Adjustable Blow Mold for Variable Volume Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional blow molding systems are inflexible and costly, requiring separate molds and production lines for producing plastic bottles with different filling volumes, leading to inefficiencies in production, increased costs, and limited flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A blow molding plant with adjustable blow molds that can produce plastic bottles of varying volumes without retooling, featuring lateral opening and automatic belly length adjustment, enabling the production of different volumes in immediate succession and rapid demolding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If separate blow molds are used for different filling volumes, then manufacturing precision for specific bottle volumes is improved, but device complexity and production downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mold base is made adjustable in the longitudinal direction, allowing dynamic reconfiguration of the cavity length to produce different bottle volumes. This dynamic adjustment capability replaces the need for multiple fixed molds, reducing device complexity while maintaining manufacturing precision for various bottle specifications.
Solution Approach 2:
A single blow mold is designed to perform multiple functions by adjusting the mold base position, enabling production of bottles with different volumes (e.g., 0.5L, 0.75L, 1.0L) using the same mold assembly. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated molds for each volume, reducing overall system complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If blow molds are retooled for different filling volumes, then adaptability to produce various bottle volumes is improved, but productivity decreases due to production downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable mold base enables quick repositioning between different production runs without requiring complete mold replacement or extensive retooling. This dynamic adjustment capability maintains adaptability for producing various bottle volumes while minimizing production downtime, thereby preserving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold base positioning system allows pre-setting of cavity lengths for different bottle volumes, enabling rapid changeover between product types. This preliminary preparation capability reduces the time required for retooling operations, maintaining both adaptability and high productivity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If blow molding systems are over-dimensioned for larger capacity, then adaptability to handle different production volumes is improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable mold base allows a single blow molding system to dynamically adapt its cavity length to match different production requirements. This eliminates the need for multiple fixed-size systems, reducing space requirements while maintaining the flexibility to produce various bottle volumes at different production rates.
4Ease of operation
If lateral opening of the blow mold is implemented, then ease of operation for demolding is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blow mold is divided into separable mold halves that can move laterally relative to each other. This segmentation allows the mold to open sideways for easy demolding of finished bottles, while the modular design manages the complexity through standardized coupling mechanisms between mold sections.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for flexible, cost-effective, and efficient production of plastic bottles with different volumes, enhancing production rates and reducing downtime, enabling the production of up to 2400 bottles per hour in a limited space.
Implementation Method 1
a blow molding plant with adjustable blow molds that can produce plastic bottles of varying volumes without retooling, featuring lateral opening and automatic belly length adjustment
Implementation Method 2
production of plastic bottles by stretch blow molding
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The present invention relates to a blow mold (1, 101) for producing plastic bottles (40, 71a, 71b, 71c, 72a, 72b) by means of stretch blow molding, the plastic bottles (40, 71a, 71b, 71c, 72a, 72b) each having at least a bottle bottom (46), a bottle neck (44) and an opening region (41). In a closed state of the blow mold (1, 101), the blow mold (1, 101) has an interior (6, 23) with a cavity (6), the interior (6) extending in a longitudinal direction (L) from a opening portion (23) for the opening region (41) to a mold bottom (4) for forming the bottle bottom (46). In order to allow flexible production, as required, of plastic bottles (40, 71a, 71b, 71c, 72a, 72b) having different volumes by means of stretch blow molding in mass production, a bulge length (B1, B2) of the cavity (6) in the longitudinal direction (L) between a neck portion (8) of the cavity (6) for forming the bottle neck (44) and the mold bottom (4) can be adjusted. Furthermore, the blow mold (1, 101) can be laterally opened over an entire length of the interior (6, 23) in the longitudinal direction (L). The present invention also relates to a blow-molding system (50) and a process for producing plastic bottles (40, 71a, 71b, 71c, 72a, 72b) by means of stretch blow molding.