Movable Cooling Slider for Angled Mold Cores
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Solution Overview
Problem
Injection molding of non-axially symmetrical parts with angled hollow segments poses challenges in cooling and ejection due to the need for specialized mold cavity designs and cooling circuits, especially in high-cavity molds with tight pitch, where existing systems struggle to maintain cooling efficiency and productivity.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a cold or hot runner system with movable valve pins and a cooling manifold, where each mold cavity is designed with angled segments, and a movable cooling slider with a sealing system ensures continuous fluid delivery to angled mold cores, preventing leakage and enabling efficient cooling and ejection of parts with angled hollow portions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a hot runner system with movable valve pins is used to mold parts with angled hollow segments, then the mold can accommodate complex geometries, but the spacing on the mold side is limited and cooling elements become difficult to position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a movable cooling slider that can shift position along the mold core to adapt to different cooling channel configurations. This dynamic positioning allows the cooling system to accommodate complex angled geometries without requiring fixed, pre-positioned cooling elements, thereby reducing positioning complexity while maintaining geometric adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable cooling slider acts as an intermediary component between the fixed mold structure and the angled mold cores. It provides a flexible interface that can be positioned to align cooling channels with the angled segments, enabling effective cooling in tight pitch configurations without directly increasing the complexity of the mold design.
2Productivity
If cooling channels are positioned in tight pitch high-cavity molds, then productivity increases, but cooling efficiency decreases due to space constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The movable cooling slider compensates for tight pitch spacing by dynamically adjusting its position to maintain optimal cooling channel alignment. This allows high-cavity molds with limited space between cavities to still achieve effective cooling, as the slider can be positioned to ensure adequate cooling fluid flow to each angled segment without requiring excessive spacing.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is segmented into modular cooling channels that can be independently positioned using the movable slider. This segmentation allows each cooling channel to be optimally positioned for its specific cavity, maintaining cooling efficiency even when cavities are arranged in tight pitch configurations to maximize productivity.
3Reliability
If a movable cooling slider is used to deliver cooling fluid to angled mold cores, then cooling efficiency improves, but sealing requirements become more stringent to prevent leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible sealing elements such as O-rings or labyrinth seals that can accommodate the movement of the cooling slider. These flexible sealing mechanisms maintain effective sealing under dynamic conditions, preventing cooling fluid leakage while allowing the slider to move between positions, thereby achieving reliable cooling without requiring overly complex rigid sealing systems.
4Productivity
If high-cavity molds with tight pitch are designed to increase productivity, then the number of parts per mold increases, but the complexity of designing cooling circuits for angled segments increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable cooling slider serves multiple functions: it positions cooling channels for different cavity configurations, accommodates angled segments, and maintains sealing across varying positions. This multi-functionality simplifies the overall cooling circuit design compared to requiring separate fixed cooling systems for each cavity type, enabling complex high-cavity molds to be designed more efficiently while maintaining high productivity.
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 accurate and efficient cooling and ejection of molded parts with angled hollow segments, enhancing productivity and quality by maintaining consistent cooling fluid delivery and preventing leakage during the ejection process.
Implementation Method 1
cooling circuits of the cores and cavities need to be specially designed to meet both the cooling requirements
Implementation Method 2
The interface between an output port of the sliding element and an input port of the cooling manifold is continuously sealed via a sealing element during the relative movement of the sliding element relative to the cooling manifold
Data Source
AI summary
An injection molding apparatus is used for making parts having a hollow portion that is disposed under an angle relative to an axis. The molded parts are ejected when a movable stripper plate is displaced relative to the mold core used to cool the angled portion of the molded part. The stripper plate includes cooling channels and a cooling outlet. The cooling outlet is coupled to a cooling inlet of a movable cooling slider element. Leakage of a cooling fluid is prevented by using a sealing device and sealing elements between the cooling slider and a cooling manifold retaining the mold cores when the stripper plate is used during the ejection of the molded parts from the mold cores.