Fiber molding facilities for manufacturing molded parts made of environmentally friendly and biodegradable fiber materials

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fiber molding facility (100) for manufacturing a molded article (10) made of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material through a fiber molding process, comprising: at least one first slurry storage tank (6a, 6b) for providing at least one first slurry as a liquid solution of the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material; a suction mold (2) attached to a mobile unit (4), which as a multi-purpose mold includes a plurality of suction heads, and the suction side of the suction head of each suction head matches the contour of the molded article (10) to be molded, and the suction mold (2) is designed to be moved by moving the suction mold (2) to the movable unit (4). A small portion of the molded part (10) is first immersed in a first slurry and the fiber material is sucked from the first slurry to the corresponding suction side of the suction head by negative pressure to mold the molded part (10) in the suction head; an output unit (50) for outputting the finally formed molded part (10); and a control unit (60), which is configured to perform the method of the present invention on a fiber molding facility (100), wherein the fiber molding facility (100) is additionally designed to apply and / or coat a functional layer or a layer system composed of multiple functional layers and / or another layer of fiber material to the surface to be coated of the molded part (10).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a molded part made of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material by a fiber molding process in a fiber molding facility, wherein an additional functional layer or a layer system consisting of multiple functional layers and / or another layer of fiber material can be applied to the surface to be coated of the molded part. The present invention also relates to a fiber molding facility for producing molded parts according to the method and a molded part produced using the fiber molding facility. 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 EP 0 447 792 B1. 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 large number of products, it is desirable to have an efficient and flexible method for manufacturing environmentally friendly natural fiber molded parts and a corresponding machine that can manufacture such products (molded parts) in a variable, high-quality and reproducible manner. However, natural fiber molded parts often exhibit properties that are incompatible with the intended application, so that the natural fiber or the molded part requires additional processing before it can be used in the respective application. In view of this, it is desirable to have a process that can manufacture molded parts suitable for different applications. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an efficient and flexible method for producing environmentally friendly natural fiber molded parts and a corresponding machine, by means of which different products (molded parts) can be produced variably, with high quality and reproducibly, so that the molded parts produced in this way can be suitable for different applications.

[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 at least one first slurry as a liquid solution of environmentally friendly degradable fiber material in at least one first slurry storage tank;

[0008] - molding the shaped part by at least partially dipping a suction mold into the first slurry for the first time, wherein the suction mold as a multi-purpose mold comprises several suction heads, the suction side of the three-dimensional shape of each suction head being matched to the contour of the shaped part to be molded, and the suction mold sucks fiber material from the first slurry onto the corresponding suction side of the suction head by negative pressure; and

[0009] - Output the final formed part;

[0010] In this case, the production method additionally comprises applying a functional layer or a layer system consisting of a plurality of functional layers and / or applying a further layer of fiber material to the surface of the molded part to be coated.

[0011] 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.

[0012] 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 (liquid solution containing environmentally friendly and degradable fiber materials). 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 at the same concentration as much as possible, for example, as a mixture or suspension of liquid solution and fiber material. To this end, 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 mold can suck the agglomerated fiber material, but it may cause the layer thickness fluctuation of the molded part, which should be avoided as much as possible in the production of the molded part. In this regard, the proportion of fiber material in the slurry should be low enough to prevent agglomeration or chaining, or only appear to a negligible extent. The liquid solution can be any solution suitable for the fiber molding process. For example, the slurry can be an aqueous solution containing environmentally friendly degradable fiber material. The aqueous solution is especially a solution that is easy to handle. Here, the slurry can be 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 be degraded in a particularly environmentally friendly manner because no binders that are critical to the environment are used, preferably no binders. By combining the molding step, the preforming step and the hot pressing step, these steps generally ensure that the single fibers in the fiber material of the molded part are well mechanically linked to each other, and the binder can be omitted. The strength of the mechanical cross-linking is sufficient to achieve dimensional stability of the molded part without the need for a binder. In one 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 in particular, so that the degree of agglomeration of the fibers in the slurry is low enough to achieve a good and reproducible fiber molding process for molded parts. In one embodiment, the slurry is provided at a temperature of less than or equal to 80°C, preferably less than or equal to 50°C, and particularly preferably room temperature. Such a low temperature in particular allows simple process control, especially at room temperature. At higher temperatures, the hot pressing process can be slightly accelerated. The method according to the present invention uses at least one first slurry storage tank containing a first slurry.However, in other embodiments of the method according to the invention, additional slurry tanks (second slurry tank, third slurry tank, etc.) filled with corresponding additional slurries (second slurry tank, third slurry tank, etc.) can also be used in addition. Here, the slurries can differ from each other in their composition or other properties (such as temperature), or at least some of the slurries can have the same composition and / or the same other properties.

[0013] The fiber forming process refers to the process steps involved in molding a molded part, starting with providing a slurry, molding a molded part from a fiber material from the slurry in a molding station, until the output of the final molded part, including applying a functional layer or a layer system consisting of multiple functional layers and / or coating another layer of fiber material to the surface to be coated of the molded part, wherein the application or coating can be arranged in any position suitable for the corresponding layer to be applied during the fiber forming process. According to the embodiment, the application and coating can be carried out in separate workstations or in a common workstation. In certain fiber forming processes within the scope of the present invention, only application, only coating or both processes are carried out during the fiber forming process. Optionally, the fiber forming process according to the present invention additionally includes preforming and / or hot pressing.

[0014] 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 shaping process can be matched to the corresponding shape (or profile) of the molded part. In the case of different molded parts with different shapes (or profiles), different correspondingly matched components can be used, such as suction molds, suction tips, optionally pre-pressing units, 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.

[0015] In this context, a suction mold is a mold provided with several suction heads for molding individual molded parts, so that as the suction mold moves, the various suction heads in the suction mold also move with it in equal amounts. The medium supplied to the suction mold with multiple suction heads is guided to the various suction heads in the suction mold in an appropriate manner. Such a suction mold is called a multi-purpose mold because it includes several suction heads. With this multi-purpose mold, a large number of molded parts can be molded simultaneously from a common slurry reservoir according to the number of suction heads, which increases the output of the fiber molding facility, thereby making the production of the fiber molding facility more economical.

[0016] At least partially immersing the suction mold in the slurry means that the slurry is in contact with all the suction heads in the suction mold, thereby sucking out the fiber material or sucking the slurry and the fiber material dissolved therein due to the negative pressure or suction pressure applied to the slurry by the suction mold. A pump system that can be operated by a suction pump applies negative pressure to the suction mold or the suction head via a suitable connection mechanism. To this end, the suction head can include a suitable gas pipeline system, which transmits the negative pressure provided by the pump to the suction head as suction pressure. When the suction mold is partially immersed in the slurry, the suction mold is not only placed on 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 can vary depending on the application and the molded part that may be molded.

[0017] Here, the nozzle may be of a 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 the molded part is molded) 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 (as shown in FIG. 6 ). In the case of the negative type, the outer side of the subsequent molded part faces the inner side of the nozzle. Therefore, the molded part is located on the inner side of the nozzle after molding.

[0018] Here, the nozzle can also be of a positive type. The positive 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 the molded part is molded) is located on the outside of the nozzle, so that after the nozzle is placed on the slurry or immersed in the slurry, the outside does not form a cavity (as shown in FIG. 6 ). In the case of the positive type, the inside of the subsequent molded part faces the outside of the nozzle. Therefore, the molded part is located on the outside of the nozzle after molding.

[0019] The molding of the shaped part represents the first pre-forming of the shaped part, wherein the shaped part is formed from the fiber material previously randomly distributed in the slurry by accumulating the fiber material on the contour of the nozzle with a corresponding contour. The molded shaped part still has a large proportion (e.g. 70%-80%) of liquid solution, such as water, and is therefore not yet stable in shape.

[0020] By molding in a molding station, it is easy to mold a molded part from a slurry containing a fiber material, and depending on the design of the nozzle profile, molded parts with various profiles can be provided very flexibly. Here, the ratio of the width or diameter to the height of the molded part does not represent a limiting or critical parameter with respect to the manufacturing quality of the corresponding molded part.

[0021] The functional layer, the layer system with such a layer or the further layer of fibrous material (hereinafter also referred to as coating) is applied or coated onto the previously molded fibrous material (the shaped part to be coated) for example to ensure at least a partial barrier effect, to prevent mass transfer from, into or through the fibrous material or at least to reduce it to an acceptable level. This can, for example, provide the shaped part with a barrier effect against the penetration of moisture, water, spices, flavorings, odors, fats, oils, gases (such as O2 and N2), light acids and all substances that cause food to decay and / or non-food grade substances. The application or coating can utilize all techniques that are suitable for fibrous material shaped parts.

[0022] The method according to the invention provides an efficient and flexible method for manufacturing environmentally friendly natural fiber molded parts and a corresponding machine, by which different products (molded parts) can be manufactured in a variable, high-quality and reproducible manner, so that the molded parts manufactured in this way can be suitable for different applications, such as the food industry with a corresponding barrier layer.

[0023] In another embodiment, after molding, the method further comprises the step of preforming the molded molded part in a preforming station by applying a pre-pressing pressure to the molded part. With the aid of the preforming station, a preformed molded part that is sufficiently stable for further processing and in which the proportion of liquid solution is further reduced is produced in a simple manner from a mechanically unstable molded part by pre-pressing. Preforming allows the molded part to be manufactured and further processed in a highly reproducible manner, with high precision and high quality in terms of the shape and layer thickness of the individual parts of the molded part. In one embodiment, pre-pressing can be performed at a temperature of less than 80° C., preferably less than 50° C., particularly preferably at room temperature in the pre-pressing unit. By pre-pressing, the liquid content in the molded part is reduced to approximately 55%-65%, and the molded part is thus pre-cured so that its dimensional stability is sufficient for transfer to the mold. Too high a temperature will result in an excessive reduction in the liquid content in the molded part, which will make the material too hard for any subsequent hot pressing. 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 2Prepressing is performed under a prepressing pressure of . These moderate pressures allow the molded parts to be gently solidified and moderately reduce the liquid, which is conducive to the molding process with low scrap rate. Preferably, during preforming, a suction mold with several suction heads and the molded parts molded therein are pressed onto a static prepressing station, which has several prepressing lower molds that match the suction mold, or the prepressing lower mold is pressed onto the static suction mold. During prepressing, the suction mold represents the prepressing upper mold of the prepressing unit. In one embodiment, the suction mold is placed on the prepressing lower mold and is pressed onto the prepressing lower mold by a separate pressing unit, such as a piston rod. Alternatively, the suction mold can also be fastened to a mechanical arm, which itself applies a prepressing pressure to the prepressing lower mold via the suction mold. The molded molded parts retained in the suction mold are placed at the prepressing lower mold for prepressing, so that the molded parts are arranged between the prepressing lower mold and the suction mold, and then the suction mold can be pressed onto the prepressing lower mold with the prepressing pressure.

[0024] In another embodiment, the method further comprises the steps of: hot pressing at least the molded molded part with hot pressing pressure after the molded part is transferred to the hot pressing station to complete the final molding of the molded part. Here, the hot pressing in the fiber molding process can be carried out with or without pre-pressing. If pre-pressing is also carried out, hot pressing is carried out after pre-molding. After pre-pressing, the molded part with good pre-pressing is preferably transferred to the hot pressing station by a suction mold, for which the molded part is taken out of the suction mold for subsequent hot pressing. The advantage of the transfer is that hot pressing is carried out at a significantly higher pressure at high temperature. If the molded part is left in the suction mold and hot pressing is not transferred, 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 suffer high pressure damage, so that the suction mold can no longer work normally. The way to complete the transfer can be to passively transfer one or more molded parts from the suction mold to the hot pressing station by disengagement or actively transfer to the hot pressing station by the ejection pressure of the molded part in the suction mold. By hot pressing the pre-pressed molded part with hot pressing pressure, 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 then the molded part is stable and will not deform. The long drying process in the drying oven is avoided by hot pressing. The hot pressing lower mold and the hot pressing upper mold are preferably made of metal. The hot pressing is carried out at a hot pressing pressure higher than the pre-pressing pressure, for example 0.5N / mm 2 Up to 1.5N / mm 2 , preferably 0.8N / mm 2 Up to 1.2N / mm 2. The pressing time for 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. 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. Through the hot pressing station, preformed but still slightly variable molded parts can be easily made into final molded molded parts for further processing by hot pressing, wherein the proportion of liquid solution is significantly reduced. The hot pressing station allows the molded parts to be manufactured and further processed in a highly reproducible manner, with high precision and high quality in terms of the shape and layer thickness of each part of the molded part. In particular, the combination of pre-pressing and hot pressing can produce molded parts with particularly high quality, particularly low scrap rate, and particularly reproducible. In this way, high-quality, reproducible and finally stable molded parts can be manufactured from environmentally friendly and degradable fiber materials particularly easily, efficiently and flexibly. Preferably, the target profile of the molded part and the corresponding molded component are designed so that each surface of the molded part makes an angle α of at least 3 degrees with the pressing direction during hot pressing. For example, the surface perpendicular to the pressing direction (maximum pressure) has an angle α=90 degrees. This ensures that the hot pressing pressure can be applied to each surface of the molded part. During hot pressing, the surface parallel to the pressure direction cannot be pressed.

[0025] In another embodiment, the surface to be coated can be the outer surface of the molded part and / or the inner surface of the molded part. Thereby, in particular, depending on the application, the molded part or the contents of the molded part can be protected by applying or coating the coating from the outside and / or the inside.

[0026] In another embodiment, the application comprises conditioning the surface to be coated and subsequently coating the conditioned surface to be coated. Conditioning prepares the fiber material on its surface or even in its depth for subsequent coating, which facilitates the application of the layers, for example improves the adhesion or functionality of these layers and / or makes these layers stable over a longer period of time.

[0027] In another embodiment, during the finishing, the surface to be coated is coated, preferably sprayed with a material that smoothes and / or fills the surface, preferably a biocompatible material, in preparation for the coating step. Lightly textured surfaces, especially smooth surfaces, can be more easily subsequently coated with a functional layer or such a layer system.

[0028] In another embodiment, the molded part is sprayed with wax and / or painted or coated with PTFE during finishing. The term "wax" refers to an organic compound that melts at temperatures above about 40° C. and then forms a low-viscosity liquid. This makes it easy to apply the wax to the surface by spraying. The low melting point of the wax allows the fiber material to be saturated or impregnated with the wax. The process of penetrating the wax into the fiber material can be supported by high temperatures above the melting point. Waxes are almost insoluble in water, but soluble in organic non-polar media. The chemical composition and origin of waxes may vary greatly and can be defined as waxes according to the definition of the German Society for Lipid Science. The waxes that can be used here can be natural waxes, such as animal waxes (e.g. wool wax, Chinese wax, beeswax, tallow wax or insect wax) or vegetable waxes (e.g. sugar cane wax, carnauba wax, candelilla wax, cork wax, guaruma wax, cocoa bean wax, palm wax, sycamore wax, cotton wax, rice bran wax, flax wax, peat wax, rose wax, jasmine wax, peethe wax, myrtle wax or waxy fig wax) and semi-synthetic or synthetic waxes (e.g. soybean wax, rapeseed wax, castor wax). The wax is preferably a wax approved as a food additive. The term "lacquer" refers to a liquid or powder coating. The lacquer or lacquer layer can be applied thinly to an object to establish a continuous solid film (layer) by a chemical or physical process (e.g. solvent evaporation). The lacquer is generally composed of a binder such as a resin, a dispersant or emulsion, a filler, a pigment, a solvent and an additive. The lacquer is preferably a lacquer approved for use in food. The term "PTFE" refers to polytetrafluoroethylene, which is a perfluorinated polymer. The PTFE coating is usually applied and then subjected to temperature treatment. PTFE coatings are used as non-stick coatings in many applications. Polytetrafluoroethylene is extremely inert. Even aggressive acids cannot attack such coatings. The reason for this is that the bond between the carbon and fluorine atoms is extremely strong. Several substances cannot successfully break the bond and react with PTFE. PTFE is used as a coating due to its chemical inertness, especially to protect the coating substrate. A wide range of possible and relatively simple compounding possibilities Special mixtures are available for various applications.

[0029] In another embodiment, the wax is applied to the molded part as a functional layer in a layer system. For example, the wax can be used as a waterproof layer.

[0030] In another embodiment, the wax is introduced into the fiber material by temperature treatment of the molded part. For example, the hot pressing temperature during hot pressing is suitable for this. Therefore, the wax is preferably applied before hot pressing so that it penetrates into the fiber material during hot pressing. The same applies to correspondingly suitable lacquers.

[0031] In another embodiment, the functional layer or layer system is applied to the molded part using a physical coating process or vapor deposition, preferably vapor deposition, plasma coating or spraying. Such coating processes are particularly suitable for efficient production processes.

[0032] In another embodiment, the trimming and / or coating step is performed after the hot pressing step. This is particularly advantageous for materials that are not suitable for trimming at hot pressing temperatures. It is also advantageous that the molded part is finally formed after hot pressing and is therefore particularly stable in shape compared to the early production stages during the fiber forming process.

[0033] In another embodiment, at least one of the functional layers or the other fibrous material in the functional layer or layer system has at least a partial barrier effect against mass transfer from, into or through the fibrous material. Preferably, the barrier effect is against the penetration of moisture, water, spices, flavorings, odors, fats, oils and light acids and / or non-food grade substances. Such a property is at least partially achieved, for example, by a 0.02 mm to 0.1 mm thick lacquer or wax layer or a 0.0005 mm to 0.02 mm thick ceramic layer (e.g. SiO x The fiber material applied as a further layer to the molded part is highly ground and has a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm, at least partially having such properties. In another embodiment, the functional layer with a barrier effect is a wax layer, a lacquer layer or a ceramic layer, preferably a SiO x layer or glass ceramic.

[0034] In another embodiment, the functional layer or at least one functional layer in the layer system is designed so that it releases substances that are beneficial to the application of the molded part into the surroundings of the molded part under the application conditions of the molded part. Beneficial substances are functional substances or substances that can be released from the molded part, which interact with the surroundings of the molded part after release, thereby producing a beneficial effect on the surroundings of the molded part and / or the molded part itself. For example, the molded part is a potting pot planted in the soil together with the plant. When the fiber material degrades in the soil in an environmentally friendly manner, it releases fertilizers that were previously included (mixed) in the fiber material as dopants or particles. This means that it becomes superfluous to fertilize the planted plants separately, because this function is assumed by the molded part itself. In another embodiment, the beneficial substance can also be a substance that allows the molded part to degrade faster after release.

[0035] In another embodiment, the functional layer is doped with an active substance, which diffuses out of the functional layer under the application conditions of the molded part. This can support various applications, such as the care, seasoning or flavoring of the contents of the molded part. For example, after the injection of hot liquid, such an active substance diffuses out of the molded part. In another embodiment, the active substance is a seasoning (such as sugar, salt or pepper), a pharmaceutically active substance, a substance that supports the environmentally friendly degradation of the molded part or an additive to the contents of the molded part.

[0036] In one embodiment, coating comprises the following steps:

[0037] - dipping the suction mold with the molded part molded from the first slurry at least partially into a second tank containing the second slurry for a second time; and

[0038] - In a corresponding suction head, the functional layer is further molded onto the fiber material molded from the first slurry by sucking the fiber material from a second slurry reservoir containing the second slurry.

[0039] In this way, a molded part with a double fiber layer can be produced in two successive suction processes, the first layer being molded from a fiber material from a first slurry and the second layer being molded from a fiber material from a second slurry. These first and second fiber materials can have different effects and, as a double layer, can provide a molded part with both the desired internal and external (mechanical and / or chemical) effects. In this case, for example, the fiber material of the molded part that is molded first can have a different fiber length, different doping, etc. than the second fiber material layer used for coating the functional layer. These steps are preferably carried out before the preforming of the molded part. If the fiber forming process includes preforming, the above steps are preferably carried out before preforming.

[0040] If the fiber forming process includes preforming, in another embodiment, in a joint process of the formed part, the formed part molded from the fiber material from the first slurry, on which the functional layer made of the fiber material from the second slurry is molded, is preformed. Thereby, only one preforming process is required to preform the formed part built up from two fiber layers. The preforming mold is adapted to the shape of the formed part containing the fiber material, on which the further fiber material layer is applied.

[0041] In one embodiment, coating comprises the following steps:

[0042] - transferring the molded part molded in the suction mold as the first molded part from the suction mold to a temporary storage position or a temporary storage position, preferably a pre-pressing lower mold of a pre-molding station;

[0043] - dipping the suction mold, now without the molded part, at least partially a second time into a further reservoir containing further slurry;

[0044] - molding the second shaped part as a functional layer onto the respective suction side of the nozzle of the nozzle by sucking up the fiber material from a further slurry reservoir containing further slurry;

[0045] - Placing the second molded part as a functional layer on or in the first molded part.

[0046] On the one hand, the first molded part placed in the temporary storage position can be prepared, smoothed, dehumidified, and pre-pressed for the subsequent second molded part. On the other hand, during the second immersion, the suction mold can use the same suction force under the same suction conditions as during the first immersion, because the suction mold does not carry the molded part during the second immersion and therefore does not have to suck the second fiber material of the second molded part through the suction side that is covered by the fiber material of the first molded part. In this way, a double layer of two fiber materials can be produced in a more clear way. Preferably, the layer thickness of the two fiber materials allows the first molded part and the second molded part to be stacked on top of each other.

[0047] In one embodiment, coating comprises the following steps:

[0048] - transferring the molded part molded in the suction mold as the first molded part from the suction mold to a temporary storage position or a temporary storage position, preferably a pre-pressing lower mold of a pre-forming station, for subsequent pre-forming;

[0049] - dipping the further suction mold at least partially a second time into the further reservoir containing the further slurry, wherein the further suction mold as a multipurpose mold comprises several suction tips, the suction side of each suction tip having a three-dimensional shape adapted to the contour of the delivered molded part;

[0050] - molding the second shaped part as a functional layer onto the corresponding suction head side of the suction head of the further suction mold by sucking up the fiber material from a further slurry reservoir containing the further slurry;

[0051] - Placing the second molded part as a functional layer on or in the first molded part.

[0052] This combines the advantages of the above-described embodiments with flexibility in the layer thickness of the first and second molded parts. By using an additional suction mold, this can be adapted to the shape of the first molded part without being restricted to a specific layer thickness range. This makes it possible to produce particularly thick first and / or second molded parts which can still be stacked one on top of the other.

[0053] In a further embodiment of the above method, in the preforming station, the co-formed part consisting of the first and second formed parts is preformed by a pre-pressing pressure applied to the co-formed part. In particular, the same advantages as the above pre-forming are achieved. In addition, the first and second formed parts are mechanically connected to each other due to the pre-pressing pressure, because the fibers of the corresponding fiber materials are hooked to each other.

[0054] In another embodiment, in the preforming station, the first molded part is pre-pressed separately between the pre-pressing lower mold and the suction mold after conveying but before output. The pressure applied here can be equal to the pre-pressing pressure or have another value, preferably a smaller value. The first molded part is prepared for the second molded part by separate pre-pressing. In particular, using the same suction mold for the first molded part and the second molded part, the outer shape of the first molded part can be pressed together so that the second molded part is closely attached to the first molded part.

[0055] In another embodiment, the first slurry, the second slurry and the further slurry differ in their composition, solvent, fiber material, concentration and / or ratio and / or any dopant type. In this way, the first molded part and the second molded part can be equipped with different functions, wherein the respective functions can be adapted to the respective application. For example, the outer side of the joint molded part can adopt a printable design, while the inner side of the joint molded part can have properties suitable for the contents of the molded part or be prepared for coating with more functional layers.

[0056] In another embodiment, the layer thickness of the functional layer made of the other fiber material is thinner than the layer thickness of the fiber material previously molded from the first slurry. This means that the two fiber materials can be connected to each other particularly well and can also be well matched to each other.

[0057] In another embodiment, the functional layer of fibrous material comprises a portion of a material, preferably a biocompatible material, which is smooth and / or filled with fibrous material. This means that the co-molded part can be used in food applications without the need to apply an additional coating.

[0058] In another embodiment, the molded part is arranged between the pre-pressing lower mold and the suction mold as the pre-pressing upper mold for pre-molding. In this way, the molded molded part, which is not yet stable in shape, needs to be taken out of the suction mold, which may cause damage to the molded part before pre-molding. Here, it is preferred to apply the pre-pressing pressure to the molded part using the suction mold, which is easy to implement especially in terms of configuration.

[0059] The present invention also relates to a fiber forming facility for manufacturing a molded part made of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material through a fiber forming process, comprising:

[0060] - at least one first slurry storage tank, used to provide at least one first slurry as a liquid solution of environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material;

[0061] a suction mold attached to the mobile unit, which as a multi-purpose mold comprises several suction tips, the suction side of the three-dimensional shape of each suction tip being matched to the contour of the shaped part to be molded, and which is designed to mold the shaped part in the suction tip by at least partially dipping the suction mold into the first slurry for the first time and sucking fiber material from the first slurry onto the corresponding suction side of the suction tip by negative pressure;

[0062] - an output unit, used to output the final formed molded part;

[0063] - a control unit configured to carry out the method according to any one of the preceding claims on a fiber forming plant;

[0064] In this case, the fiber forming device is additionally designed to apply and / or coat a functional layer or a layer system consisting of a plurality of functional layers and / or a further layer of fiber material onto the surface of the molded part to be coated.

[0065] The mobile unit can include a mechanical arm that can move freely in space, on which a suction mold is installed. In this way, the mobile unit can easily and flexibly move the molded part along the fiber molding process. In this way, the manufacturing process can be accelerated or modified according to the required productivity. In another embodiment, the mobile unit is configured to transfer the molded part in the suction mold to the pre-pressing unit and / or hot pressing station of the pre-forming station. The control unit can be configured as a processor, a separate computer system or based on a network, and is appropriately connected to the components of the fiber molding facility to be controlled, such as being connected via a data cable or being wirelessly connected by WLAN, radio or other wireless transmission mechanisms. In this case, the output unit outputs the molded part so that it is further transmitted or further processed, for example, by means of a conveyor belt, for example, to a subsequent cutting station, a labeling station, a printing station, a stacking station and / or a packaging station.

[0066] By means of the fiber forming facility according to the invention, an efficient and flexible method for manufacturing environmentally friendly natural fiber formed parts and a corresponding machine are realized, whereby different products (formed parts) can be manufactured in a variable, high-quality and reproducible manner, so that the formed parts manufactured in this way can be suitable for different applications, such as the food industry with a corresponding barrier layer.

[0067] In another embodiment, the fiber forming facility further comprises a preforming station for preforming the molded part by applying a pre-pressing pressure to the part, see the above explanation on preforming. The preforming is preferably carried out at room temperature.

[0068] In another embodiment, the fiber forming facility further comprises a hot press station for hot pressing at least the molded molded part with hot press pressure at a hot press temperature to complete the final forming of the molded part after the molded part is transferred to the hot press station, see the above description on hot pressing. Preferably, the preformed molded part is hot pressed after preforming, and particularly preferably, the pressure and temperature in the hot press are higher than the pressure and temperature during preforming.

[0069] In another embodiment, the fiber forming facility further comprises a finishing station for finishing the surface to be coated and / or a coating station for coating the surface to be coated, preferably the surface to be coated previously finished by the finishing station. The finishing station is, for example, a spraying station, a spraying station, a painting station or a coating station for using other finishing methods.

[0070] In another embodiment, the finishing station is configured as a spraying station for spraying the molded part with a material for smoothing and / or filling the surface, preferably a biocompatible material, particularly preferably wax and / or paint.

[0071] In another embodiment, the finishing station is configured to coat the molded part with PTFE.

[0072] In a further embodiment, the coating station is designed to carry out a physical layering process or a vapor deposition process, preferably vapor deposition, plasma coating or spraying.

[0073] In another embodiment, the coating station is arranged chronologically after the hot pressing station in the fiber forming process. Here, the time axis of the fiber forming process is from molding to possible preforming, then from possible hot pressing until the output of the molded part as the final formed product. Functional layers that do not serve as fiber materials but as other layers may damage or impair their functionality due to hot pressing. Therefore, such coatings are preferably applied by the coating station only when the molded part is finally formed, that is, only to the final molded part. Thereby, the coating station is arranged chronologically after the hot pressing station in the fiber forming process.

[0074] In another embodiment, the finishing station is arranged chronologically before the hot pressing station in the fiber forming process. Regarding the timeline, please refer to the above paragraph. In this way, for finishing the applied material, for example, the applied wax can penetrate well into the fiber material in the heated state during the hot pressing, so that the wax deeply impregnates the fiber material. This makes the fiber material smoother and / or more uniform for the subsequent coating. The same applies, for example, to the corresponding lacquer. PTFE itself is heat-resistant, and the increased temperature during the hot pressing promotes the sintering of the PTFE layer and thus the properties of the PTFE layer.

[0075] In another embodiment, the fiber forming apparatus comprises a second reservoir containing a second slurry for at least partially dipping the suction mold a second time, with or without a formed part molded from the first slurry in the suction head.

[0076] In another embodiment, the above-mentioned fiber forming facility includes at least one additional further suction mold to mold a second molded part from another slurry independently of a first molded part molded from the first slurry, wherein the moving unit is designed to place the second molded part on or into the first molded part in the preforming station.

[0077] In another embodiment, the fiber forming facility comprises a further mobile unit, on which an additional further suction mold is fastened. This allows for greater flexibility in the fiber forming process. The contents described above for the other mobile units also apply to the further mobile unit. In another embodiment, one or more of the mobile units are robots, each of which has one or more suction molds arranged on its robot arm.

[0078] The present invention also relates to a molded part made of environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material manufactured through a fiber molding process using the fiber molding facility according to the present invention, including a functional layer applied or coated on the fiber material of the molded part molded from a first slurry or a layer system composed of multiple functional layers and / or another layer of fiber material.

[0079] With the shaped part according to the invention, a high-quality and versatile product is provided which is suitable for different applications, for example for the food sector with a corresponding barrier layer. The shaped part can also be produced in an environmentally friendly and degradable manner using an efficient and flexible manufacturing process.

[0080] In one embodiment, the functional layer or layer system comprises a barrier layer, preferably a wax layer, a lacquer layer and / or a ceramic layer, particularly preferably SiO x layer or glass ceramic layer.

[0081] In another embodiment, the above-mentioned molded part includes a first molded part made of a fiber material from a first slurry and a second molded part made of a fiber material from a second or additional slurry different from the first slurry as a functional layer, wherein the first molded part and the second molded part are connected to each other via their respective relative surfaces, preferably connected to each other based on a pre-pressing pressure during pre-molding.

[0082] In a further embodiment, the functional layer and / or the layer system consisting of a plurality of functional layers is arranged on the outer surface and / or the inner surface of the shaped part produced from the first slurry and / or the second or further slurry.

[0083] In another embodiment, the molded article is a food container, and the inner surface is coated with a layer of wax approved as a food additive, paint approved for food, PTFE or SiO x Here, the inner surface is the surface facing the food present in the shaped part. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0084] Other features, effects and advantages of the present invention are explained by using the accompanying 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 the drawings.

[0085] In the figure:

[0086] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the method according to the present invention;

[0087] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the method according to the present invention;

[0088] FIG3 shows an embodiment of a fiber forming facility according to the present invention;

[0089] FIG4 shows another embodiment of a fiber forming facility according to the present invention, wherein there are multiple slurry reservoirs for applying another layer of fiber material to the molded formed part;

[0090] FIG5 shows a further embodiment of a fiber forming facility according to the present invention for molding a combined forming part of a first forming part made of a first slurry and a second forming part made of a second slurry using two separate mobile units for the first forming part and the second forming part, respectively;

[0091] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a suction mold, for example, as a multi-purpose mold, each having a female and male type of suction tips before (a) molding and after (b) molding of the molded part;

[0092] FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of a joint molded part in which a second molded part made of fiber material is arranged on the inner side of a first molded part made of fiber material;

[0093] 8 shows different embodiments of shaped parts, in which a functional layer or a layer system of functional layers is applied (a) on the outer surface of the shaped part, (b) on the inner surface of the shaped part, (c) on both sides of the shaped part; and

[0094] 9 shows an embodiment of a molded part in which (a) a layer system of a multi-layer functional layer and a further layer of fiber material are applied to the outer surface of the molded part, and (b) the use of the molded part having multiple layers is applied and coated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0095] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a method 200 for manufacturing a molded article 10 made of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material 11 through a fiber molding process in a fiber molding facility 100 according to the present invention, the method 200 comprising the following steps: providing 210 at least one first slurry 1a as a liquid solution of the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material 11 in at least one first slurry storage tank 6a; molding 220 the molded article 10 by at least partially immersing a suction mold 2 in the first slurry 1a for the first time, wherein the suction mold 2 as a multi-purpose mold comprises a plurality of suction heads 21, and the suction head suction side 21s of each suction head 21 has a three-dimensional shape that matches the contour of the molded article 10 to be molded, and the suction mold 2 sucks the fiber material 11 from the first slurry 1a to the corresponding suction head suction side 21s of the suction head 21 by negative pressure (see also Figure 6 for more details), and then preforming 230 the molded article 10 in the preforming station 30 by applying a pre-pressing pressure VD to the molded article 10. After the preforming 230, the molded part 10 is largely shape-stable for transfer to further processing stations 40, 50, 70, 80, 90. The method 200 further comprises the step of hot pressing 240 the at least molded (here already preformed) molded part with a hot pressing pressure HD after the transfer of the molded part to the hot pressing station 40, in order to complete the final shaping of the molded part 10. Preferably, after the preforming 230, the hot pressing 240 is carried out at a pressure and temperature higher than that of the preforming 230. Thereafter, the final molded molded part 10 is output 250. The above-mentioned manufacturing method comprises additionally applying 260 a functional layer 15 or a layer system 16 composed of a plurality of functional layers 15a, 15b, 15c and / or coating 290 a further layer 15d of fiber material 11 onto the surface 10a, 10i of the molded part to be coated. The coating 290 is part of the molding 220, and therefore here is carried out before the preforming 230 and the hot pressing 240. The application 260 of the functional layer 15 or the layer system 16 is carried out chronologically after the molding 220, because the molded part must first be available as a basis (substrate) for the application 260. The application 260 can be carried out at different times after the molding 220 and is divided into a plurality of sub-steps in the fiber molding process 200. Here, depending on the application of the molded part 10, the surface 10a, 10i to be coated can be the outer surface 10a of the molded part 10 and / or the inner surface 10i of the molded part 10. In the present embodiment, the application 260 includes trimming 270 of the surface 10a, 10i to be coated and subsequent coating 280 of the trimmed surface 10a, 10i to be coated. By trimming 270, the surface 10a, 10i to be coated should be smoothed and / or filled with material to prepare the coating step 280 of the surface 10a, 10i. For this purpose, the material is preferably sprayed during the trimming. For food applications of the molded part 10, the trimming material is preferably a biocompatible material. During finishing 270 , the molded part 10 is sprayed with wax, preferably wax approved as a food additive, and / or with paint, preferably paint approved for food use.In other embodiments, the molded part can be coated with PTFE. Alternatively, wax can also be applied 260 to the molded part as a functional layer 15a in the layer system 16. Here, it is also possible to trim with different materials or omit trimming. Preferably, the wax is introduced into the fiber material 11 by temperature treatment of the molded part 10, preferably the wax is applied 260 before the hot pressing 240, so that the temperature during the hot pressing process causes the wax to penetrate into the fiber material. However, if the corresponding material or layer 15 or layer system 16 cannot withstand the temperature during the hot pressing, the steps of trimming 270 and / or coating 280 can also be performed after the hot pressing step 240. However, depending on the fiber forming process and the layer 15 or layer system 16 to be applied, it is also possible to coat 280 after preforming 230 or hot pressing 240 without prior trimming 270. The coating 280 of the molded part 10 with the functional layer 15 or layer system 16 is carried out, for example, using a physical coating process or vapor deposition, preferably vaporization permeation, plasma coating or spraying.

[0096] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the method 200 according to the present invention. The embodiment shown in this figure can be combined with the embodiment in FIG1 , because the application 260 and the coating 290 occur at different stages of the fiber forming process 200, and therefore the two processes can be performed independently of each other. In one embodiment, before the preforming 230, the coating 290 may include the following steps: the suction mold 2 and the molded part 10 molded from the first slurry 1a are at least partially immersed 300 for the second time into the second reservoir 6b containing the second slurry 1b; and in the corresponding suction head 21, the functional layer 15d is further molded 310 onto the fiber material 11 molded from the first slurry 1a by sucking the fiber material 11 from the second slurry reservoir 6b containing the second slurry 1b. During the joining process of the molded molded part 10 , the molded part 10 molded from the fiber material from the first slurry 1 a and having molded 310 thereon a functional layer 15 d made of the fiber material 11 from the second slurry 1 b is then preformed 230 in a preforming station 30 . In an alternative embodiment, coating 290 includes the following steps: transferring 320 the molded part 10 molded in the suction mold as the first molded part 10-1 from the suction mold 2 to or in a temporary storage position, which is the pre-pressing lower mold 31 of the pre-forming station 30; at least partially immersing 330 the suction mold 2, which is now without the molded part, into another storage tank 6b containing another slurry lb for a second time; molding 340 the second molded part 10-2 as a functional layer 15d onto the corresponding suction side 21s of the suction head 21 by sucking the fiber material 11 from the other slurry storage tank 6b containing the other slurry lb; and placing 350 the second molded part 10-2 as the functional layer 15d on or in the first molded part 10-1. In this alternative, when molding the second molded part 10-2, the suction behavior of the suction head is not affected by the molding process of the first molded part 10-1, because the fiber material 11 for the second molded part 10-1 is sucked through the empty screen in the suction head and therefore does not pass through the first molded part 10-1. In another alternative, in addition to the step of conveying and outputting 320, coating 290 also includes the following steps: here, the additional suction mold 2b is at least partially immersed 330 for a second time in another storage tank 6b containing another slurry 1b, wherein the additional suction mold 2b as a multi-purpose mold includes several suction heads 21. In this alternative, the three-dimensional shape of the suction head suction side 21s of each suction head 21 matches the contour of the molded part 10 that has been conveyed and output, so that the first molded part and the second molded part can be produced in a wider thickness range; by sucking the fiber material 11 from the additional slurry storage tank 6b containing the additional slurry 1b, the second molded part 10-2 is molded 340 onto the corresponding suction head suction side 21s of the suction head 21 of the additional suction mold 2b as a functional layer 15d; and the second molded part 10-2 is placed 350 as a functional layer 15d on or in the first molded part 10-1.In both alternatives, in the preforming station 30, the joint molded part 10 is preformed 230 by a pre-pressing pressure VD applied to the joint molded part 10 consisting of the first molded part 10-1 and the second molded part 10-2. Here, in the preforming station 30, the first molded part 10-1 can be pre-pressed 235 separately between the pre-pressing lower mold 31 and the suction mold 2 after the transfer but before the output 320, depending on the application. If necessary, in some embodiments, this pre-pressing 235 can also replace the pre-forming 230 of the joint molded part 10 instead of being supplementary. During the pre-forming 230, the molded part 10 is arranged between the pre-pressing lower mold 31 and the suction mold 2 as the pre-pressing upper mold, and preferably, the suction mold 2 is used to apply the pre-pressing pressure VD to the molded part 10.

[0097] FIG3 shows an embodiment of a fiber molding facility 100 for manufacturing a molded article 10 made of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material 11 through a fiber molding process according to the present invention, wherein the fiber molding facility 100 comprises: at least one first slurry storage tank 6a, 6b for providing 210 at least one first slurry 1a as a liquid solution of the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material 11; a molding station 20, wherein a suction mold 2 is attached to a mobile unit 4, wherein the suction mold 2 as a multi-purpose mold comprises a plurality of suction heads 21, wherein a suction head suction side 21s of a three-dimensional shape of each suction head 21 matches the contour of the molded article 10 to be molded, and the suction mold 2 is designed to be immersed in the first slurry 1a for the first time by at least partially dipping the suction mold 2 and removing the first slurry from the first slurry by negative pressure. 1a sucks the fiber material 11 onto the corresponding suction side 21s of the suction head 21 to mold a molded part 10 in the suction head 21 (see FIG. 6 for more details); a preforming station 30, for preforming 230 the molded molded part 10 by applying a pre-pressing pressure VD to the molded part 10, preferably at room temperature; a hot press station 40, for hot pressing 240 at least the molded molded part with a hot press pressure HD at a hot press temperature after transferring the molded part to the hot press station 40 to complete the final molding of the molded part 10, preferably, hot pressing 240 the preformed molded part 10 after the preforming 230, and particularly preferably, the pressure and temperature during the hot press 240 are higher than the pressure and temperature during the preforming 230. An output unit 50, for outputting 250 the final molded molded part 10; and a control unit 60, which is designed to perform the method 200 according to the present invention on the fiber molding facility 100. The fiber forming facility 100 according to the invention is additionally designed to apply 260 and / or coat 290 a functional layer 15 or a layer system 16 consisting of a plurality of functional layers 15a, 15b, 15c and / or a further layer 15d of fiber material 11 onto the surface 10a, 10i to be coated of the molded part 10 (see FIGS. 7 to 9 for more details). After preforming 230 with the preforming station 30, the fiber forming facility 100 shown in the present figure comprises two consecutive production lines, each of which has a component finishing station 70, a coating station 80, a hot pressing station 40, other stations (e.g. a printing station or a packaging station) and an output unit 50. In both production lines, the preformed molded parts 10 can be provided by the same mobile unit 4. The hot pressing process 240 generally takes longer than preforming, so that the mobile unit can provide molded parts for both production lines without losing the cycle time of the output unit 50. During preforming 230, the molded part 10 is arranged between the pre-pressing lower mold 31 and the suction mold 2 as the pre-pressing upper mold. Preferably, the suction mold 2 is used to apply the pre-pressing pressure VD to the molded part 10. For the subsequent process, the molded part is discharged from the suction mold and passes through the fiber forming process on a correspondingly adapted conveying mechanism (for example, a multi-mold as a conveying mechanism).Both production lines here also have a finishing station 70 for finishing 270 the surfaces 10a, 10i to be coated and a coating station 80 for coating 280 the surfaces 10a, 10i to be coated (which have been previously finished by the finishing station 70). In an embodiment not shown in this figure, the finishing station 70 can also be omitted if the molded part already has surface properties suitable for coating, depending on the desired effect of the material and functional layer provided for this purpose. In the left production line, the finishing station 70 and the coating station 80 are arranged in chronological order after the hot press station 40 during the fiber forming process, which is advantageous for example for heat-sensitive materials. In contrast, in the right production line, the finishing station 70 is arranged in chronological order before the hot press station 40 during the fiber forming process. If the finishing station 70 is configured as a spraying station for spraying the molded part 10 with a material for smoothing and / or filling the surfaces 10a, 10i, preferably a biocompatible material, particularly preferably wax and / or paint, this material can penetrate into the fiber material 11 during the hot pressing 240. The finishing station 70 can also be configured to coat the molded part 10 with PTFE regardless of its position in the fiber forming process. The coating station 80 can be designed to perform a physical layering process or a vapor deposition process, preferably vapor deposition, plasma coating or spraying.

[0098] FIG4 shows another embodiment of a fiber forming facility 100 according to the invention, wherein the preforming station 20 has a plurality of slurry reservoirs 6a, 6b for applying a further layer 15d of fiber material 11 to the molded molded part 10. Here, the first slurry 1a, the second or further slurry 1b differ in their composition, solvent, fiber material, concentration and / or ratio and / or any type of doping agent. The fiber forming facility 100 here comprises a second reservoir 6b containing a second slurry 1b for partially dipping 300 the suction mold 2 partially into the molded part 10 molded from the first slurry 1a in the suction mold 2 with or without the suction head 21, thereby covering the molded part 10 with the second fiber layer 15d or producing a second molded part 10-2, which is placed on the first molded part 10-1. In order to supply slurry to the two slurry tanks 6a, 6b (the first slurry tank and the second slurry tank) during the ongoing production process, the preforming station 20 includes a slurry pre-feeding station 35. In addition, the pre-pressing station 3 is arranged with several pre-pressing lower molds 31 at the preforming station 30 as a multi-purpose mold, so that the pressed solution or slurry can be collected during preforming and directly returned to the two slurry tanks 6a, 6b. The suction mold 2 is arranged at the robot arm 4a of the mobile unit 4, because the robot arm 4a can reliably approach the two slurry tanks with the suction mold 2. To this end, for example, the robot arm first immerses the suction mold into the first slurry tank 6a, thereby molding a molded part from the first slurry. Thereafter, the suction mold 2 is immersed 330 into the second slurry tank 6b for a second time, so that more fiber material from the second slurry 1b is molded onto the previously molded molded part 10 through the suction process.

[0099] FIG5 shows another embodiment of a fiber forming facility 100 according to the invention, for molding a combined molded part 10 of a first molded part 10-1 made of a first slurry 1a and a second molded part 10-2 made of a second slurry 1b using two separate mobile units 4, 4b for the first molded part 10-1 and the second molded part 10-2, respectively. Here, the first slurry 1a, the second or further slurry 1b also differ in their composition, solvent, fiber material, concentration and / or proportion and / or any doping agent type. The fiber forming facility 100 here comprises a separate second suction mold 2b to mold the second molded part 10-2 from the further slurry 1b independently of the first molded part 10-2 molded from the first slurry 1a. The further suction mold 2b is here fastened to the further mobile unit 4b so that the further mobile unit 4b places the second molded part 10-2 in the preforming station 30 onto or in the first molded part 10-1. For this purpose, the mobile unit 4 outputs the first molded part 10-1 to the pre-pressing station 3, so that the second molded part 10-2 can be stacked thereon using the second mobile unit 4b and the additional suction mold 2b. Here, the mobile units 4 and 4b are robots, and the suction molds 2 and 2b are arranged on their respective robot arms 4a.

[0100] Fig. 6 shows an embodiment of a suction head with a female and male type (here only the suction head 21 is shown for clarity) in a suction mold 2 as a multi-purpose mold in a molding station 20 for molding 220 a molded article 10 made of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material 11 in a fiber molding facility 100 (a) before molding the molded article and (b) after molding the molded article. The molding station is further depicted in Fig. 4, but here only the suction mold 2 is used to suck the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material 11 for molding 220 the molded article 10 from the first slurry tank 6a, the second or additional slurry tank 6b containing the first slurry 1a, the second or additional slurry 1b as a liquid solution of the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material 11, wherein the suction mold 2 includes a suction head 21, the suction head 21 having a suction head suction side 21s of a three-dimensional shape, the shape of the suction head suction side 21s is adapted to the contour of the subsequent molded article 10, and the molded article 10 is molded on the suction head suction side 21s in the suction mold 2 by negative pressure. The suction side 21s of the suction head 21 is formed by a porous screen 22, on the side of which facing the first slurry 1a, the second or further slurry 1b, the environmentally degradable fiber 11 is attached by suction for molding 220 the shaped part 10. To this end, the suction mold 2 includes a plurality of suction channels 23, which terminate at the suction side surface below the screen 22 and are distributed on the suction side surface so that substantially equal suction capacity is achieved in all areas between the screen 22 and the suction side surface. To this end, the suction channel 23 can have an opening with a diameter of less than 4 mm on the suction side surface. The cross section of the suction channel 23 can have any suitable shape, for example, the cross section can be circular or elliptical. The suction head for molding the shaped part can be only slightly immersed in the first slurry 1a, the second or further slurry 1b, thereby forming a closed cavity in the inner chamber 21i of the suction head. In other embodiments, the suction head 21 can also be completely immersed in the first slurry 1a, the second or further slurry 1b. The first slurry 1a, the second or the additional slurry 1b liquid solution flowing through the screen 22 during the molding 220 is discharged from the suction mold 2. To this end, the suction head 21 includes a collector ring 24 for receiving the first slurry 1a, the second or the additional slurry 1b liquid solution sucked through the suction side 21s of the suction head, and the collector ring 24 is connected to the drainage channel 25 of the liquid solution. The suction side 21s of the suction head 21 can be configured in a negative type (left part of FIG. 1) as the suction head inner side 21i, or in a positive type (right part of FIG. 1) as the suction head outer side 21a. In the case of the negative type, the molded part 10 (the gray inner layer in the suction head 21, the left side of FIG. 1b) molded toward the suction head inner side 21i by the suction pressure SD is placed on the pre-pressing lower mold 31 for pre-pressing, wherein the pressing surface 31a serves as the outer surface of the pre-pressing lower mold 31. In the case of the male type, the suction head 21 is completely immersed in the first slurry 1a, the second or additional slurry 1b to suck the first slurry 1a, the second or additional slurry 1b of the fiber-containing material 11.Thereafter, the molded part 10 (the gray outer layer on the tip 21, right side of FIG. 1 b) molded by the suction pressure SD from the outside to the outside 21a of the tip is placed, for example, in a pre-pressing lower mold 31 for pre-molding 230, and its shape matches the male shape of the tip 21 as the inner surface of the pre-pressing lower mold 31. The tip 21 also includes a gas pipeline system 27, which transmits the negative pressure provided to the tip 21 as the suction pressure SD. The first slurry 1a, the second or the additional slurry 1b may contain less than 5%, preferably less than 2%, particularly preferably 0.5% to 1.0% of the environmentally friendly degradable fiber material 11 in a liquid solution (e.g., an aqueous solution). Advantageously, the first slurry 1a, the second or the additional slurry 1b does not contain any organic binder, preferably does not contain any binder at all. The environmentally friendly degradable fiber material 11 may be essentially composed of fibers with a fiber length of less than 5 mm. The first slurry 1a , the second or further slurry 1b are provided at a temperature lower than or equal to 80° C., preferably lower than or equal to 50° C., particularly preferably at room temperature.

[0101] 7 shows an embodiment of a joint molded part 10, wherein a second molded part 10-2 made of a fiber material 11 from a second or additional slurry 1b is arranged on an inner surface 10i of a first molded part 10-1 made of a fiber material 11 from a first slurry 1a, wherein the second or additional slurry 1b is different from the first slurry 1a of the first molded part 10-1, wherein the first molded part 10-1 and the second molded part 10-2 are connected to each other by their respective opposing surfaces. This connection is established, for example, by a preforming pressure VD during preforming 230.

[0102] FIG8 shows different embodiments of molded parts, in which a functional layer 15 or a layer system 16 of multiple functional layers is applied (a) on the outer surface 10a of the molded part 10, (b) on the inner surface 10i of the molded part 10, (c) on both sides of the molded part 10. Depending on the application, the surface 10a, 10i to be coated can be the outer surface 10a of the molded part 10 and / or the inner surface 10i of the molded part 10. The functional layer 15 or the layer system 16 can be or include a barrier layer, preferably a wax layer, a lacquer layer and / or a ceramic layer, particularly preferably a SiO x If the molded part 10 is a food container, the inner surface 10i is coated with a wax approved as a food additive, a paint approved for food, PTFE or SiO x layer.

[0103] FIG9 shows an embodiment of a molded part 10, wherein (a) a layer system 16 of a plurality of functional layers 15a, 15b, 15c and a further layer 15d of a fiber material 11 are applied to the outer surface 10a of the molded part 10, and (b) an application of the molded part 10 with the multiple layers 15, 16 applied and coated. Here, at least one functional layer 15b or the further layer 15d of a fiber material 11 in the layer system 16 may have at least a partial barrier effect to prevent mass transfer from, into or through the fiber material 11, preferably the barrier effect is against the penetration of moisture, water, spices, flavorings, odors, fats, oils and light acids and / or non-food grade substances. For this purpose, the functional layer 15b having a barrier effect may be a wax layer, a paint layer or a ceramic layer, preferably SiO x Layer or glass ceramic. Here, at least one functional layer 15c in the layer system 16 can be designed to release substances that are beneficial to the application of the molded part 10 to the surrounding environment of the molded part 10 under the application conditions of the molded part 10. The layer thickness of the functional layer 15d can be less than the layer thickness of the fiber material 11 previously molded by the first slurry 1a. Here, the functional layer 15d of the fiber material 11 additionally contains a part of the material that smoothes and / or fills the fiber material 11, preferably a biocompatible material. As shown in Figure 9b, under the application conditions of the molded part 10, the active substance W doped or contained in the functional layer 15c can diffuse out from the layer 15c. In this case, the molded part is a flower pot or a planting pot, which is buried in the soil 8 together with the plant 7 and remains there until it is degraded in an environmentally friendly manner. As the molded part 10 as a flower pot or a planting pot decays, fertilizers from the fiber material 10 are released into the soil 8, for example, and such soil 8 supports the plant growth of the plant 7 planted with the molded part. In other applications, the active substance W may be a seasoning, a medicinal active substance, a substance that supports the environmental degradation of the molded article 10, or an additive in the contents of the molded article 10. On the other hand, if the molded article 10 is a food container, the inner surface 10i (not shown in this figure) may be coated with a layer of wax approved as a food additive, a paint approved for use in food, PTFE or SiO x layer.

[0104] 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.

[0105] 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.

[0106] Reference numerals list

[0107] 1a First slurry

[0108] 1b Second slurry, another slurry

[0109] 10 Molded parts

[0110] 10-1 The first molded part

[0111] 10-2 Second molding

[0112] 10i Surface to be coated of molded parts, inner surface

[0113] 10a Surface to be coated of molded part, outer surface

[0114] 11. Fiber materials

[0115] 2 Suction mold

[0116] 2b. Separate suction mold

[0117] 21 Tips

[0118] 21a Outside of the tip

[0119] 21i Tip chamber (inside)

[0120] 21p The tip faces the side of the slurry (first slurry, second slurry, other slurry)

[0121] 21s suction head suction side

[0122] 22 porous screen

[0123] 23 Suction channel

[0124] 25 Drain channel

[0125] 27 Gas Pipeline System

[0126] 3 Pre-pressing station

[0127] 31 Pre-press the lower die, temporarily store it

[0128] 4 Mobile Units

[0129] 4b Additional mobile unit

[0130] 4a Robotic Arm

[0131] 6a First slurry storage tank

[0132] 6b Second slurry tank, additional slurry tank

[0133] 7 Plants

[0134] 8 Soil

[0135] 15 Functional Layer

[0136] 15a, 15b, 15c Functional layers in layer system 16

[0137] 15d Another layer of fiber material applied

[0138] 16 Layer system consisting of multiple functional layers

[0139] 20 Molding stations

[0140] 30 Preforming Station

[0141] 35 Slurry preparation feeding station

[0142] 40 Hot Press Station

[0143] 50 output units

[0144] 60 Controller Unit

[0145] 70 Repair Station

[0146] 80 coating station

[0147] 90 Additional stations, such as printing or packaging stations

[0148] 100 Fiber Forming Facilities

[0149] 200 Method for manufacturing molded parts made of environmentally friendly degradable fiber materials

[0150] 210 Provide at least one first slurry

[0151] 220 Molded parts

[0152] 230 Preforming of molded (or combined) parts

[0153] 235 Separate preforming of the first molded part

[0154] 240 Hot pressing of preformed parts

[0155] 250 Output of final molded parts

[0156] 260 Applying a functional layer or a layer system consisting of multiple functional layers to the surface to be coated of the molded part

[0157] 270 Trim the surface to be coated

[0158] 280 Coating of the modified surface

[0159] 290 Applying a layer of fiber material to a molded part, included in the application

[0160] 300 Immerse the suction mold and the molded part molded by the first slurry into the second storage tank containing the second slurry for the second time

[0161] 310 Molding the functional layer from the second slurry reservoir containing the second slurry onto the fiber material molded by the first slurry

[0162] 320 The molded part is transferred as the first molded part to the pre-pressing lower mold.

[0163] 330 The suction mold without the molded part is immersed for the second time into another reservoir containing another slurry

[0164] 340 Molding a second molded part as a functional layer by drawing fiber material from another slurry reservoir

[0165] 350 Placing the second molded part as a functional layer on or in the first molded part

[0166] HD Hot Press Pressure

[0167] VD Preload Pressure

[0168] SD Suction pressure

[0169] W Active substances

Claims

1. A method (200) for manufacturing a molded part (10) made of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11) through a fiber molding process in a fiber molding facility (100), comprising the following steps: - providing (210) at least one first slurry (1a) as a liquid solution of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11) in at least one first slurry storage tank (6a); - molding (220) the shaped part (10) by at least partially dipping the suction mold (2) into the first slurry (1a) for the first time, wherein: The suction mold (2) as a multi-purpose mold comprises a plurality of suction heads (21), and the suction head suction side (21s) of each suction head (21) has a three-dimensional shape that matches the contour of the molded part (10) to be molded, wherein, in the suction mold (2), the first slurry reservoir (6a) serves as a common slurry reservoir for the multi-purpose mold, and a large number of molded parts (10) are formed simultaneously according to the number of suction heads (21) of the multi-purpose mold, and the suction mold (2) sucks the fiber material (11) from the first slurry (1a) onto the corresponding suction head suction side (21s) of the suction head (21) by negative pressure; and - outputting (250) the final formed molded part (10), The method further comprises applying (260) a functional layer (15) or a layer system (16) composed of a plurality of functional layers (15a, 15b, 15c) and / or applying (290) a further layer (15d) of a fiber material (11) to the surface (10a, 10i) of the molded part to be coated.

2. The method (200) according to claim 1, wherein: After the molding (220), the method (200) further comprises the step of preforming (230) the molded molded part (10) in a preforming station (30) by applying a pre-pressing pressure (VD) to the molded part (10).

3. The method (200) according to claim 2, wherein: The method (200) comprises the following steps: after transferring the molded part to a hot press station (40), hot pressing (240) at least the molded molded part with a hot press press (HD) to complete the final molding of the molded part (10).

4. The method (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The surface (10a, 10i) to be coated can be an outer surface (10a) of the molded part (10) and / or an inner surface (10i) of the molded part (10).

5. The method (200) according to claim 3, wherein: Wax is applied ( 260 ) as a functional layer ( 15 a ) in the layer system ( 16 ) to the molded part.

6. The method (200) according to claim 5, wherein: The applying (260) includes trimming (270) the surface to be coated (10a, 10i) and performing subsequent coating (280) on the trimmed surface to be coated (10a, 10i).

7. The method (200) according to claim 6, wherein: During the trimming (270), the surface to be coated (10a, 10i) is coated with a material that smoothes and / or fills the surface (10a, 10i) in preparation for a coating (280) step.

8. The method (200) according to claim 7, wherein: The wax is introduced into the fiber material (11) by temperature treatment of the molded part (10).

9. The method (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The functional layer (15) or the layer system (16) is applied (280) to the molded part (10) by means of a physical coating process or vapor deposition.

10. The method (200) according to claim 8, wherein: The trimming (270) and / or coating (280) steps are performed after the heat pressing (240) step.

11. The method (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The functional layer (15) or at least one functional layer (15b) or the further layer (15d) of the fiber material (11) in the layer system (16) has at least a partial barrier effect, preventing mass transfer from, into or through the fiber material (11).

12. The method (200) according to claim 11, wherein: The functional layer (15, 15b) having a barrier effect is a wax layer, a paint layer or a ceramic layer.

13. The method (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The functional layer (15) or at least one functional layer (15c) of the layer system (16) is designed such that, under application conditions of the molded part (10), it releases a substance that facilitates the application of the molded part (10) into the surroundings of the molded part (10).

14. The method (200) according to claim 13, wherein: The functional layer (15, 15c) is doped with an active substance (W) which diffuses out of the functional layer (15, 15c) under application conditions of the molded part (10).

15. The method (200) according to claim 14, wherein: The active substance (W) is a seasoning, a medicinal active substance, a substance that supports the environmentally friendly degradation of the molded article (10), or an additive in the contents of the molded article (10).

16. The method (200) of claim 3, wherein: Prior to the preforming (230), the coating (290) includes the following steps: - dipping (300) the suction mold (2) and the molded part (10) molded from the first slurry (1a) at least partially into a second slurry tank (6b) containing a second slurry (1b); and - In a corresponding suction head (21), the functional layer (15d) is further molded (310) onto the fiber material (11) molded from the first slurry (1a) by sucking the fiber material (11) from a second slurry reservoir (6b) containing the second slurry (1b).

17. The method (200) according to claim 16, wherein: During the joining process of the molded part (10), a molded part (10) molded from a fiber material from the first slurry (1a) and having a functional layer (15d) molded thereon made from a fiber material (11) from the second slurry (1b) is preformed (230).

18. The method (200) of claim 3, wherein: The coating (290) comprises the following steps: - transferring (320) the molded part (10) molded in the suction mold as a first molded part (10-1) from the suction mold (2) to or in a temporary storage location; - dipping (330) the suction mold (2), now without the molded part, at least partially a second time into a further slurry reservoir (6b) containing further slurry (lb); - molding (340) a second molded part (10-2) as a functional layer (15d) onto a corresponding suction side (21s) of the suction head (21) by sucking the fiber material (11) from a further slurry reservoir (6b) containing the further slurry (1b); - placing (350) the second molded part (10-2) as a functional layer (15d) on or in the first molded part (10-1).

19. The method (200) of claim 3, wherein: The coating (290) comprises the following steps: - conveying (320) the molded part (10) molded in the suction mold (2) as a first molded part (10-1) from the suction mold to a temporary storage location or a temporary storage location; - dipping (330) the further suction mold (2b) at least partially for a second time into a further slurry reservoir (6b) containing further slurry (1b), wherein the further suction mold (2b) as a multi-purpose mold has several suction heads (21), and the three-dimensionally shaped suction head side (21s) of each suction head (21) is matched to the contour of the delivered molded part (10); - molding (340) a second molded part (10-2) as a functional layer (15d) onto a corresponding suction head side (21s) of a suction head (21) of the further suction mold (2b) by sucking the fiber material (11) from a further slurry reservoir (6b) containing the further slurry (1b); - placing (350) the second molded part (10-2) as a functional layer (15d) on or in the first molded part (10-1).

20. The method (200) according to claim 18 or 19, wherein: In the preforming station (30), the combined molded part (10) is preformed (230) by applying a pre-pressing pressure (VD) to the combined molded part (10) consisting of a first molded part and a second molded part (10-1, 10-2).

21. The method (200) of claim 19, wherein: In the preforming station (30), the first molded part (10-1) is pre-pressed (235) separately between the pre-pressing lower mold (31) and the suction mold (2) after being transferred but before being output (320).

22. The method (200) according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein: The first, second and further slurries (1a, 1b) differ in their composition, solvent, fiber material, concentration and / or ratio and / or type of any doping agent.

23. The method (200) according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein: The layer thickness of the functional layer (15d) is smaller than the layer thickness of the fiber material (11) previously molded from the first slurry (1a).

24. The method (200) according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein: The functional layer (15d) of the fiber material (11) contains a portion of the material smoothing and / or filling the fiber material (11).

25. The method (200) of claim 19, wherein: The molded part (10) is arranged between a pre-pressing lower mold (31) and a suction mold (2) serving as a pre-pressing upper mold for pre-forming (230).

26. A fiber forming facility (100) for manufacturing a molded part (10) made of an environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11) through a fiber forming process according to any one of claims 1 to 25, comprising: - at least one first slurry storage tank (6a), used to provide (210) at least one first slurry (1a) as a liquid solution of the environmentally friendly and degradable fiber material (11); - a suction mold (2) attached to the mobile unit (4), which as a multi-purpose mold comprises several suction heads (21), and the suction head suction side (21s) of each suction head (21) has a three-dimensional shape that matches the contour of the molded part (10) to be molded, wherein in the suction mold (2), the first slurry reservoir (6a) serves as a common slurry reservoir for the multi-purpose mold, and a large number of molded parts (10) are formed simultaneously according to the number of suction heads (21) of the multi-purpose mold, and the suction mold (2) is designed to mold (220) the molded part (10) in the suction head (21) by at least partially dipping the suction mold (2) into the first slurry (1a) for the first time and sucking the fiber material (11) from the first slurry (1a) onto the corresponding suction head suction side (21s) of the suction head (21) by negative pressure; - an output unit (50) for outputting (250) the final formed molded part (10); a control unit (60) configured to carry out the method (200) according to any one of the preceding claims on the fiber forming plant (100), The fiber forming device (100) is additionally designed to apply (260) and / or coat (290) a functional layer (15) or a layer system (16) consisting of a plurality of functional layers (15a, 15b, 15c) and / or a further layer (15d) of fiber material (11) onto a surface (10a, 10i) to be coated of the molded part (10).

27. The fiber forming installation (100) according to claim 26, It is characterized in that The fiber forming facility (100) further comprises a preforming station (30) for preforming (230) the molded molded part (10) by applying a pre-pressing pressure (VD) to the molded part (10).

28. The fiber forming installation (100) according to claim 27, It is characterized in that The fiber forming facility (100) further comprises a hot press station (40) for hot pressing (240) at least the molded part with hot pressing pressure (HD) at a hot pressing temperature after the part is transferred to the hot press station (40) to complete the final forming of the part (10).

29. The fiber forming installation (100) according to any one of claims 26 to 28, It is characterized in that The fiber forming facility (100) further comprises a dressing station (70) for dressing (270) the surface to be coated (10a, 10i) and / or a coating station (80) for coating (280) the surface to be coated (10a, 10i).

30. The fiber forming installation (100) according to claim 29, It is characterized in that The finishing station (70) is configured as a spraying station for spraying a material for smoothing and / or filling a surface (10a, 10i) on the molded part (10).

31. The fiber forming installation (100) according to claim 29, It is characterized in that The finishing station (70) is configured to coat the molded part (10) with PTFE.

32. The fiber forming installation (100) according to claim 29, It is characterized in that The coating station (80) is designed to perform a physical layering process or a vapor deposition process.

33. The fiber forming installation (100) according to claim 29, It is characterized in that The coating station (80) is arranged after the hot pressing station (40) according to the time axis from initial forming to discharge of the formed part as a final formed product in the fiber forming process.

34. The fiber forming apparatus (100) according to claim 29, It is characterized in that The trimming station (70) is arranged in front of the hot pressing station (40) according to the time axis from molding to molding output as a final molded product in the fiber molding process.

35. The fiber forming installation (100) according to claim 29, It is characterized in that The fiber forming facility (100) comprises a second slurry storage tank (6b) containing a second slurry (1b) for at least partially dipping the suction mold (2) into it for a second time (300), wherein the suction mold (2) can be provided with or without a formed part (10) molded from the first slurry (1a) in the suction head (21).

36. The fiber forming installation (100) according to claim 27, It is characterized in that The fiber forming facility (100) comprises at least one additional suction mold (2b) for molding a second molded part (10-2) from an additional slurry (1b) independently of a first molded part (10-2) molded from the first slurry (1a), wherein the moving unit is designed to place the second molded part (10-2) onto or into the first molded part (10-1) in the preforming station (30).

37. The fiber forming installation (100) according to claim 36, It is characterized in that The fiber forming installation (100) comprises a further mobile unit (4b) to which an additional further suction mold (2b) is fastened.

38. The fiber forming installation (100) according to claim 37, It is characterized in that The mobile unit (4) or the additional mobile unit (4b) is a robot, and the suction mold (2, 2b) is arranged on the robot arm of each robot.

Images