Cutting Apparatus with External Cooling for Injection Molding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle interior material manufacturing processes are inefficient due to lengthy cooling times within injection molds, leading to decreased productivity.
Innovation Solution
A cutting apparatus that simultaneously performs cooling and cutting processes, utilizing a jig system with a cooler and cutter units to reduce manufacturing time by cooling and cutting the machining target outside the injection mold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the interior material is cooled inside the injection mold, then the interior material can be prevented from deformation, but the manufacturing time increases and productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling process is extracted from the injection mold and transferred to an external cooling device. The injection mold opens after injection, and the workpiece is transferred to a separate cooling station where cooling occurs outside the mold, allowing the mold to be immediately reused for the next production cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling process is performed as a preliminary action before the trimming operation. The workpiece is cooled to the appropriate temperature while still on the transfer device, ensuring it is ready for trimming without requiring additional cooling time during the trimming process.
2Temperature
If the interior material is cooled inside the injection mold, then the interior material can be cooled down, but the injection mold cannot be used for injection molding simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling function is extracted from the injection mold system and implemented as a separate external cooling device. This allows the injection mold to operate independently for injection molding cycles while the cooling process occurs separately on the transfer device, eliminating the conflict between mold utilization and cooling time.
3Productivity
If the machining target is cooled and cut outside the injection mold, then manufacturing time is reduced and productivity is improved, but the risk of deformation and defects may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling is performed as a preliminary action before trimming, ensuring the workpiece reaches the appropriate temperature before any cutting operations. This sequence prevents deformation during trimming by ensuring the material is properly cooled and stabilized beforehand.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer device serves as an intermediary that provides both cooling and positioning functions. The workpiece is cooled on the transfer device and then positioned for trimming, ensuring proper temperature control and alignment are maintained throughout the process.
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 approach significantly reduces manufacturing time and improves productivity by allowing the machining target to be cut and cooled outside the injection mold, preventing deformation and defects.
Implementation Method 1
a blower fan configured to blow air to the machining target through the space between the first seating jig and the second seating jig
Implementation Method 2
elastic members connecting the jig and the mounting plate and elastically extending and contracting in a reciprocation direction of the fixing jig
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a cutting apparatus including a jig having a seating jig on which a machining target is seated and a fixing jig matched with the seating jig to fix the machining target, a cutter configured to cut the machining target along reference scheduled cutting lines, a first carrier reciprocating to allow the fixing jig to match with the seating jig or to be spaced apart from the seating jig, and a cooler configured to cool the machining target down to a reference temperature.