Beam Guide Grid Injection Molding with Tungsten Powder
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for producing beam guiding grids, such as anti-scatter grids or collimators, are costly and inefficient, especially when producing large numbers of parts with consistently high quality and problem-free inner wall surfaces.
Innovation Solution
The process involves injection molding using a homogenized mixture of radiation-absorbing metal powders, like tungsten, and a binder, specifically a thermoplastic or duroplastic material, with a designed mold that aligns the passageways at an acute angle to a common focal point, allowing for economical production of high-quality beam guiding grids with precise alignment and conical expansion of passageways.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If rapid prototyping or casting methods are used to produce beam guiding grids, then the grids can be manufactured with precise alignment and complex geometries, but the production costs become very high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameters of the molding composition from solid to liquid (through heating and plasticization), enabling injection molding process that reduces cost while maintaining precision. The composition is heated to melt the binder and plasticize the mixture, allowing it to flow into the mold cavity and form precise features upon cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical assembly processes (like rapid prototyping layer-by-layer construction or multi-step casting) with a single-step injection molding process. The preheated molding composition is injected under pressure into the mold, forming the complete beam guiding grid structure including passageways and wall regions in one operation, significantly reducing manufacturing cost and complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional molding methods are used without proper material preparation, then the production process is simpler, but the inner wall surfaces of passageways become defective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary heating and plasticization actions to the molding composition before injection. The mixture is preheated to melt the binder and plasticize the metal powder-binder combination, ensuring proper flow characteristics and surface finish during molding. This preliminary preparation prevents defects on the inner wall surfaces of the passageways.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature and viscosity parameters of the molding composition through heating and plasticization. By controlling these parameters, the composition achieves optimal flow properties that allow it to properly fill the mold cavity and form smooth, defect-free inner wall surfaces on the passageways while maintaining process simplicity.
3Productivity
If large quantities of beam guiding grids are produced using conventional methods, then production volume increases, but manufacturing costs and time consumption increase proportionally
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces time-consuming conventional manufacturing methods (rapid prototyping, multi-step casting, or assembly) with injection molding, which is a high-speed manufacturing process. The preheated molding composition is injected into the mold under pressure and forms complete grids rapidly, enabling mass production with reduced cycle times and increased productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes temperature and pressure parameters to accelerate the manufacturing process. By heating the molding composition to appropriate temperatures and applying injection pressure, the material flows quickly into the mold cavity and solidifies rapidly upon cooling, significantly reducing the production cycle time while maintaining high quality standards for large-volume production.
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 method enables the economical production of high-quality beam guiding grids with consistently problem-free inner wall surfaces and precise alignment, reducing manufacturing costs and improving the quality of the grids for use in X-ray or gamma-ray diagnostics.
Implementation Method 1
a mixture of radiation-absorbing metal powders and binders, especially tungsten powder and binders
Implementation Method 2
The thermoplastic nature of the binder enables the molding composition to be injected into a mold and, after solidification, to be ejected from the mold
Implementation Method 3
after solidification, to be ejected from the mold
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a process for producing a beam guiding grid (4), comprising a molding having a grid of passageways (40) and wall areas surrounding them, from radiation-absorbing metal powder and binder, especially tungsten powder and binder. Advantageous production is achieved in that the molding is produced by injection molding, wherein the homogenized mixture, as a prepared flowable injection compound, is injected using an injection molding machine into a molding tool (7) that produces the molding, into which movable mold cores (72) were introduced prior to filing with the molding composition.