Method for producing a mold, mold and molded part
By applying a ceramic coating on the surface of the mold component and cutting through it with pulsed laser, the tolerance problem of mold boundary area during injection molding is solved, and the effect of reducing line artifacts is achieved, which is suitable for the production of high-precision molded parts.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202410861464.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-06-30
- Filing Date
- 2024-06-28
- Publication Date
- 2024-12-31
AI Technical Summary
During injection molding, the boundary areas between coated mold parts cannot be completely flush, resulting in visible line artifacts on the produced molded parts, especially when the coating has a structured surface, the edges The lines are difficult to adapt, resulting in the appearance of the split-module line.
By applying a ceramic coating to the surface of the mold component and cutting through the coating with a pulsed laser, the tolerances of the boundary area are precisely controlled, reducing or avoiding the occurrence of line artifacts. The coating may contain ceramic/synthetic resin composites, surface structures such as depressions and raised areas may be introduced by pulsed lasers, and the distance of edge lines is controlled at 100 μm or less to reduce line artifacts.
It is realized that line artifacts can be minimized or eliminated as much as possible on molded parts. The produced molds are suitable for the manufacture of molded parts without obvious line artifacts or only minimal line artifacts, and are suitable for applications such as vehicle parts.
Smart Images
Figure CN119217656A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The invention relates to a method for producing a mold, a corresponding mold and a molded part that can be produced therefrom. The method can be advantageously used in the field of manufacturing technology, in particular in injection molding. The mold is suitable, for example, for producing vehicle parts as molded parts, in particular using an injection molding method. Background Art
[0002] Injection molding processes are used to produce molded parts from a variety of materials, such as plastics, and for a wide range of applications. For example, a variety of plastic molded parts produced using injection molding processes are used in vehicles, including as structural parts or panels / trimmings for dashboards, consoles, doors or roof modules or as control elements. Such molded parts often have a structured surface, for example in the form of particles or leather-like structures.
[0003] In principle, molds for injection molding devices consist of several parts that are assembled for the injection molding process and held together in a clamping unit. If the parts are not completely flush with one another at the boundary areas, visible line artifacts, so-called parting lines, can occur on the produced molded part in the region of the existing boundary areas between the parts.
[0004] Such line artifacts can occur in particular when coated mold parts are used. The surface of a component suitable for forming a molded part comprises a coating, for example a ceramic coating, which can protect the mold, facilitate demoulding and enable the application of surface structures to the molded part (by correspondingly structuring the coating). In many cases, the boundary areas between the coatings of adjacent molded part components cannot be designed with sufficiently small tolerances to avoid corresponding line artifacts on the molded part. This applies in particular if the coating has a structured surface, since in this case the edge lines of the surface structure on both sides of the boundary area can hardly be adapted to one another. Summary of the invention
[0005] Against the background of the prior art, the object of the present invention is to propose a method for producing a mold and a mold which enables the production of a molded part which has no or as few line artifacts as possible in the region of the boundary regions between the coated mold parts. A corresponding molded part is also proposed.
[0006] To achieve this object, a method according to claim 1, a mold according to claim 9, a mold according to claim 10 and a molded part according to claim 11 are proposed. Advantageous embodiments and further embodiments are combined with the features of the dependent claims.
[0007] The proposed method for producing a mold for forming a molded part, in particular a mold for an injection molding device, comprises:
[0008] providing a first part of the mold having a first surface adapted to form a first region of the molded part and a second part of the mold having a second surface adapted to form a second region of the molded part,
[0009] joining the first component and the second component together such that a boundary region is formed between the first surface and the second surface,
[0010] applying a coating to the first surface and the second surface such that a boundary area is covered by the coating,
[0011] Cut through the coating along the border area.
[0012] By not applying the coating separately to the (separate) first and second components, but rather to adjacent components and cutting through them in this arrangement, tolerances or deviations between the contours of the coating in the boundary area can be improved and thus undesirable line artifacts on the manufactured molded part can be reduced or avoided.
[0013] The coating may comprise or consist of a ceramic material. Specifically, the coating may comprise or consist of a ceramic / synthetic resin composite material. Other coating materials may also be used. By using a ceramic coating, the mold may be protected (e.g., against corrosion), demoulding may become easier and / or (when a structured coating is used) surface structures may be introduced into the molded part. The ceramic material may be applied to the first surface and the second surface, for example, by thermal spraying, vapor deposition or another deposition process. The first component and the second component or at least the region of the first component and the second component facing the molded part is preferably composed of a metallic material.
[0014] The coating can be cut through using a pulsed laser, which operates with a pulse duration in the range of 1 fs to 1 ps (ultra-short pulse laser). The use of this type of laser enables precise cutting, whereby the laser power applied to the material can be selected in such a way that only the coating is cut through, while the material of the first component or the second component is not damaged.
[0015] The method may include introducing a surface structure into the coating, the surface structure including recessed areas and raised areas relative to the recessed areas. The recessed areas and raised areas may be arranged alternately adjacent to each other. Using the structured surface of the coating, molded parts with corresponding (inverted or negative) structured surfaces may be manufactured, which may result in attractive appearance, good tactile and handling and / or practical advantages (e.g., relative insensitivity to dirt). In the recessed areas, the coating may be partially or completely removed (i.e., exposing the underlying surface of the corresponding part).
[0016] The surface structure may include, for example, particles and / or leather-like structures. Other surface structures are also possible, such as mesh or honeycomb structures.
[0017] The surface structure can be introduced into the coating using a pulsed laser. In particular, the coating can be cut through and the surface structure introduced using the same pulsed laser. Thus, the two work steps can advantageously be combined in a single laser-based work step. However, the two work steps can also be performed separately, for example when the orientation of the part for introducing the surface structure relative to the laser is different from the orientation for cutting. Alternatively, the surface structure can be introduced into the coating using another method, such as grinding, etching or sandblasting, or by a combination of different methods.
[0018] A mold produced using the proposed method has the advantages described above and is therefore particularly suitable for producing molded parts with no or only minimal line artifacts.
[0019] Furthermore, a mold for forming a molded part is proposed, in particular a mold for an injection molding device, wherein the mold comprises:
[0020] a first component having a first surface adapted to form a first region of a molded part and a first coating applied to the first surface,
[0021] a second component having a second surface adapted to form a second region of the molded part and a second coating applied to the second surface,
[0022] The first component and the second component may be joined together to form a molded component such that a boundary region is formed between the first coating and the second coating.
[0023] The prerequisite is that the distance between the first coating and the second coating, in particular each distance between a first point of the edge line of the first coating in the border region and a second point of the edge line of the second coating closest to the first point in the border region, does not exceed 100 μm anywhere in the border region, preferably does not exceed 20 μm, in particular does not exceed 10 μm. An edge line is understood to mean a line at the edge of the surface of the coating, which line is formed by cutting through the surface of the respective part of the mold and at a certain distance from the surface.
[0024] Such a small distance between the first and second coating in the edge region can lead to correspondingly less noticeable or even imperceptible line artifacts on the produced molded part and can be achieved in particular using the proposed method.
[0025] The molded part according to the invention can be produced using one of the proposed molds, in particular as an injection molded part. In particular, such a molded part can be a vehicle part, such as a structural part or a panel / trim for an instrument panel, a console, a door or a roof module or a control element. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] The following is an explanation of exemplary embodiments of the subject matter of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, schematically:
[0027] Figure 1 and Figure 2 shows a portion of a mould after various steps of a method for producing a mould,
[0028] Figure 2 shows a molded part,
[0029] Figure 3 Shown according to Figure 1 and Figure 2 Detail of the mold.
[0030] Repeated and similar features are marked in the drawings with the same alphanumeric reference numerals. Reference numerals already shown in other drawings are partially omitted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] Figure 1 and Figure 2 A method for producing a mold 100 for an injection molding device is shown. The mold comprises a first part 110 having a first surface 111 and a second part 120 having a second surface 121. The first part 110 is adapted to form a first region 210 of a molded part 200, and the second part 120 is adapted to form a second region 220 of the molded part 200. Figure 1 and Figure 2Only a portion of the mold 100 is shown, which is suitable for forming a portion of the molded part 200 having a structured surface; other portions of the mold suitable for forming other portions of the molded part 200 are omitted.
[0032] The first step of the method includes providing a first component 110 and a second component 120. The first component 110 and the second component 120 are composed of a metal material.
[0033] The second step of the method includes joining the first component 110 and the second component 120 together such that a boundary region 130 is formed between the first surface 111 and the second surface 121 . Figure 3 A more detailed view of the first component 110 and the second component 120 in the context of the boundary region 130 is shown.
[0034] The third step of the method includes applying a coating 140 to the first surface 111 and the second surface 121 such that the boundary region 130 is covered by the coating 140 . Figure 1 The partially produced mould 100 is shown after the third step of the method.
[0035] The coating 140 is composed of a ceramic / synthetic resin composite material; alternatively, other suitable materials, in particular ceramic materials, may be used. The ceramic material is applied to the first surface 111 and the second surface 121 by thermal spraying, vapor deposition or another deposition process.
[0036] The fourth step of the method includes introducing a surface texture 150 into the coating 140, the surface texture including recessed areas 151 and raised areas 152 relative to the recessed areas (eg, Figure 3 ). Using the surface structure 150 of the coating 140, a molded part 200 having a corresponding (inverse or negative) structured molded part surface 230 is produced during molding. The surface structure 150 comprises particles. The surface structure 150 may alternatively comprise a leather-like structure or a mesh-like or honeycomb-like structure.
[0037] The surface structure 150 is introduced into the coating using a pulsed laser, wherein the pulse duration of the operation of the pulsed laser is preferably in the range of 1 fs to 1 ps (ultra-short pulse laser). Alternatively, the surface structure 150 can be introduced into the coating using another method, such as grinding, etching or sandblasting, or by a combination of different methods.
[0038] The fifth step of the method includes cutting through the coating 140 along the border region 130 . Figure 2 The mold 100 is shown produced after the fifth step of the method, wherein the first component 110 and the second component 120 are joined together by injection molding to form the molded component 200 .
[0039] Cutting through the coating 140 is carried out in a single working step using the same pulsed laser as the introduction of the surface structure 150, but can also be carried out in a separate working step as described above. The laser power applied to the material is selected in such a way that only the coating 140 is cut through, while the material of the first component 110 and the second component 120 is not damaged.
[0040] The coating 140 is thus divided into a first coating 141 applied to the first surface and a second coating 142 applied to the second surface. Once the first component 110 and the second component 120 are joined together to form the molded part 200, the boundary region 130 extends to the region between the first coating 141 and the second coating 142.
[0041] By cutting according to the fifth step of the method, a distance 131 (at Figure 3 The edge line 132 of the first coating 141 in the border region 130 is not more than 100 μm, preferably not more than 20 μm, in particular not more than 10 μm, anywhere in the border region 130. More precisely, each distance between a first point of a first edge line 132 of the first coating 141 in the border region 130 and a second point of a second edge line 133 of the second coating 142 in the border region 130 that is closest to the first point is not more than 100 μm, preferably not more than 20 μm, in particular not more than 10 μm. An edge line is understood to mean a line at the edge of the surface of the coating 140, which line is formed by cutting through the surface 111, 121 of the respective part 110, 120 of the mold 100 and at a certain distance from the surface. Any perceptible line artifacts on the molded part 200 can thus be avoided or minimized.
[0042] The molded part 200 is, for example, a vehicle part, such as a structural part or a panel / trim for an instrument panel, a console, a door or a roof module or a control element. Other molded parts, in particular molded parts with a textured / structured visible surface, can also be produced in the described manner.
[0043] Reference numerals list
[0044] 100 molds,
[0045] 110 first component,
[0046] 111 first surface,
[0047] 120 second component,
[0048] 121 second surface,
[0049] 130 border area,
[0050] 131 distance,
[0051] 132 first edge line,
[0052] 133 second edge line,
[0053] 140 coating,
[0054] 141 first coating,
[0055] 142 second coating,
[0056] 150 surface structure,
[0057] 151 sunken area,
[0058] 152 raised area,
[0059] 200 molded parts,
[0060] 210 First Area,
[0061] 220 Second Area,
[0062] 230 Structured molded part surface.
Claims
1. A method for producing a mold (100) for forming a molded part (200), in particular a mold (100) for an injection molding device, wherein the method comprises: providing a first part (110) of the mold (100) and a second part (120) of the mold (100), wherein the first part has a first surface (111) suitable for forming a first region (210) of the molded part (200), and the second part has a second surface (121) suitable for forming a second region (220) of the molded part (200), The first component (110) and the second component (120) are joined together such that a boundary region (130) is formed between the first surface (111) and the second surface (121), applying a coating (140) to the first surface (111) and the second surface (121) such that the border region (130) is covered by the coating (140), The coating (140) is cut through along the boundary region (130).
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the coating (140) comprises or consists of a ceramic material, in particular a ceramic / synthetic resin composite material.
3. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the coating (140) is cut through using a pulsed laser.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the pulsed laser is operated with a pulse duration in the range (210) of 1 fs to 1 ps.
5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: A surface structure (150) comprising recessed areas (151) and raised areas (152) is introduced into the coating (140).
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the surface structure (150) comprises particles and / or a leather-like structure.
7. A method according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the surface structure (150) is introduced into the coating (140) using a pulsed laser.
8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7 as appended to claim 3, wherein cutting through the coating (140) and introducing the surface structure (150) are performed using the same pulsed laser.
9. A mould (100) produced by the method according to any one of the preceding claims.
10. A mold (100) for forming a molded part (200), in particular a mold (100) for an injection molding device, the mold comprising: a first component (110) having a first surface (111) adapted to form a first region (210) of the molded component (200) and a first coating (141) applied to the first surface (111), a second component (120) having a second surface (121) adapted to form a second region (220) of the molded component (200) and a second coating (142) applied to the second surface (121), wherein the first component (110) and the second component (120) can be joined together to form the molded component (200) such that a boundary region (130) is formed between the first coating (141) and the second coating (142), The distance between the first coating (141) and the second coating (142), specifically each distance between a first point of an edge line of the first coating (141) in the boundary area (130) and a second point of an edge line of the second coating (142) closest to the first point in the boundary area (130), does not exceed 100 μm anywhere in the boundary area (130), preferably does not exceed 20 μm, specifically does not exceed 10 μm.
11. A mould part, in particular a vehicle part, produced using a mould (100) according to any one of claims 9 and 10.