Multi‑process combined injection molding apparatus and injection molding method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multi‑process combined injection molding apparatus and injection molding method. The injection molding apparatus comprises a mold closing assembly, a distance measuring device, a first injection assembly, a gas injection assembly, a second injection assembly, a robotic arm, and an infrared heater; the mold closing assembly comprises a fixed mold plate and a movable mold plate which are arranged opposite to each other, and a mold is provided between the fixed mold plate and the movable mold plate; the distance measuring device is arranged on the mold; the first injection assembly is used for injecting a foaming material for a product main body into the mold, and the first injection assembly is in communication with the gas injection assembly; the second injection assembly is used for injecting a second component material into the mold; and the robotic arm is used for gripping a thermoplastic organic sheet, and the infrared heater is used for heating the thermoplastic organic sheet. Compared with the prior art, the present invention implements integrated lightweight product processing on the same apparatus, and multiple portions are directly connected during molding in the mold, thereby avoiding product transfer and reassembly caused by multiple independent procedures, effectively improving production efficiency and production quality.

Description

A multi-process combined injection molding equipment and injection molding method

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 2025100886684, filed on January 20, 2025, entitled "A Multi-Process Combination Injection Molding Equipment and Injection Molding Method", the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to the field of injection molding equipment technology, and in particular to a multi-process combined injection molding equipment and injection molding method. Background Technology

[0004] Fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites are a general term for composite materials made by reinforcing various thermoplastic polymers with glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, etc. They come in various forms, including short fiber reinforcement, long fiber reinforcement, continuous fiber reinforcement, and fabric reinforcement. Due to their excellent comprehensive properties, fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites are widely used in aerospace, automotive, and construction fields, and have broad development prospects. Hot pressing is currently an important process for producing fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite parts. Its basic principle is to heat a pre-prepared thermoplastic composite sheet to above the melting or softening point of the thermoplastic resin matrix, then quickly place it into a mold cavity, close the mold, and press it into the final product shape. The hot pressing technology for fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites is stable, easily mechanized and automated, and has high production efficiency.

[0005] Injection molding foaming technology is divided into chemical foaming and physical foaming processes. Physical foaming technology involves thoroughly mixing and metering polymer melt and supercritical fluids such as N2 and CO2 through a screw plasticizing process, followed by injection molding to produce the corresponding parts. One of the significant advantages of physical foaming injection molding technology is that its physical foaming agent (gas) comes from nature and is more environmentally friendly than chemical foaming processes. This has led to its widespread application in the production and processing of automotive parts in recent years. Currently, to further improve the weight reduction of products, the foaming space can be provided by precisely controlling the micro-opening of the mold, allowing the melt to fully foam. The injection molding process can also be modified to obtain products with more complex shapes.

[0006] The development of the new energy vehicle sector has rendered single-technology-based components, such as those relying on multi-component technology or foaming technology, insufficient to meet the ever-increasing product design demands. Some components now employ integrated designs, raising the bar for advanced technology. While achieving lightweighting and weight reduction, reinforcement in certain areas is necessary, utilizing second or third-component materials to fulfill functional and aesthetic requirements. For example, some components may use special materials combined with unique geometric shapes to reduce wind resistance. Simultaneously, conventional closed-mold foaming technology cannot achieve the desired weight reduction. Therefore, open-mold compression technology and template parallelism control technology are required to further improve weight reduction and ensure product wall thickness uniformity.

[0007] Unprecedented integrated components are formed in a single step within a molding cycle of just tens of seconds, significantly improving production efficiency and product qualification rate compared to processes or procedures such as step injection that require coordination between different production lines. It also achieves weight reduction and localized reinforcement in certain areas, while different materials and components bring more aesthetic effects and functional requirements to the components. The integrated thermoplastic material solution enables it to be reused as a post-consumer recycled material, achieving the goal of sustainable development.

[0008] To process such highly integrated plastic parts, multi-technology injection molding equipment is essential. Technological innovation has driven the development of plastic processing technology and plastic machinery, and has also set new benchmarks for the industry. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a multi-process injection molding equipment and injection molding method, which can complete multiple production processes of a product on the same equipment, thereby improving product quality and production efficiency.

[0010] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0011] A multi-process injection molding equipment includes a mold clamping assembly, a rangefinder, a first injection assembly, a gas injection assembly, a second injection assembly, a robotic arm, and an infrared heater.

[0012] The mold assembly includes a fixed mold plate and a movable mold plate arranged opposite to each other, with a mold provided between the fixed mold plate and the movable mold plate; the rangefinder is installed on the mold and is used to detect the distance between the two mold surfaces;

[0013] The first injection component is connected to the gas injection component. The first injection component contains a first component material. The gas injection component is used to inject supercritical fluid into the first component material to form a foam material. The first injection component is used to inject the foam material of the product body into the mold.

[0014] The second injection assembly is used to inject the second component material into the mold;

[0015] The robotic arm is used to grip the thermoplastic organic sheet, and the infrared heater is used to heat the thermoplastic organic sheet.

[0016] In one embodiment, the mold includes a movable mold and a fixed mold. The fixed mold has a cavity, and the movable mold has a retractable first core and a second core. When the thermoplastic organic sheet is hot-pressed, the first core extends out and abuts against the thermoplastic organic sheet.

[0017] When the second injection component injects the second component material, the second core extends to form a closed second component molding cavity inside the mold.

[0018] In one embodiment, the first injection component is disposed on the side of the fixed template away from the moving template, and the fixed template is provided with a first injection port, which is in communication with the first injection component;

[0019] The side of the fixed mold is provided with a second injection port, which is connected to the second injection component.

[0020] In one embodiment, the moving template is provided with a plurality of first driving members on the side away from the fixed template, and the rangefinder corresponds one-to-one with the first driving member. The direction in which the fixed template and the moving template are arranged opposite each other is a first direction, and the installation position of the rangefinder is collinear with the installation position of the first driving member along the first direction.

[0021] In one embodiment, the injection molding equipment further includes a controller, which is electrically connected to the first drive unit and the rangefinder, respectively, and is used to control the first drive unit at the corresponding position according to the detection result of the rangefinder.

[0022] In one embodiment, the moving template is provided with a plurality of second driving members on the side near the fixed template, and the controller is connected to the second driving members to control the opening and closing of the second driving members.

[0023] In one embodiment, the first injection assembly includes an injection barrel and an injection screw inserted into the injection barrel. The injection barrel is provided with an air injection port and a locking nozzle. The air injection port is connected to the air injection assembly. After the first component material is plasticized in the injection barrel, the locking nozzle opens and communicates with the cavity in the mold.

[0024] In one embodiment, the mold closing assembly further includes an intermediate template located between the fixed template and the moving template. The moving template and the fixed template are respectively provided with a first mold and a second mold. A third mold and a fourth mold are respectively provided on both sides of the intermediate template. The intermediate template is rotatable about a vertical axis, so that the mold closing assembly has a first mold closing state and a second mold closing state.

[0025] In the first mold-closing state, the first mold is closed with the third mold, and the second mold is closed with the fourth mold; in the second mold-closing state, the first mold is closed with the fourth mold, and the second mold is closed with the third mold.

[0026] In one embodiment, the fixed template is provided with a first injection port, and the movable template is provided with a second injection port. The first injection port is connected to the first injection component, and the second injection port is connected to the second injection component.

[0027] A multi-process injection molding method, applicable to the aforementioned injection molding equipment, is characterized by comprising the following specific steps:

[0028] S10: A robotic arm is used to hold the thermoplastic organic sheet, which is then placed in an infrared heater and heated for a certain period of time;

[0029] S20: A robotic arm is used to hold the thermoplastic organic sheet from the infrared heater and place it into the mold;

[0030] S30: The thermoplastic organic sheet is hot-pressed by a mold-closing assembly, and then cooled and solidified.

[0031] S40: The second component material is injected into the mold using the second injection component to form a modified part on the thermoplastic organic sheet and then cooled and solidified.

[0032] S50: Supercritical fluid is injected into the first injection component using an air injection component. The first component material forms a foaming material in the first injection component. The first injection component injects the foaming material into the mold. The mold closing component drives the mold to open slightly to foam, forming the main body on the thermoplastic organic sheet and the decorative part.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0034] 1. The aforementioned multi-process injection molding equipment is equipped with a mold clamping assembly, a first injection assembly, a gas injection assembly, a second injection assembly, a robotic arm, and an infrared heater. During operation, the robotic arm holds the thermoplastic organic sheet and places it in the infrared heater for heating, softening the sheet. The robotic arm then holds the thermoplastic organic sheet from the infrared heater and places it in the mold for hot pressing. The second injection assembly injects the second component material into the mold, forming a decorative portion on the thermoplastic organic sheet for functional modification of the product. The gas injection assembly injects supercritical fluid into the first injection assembly, causing the first component material to... The foaming material is formed in the first injection component, and then injected into the mold using the first injection component. After injection, the mold is opened and foamed to form the main body on the thermoplastic organic sheet and the modified part. This allows the processing of the fiber sheet reinforcement part, the modified part and the main body of the injection molded product to be completed on the same equipment. Moreover, multiple parts are directly connected when they are formed in the mold, avoiding the movement and recombination of multiple parts, which effectively improves production efficiency and production quality. At the same time, the distance measuring instrument on the mold can also detect the distance between the two mold surfaces in real time, which is beneficial to ensure the parallel movement of the mold and the uniformity of the product foam thickness during the mold opening and foaming process.

[0035] 2. This injection molding equipment uses a first core and a second core in the moving mold and a cavity in the fixed mold. The thermoplastic organic fiber sheet reinforcement, decoration and main body of the injection molded product are formed in sequence in the mold. The processing of each part can be completed in one mold, avoiding frequent mold changes. The structure is simple, effective and convenient.

[0036] 3. To achieve precise movement of the moving mold and ensure that the moving mold and the stationary mold always move in parallel, multiple rangefinders are installed on the mold. The installation positions of the rangefinders correspond to the installation positions of the first driving components. Therefore, when the first driving component moves on the moving mold, the rangefinders can accurately measure the distance change on the moving mold corresponding to the first driving component. The rangefinders feed back the measurement results to the controller, which then controls the corresponding first driving component to adjust its moving speed and distance. This ensures that the measurement results of multiple rangefinders are consistent within a certain range, effectively improving the accuracy and parallelism of the moving mold movement. During injection molding and foaming, this ensures that the product thickness is more uniform and precise.

[0037] 4. The second driving component assists the first driving component in providing power for the opening of the moving mold plate. It provides the moving mold plate with a force opposite to that of the first driving component, i.e., from the fixed mold direction towards the opening direction of the moving mold. Its auxiliary opening force tends to be constant. When the distance between the moving mold and the fixed mold is too large, the driving force of the first driving component increases, which together help to reduce the opening speed of the moving mold plate or make it relatively stationary. When the distance between the moving mold and the fixed mold is too small, the driving force of the first driving component decreases, which together make the moving mold plate increase its speed and move away from the fixed mold plate. This control method helps to make the precision opening process of the moving mold plate more stable and controllable. At the same time, the second driving component can also be activated or deactivated by the controller, which effectively improves the freedom of process programming and the accuracy and repeatability of the entire mold opening and foaming process.

[0038] 5. Since the mold assembly is equipped with a fixed mold plate, a moving mold plate and an intermediate plate, the intermediate mold plate can rotate around the vertical axis, and the fixed mold plate is connected to the first injection assembly, and the moving mold plate is connected to the second injection assembly, the decorative part and the main body part can be formed separately in the molds on both sides of the intermediate plate. This helps to reduce the complexity of the cavity and core in the mold, improve the mold plate utilization rate, and make it easier to form larger products. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an injection molding equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the injection molding equipment in another embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the mold clamping assembly in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first injection component in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fixed mold in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of an injection molding method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 7 shows the first setting page of the injection molding equipment in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 8 shows the second setting page of the injection molding equipment in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Reference numerals: 100, Injection molding equipment; 10, Mold clamping assembly; 11, First drive component; 12, Second drive component; 13, Sealing frame; 14, Fixed mold plate; 15, Moving mold plate; 16, Slide rail; 17, Tie rod; 18, Intermediate mold plate; 20, Rangefinder; 30, First injection assembly; 31, Air injection port; 32, Locking nozzle; 33, Back pressure assembly; 34, Injection barrel; 35, Injection screw; 36, Barrel; 40, Air injection assembly; 50, Second injection assembly; 60, Robot arm; 70, Infrared heater; 80, Controller; 90, Mold; 91, Moving mold; 92, Fixed mold; 921, Cavity. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. These embodiments are based on the technical solution of the present invention and provide detailed implementation methods and specific operating procedures. However, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0049] The following describes in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a multi-process injection molding equipment 100 and an injection molding method.

[0050] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in one embodiment, a multi-process injection molding equipment 100 is provided, including a mold clamping assembly 10, a rangefinder 20, a first injection assembly 30, a gas injection assembly 40, a second injection assembly 50, a robotic arm 60, and an infrared heater 70.

[0051] The mold assembly 10 includes a fixed template 14 and a movable template 15 arranged opposite to each other, with a mold 90 provided between the fixed template 14 and the movable template 15; a rangefinder 20 is provided on the mold 90 and is used to detect the distance between the two mold surfaces of the mold 90.

[0052] Furthermore, the first injection assembly 30 is used to inject the first component material of the product body into the mold 90. The first injection assembly 30 is connected to the gas injection assembly 40, which is used to inject supercritical fluid into the first component material. The second injection assembly 50 is used to inject the second component material into the mold 90. The robot arm 60 is used to hold the thermoplastic organic sheet, and the infrared heater 70 is used to heat the thermoplastic organic sheet.

[0053] The aforementioned multi-process injection molding equipment 100 is equipped with a mold clamping assembly 10, a first injection assembly 30, a gas injection assembly 40, a second injection assembly 50, a robotic arm 60, and an infrared heater 70. During operation, the robotic arm 60 holds a thermoplastic organic sheet and places it in the infrared heater 70 for heating, softening the sheet. The robotic arm then holds the thermoplastic organic sheet from the infrared heater 70 and places it in the mold 90 for hot pressing. Next, the second injection assembly 50 injects a second component material into the mold 90, forming a decorative portion on the thermoplastic organic sheet for functional modification of the product. The gas injection assembly 40 injects supercritical fluid into the first injection assembly 30, causing the first component material... The material is formed into foam material in the first injection component 30, and then the foam material is injected into the mold 90 using the first injection component 30. After injection, the mold is opened and foamed to form the main body on the thermoplastic organic sheet and the modified part. This realizes the processing of the fiber sheet reinforcement part, the modified part and the main body of the injection molded product on the same equipment. Moreover, multiple parts are directly connected to form an integrated structure when they are formed in the mold 90, avoiding the step-by-step molding and transfer process of multiple parts, effectively improving production efficiency and production quality. At the same time, the distance measuring instrument 20 on the mold 90 can also detect the distance between the two mold surfaces of the mold 90 in real time, which is conducive to ensuring the parallel movement of the mold 90 and the uniformity of the product foam thickness during the mold opening and foaming process.

[0054] Specifically, in one embodiment, the robotic arm 60 includes a six-axis robotic arm in the conventional art and a gripper connected thereto, the six-axis robotic arm being used to improve mobility and the gripper being used to grip a thermoplastic organic sheet.

[0055] Specifically, in one embodiment, the injection molding equipment 100 further includes a sealing frame 13 and a telescopic drive component. The sealing frame 13 is disposed on the fixed mold 92 and is arranged around the perimeter of the injection-molded foam product for contact with the perimeter of the injection-molded foam product. The telescopic drive component is connected to the sealing frame 13 and is used to change the ejection distance and force of the sealing frame 13.

[0056] Furthermore, the sealing frame 13 comprises multiple segments to accommodate different circumferential shapes of products. Each segment has an independent cooling water channel to prevent it from becoming stuck due to thermal expansion after continuous contact with the high-temperature molten plastic. Each segment is mechanically connected as a whole and connected to the telescopic drive component, thereby controlling the ejection distance and force of the sealing frame 13. The controller can also be connected to the telescopic drive component to control its hydraulic pressure and flow rate.

[0057] The injection molding equipment 100 is further provided with a retractable sealing frame 13, which can abut against the perimeter of the foamed product and is used to seal the foamed product on the parting surface of the mold 90 during the mold opening and foaming process. Since the sealing frame 13 is retractable and can be set by the controller, the pressure and flow rate of this circuit can be set through the first page of Figure 7 to accurately counteract the expansion force of the molten glue to the outside of the mold surface during the mold opening and foaming process, and avoid glue overflow during the foaming process.

[0058] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, in one embodiment, the mold clamping assembly 10 further includes a bed support and a slide rail 16. The fixed template 14 is fixedly connected to the slide rail 16, and the movable template 15 is slidably connected to the slide rail 16. The fixed template 14 and the movable template 15 are arranged opposite each other in the horizontal direction. A plurality of tie rods 17 are provided between the fixed template 14 and the movable template 15. The tie rods 17 pass through the fixed template 14 and the movable template 15 in sequence, and the movable template 15 can slide along the tie rods 17.

[0059] Specifically, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, in one embodiment, the mold 90 includes a movable mold 91 and a fixed mold 92. The fixed mold 92 is provided with a cavity 921, and the movable mold 91 has a retractable first core and a second core. When the thermoplastic organic sheet is hot-pressed, the first core extends out and abuts against the thermoplastic organic sheet to fix the thermoplastic organic sheet. When the second injection component 50 injects the second component material, the second core extends out to form a closed second component molding cavity in the fixed mold 92.

[0060] Specifically, in one embodiment, the first injection component 30 is disposed on the side of the fixed template 14 away from the moving template 15, and the fixed template 14 is provided with a first injection port, which is connected to the first injection component 30.

[0061] The fixed mold 92 has a second injection port on its side, which is connected to the second injection component 50. The side of the fixed mold 92 is the non-operation side of the fixed mold 92.

[0062] The injection molding equipment 100 sets a first core and a second core in the moving mold 91 and a cavity 921 in the fixed mold 92. The fiber sheet reinforcement part, the second component material modification part and the foam material main part of the injection molded product are formed sequentially in the mold 90. This integrated equipment allows the processing of each process in the product to be completed in one mold 90 and form an integrated structure, avoiding frequent changes of the mold 90. The structure is simple, effective and convenient.

[0063] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, in one embodiment, the moving template 15 is provided with a plurality of first driving members 11 on the side away from the fixed template 14, and the rangefinder 20 corresponds one-to-one with the first driving members 11. The fixed template 14 and the moving template 15 are arranged in a first direction relative to each other. The installation position of the rangefinder 20 is arranged collinearly with the installation position of the first driving member 11 along the first direction.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, in one embodiment, the injection molding equipment 100 further includes a controller 80, which is electrically connected to the first drive member 11 and the rangefinder 20 respectively, and is used to control the first drive member 11 at the corresponding position according to the detection result of the rangefinder 20.

[0065] To achieve precise movement of the moving mold 91 and ensure that the moving mold 91 and the fixed mold 92 always move in parallel, multiple rangefinders 20 are installed on the mold 90. The installation positions of the rangefinders 20 correspond to the installation positions of the first driving component 11. Therefore, when the first driving component 11 moves on the moving mold plate 15, the rangefinders 20 can accurately measure the distance change on the moving mold 91 corresponding to the first driving component 11. The rangefinders 20 feed back the measurement results to the controller 80, which then controls the corresponding first driving component 11 to adjust its moving speed and distance, ensuring that the measurement results among the multiple rangefinders 20 are consistent within a certain range. This effectively improves the accuracy and parallelism of the movement of the moving mold 91, and ensures that the product thickness is more uniform and precise during injection molding and foaming processes.

[0066] Especially during the mold opening and foaming process, the rangefinder 20 can accurately measure the real-time distance between its respective position and the corresponding moving mold 91 and fixed mold 92, effectively improving the accuracy and repeatability of the parallelism of the moving mold 91. During the mold opening and foaming process, it can ensure that the product thickness is more uniform and is suitable for large-scale mass production.

[0067] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the first driving component 11 includes a high-pressure oil cylinder, a proportional valve, and a hydraulic power source. The high-pressure oil cylinder is connected to the end face of the moving template 15 away from the fixed template 14. The proportional valve is connected to both the high-pressure oil cylinder and the hydraulic power source. The controller 80 is connected to the proportional valve and is used to control the flow rate and pressure of the first driving component 11 through the proportional valve according to the detection result of the rangefinder 20.

[0068] The first driving component 11 uses a high-pressure hydraulic cylinder to move the template 15, which has greater driving force and can be used for larger and heavier molds 90. At the same time, the controller 80 can control the moving speed and distance of the high-pressure hydraulic cylinder by controlling the flow and pressure of the proportional valve, which makes the control more precise.

[0069] In this specific embodiment, a valve block is provided between the high-pressure oil cylinder and the proportional valve, and a high-pressure valve block is provided between the proportional valve and the hydraulic power source.

[0070] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, in one embodiment, the moving template 15 is provided with a plurality of second driving members 12 on the side near the fixed template 14. The second driving members 12 are connected to the controller, which can control the opening and closing of the second driving members 12 (as shown in Figure 7). In the mold opening and foaming process, the second driving members 12 serve as auxiliary power to provide mold opening force for the moving template 15, and the mold opening force tends to be constant during the mold opening and foaming process.

[0071] In a specific embodiment, two second driving components 12 are provided, which can provide sufficient mold opening auxiliary power for the moving template 15.

[0072] The second driving component 12 assists the first driving component 11 in providing auxiliary mold-opening power to the moving template 15. Its force is opposite to that of the first driving component 11. Therefore, during the mold-opening foaming process, the second driving component 12 provides a relatively constant mold-opening auxiliary force. When the distance between the moving mold 91 and the fixed mold 92 is too large, the driving force of the first driving component 11 increases, jointly assisting the moving template 15 to reduce the mold-opening speed or remain relatively stationary relative to the fixed template 14. When the distance between the moving mold 91 and the fixed mold 92 is too small, the driving force of the first driving component 11 decreases, jointly assisting the moving template 15 to increase the mold-opening speed relative to the fixed template 14. In this way, the first driving component 11 at different positions and the corresponding distance measuring instrument 20 form a closed loop, and under the joint action of the second driving component 12, they work together on the moving template 15, making the precision mold-opening foaming process more stable and controllable. At the same time, the second driving component 12 can also be activated or deactivated by the controller 80, which effectively improves the design freedom of the process program and the real-time parallelism control and repeatability of the moving template 15 during the precision mold-opening process.

[0073] As shown in Figure 7, on the first page, the controller can control the opening and closing of the second drive component, as well as the hydraulic pressure and flow of the telescopic drive component, thereby controlling the ejection distance and force of the sealing frame.

[0074] Specifically, in one embodiment, the rangefinder 20 includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter is disposed on the fixed mold 92 or the moving mold 91, and the receiver is disposed on the moving mold 91 or the fixed mold 92. The transmitter and the receiver are disposed opposite to each other, and the receiver is used to receive the signal transmitted by the transmitter. The installation position of the transmitter is parallel to the mold surface of the fixed mold 92 or the moving mold 91, and the installation position of the receiver is parallel to the mold surface of the moving mold 91 or the fixed mold 92.

[0075] The rangefinder 20 includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter and receiver are respectively installed in positions parallel to the moving mold 91 and the fixed mold 92. The rangefinder 20 measures the distance between the moving mold 91 and the fixed mold 92, which is equivalent to measuring the distance between the mold surfaces of the moving mold 91 and the fixed mold 92. This effectively improves the accuracy of the test results of the rangefinder 20, thereby making the controller 80 more accurate in controlling the parallelism.

[0076] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the transmitter is provided with a first mounting member, which is connected to the fixed mold 92 or the moving mold 91, and the receiver is provided with a second mounting member, which is connected to the moving mold 91 or the fixed mold 92 respectively.

[0077] In this specific embodiment, the first mounting component is mounted on the moving mold 91, and the second mounting component is mounted on the fixed mold 92. That is, the transmitter is mounted on the moving mold 91, and the receiver is mounted on the fixed mold 92.

[0078] In this specific embodiment, the rangefinder 20 is a magnetic induction electronic ruler, the transmitter is an induction magnetic block, the receiver receives the position information of the induction magnetic block, converts the magnetic signal into distance information, and then transmits the distance information to the controller 80, with an accuracy of 0.01mm.

[0079] Further, as shown in Figure 3, in one embodiment, four first driving members 11 are provided, which are respectively arranged in the four corner areas of the end face away from the fixed template 14 on the moving template 15. Four rangefinders 20 are provided, and the rangefinders 20 and the first driving members 11 at the corresponding installation positions are arranged collinearly along the direction in which the fixed template 14 and the moving template 15 are arranged opposite each other.

[0080] Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, in one embodiment, the first injection assembly 30 includes an injection barrel 34 and an injection screw 35 inserted into the injection barrel 34. The injection barrel 34 is provided with an air injection port 31 and a locking nozzle 32. The air injection port 31 is connected to the air injection assembly 40. After the first component material is plasticized in the injection barrel 34, the locking nozzle 32 is opened and connected to the cavity 921 in the mold 90.

[0081] Furthermore, the injection molding machine barrel is also equipped with a feeding hopper for feeding the first component material during the plasticizing process.

[0082] Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, in one embodiment, the mold closing assembly 10 further includes an intermediate template 18, which is located between the fixed template 14 and the moving template 15. The moving template 15 and the fixed template 14 are respectively provided with a first mold and a second mold. The two sides of the intermediate template 18 are respectively provided with a third mold and a fourth mold. The intermediate template 18 can rotate around an axis perpendicular to the horizontal direction, so that the mold closing assembly 10 has a first mold closing state and a second mold closing state.

[0083] In the first mold closing state, the first mold and the third mold are closed, and the second mold and the fourth mold are closed; in the second mold closing state, the first mold and the fourth mold are closed, and the second mold and the third mold are closed.

[0084] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the fixed template 14 is provided with a first injection port, and the movable template 15 is provided with a second injection port. The first injection port is connected to the first injection component 30, and the second injection port is connected to the second injection component 50.

[0085] The decorative parts and the main body can be formed in the molds mounted on the moving template 15 and the fixed template 14, respectively. This helps to reduce the complexity of the cavity and core inside the mold 90, improve the efficiency of template use, and improve the processing accuracy.

[0086] As shown in Figure 6, in one embodiment, a multi-process injection molding method is provided, applicable to the injection molding equipment 100 described above, characterized by the following specific steps:

[0087] S10: The thermoplastic organic sheet is held by a robotic arm 60 and placed inside an infrared heater 70 for a certain period of time;

[0088] S20: A robotic arm 60 clamps a thermoplastic organic sheet from an infrared heater 70 and places it in a mold 90;

[0089] S30: The mold clamping assembly 10 is used to clamp and hot press the thermoplastic organic sheet, so that the thermoplastic organic sheet is cooled and formed.

[0090] S40: The second component material is injected into the mold 90 using the second injection component 50 to form a modified part on the thermoplastic organic sheet and then cooled and solidified.

[0091] S50: Supercritical fluid is injected into the first injection component 30 using the air injection component 40. The first component material forms a foaming material in the first injection component 30. The first injection component 30 injects the foaming material into the mold 90. After injection, the mold closing component 10 drives the mold 91 to open slightly for mold opening and foaming, forming the main body on the thermoplastic organic sheet and the decorative part.

[0092] Specifically, in one embodiment, step S50 includes the following specific steps:

[0093] S501: Zero-point calibration of multiple rangefinders 20;

[0094] S502: Preset mold opening and closing dimensions of 90°;

[0095] S503: Supercritical fluid is injected into the first injection component 30 using the air injection component 40. The first component material forms a foaming material in the first injection component 30. The first injection component 30 injects the foaming material into the mold 90. The first driving component 11 is controlled so that the moving template 15 moves away from the fixed template 14 at a uniform speed.

[0096] S504: During the movement of the moving template 15, the detection results of multiple rangefinders 20 are acquired;

[0097] S505: Control multiple first drive units 11 to ensure that the detection results of multiple rangefinders 20 are consistent;

[0098] S506: When the detection results of multiple rangefinders 20 reach the opening and closing size, control the first driving component 11 so that the moving template 15 and the fixed template 14 remain relatively stationary;

[0099] S507: Acquire the detection results of multiple rangefinders 20 while the moving template 15 is stationary;

[0100] S508: Control multiple first driving components 11 to ensure that the detection results of multiple rangefinders 20 are consistent with the opening and closing dimensions until the foam material cools and solidifies. Therefore, during micro-foaming, the controller 80 controls multiple first driving components 11 by comparing the detection results of multiple rangefinders 20 to keep the detection results of multiple rangefinders 20 dynamically consistent, thereby achieving parallelism between the moving mold 91 and the fixed mold 92 during the movement process; during foaming and cooling solidification, the controller 80 uses the preset opening and closing dimensions of the mold 90 as a standard, compares the detection results of the rangefinders 20 and adjusts the driving force of the first driving components 11 in real time to ensure that the detection results of multiple rangefinders 20 are dynamically consistent with the opening and closing dimensions of the mold 90, thereby achieving high product thickness uniformity.

[0101] In this specific embodiment, step S502 includes the following steps:

[0102] The preset mold opening and foaming program sets the precision micro-opening speed and position of the mold 90. Figure 8 shows the precision mold opening setting information, in which the first step opens the mold to 0.5mm at a speed of 0.4mm / s, and the second step opens the mold to 0.7mm at a speed of 0.4mm / s.

[0103] In this specific embodiment, step S503 includes the following steps:

[0104] The first injection component 30 injects the molten plastic containing gas from the previous plasticizing process. This molten plastic is injected into a metered supercritical fluid through the gas injection component 40. Under the action of back pressure, the supercritical fluid dissolves in the plastic molten plastic. After the injection is completed, the pressure holding end signal activates the second drive component 12 and the first drive component 11 to work together, so that the moving template 15 drives the moving mold 91 away from the fixed mold 92 hanging on the fixed template 14 at a set speed and position in stages.

[0105] Furthermore, in one embodiment, step S501 includes the following steps:

[0106] In the closed-mode calibration state, zero-point calibration is performed on multiple rangefinders 20.

[0107] When performing zero-point calibration of the rangefinder 20, the calibration clamping force between the moving template 15 and the fixed template 14 is set to 50% of the maximum clamping force of the equipment. At this time, the clamping force will not be too large, which will cause excessive compression and deformation between the moving mold 91 and the fixed mold 92. Nor will the clamping force be too small, which will cause the mold structure between the moving mold 91 and the fixed mold 92 to be not compacted, resulting in idle stroke. This effectively improves the calibration accuracy and helps to improve the product production quality.

[0108] In normal mode, the second driving component 12 is controlled to move the moving template 15 closer to the fixed template 14, entering the mold closing calibration state, and the first driving component 11 is controlled to make the calibration mold closing force between the moving template 15 and the fixed template 14 50% of the maximum mold closing force.

[0109] Furthermore, in one embodiment, step S505 includes the following specific steps:

[0110] Select any one rangefinder 20 as the target rangefinder 20, and other rangefinders 20 are designated as other rangefinders 20. Obtain the difference between the detection results of the target rangefinder 20 and the detection results of other rangefinders 20.

[0111] Based on the result difference, control the first drive component 11 of the target rangefinder 20 at the corresponding installation position, so that the moving template 15 at the corresponding installation position moves closer to or further away from the fixed template 14.

[0112] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the step of controlling the first drive unit 11 corresponding to the installation position of the target rangefinder 20 based on the result difference includes the following specific steps:

[0113] If the difference in the results satisfies the following relationship: d1-d2<-e, the driving force of the first driving component 11 at the corresponding installation position of the target rangefinder 20 is reduced until the detection result of the target rangefinder 20 satisfies the following relationship: -e≤d1-d2≤e;

[0114] If the result difference satisfies the following relationship: d1 - d2 > e, increase the driving force of the first driving member 11 at the corresponding installation position of the target distance measuring instrument 20 until the detection result of the target distance measuring instrument 20 satisfies the following relationship: -e ≤ d1 - d2 ≤ e;

[0115] Where, d1 is the detection result of the target distance measuring instrument 20, d2 is the detection result of other distance measuring instruments 20 except the target distance measuring instrument 20, and e is the allowable thickness deviation of the product, -0.1 ≤ e ≤ 0.1.

[0116] Further, in one embodiment, in step S508, it includes the following specific steps:

[0117] If the detection result of the distance measuring instrument 20 satisfies the following relationship: d < D - e, decrease the driving force of the first driving member 11 at the corresponding installation position of the distance measuring instrument 2, until the detection result of the target distance measuring instrument 20 satisfies the following relationship: D - e ≤ d ≤ D + e;

[0118] If the detection result of the distance measuring instrument 20 satisfies the following relationship: d > D + e, increase the driving force of the first driving member 11 at the corresponding installation position of the distance measuring instrument 20 until the detection result of the target distance measuring instrument 20 satisfies the following relationship: D - e ≤ d ≤ D + e;

[0119] Where, d is the detection result of any one distance measuring instrument 20, D is the opening and closing dimension of the mold 90, and e is the allowable thickness deviation of the product, -0.1 ≤ e ≤ 0.1.

[0120] As shown in FIG. 8, on the second page, the controller can control various parameters of the mold opening and foaming process, such as the opening and closing dimension, the mold opening speed, and further control the hydraulic pressure and flow rate of the first driving member. <{

[0121] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0122] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0123] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0124] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0125] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0126] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make numerous modifications and variations based on the concept of the present invention without creative effort. Therefore, all technical solutions that can be obtained by those skilled in the art based on the concept of the present invention through logical analysis, reasoning, or limited experimentation on the basis of existing technology should be within the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A multi-process combined injection molding equipment, characterized in that, include: A mold closing assembly (10) includes a fixed template (14) and a movable template (15) arranged opposite to each other, and a mold (90) is provided between the fixed template (14) and the movable template (15); A distance measuring instrument (20) is mounted on the mold (90) and is used to detect the distance between the two mold surfaces of the mold (90); The first injection assembly (30) and the gas injection assembly (40) are connected. The first injection assembly (30) contains a first component material. The gas injection assembly (40) is used to inject supercritical fluid into the first component material to form a foam material. The first injection assembly (30) is used to inject the foam material of the product body into the mold (90). The second injection assembly (50) is used to inject a second component material into the mold (90); A robotic arm (60) and an infrared heater (70) are provided, the robotic arm (60) being used to hold a thermoplastic organic sheet and the infrared heater (70) being used to heat the thermoplastic organic sheet.

2. The multi-process combined injection molding equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mold (90) includes a movable mold (91) and a fixed mold (92). The fixed mold (92) has a cavity (921). The movable mold (91) has a retractable first core and a second core. When the thermoplastic organic sheet is hot-pressed, the first core extends out and abuts against the thermoplastic organic sheet. When the second injection component (50) injects the second component material, the second core extends out to form a closed second component molding cavity in the fixed mold (92).

3. The multi-process combined injection molding equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first injection component (30) is disposed on the side of the fixed template (14) away from the moving template (15), and the fixed template (14) is provided with a first injection port, which is connected to the first injection component (30). The fixed mold (92) has a second injection port on its side, and the second injection port is connected to the second injection component (50).

4. The multi-process combined injection molding equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The moving template (15) is provided with a plurality of first driving members (11) on the side away from the fixed template (14). The rangefinder (20) corresponds one-to-one with the first driving member (11). The fixed template (14) and the moving template (15) are arranged in a first direction relative to each other. The installation position of the rangefinder (20) is collinear with the installation position of the first driving member (11) along the first direction.

5. The multi-process combined injection molding equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The injection molding equipment also includes a controller (80), which is electrically connected to the first drive (11) and the rangefinder (20) respectively, and is used to control the first drive (11) at the corresponding position according to the detection result of the rangefinder (20).

6. The multi-process combined injection molding equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The moving template (15) is provided with a plurality of second driving components (12) on the side near the fixed template (14). The controller (80) is connected to the second driving components (12) and is used to control the opening and closing of the second driving components (12).

7. The multi-process combined injection molding equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first injection assembly (30) includes an injection barrel (34) and an injection screw (35) inserted into the injection barrel (34). The injection barrel (34) is provided with an air injection port (31) and a locking nozzle (32). The air injection port (31) is connected to the air injection assembly (40). After the first component material is plasticized in the injection barrel (34), the locking nozzle (32) is opened and connected to the cavity (921) in the mold (90).

8. The multi-process combined injection molding equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mold-closing assembly (10) further includes an intermediate template (18), which is located between the fixed template (14) and the moving template (15). The moving template (15) and the fixed template (14) are respectively provided with a first mold and a second mold. The intermediate template (18) is provided with a third mold and a fourth mold on both sides. The intermediate template (18) can rotate around a vertical axis, so that the mold-closing assembly (10) has a first mold-closing state and a second mold-closing state. In the first mold-closing state, the first mold is closed with the third mold, and the second mold is closed with the fourth mold; in the second mold-closing state, the first mold is closed with the fourth mold, and the second mold is closed with the third mold.

9. A multi-process combined injection molding equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that, The fixed template (14) is provided with a first injection port, and the moving template (15) is provided with a second injection port. The first injection port is connected to the first injection component (30), and the second injection port is connected to the second injection component (50).

10. A multi-process combined injection molding method, applicable to the injection molding equipment described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The specific steps include the following: A robotic arm (60) is used to hold a thermoplastic organic sheet and place it in an infrared heater (70) for a certain period of time. A robotic arm (60) is used to hold a thermoplastic organic sheet from an infrared heater (70) and place it in a mold (90); The thermoplastic organic sheet is closed and hot-pressed using a mold-closing assembly (10) to allow the thermoplastic organic sheet to cool and solidify. The second component material is injected into the mold (90) using the second injection component (50) to form a modified part on the thermoplastic organic sheet and then cooled and solidified. Supercritical fluid is injected into the first injection assembly (30) using an air injection assembly (40). The first component material forms a foaming material in the first injection assembly (30). The first injection assembly (30) injects the foaming material into the mold (90). The mold closing assembly (10) drives the mold (91) to open and foam, forming the main body on the thermoplastic organic sheet and the decorative part.

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