 0.8N / mm 2 Up to 1.2N / mm 2 , wherein the pressing time for applying such hot pressing pressure HD is less than 20 seconds or more than 8 seconds, particularly preferably 10 seconds to 14 seconds, and more preferably 12 seconds.

[0096] Figure 7An example of a molded part 10 made of an environmentally friendly degradable fiber material 11 is shown on a fiber molding facility 20 according to the present invention by a method 100 according to the present invention. The dimensions of the molded part 10 are very stable, and the liquid content in the fiber material 11 is less than 8%. The molded part is environmentally friendly and degradable. Here, the contour design of the molded part 10 makes each surface 10f of the molded part 10 form an angle α of at least 3 degrees with the pressing direction PR during hot pressing 150. The environmentally friendly degradable fiber material 11 does not contain any organic binder, and preferably does not contain any inorganic binder. It is basically composed of fibers with a fiber length of less than 5mm. One or more functional layers 15 can be applied to the molded part 10. In another embodiment, the fiber material 11 of the molded part 10 also contains dopants or components, which are extracted from the fiber material 11 of the molded part 11 in a desired manner based on their concentration, the application of the molded part 10 and / or environmental conditions, so as to play the effect of supporting the application of the molded part 11. These dopants or components can be introduced into the fiber material through the slurry at the beginning of the molding process, or if the fiber molding process does not allow premature addition, these dopants or components can be used as part of the subsequent coating functional layer. Such dopants can be, for example, spices, flavor enhancers, active ingredients, minerals, nutritional health additives, etc., which diffuse out of the fiber material, extract out, or remain when the molded part is environmentally degraded due to subsequent use and the prevailing conditions at the time. Environmental conditions that promote this can be, for example, differences in certain material concentrations, temperature, humidity and / or illumination. The support method can, for example, involve the preparation, change of taste, supply, etc. of the molded part 10 or the goods that are conveyed with the molded part 10 or in the molded part 10 or at least temporarily stored therein.

[0097] Figure 8 Another embodiment of the pre-pressing station 3 of the fiber forming facility 20 according to the present invention is shown, wherein there is a slurry storage tank 30, a moving unit 40 and a slurry pre-feeding unit 35. The suction mold 2 shown in this figure is a multi-purpose mold with 20 suction heads 21. Accordingly, the pre-pressing lower mold 31 also includes 20 pre-pressing units on the pre-pressing lower mold 31 as a multi-purpose mold.

[0098] Fig. 9 Shown by Figure 1The embodiment of the fiber forming facility 20 of the present invention for manufacturing a molded article 10 made of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material 11 according to the method 100 of the present invention is shown, and the fiber forming facility 20 comprises: a storage tank 30 for providing 110 slurry 1 as a liquid solution of the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material 11; a suction mold 2 attached to a mobile unit 40, whose suction head 21 has a suction side 21s of a suction head in a three-dimensional shape, and the shape of the suction side 21s of the suction head matches the contour of the subsequent molded article 10, wherein the mobile unit 30 is designed to contact 120 the slurry 1 by placing the suction mold 2 on the slurry 1 or at least partially immersing it in the slurry 1. The mobile unit 40 is configured as a robot here. The robot can perform precise and repeatable movements in a limited space, and is therefore particularly suitable for guiding the suction mold between the slurry storage tank 30 and the pre-pressing station 3. The suction mold 2 is designed to mold 130 the molded article 10 by sucking the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material 11 onto the suction side 21i of the suction head in the suction mold 2 by means of negative pressure. The pre-pressing station 3 is configured to pre-press 140 the molded molded part 10 with a pre-pressing pressure VD to reduce the proportion of liquid solution in the molded part 10 and stabilize its shape. The hot pressing station 4 is configured to hot press 150 the pre-pressed molded part 10 with a hot pressing pressure HD to complete the final molding of the molded part 10 and further reduce the proportion of liquid solution in the molded part 10. Then, the output unit 50 outputs the final molded molded part 10. In order to control the method being performed, the fiber molding facility 20 includes a control unit 60, which is connected to other components of the fiber molding facility 20 in an appropriate manner so as to control these components.

[0099] Fig.10 Another embodiment of a fiber forming facility 20 according to the present invention is shown, wherein Fig. 9 As shown, slurry 1 is provided and pre-pressed in a pre-pressing station 3. In this embodiment, two independent facility parts are operated after pre-pressing, each of which has a hot press station 4, a coating unit 70 for applying one or more functional layers to the molded part 10, a printing unit 80 for printing the molded part 10, and a stacking unit 90 for stacking the final molded part 10. Between these stations, the molded part is conveyed on a conveyor belt 95. If necessary, the fiber forming machine may also include a cutting unit for post-processing or dividing the molded part. It may be divided into two subsystems after pre-pressing because the hot press process runs much slower than molding 130 and pre-pressing 140, both of which can be 5 times or more faster than hot press 150. Therefore, the pre-pressing station can provide at least two subsystems for subsequent steps without causing time loss during hot press 150.

[0100] In this regard it is explicitly pointed out that, if necessary, features of the solutions described above or in the claims and / or the drawings can also be combined in order to cumulatively achieve or realize the features, effects and advantages mentioned.

[0101] It can be understood that the above embodiment is only the first technical solution of the present invention, but the technical solution of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0102] Reference numerals list

[0103] 1 Slurry

[0104] 11 Environmentally friendly and biodegradable fiber materials

[0105] 2 Suction mold

[0106] 21 Tips

[0107] 21a Outside of the tip

[0108] 21i Tip Inside

[0109] 21p Tip facing the slurry end

[0110] 21s suction head suction side

[0111] 22 porous screen

[0112] 22p Screen side facing the slurry (slurry side)

[0113] 22s Screen side opposite to the slurry side (suction head side)

[0114] 23 Suction channel

[0115] 24 Slip ring

[0116] 25 Drainage channel for liquid solution

[0117] 3 Pre-pressing station

[0118] 31 Pre-pressing the lower die

[0119] 31a Pressing surface of the pre-pressing die

[0120] 32 Diaphragm as pre-pressing die

[0121] 4 Hot Pressing Station

[0122] 41 Hot pressing lower die of hot pressing station

[0123] 41a The hot pressing side of the hot pressing lower die, e.g. the outer side

[0124] Channels in 41k hot press die

[0125] 42 Hot pressing upper die of hot pressing station

[0126] 42i The side of the hot pressing upper mold facing the molded part (inner side)

[0127] 10 Molded parts made of environmentally friendly biodegradable fiber materials

[0128] 10i Inner contour of molded part (inside)

[0129] 10a Outer contour of the molded part (outside)

[0130] 10f Surface of molded part

[0131] 15 Functional layer (one or more layers)

[0132] 20 Fiber Forming Facilities

[0133] 30 Slurry storage tank

[0134] 35 Slurry preparation feeding unit

[0135] 40 mobile units

[0136] 50 output units

[0137] 60 Controller Unit

[0138] 70 coating units

[0139] 80 printing units

[0140] 90 stacking units

[0141] 95 Conveyor Belt

[0142] 100 Method for manufacturing molded parts made of environmentally friendly degradable fiber materials

[0143] 110 Provide slurry

[0144] 120 The suction mold is brought into contact with the slurry

[0145] 130 Molded parts by absorbing environmentally friendly biodegradable fiber materials

[0146] 140 Pre-pressing of the molded parts in the pre-pressing station

[0147] 150 Hot pressing of pre-pressed molded parts, such as film pressing

[0148] 160 Output the final molded part

[0149] 170 Transfer the pre-pressed molded parts to the hot press station

[0150] 180 Coating molded parts with one or more functional layers

[0151] HD Hot Press Pressure

[0152] PR Suppression Direction

[0153] VD Preload Pressure

Claims

1. A method (100) for manufacturing a molded part (10) made of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11) by a fiber molding process in a fiber molding facility (20), comprising the following steps: - providing (110) slurry (1) as a liquid solution of the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11); - contacting (120) the suction die (2) with the slurry (1) by placing the suction die (2) onto the slurry (1) or at least partially immersing the suction die (2) in the slurry (1), wherein: The suction mold (2) comprises a suction head (21), wherein the suction head (21) has a three-dimensional suction head suction side (21s), the shape of which matches the contour of a subsequent molded part (10); - sucking the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11) onto the suction side (21s) of the suction head in the suction mold (2) by negative pressure to mold (130) the molded part (10); - in a pre-pressing station (3), the molded shaped part (10) is pre-pressed (140) with a pre-pressing pressure (VD) to reduce the proportion of liquid solution in the molded part (10); wherein the molded part (10) remains on the suction mold (2) for pre-pressing; wherein the pre-pressing station (3) comprises a pre-pressing lower mold (31), the suction mold (2) and the molded shaped part (10) are arranged at the pre-pressing lower mold (31), so that the molded part (10) is arranged between the pre-pressing lower mold (31) and the suction mold (2) and is used for The pre-pressing pressure (VD) presses the suction mold (2) onto the pre-pressing lower mold (31); wherein the pre-pressing (140) is configured as a membrane press; wherein, for the membrane press, the pre-pressing lower mold (31) is configured as a flexible membrane (32), so that the pre-pressing pressure (VD) is applied to the lower surface of the flexible membrane (32) from multiple different directions as a gas pressure generated by compressed gas, and then the upper surface of the flexible membrane (32) is pressed onto the outer contour (10a) of the molded part (10) with the same pressure regardless of the direction; - hot pressing (150) the pre-pressed molded part (10) with hot pressing pressure (HD) in a hot pressing station (4) to complete the final molding of the molded part (10) and further reduce the proportion of liquid solution in the molded part (10); and - Output (160) the final formed molded part (10).

2. The method (100) according to claim 1, wherein: In the method (100), a pulp (1) containing less than 5% of environmentally friendly degradable fiber material (11) is used.

3. The method (100) according to claim 1, wherein: In the method (100), a pulp (1) containing less than 2% of environmentally friendly degradable fiber material (11) is used.

4. The method (100) according to claim 1, wherein: In the method (100), a pulp (1) containing an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11) in a proportion of 0.5% to 1% is used.

5. The method (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The slurry (1) is an aqueous solution containing environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11).

6. The method (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The slurry (1) does not contain an organic binder.

7. The method (100) according to claim 6, wherein: The slurry (1) also does not contain any non-organic binder.

8. The method (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11) consists of fibers with a fiber length of less than 5 mm.

9. The method (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The slurry (1) is provided at a temperature lower than or equal to 80°C.

10. The method (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The slurry (1) is provided at a temperature lower than or equal to 50°C.

11. The method (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The slurry (1) is provided at room temperature.

12. The method (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The suction head (21) is completely immersed in the slurry (1) for contact (120).

13. The method (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The suction side (21i) of the suction head (21) is formed by a porous screen (22), and on the slurry side (22p) thereof facing the slurry (1), the environmentally friendly and degradable fibers (11) are attached due to suction for molding (130) the formed part (10).

14. The method (100) according to claim 13, wherein: The liquid solution of the slurry (1) flowing through the screen (22) during the molding (130) is discharged from the suction mold (2).

15. The method (100) according to claim 14, wherein: The suction head (21) comprises, on its end side (21p) facing the slurry (1), a collecting ring (24) for receiving the discharged liquid solution, which is connected to a discharge channel (25) of the liquid solution.

16. The method (100) according to claim 13, wherein: The suction die (2) comprises a plurality of suction channels (23) which are distributed around the screen (22) to a screen side (22s) opposite to the slurry side (22p).

17. The method (100) according to claim 16, wherein: The suction channels (23) are distributed and arranged around the screen (22) so that the structure of the screen (22) is designed so that equal suction capacity exists in all areas of the slurry side (22p) of the screen (22).

18. The method (100) according to claim 17, wherein: The suction channels (23) are unevenly distributed below the screen (22), wherein fewer suction channels (23) are arranged per unit area in the edge region of the molded part (10).

19. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The suction mold (2) is a multi-purpose mold having a plurality of suction heads (21).

20. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The suction side (21s) of the suction head is configured such that the inner side (21i) of the suction head is a female type or the outer side (21a) of the suction head is a male type.

21. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The suction mold (2) is placed on the pre-pressing lower mold (31) with the negative type as the suction side (21s) of the suction head, or is placed in the pre-pressing lower mold (31) with the positive type as the suction side (21s) of the suction head.

22. The method (100) of claim 13, wherein: The pre-pressing lower die (31) has a pressing surface (31a) facing the molded part (10), and the surface roughness of the pressing surface is lower than that of the screen (22).

23. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The pre-pressing lower die (31) is made of metal or at least partially of elastomer.

24. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The pre-pressing (140) is performed at a temperature below 80°C in the pre-pressing station (3).

25. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The pre-pressing (140) is performed at a temperature below 50°C in the pre-pressing station (3).

26. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The pre-pressing (140) is performed at a temperature where the pre-pressing station (3) is at room temperature.

27. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: At 0.2 N / mm 2 Up to 0.3 N / mm 2 The pre-pressing (140) is performed at a pre-pressing pressure (VD).

28. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: At 0.23 N / mm 2 Up to 0.27 N / mm 2 The pre-pressing (140) is performed at a pre-pressing pressure (VD).

29. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: After the pre-pressing (140) is performed, the method comprises the following steps: transferring (170) the pre-pressed molded part (10) to the hot pressing station (4) via the suction mold (2), wherein the molded part (10) is removed from the suction mold (2) for subsequent hot pressing (150).

30. The method (100) of claim 29, wherein: The hot pressing station (4) comprises a hot pressing lower mold (41) whose hot pressing side (41a) matches the inner contour (10i) of the molded part (10) and a hot pressing upper mold (42), wherein, during the transfer (170), the molded part (10) is placed from the suction mold (2) onto or in the hot pressing lower mold (41), and during the hot pressing (150), the hot pressing upper mold (42) is pressed onto the hot pressing lower mold (41), and the molded part (10) is arranged between the two.

31. The method (100) according to claim 30, wherein: The hot pressing lower die (41) is made of metal.

32. The method (100) of claim 30, wherein: The hot pressing lower die (41) comprises a channel (41k) leading to the hot pressing side (41a) thereof, and the liquid solution can be at least partially discharged through the channel (41k) during the hot pressing (150).

33. The method (100) of claim 30, wherein: The hot pressing upper mold (42) is matched to the outer contour (10a) of the molded part (10) at least on the side (42i) facing the molded part.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein: The hot pressing upper mold (42) is made of metal.

35. The method (100) of claim 30, wherein: The hot pressing lower mold (41) and the hot pressing upper mold (42) have different temperatures during the hot pressing.

36. The method (100) of claim 30, wherein: The temperature of the hot pressing upper mold (42) is higher than the temperature of the hot pressing lower mold (41).

37. The method (100) of claim 35, wherein: The temperatures differ by at least 25°C.

38. The method (100) of claim 35, wherein: The temperatures do not differ by more than 60°C.

39. The method (100) of claim 35, wherein: The temperatures differed by 50°C.

40. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The hot pressing is performed at a temperature above 150°C.

41. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The hot pressing is performed at a temperature of 180°C to 250°C.

42. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The hot pressing (150) is performed at a hot pressing pressure (HD) higher than the pre-pressing pressure (VD).

43. The method (100) of claim 42, wherein: At 0.5 N / mm 2 Up to 1.5 N / mm 2 The hot pressing is performed under a hot pressing pressure (HD).

44. The method (100) of claim 42, wherein: At 0.8 N / mm 2 Up to 1.2 N / mm 2 The hot pressing is performed under a hot pressing pressure (HD).

45. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The heat press pressure (HD) is applied for a pressing time of less than 20 seconds.

46. ​​The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The hot pressing pressure (HD) is applied for a pressing time of more than 8 seconds.

47. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The heat press pressure (HD) is applied for a pressing time of 10 seconds to 14 seconds.

48. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The hot pressing pressure (HD) was applied for 12 seconds.

49. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The profile of the molded part (10) is designed so that each surface (10f) of the molded part (10) forms an angle (α) of at least 3 degrees with the pressing direction (PR) during the hot pressing (150).

50. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The output of the final molded part (10) is completed at a further processing station of the fiber molding facility (20).

51. The method (100) according to claim 1, comprising the additional step of coating (180) the molded part (10) with one or more functional layers (15).

52. The method (100) according to claim 1, comprising the additional step of coating (180) the final shaped part (10) with one or more functional layers (15).

53. A fiber forming facility (20) for manufacturing a molded part (10) made of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11) by the method (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 52, comprising: - a storage tank (30) for providing (110) slurry (1) as a liquid solution of the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11); - a suction mold (2) attached to a mobile unit (40), whose suction head (21) has a three-dimensionally shaped suction head side (21s), the shape of which is adapted to the contour of the subsequent molded part (10), wherein the mobile unit (40) is designed to bring the suction mold (2) into contact (120) with the slurry (1) by placing the suction mold (2) onto the slurry (1) or at least partially immersing it in the slurry (1); - wherein the suction mold is designed to mold (130) the molded part (10) by sucking the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11) onto the suction side (21s) of the suction head in the suction mold (2) by means of negative pressure; a pre-pressing station (3) for pre-pressing (140) the molded shaped part (10) with a pre-pressing pressure (VD) to reduce the proportion of liquid solution in the shaped part (10); and - a hot pressing station (4) for hot pressing (150) the pre-pressed molded part (10) with a hot pressing pressure (HD) to complete the final molding of the molded part (10) and further reduce the proportion of liquid solution in the molded part (10); and - an output unit (50) for outputting (160) the finally formed molded part (10).

54. The fiber forming installation (20) according to claim 53, It is characterized in that The fiber forming installation (20) comprises a control unit (60) for controlling the method to be performed.

55. The fiber forming installation (20) according to claim 53 or 54, It is characterized in that The fiber forming plant (20) additionally comprises a coating unit (70) for applying one or more functional layers to the formed part (10).

56. A molded part (10) made of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11) manufactured using the method according to any one of claims 1 to 52 or manufactured using the fiber molding facility according to any one of claims 53 to 55.

57. The molded article according to claim 56, It is characterized in that The profile of the molded part (10) is such that each surface (10f) of the molded part (10) forms an angle (α) of at least 3 degrees with a pressing direction (PR) during the hot pressing (150).

58. A moulding according to claim 56 or 57, It is characterized in that The environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11) does not contain any organic binder.

59. The molded article according to claim 58, It is characterized in that The environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11) also does not contain any inorganic binder.

60. The molded part according to claim 56 or 57, It is characterized in that The environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11) is composed of fibers with a fiber length of less than 5 mm.

61. The molded part according to claim 56 or 57, It is characterized in that The molded part (10) comprises one or more functional layers (15) applied to the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11).

62. The molded part according to claim 56 or 57, It is characterized in that The dopants or components contained in the fiber material (11) of the molded part (10) are extracted from the fiber material (11) of the molded part (10) in a desired manner based on their concentration, the application of the molded part (10) and / or environmental conditions, so as to exert an effect that supports the application of the molded part (10).

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