Injection mold for plastic product processing

Abstract

The invention discloses an injection mold for plastic product processing, relates to the field of injection molds, solves the problems of product defects and low production efficiency caused by non-uniform cooling of a traditional injection mold, and comprises a fixed mold, a movable mold, a controller and a cooling system arranged in the fixed mold and the movable mold, the cooling system comprises a shape follow-up cooling runner, the shape follow-up cooling runner is embedded and formed in the fixed mold and the movable mold, and the path of the shape follow-up cooling runner and the surface profile of the mold cavity are basically distributed at equal intervals; the conformal cooling runner comprises a main loop and a plurality of branch loops, and the branch loops are configured to preferentially extend and are densely arranged in a cavity area corresponding to a deep cavity, a thin wall and a special-shaped structure of a product; an exhaust structure is arranged in the movable mold, and the controller is in signal connection with the cooling system and the exhaust structure and used for coordinating and controlling the cooling and exhaust processes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of injection molds, and in particular to an injection mold for processing plastic products. Background Technology

[0002] Injection molding is the core process of plastic product processing. In the traditional injection molding process, molten plastic is injected under high pressure into the cavity formed by the closing of the fixed mold and the moving mold. After cooling and solidification, the mold is opened and the product is ejected to obtain the desired shape.

[0003] However, traditional injection molds mostly use straight cooling channels for cooling. In practical applications, for products with complex structures, deep cavities, thin walls, or irregular shapes, traditional straight cooling channels cannot get close to the cavity surface, resulting in low and uneven cooling efficiency. This not only prolongs the molding cycle and affects production efficiency, but also makes the product more prone to defects such as warping, deformation, internal stress concentration, and surface shrinkage due to uneven shrinkage, seriously affecting the dimensional stability and mechanical properties of the product.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an injection mold for processing plastic products to achieve efficient and uniform cooling. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the issues of product defects and low production efficiency caused by uneven cooling in traditional injection molds, this application provides an injection mold for processing plastic products, which can achieve rapid and uniform cooling of the cavity, especially complex structures, effectively improving product quality and production efficiency.

[0006] This application provides an injection mold for processing plastic products, adopting the following technical solution:

[0007] An injection mold for processing plastic products includes a fixed mold and a moving mold, which form a cavity after being closed. The mold also includes a controller and a cooling system disposed within the fixed mold and the moving mold. The cooling system includes conformal cooling channels that are embedded and formed inside the fixed mold and the moving mold. The paths of the conformal cooling channels are distributed at approximately equal intervals with the surface contour of the cavity.

[0008] The conformal cooling channel includes a main loop and multiple branch loops, wherein the branch loops are configured to preferentially extend and be densely arranged in the cavity areas corresponding to the deep cavity, thin wall and irregular structure of the product.

[0009] The moving mold is equipped with an exhaust structure, and the controller is connected to the cooling system and the exhaust structure respectively to coordinate and control the cooling and exhaust processes.

[0010] Preferably, it also includes an injection molding machine host and a core disposed on the moving mold. The venting structure includes an venting groove opened at the end of the core, a vacuum channel communicating with the venting groove, and a vacuum generator connected to the vacuum channel. The vacuum generator and the injection molding machine host are respectively connected to the controller signal. During the injection molding stage, the vacuum generator is controlled to start evacuating the vacuum, and after the pressure holding stage is completed, the vacuum generator is controlled to shut down.

[0011] Preferably, corresponding to the deep cavity structure on the core, the branch loop is arranged in a spiral or layered sleeve shape around the core.

[0012] Preferably, the venting structure further includes a miniature venting pin disposed inside the core, the sidewall of the miniature venting pin having a micron-sized slit channel communicating with the cavity, and the bottom end of the miniature venting pin being connected to a vacuum channel.

[0013] Preferably, a pressure sensor is provided in the vacuum channel, and the pressure sensor signal is connected to the controller. The controller is configured to: immediately start the vacuum generator to draw a vacuum after receiving the injection signal; when the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor reaches a preset threshold, determine that the cavity is filled with vacuum, and turn off the vacuum generator after a set delay.

[0014] Preferably, the system also includes a temperature sensor embedded in the inner wall of the cavity and adjacent to the conformal cooling channel. The controller is also signal-connected to a cooling water control valve, which can dynamically adjust the flow rate and temperature of the cooling water in the conformal cooling channel based on the feedback from the temperature sensor.

[0015] Preferably, the conformal cooling channel is integrally formed in the fixed mold and the moving mold using a metal additive manufacturing process.

[0016] Preferably, the controller is further configured to adaptively adjust the set delay time or cooling water control parameters based on the cumulative working cycle of the mold or the number of products produced.

[0017] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial effects:

[0018] 1. This application adopts conformal cooling channels that are "basically equidistant" from the contour of the cavity surface, and uses "branched loops" to focus on cooling key areas such as deep cavities and thin walls of the product. This allows the cooling medium to be as close to the cavity surface as possible, achieving efficient and uniform heat exchange. It can effectively shorten the cooling time, improve production efficiency, and significantly reduce defects such as product warping, deformation, internal stress, and surface shrinkage caused by uneven shrinkage, thus ensuring the dimensional stability and mechanical properties of the product.

[0019] 2. This application also integrates an active vacuum exhaust structure controlled by a controller. By activating the vacuum generator to draw a vacuum during the injection molding stage and shutting it off after the pressure holding period, the gas in the cavity can be effectively removed before the plastic melt is filled. In particular, combined with the feedback control of the pressure sensor, the exhaust process is automated and precise. In addition, the design of the miniature exhaust pin further solves the problem of traditional exhaust dead zones such as the bottom of the deep cavity. This not only effectively eliminates the defect of poor exhaust, but also creates conditions for using higher injection speeds to further improve production efficiency.

[0020] 3. This application integrates the cooling system and exhaust structure by introducing a controller as the core, thereby realizing the coordinated control of the cooling and exhaust processes. By embedding a temperature sensor and connecting it to the cooling water control valve, dynamic closed-loop regulation of the cooling process is achieved. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the injection mold in this embodiment of the application;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a partial exploded view of the fixed mold and moving mold in this embodiment of the application;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the core in this embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the branch loop located at the fixed mold in this embodiment of the application;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a side view of the cooling channels located in the cavity in this embodiment of the application.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Fixed mold; 2. Moving mold; 21. Core; 3. Cavity; 4. Cooling channel; 41. Main loop; 42. Branch loop; 5. Exhaust structure; 51. Exhaust groove; 52. Vacuum channel; 6. Miniature exhaust pin. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0028] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this application described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0029] In this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "middle," "vertical," "horizontal," "lateral," and "longitudinal" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing this application and its embodiments, and are not intended to limit the indicated device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0030] Furthermore, in addition to indicating location or positional relationship, some of the aforementioned terms may also have other meanings. For example, the term "above" may also be used in some cases to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0031] In addition, the term "multiple" should mean two or more.

[0032] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0033] This application discloses an injection mold for processing plastic products, including a fixed mold 1 and a moving mold 2, a controller, and a cooling system disposed within the fixed mold 1 and the moving mold 2. After the fixed mold 1 and the moving mold 2 are closed, a cavity 3 is formed. The cooling system includes conformal cooling channels 4, which are integrally formed inside the fixed mold 1 and the moving mold 2 using a metal additive manufacturing process (such as 3D printing), ensuring the design freedom and manufacturing feasibility of the conformal cooling channels 4. The paths of the conformal cooling channels 4 are distributed at approximately equal intervals with the surface contour of the cavity 3.

[0034] Furthermore, the conformal cooling channel 4 includes a main loop 41 and multiple branch loops 42. The branch loops 42 are configured to preferentially extend and densely arrange in the cavity 3 regions corresponding to the deep cavity, thin wall, and irregular structure of the product. For the deep cavity structure on the core 21, the surrounding branch loops 42 can be arranged in a spiral or layered sleeve shape around the core 21 to maximize the cooling surface area and improve the deep cavity cooling problem.

[0035] The moving mold 2 includes a core 21, and an venting structure 5 is provided at the core 21. Venting mainly occurs during the injection molding process. The venting structure 5 includes a venting groove 51 at the end of the core 21, a vacuum channel 52 communicating with the venting groove 51, and a vacuum generator connected to the vacuum channel 52. The injection mold for processing plastic products also includes the injection molding machine main unit. The vacuum generator and the injection molding machine main unit are respectively connected to the controller signal for coordinating and controlling the cooling and venting processes.

[0036] During the injection molding stage, the vacuum generator is activated to create a vacuum, synchronizing venting and injection. This rapidly removes air and gases generated during plastic filling of cavity 3, preventing filling defects such as burning, incomplete filling, and air bubbles. After the holding pressure stage, the vacuum generator is shut off. This means the venting system continues to operate, ensuring that cavity 3 remains under optimal negative pressure (vacuum) throughout the entire filling and shrinkage process, from injection molding to holding pressure, creating a gas-free environment for plastic filling and shrinkage.

[0037] Furthermore, the exhaust structure 5 also includes miniature exhaust pins 6 spaced apart within the core 21. The sidewalls of the miniature exhaust pins 6 have micron-sized slit channels that communicate with the cavity 3. The bottom end of the miniature exhaust pins 6 is connected to the vacuum channel 52. In use, this effectively removes gas from dead corners such as the bottom of deep cavities without generating flash.

[0038] Furthermore, a pressure sensor is installed in the vacuum channel 52, and the pressure sensor signal is connected to the controller. The controller is configured to immediately start the vacuum generator to draw a vacuum upon receiving the injection signal; when the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor reaches a preset threshold, it is determined that the cavity 3 has been filled with vacuum, and the vacuum generator is turned off after a set delay to ensure that the filling process is carried out under negative pressure.

[0039] Furthermore, the injection mold for processing plastic products also includes a temperature sensor signal-connected to the controller. The temperature sensor is embedded in the inner wall of the cavity 3 and adjacent to the conformal cooling channel 4. The controller is also signal-connected to a cooling water control valve. Based on the feedback from the temperature sensor, the controller can dynamically adjust the flow rate and temperature of the cooling water in the conformal cooling channel 4 to achieve precise closed-loop control of the cooling process. Simultaneously, the controller is configured to adaptively adjust the set delay time or cooling water control parameters based on the cumulative working cycle of the mold or the number of products produced to compensate for long-term changes in the performance of the injection mold.

[0040] The working principle of the injection mold in this application is to embed conformal cooling channels 4 into the fixed mold 1 and the moving mold 2, and the paths of the conformal cooling channels 4 are basically equidistant from the surface contour of the cavity 3. The conformal cooling channels 4 adopt an optimized topological network layout, including a main loop 41 and multiple branch loops 42. The branch loops 42 are specifically configured to extend preferentially and be densely arranged in key heat dissipation areas such as deep cavities, thin walls, and irregular structures of the product to achieve precise temperature control. In addition, the controller is connected to the cooling system and the venting structure 5 respectively to coordinate and control the cooling and venting timing throughout the injection molding process.

[0041] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An injection mold for processing plastic articles, comprising a fixed mold (1) and a movable mold (2), said fixed mold (1) and movable mold (2) forming a cavity (3) when closed, characterized in that: The injection molding machine further comprises a controller, a cooling system arranged in the fixed mold (1) and the movable mold (2), wherein the cooling system comprises a conformal cooling runner (4) embedded and shaped in the fixed mold (1) and the movable mold (2), and a path of the conformal cooling runner (4) is substantially equidistantly distributed from a surface profile of the cavity (3); The conformal cooling runner (4) comprises a main loop (41) and a plurality of branch loops (42), and the branch loops (42) are arranged in a deep cavity, a thin wall and a special-shaped structure of the product. The movable mold (2) is provided with an exhaust structure (5), and the controller is signal-connected with the cooling system and the exhaust structure (5) respectively, so as to coordinately control the cooling and exhaust processes.

2. The injection mold for processing plastic products according to claim 1, characterized in that: The injection molding machine further comprises an injection molding machine main machine and a core (21) arranged in the movable mold (2), the exhaust structure (5) comprises an exhaust groove (51) arranged at an end of the core (21), a vacuum channel (52) in communication with the exhaust groove (51), and a vacuum generator connected to the vacuum channel (52), and the vacuum generator and the injection molding machine main machine are signal-connected with the controller respectively, so as to control the vacuum generator to start vacuumizing in an injection stage, and control the vacuum generator to be closed after an end of a pressure maintaining stage.

3. The injection mold for processing plastic products according to claim 1, characterized in that: The branch loops (42) are arranged in a spiral or layered sleeve shape around the core (21) corresponding to a deep cavity structure on the core (21).

4. The injection mold for processing plastic products according to claim 2, characterized in that: The exhaust structure (5) further comprises a micro exhaust pin (6) arranged in the core (21), a side wall of the micro exhaust pin (6) has a microscale crack channel in communication with the cavity (3), and a bottom end of the micro exhaust pin (6) is connected to the vacuum channel (52).

5. The injection mold for processing plastic products according to claim 2, characterized in that: The vacuum channel (52) is provided with a pressure sensor signal-connected with the controller, and the controller is configured to: immediately start the vacuum generator to vacuumize after receiving an injection signal; and determine that the cavity (3) is filled with vacuum when a pressure value detected by the pressure sensor reaches a preset threshold value, and then close the vacuum generator after a set delay time.

6. The injection mold for processing plastic articles according to claim 5, characterized in that: The injection molding machine further comprises a temperature sensor embedded in an inner wall of the cavity (3) and adjacent to the conformal cooling runner (4), and the controller is further signal-connected with a cooling water control valve, so as to dynamically adjust a flow rate and a temperature of cooling water in the conformal cooling runner (4) according to a feedback of the temperature sensor.

7. The injection mold for processing plastic products according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The conformal cooling runner (4) is integrally formed in the fixed mold (1) and the movable mold (2) through a metal additive manufacturing process.

8. The injection mold for processing plastic articles according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The controller is further configured to: adaptively adjust the set delay time or the cooling water control parameter according to a cumulative working period of the mold or a number of products produced.

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