Optical mirror injection molding mold and manufacturing method

Abstract

The application relates to an optical mirror injection molding mold and a manufacturing method thereof in the technical field of injection molding molds, and the optical mirror injection molding mold comprises a mold body, one side of the mold body is formed with a molding surface, the other side is formed with a three-dimensional groove, and the three-dimensional groove is designed in a shape based on the molding surface; a closed water channel is arranged in the three-dimensional groove, and two ends of the closed water channel are respectively formed with a water inlet and a water outlet; and a water channel support structure is combined with one side of the mold body with the closed water channel, and the water channel support structure is formed on the mold body in a 3D printing mode through 3D printing material. The optical mirror injection molding mold and the manufacturing method thereof can make the injection molding mold have the optical mirror and high heat conduction efficiency and high temperature uniformity, and improve the quality and performance of the injection molding mold.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of injection molding mold technology, and in particular to an optical mirror injection molding mold and its manufacturing method. Background Technology

[0002] The water system of an injection molding mold is responsible for heat conduction during the injection molding process. Before the melt is injected into the mold, the water system provides heat to the mold, maintaining it at the required process temperature and ensuring the quality of the molded product. After the melt is injected into the mold, the water system quickly removes the heat from the high-temperature plastic melt, allowing the plastic melt to cool rapidly and evenly within the mold to the demolding temperature and solidify.

[0003] Currently, most injection molding molds use drilling to machine water channels. Therefore, the water channel structure can only be composed of a series of straight water holes. However, the distance between these straight water channels and the curved surface of the mold is uneven. Furthermore, when assembling curved water channels from straight holes, the water holes at the bends need to be blocked, creating stagnant water pockets. All of these factors negatively impact the mold's heat conduction efficiency and temperature uniformity. Another method uses CNC machining to create 3D grooves, which are then assembled into a single mold. This method can lead to leakage due to the different thermal expansion rates on both sides of the water channels, and the mold's lifespan is shorter due to repeated thermal expansion and contraction. Additionally, some use 3D printing to directly form the mold and 3D water channels. However, because it does not undergo the repeated purification and forging processes required in mirror-finish mold steel manufacturing, its microstructure uniformity is poor, failing to meet the requirements for mirror polishing. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the problems existing in the background art, this application provides an optical mirror injection molding die and a manufacturing method thereof, which can enable the injection molding die to have both optical mirror surface and high thermal conductivity and high temperature uniformity, thereby improving the quality and performance of the injection molding die.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, an optical mirror injection molding mold is provided, comprising: a mold body, wherein a profile is formed on one side of the mold body and a three-dimensional groove is formed on the other side, the three-dimensional groove being designed to conform to the profile; a closed water channel, wherein the closed water channel is disposed in the three-dimensional groove, and an inlet and an outlet are respectively formed at both ends of the closed water channel; and a water channel support structure, wherein the water channel support structure is coupled to the side of the mold body with the closed water channel, the water channel support structure being formed on the mold body by 3D printing material.

[0006] By using the optical mirror injection molding mold in this technical solution, a conventional mold body is used as the base for the 3D printing process. A three-dimensional groove designed to conform to the surface is formed on the mold body, and a closed water channel is set. Then, a suitable 3D printing material is used on the mold body and the closed water channel to form the water channel support structure through 3D printing. Not only can a high-grade optical mirror surface be obtained on the mold body, but the three-dimensional groove designed to conform to the surface and the closed water channel on the mold body can ensure the thermal conductivity and temperature uniformity of the injection molding mold. At the same time, the water channel support structure is formed by 3D printing, which improves the overall integrity of the injection molding mold and further seals the closed water channel, thereby improving the quality and performance of the injection molding mold and increasing its service life.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present invention, the closed water passage is formed by a hot water exchange pipe embedded in the three-dimensional groove.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the closed waterway is covered by a cover plate to cover the three-dimensional groove, and the closed space formed by the cover plate and the three-dimensional groove is constituted.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the cover plate and the three-dimensional groove are designed to conform to each other, and the cover plate is fixed to the mold body by welding.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the number of the closed water passages is one or more.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the mold body and the water channel support structure are made of the same material.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the material is selected from mirror die steel.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing the above-mentioned optical mirror injection molding mold is provided, comprising the following steps: preparing a substrate for a mold body; performing preliminary processing on the back side of the substrate according to the surface design of the mold body to form a reference surface; further processing on the reference surface of the substrate to obtain a three-dimensional groove designed to conform to the surface, and forming a closed water channel in the three-dimensional groove; using 3D printing technology to form 3D printing material on the side of the substrate with the closed water channel to form a water channel support structure; after forming the water channel support structure on the back side of the substrate, processing the front side of the substrate according to the surface design of the mold body to form a surface; and obtaining the optical mirror injection molding mold.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the size of the substrate is larger than the design size of the optical mirror injection molding die.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, after the water channel support structure is formed on the back side of the substrate, the substrate and the water channel support structure are first subjected to heat treatment as a whole, and then the front side of the substrate is processed according to the surface design of the mold body to form a surface. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the optical mirror injection molding mold of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the optical mirror injection molding mold of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the mold body of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the hot water exchange pipe of the present invention as a closed water circuit;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the present invention, showing a cover plate covering a three-dimensional groove to form a closed water channel.

[0022] The labels in the attached diagram represent the following: 1. Mold body; 2. Three-dimensional groove; 3. Closed water channel; 4. Water channel support structure; 5. Hot water exchange pipe; 6. Cover plate; 7. Profile. Detailed Implementation

[0023] It should be understood that the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments in this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0024] In the following description, when referring to the accompanying drawings, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0025] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances. Furthermore, in the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0026] This application discloses an injection molding die for an optical mirror. For example... Figure 1-3 As shown, the optical mirror injection molding mold includes a mold body 1, a closed water channel 3, and a water channel support structure 4.

[0027] The mold body 1 has a surface 7 on one side and a three-dimensional groove 2 on the other side. The three-dimensional groove 2 is designed to conform to the surface 7. A closed water channel 3 is located in the three-dimensional groove 2. The two ends of the closed water channel 3 form an inlet and an outlet, respectively. A water channel support structure 4 is attached to the side of the mold body 1 with the closed water channel 3. The water channel support structure 4 is formed on the mold body 1 by 3D printing material.

[0028] It should be understood that the mold body 1 of the present invention has a surface 7 designed and processed according to the outline data of the part. The relative distance between each position of the three-dimensional groove 2 and the corresponding position of the surface 7 is close to or equal. The three-dimensional groove 2 follows the shape of the surface 7, that is, the three-dimensional groove 2 is processed according to the shape structure of the part, so as to obtain a closed water channel 3 structure on the mold body 1 that changes with the shape of the part.

[0029] By using the optical mirror injection molding mold in this technical solution, a conventional mold body 1 is used as the base for the 3D printing process. First, a three-dimensional groove 2, conforming to the surface 7, is formed on the mold body 1. Then, a closed water channel 3 is formed based on the three-dimensional groove 2. Subsequently, a water channel support structure 4 is formed on the mold body 1 and the closed water channel 3 using suitable 3D printing material through 3D printing. This not only allows the mold body 1, based on its conventional mold material, to obtain a high-grade optical mirror surface 7 after roughing, semi-finishing, finishing, and polishing, but also ensures the thermal conductivity and temperature uniformity of the injection molding mold by forming the three-dimensional groove 2 and the closed water channel 3 on the mold body 1, through conforming to the surface 7. The 3D printing method forms the water channel support structure 4 on the mold body 1 and the closed water channel 3. This not only ensures a good connection with the mold body 1 and provides high stability for the closed water channel 3, but also allows the water channel support structure 4 to be completely integrated with all positions on this side surface of the mold body 1. This further isolates the adjacent sections of the closed water channel 3 and its outermost periphery. Combined with the pre-formed closed water channel 3 structure in the three-dimensional groove 2, this effectively avoids water leakage caused by differences in thermal expansion of various structures in the injection mold or repeated thermal expansion and contraction. This greatly improves the quality and performance of the injection mold, extends its service life, and enables the production of high-precision, high-appearance-quality, and high-optical-quality parts using this injection mold.

[0030] In some embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 4 As shown, the closed water circuit 3 is formed by a hot water exchange pipe 5 embedded in a three-dimensional groove 2.

[0031] It should be understood that the hot water pipe 5 is a whole water pipe, which can be partially or completely embedded in the three-dimensional groove 2 by bending according to the direction of the three-dimensional groove 2 to form a closed water channel 3.

[0032] In this embodiment, the hot water exchange pipe 5 can be a high thermal conductivity, high temperature resistant water pipe, such as a stainless steel water pipe, to ensure the heat exchange efficiency between the heat exchange medium in the hot water exchange pipe 5 and the mold body 1.

[0033] Furthermore, the portion of the hot water exchange pipe 5 located within the three-dimensional groove 2 is completely fitted with the groove wall of the three-dimensional groove 2, which can reduce gaps and further improve the heat exchange effect of the hot water exchange pipe 5.

[0034] By laying heat exchange pipes 5 in the three-dimensional groove 2 to form a closed water channel 3, and then forming a water channel support structure 4 on the mold body 1 and the heat exchange pipes 5 by 3D printing, and applying 3D printing material layer by layer by additive manufacturing, the water channel support structure 4 can form a dense cover on the heat exchange pipes 5. This ensures that there are no gaps between the mold body 1 and the water channel support structure 4, except for the cavity formed in the heat exchange pipes 5 where the heat exchange medium flows. This allows the heat exchange pipes 5 to be in complete contact with the mold body 1 and the water channel support structure 4, effectively ensuring the thermal conductivity and temperature uniformity of the injection mold.

[0035] In some embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 4 As shown, when the hot water exchange pipe 5 is used to form a closed water circuit 3, the length of each end of the hot water exchange pipe 5 can be extended a certain distance away from the mold body 1. After the water circuit support structure 4 is 3D printed, the two ends of the hot water exchange pipe 5 are located on the outside, which is used to form the inlet and outlet of the heat exchange working fluid.

[0036] In some embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 5 As shown, the enclosed waterway 3 is covered by a cover plate 6 to cover the three-dimensional groove 2, forming a sealed space.

[0037] In this embodiment, the cover plate 6 can be designed as a whole or in segments. The cover plate 6 is based on the conformal design of the three-dimensional groove 2 and can be made by cutting a whole plate. According to the direction of the three-dimensional groove 2, it can be ensured that the three-dimensional groove 2 is completely covered and sealed from one end to the other.

[0038] In this embodiment, the cover plate 6 can be made of a material with high thermal conductivity and high temperature resistance, such as a metal plate like stainless steel plate, and is fixed to the mold body 1 by welding.

[0039] In addition, in this embodiment, after the water channel support structure 4 is 3D printed, inlet and outlet holes that connect the three-dimensional groove 2 can be drilled from the outside to the inside on the water channel support structure 4 at the positions corresponding to both ends of the three-dimensional groove 2, for the flow of heat exchange working fluid.

[0040] By welding a cover plate 6 to the surface of the mold body 1 to seal and cover the three-dimensional groove 2 to form a closed water channel 3, and then forming a water channel support structure 4 on the mold body 1 and the cover plate 6 by 3D printing, and applying 3D printing material layer by layer by additive manufacturing, the water channel support structure 4 can form a dense cover on the cover plate 6. This ensures that there are no gaps between the mold body 1 and the water channel support structure 4, except for the cavity formed by the three-dimensional groove 2 where the heat exchange medium flows. This allows the heat exchange medium to be in complete contact with the mold body 1 and the water channel support structure 4, effectively ensuring the thermal conductivity and temperature uniformity of the injection mold.

[0041] In some embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the number of closed waterways 3 is more than one; for example, the number of closed waterways 3 can be 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.

[0042] In this embodiment, the surface 7 can be reasonably divided into regions according to the heat exchange requirements of different areas of the part. For example, according to the size of the part and the thickness difference of different regions, a three-dimensional groove 2 is opened in each region of the mold body 1, and a closed water channel 3 is arranged in each region. This can effectively avoid the problem of poor heat exchange uniformity caused by the excessive length of a single closed water channel 3, and further improve the temperature uniformity of the injection molding mold.

[0043] Furthermore, the cross-sectional dimensions of each three-dimensional groove 2 and the corresponding closed water channel 3 on the mold body 1, and even the cross-sectional dimensions of different sections of a single closed water channel 3, can be reasonably designed according to the heat exchange requirements of different areas of the part, so as to make the temperature uniformity of the injection molding mold more consistent.

[0044] In some embodiments of the present invention, the mold body 1 and the water channel support structure 4 may be made of the same or different materials, preferably the same material, which effectively reduces the thermal expansion difference between the mold body 1 and the water channel support structure 4 and improves the stability of the overall structure formed by the mold body 1 and the water channel support structure 4.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present invention, the mold body 1 and the water channel support structure 4 may be made of mirror mold steel.

[0046] In other embodiments of the present invention, the mold body 1 and the water channel support structure 4 may also be made of other mold materials that have high hardness, good wear resistance, excellent polishing performance and low coefficient of thermal expansion, such as high hardness steel, molybdenum steel, cemented carbide, and stainless steel.

[0047] This embodiment also proposes a manufacturing method for preparing the above-mentioned optical mirror injection molding mold, which includes the following steps:

[0048] S1. Prepare the base of the mold body.

[0049] In this embodiment, the substrate can be selected based on the service life of the injection molding mold and product requirements, and can be obtained by cutting and processing the blank.

[0050] Furthermore, the size of the substrate is larger than the design size of the optical mirror injection molding mold to accommodate the deformation of the substrate during subsequent manufacturing processes.

[0051] S2. Based on the surface design of the mold body, perform preliminary processing on the back of the base to form a reference surface.

[0052] In this embodiment, the structure, size, material properties and molding requirements of the part can be analyzed based on the part drawings or 3D models. The injection molding mold and its surface can be designed to generate 2D engineering drawings and 3D model data. Based on this data, the back side of the substrate can be pre-processed, such as by using milling machines, planers and other equipment to form a reference surface that matches the surface.

[0053] S3. Further processing is performed on the reference surface of the substrate to obtain a three-dimensional groove designed to conform to the surface shape, and a closed water channel is formed in the three-dimensional groove.

[0054] In this embodiment, the number and size of the three-dimensional grooves can be designed based on the injection molding mold, its surface parameters, and the part parameters to generate processing data. The back of the substrate can then be further processed according to this data. For example, rough processing can be performed first using milling machines, planers, or other equipment, followed by high-precision finishing using a CNC machining center to ensure the size and position accuracy of the three-dimensional grooves. Polishing is then performed to ensure surface smoothness, resulting in three-dimensional grooves that are evenly distributed along the surface of the part. Finally, a closed water channel is formed by laying hot water pipes or welding cover plates.

[0055] S4. Using 3D printing technology, 3D printing material is formed on one side of the substrate with a closed water channel to form a water channel support structure.

[0056] In this embodiment, 3D printing technologies such as selective laser melting (SLM), selective laser sintering (SLS), and electron beam melting (EBM) can be used to deposit metal powder layer by layer onto the substrate to form a water channel support structure.

[0057] Furthermore, after forming the water channel support structure on the back of the substrate, the substrate and the water channel support structure can be heat-treated as a whole to make the internal stress uniform and achieve the required microstructure before subsequent surface processing.

[0058] S5. After forming the water channel support structure on the back of the base, process the front of the base according to the surface design of the mold body to form the surface.

[0059] In this embodiment, the surface can be obtained through roughing, semi-finishing, finishing and polishing processes to obtain a high-precision optical mirror surface.

[0060] S6. Obtain the optical mirror injection molding mold.

[0061] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an injection molding die for an optical mirror, characterized in that, The optical mirror injection molding mold includes: a mold body, one side of which forms a profile, and the other side forms a three-dimensional groove, the three-dimensional groove being designed to conform to the profile; a closed water channel, which is located in the three-dimensional groove, with an inlet and an outlet at both ends, the closed water channel being formed by a heat exchange pipe embedded in the three-dimensional groove or by a cover plate covering the three-dimensional groove, forming a sealed space composed of the cover plate and the three-dimensional groove, the cover plate being designed to conform to the three-dimensional groove, and the cover plate being fixed to the mold body by welding; and a water channel support structure, which is attached to the side of the mold body with the closed water channel, the water channel support structure being formed on the mold body by 3D printing material; The manufacturing method includes the following steps: Prepare the base for the mold body; Based on the surface design of the mold body, the back side of the substrate is pre-processed to form a reference surface; The reference surface of the substrate is further processed to obtain a three-dimensional groove designed to conform to the shape of the surface, and a closed water channel is formed in the three-dimensional groove. Using 3D printing technology, 3D printing material is formed on one side of the substrate with a closed water channel to form a water channel support structure; After forming a water channel support structure on the back of the substrate, the substrate and the water channel support structure are first subjected to heat treatment as a whole, and then the front of the substrate is processed according to the surface design of the mold body to form a surface. The optical mirror injection molding mold is obtained.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dimensions of the substrate are larger than the design dimensions of the optical mirror injection molding mold.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of enclosed waterways is one or more.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mold body and the water channel support structure are made of the same material.

5. The manufacturing method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The material is selected from mirror-finish mold steel.

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