Clamping Device with Oblique Surfaces for Injection Mold Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in injection molding is the difficulty in handling and precise mounting of injection mold tools due to tight tolerances, which leads to manual effort and potential inaccuracies during tool exchange and mold assembly, resulting in suboptimal product quality.
Innovation Solution
A clamping device comprising an upper and lower part connected by a bolt with a resilient member, featuring oblique surfaces that allow lateral movement, enabling precise engagement and easy disengagement of the mold without requiring precise alignment, facilitated by a helical spring that aids in releasing the clamping device from the tool plate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional bolted tool holders are used with tight tolerances, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in manual handling and mounting
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping device incorporates a resilient member (spring) that enables dynamic adjustment and automatic compensation for misalignment. The spring allows the clamping device to adapt to slight variations in positioning, making the system more tolerant to manual handling inaccuracies while maintaining secure clamping.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping device acts as an intermediary element between the mold and the tool holder. It provides a forgiving interface that absorbs positioning errors and facilitates easy attachment/detachment while ensuring precise mold alignment during operation.
2Manufacturing precision
If tight tolerances are maintained for mold assembly, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to time-consuming manual alignment and assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping device is pre-configured with oblique surfaces and a resilient member that automatically perform alignment functions when attached. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming manual alignment during tool exchanges, speeding up productivity while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient member and oblique surface geometry enable the clamping device to self-align and self-adjust during attachment. The spring automatically compensates for positioning variations, eliminating the need for operator intervention in precision alignment tasks.
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate parts are used for clamping devices, then ease of manufacture is improved, but device complexity increases due to assembly requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping device integrates multiple functions into a unified structure: the resilient member, oblique surfaces, and clamping mechanism are combined into a single assembly unit. This reduces the number of separate components that need to be assembled while maintaining manufacturing simplicity of individual parts.
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 easy and precise mounting and demounting of injection molds, reducing manual effort and ensuring accurate mold alignment, thereby improving the quality of injection molded objects by minimizing inaccuracies and handling issues.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient member, which may be a helical spring, arranged in connection with the first bolt between the upper and lower parts, concentric with the bolts axis
Implementation Method 2
the resilient member when unloaded retains a defined distance x between the upper and lower parts
Data Source
AI summary
A clamping device for fastening an injection mold to a tool plate comprises an upper part and a lower part, said lower part having a mounting surface arranged flat against the tool plate. First, second, third and fourth side surfaces upstand from said mounting surface, said upper part having first, second, third and fourth side surfaces. Said upper and lower parts are connected by a first bolt having an axis of symmetry defining an axis. A resilient member is arranged in connection with the first bolt between the upper and lower parts concentrically with the bolt's axis. The first bolt has a non-threaded section such that the lower part or upper part may move along the bolt in the direction of the axis.