Dual-Cutter Engraving for Coining Mold Cusp Precision
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Solution Overview
Problem
The prior method for manufacturing molds with pointy projections on plastic products, such as zipper pullers, results in excessive material extrusion and larger cusps, leading to protuberant material and damage to side walls, making it difficult to achieve optimal cusp shape and size.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a single-sided mold production process using two engraving and milling cutters, where a first cutter forms preliminary holes and a second cutter further engraves to match the shape of hardened tips, followed by a coining process with a hydraulic press, ensuring smaller cusp radius and smoother side walls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single engraving and milling cutter is used to form coining holes, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the hole shape greatly differs from pointy projections, causing large coining area and excessive material extrusion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the engraving process into two distinct stages using two different cutters: a first engraving and milling cutter for preliminary hole formation, and a second engraving and milling cutter with smaller width and angle for precise tip shaping. This segmentation allows each cutter to be optimized for its specific function, achieving both manufacturing efficiency and high precision hole geometry that matches the pointy projections
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by using a second engraving and milling cutter with specifically designed smaller width and angle parameters only at the tip region where precision is critical. This localized optimization ensures the hole tip closely matches the pointy projection shape without requiring the entire manufacturing process to be complex, thus resolving the contradiction between simplicity and precision
2Manufacturing precision
If coining depth is increased to achieve better projections, then the projection quality improves, but side walls of coining holes are damaged and material becomes protuberant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by using the second engraving and milling cutter to pre-form the hole tip geometry before the coining process. This preliminary shaping ensures the hole already has the correct geometry to receive the hardened tip, allowing the coining process to proceed with minimal depth and without causing side wall damage or material protuberance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by pre-shaping the hole tips to match the pointy projections, which prevents the harmful effects of excessive material extrusion and side wall damage during coining. By anticipating and counteracting the potential problems before coining, the process achieves high projection quality without the associated harmful effects
3Productivity
If a single engraving step is used, then the manufacturing process is fast, but the cusp radius on hole ends is larger than 0.05 mm, making optimal cusp formation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the engraving operation into two specialized steps: the first cutter efficiently creates the basic hole form, and the second cutter with smaller width and angle precisely forms the tip geometry. This segmentation maintains manufacturing speed by using efficient cutters for bulk material removal while achieving precise cusp radii less than 0.02 mm through the specialized second cutter
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the second engraving and milling cutter to copy the precise geometry of the hardened tips into the hole ends. By creating a precise negative form that matches the desired pointy projection shape, the process achieves optimal cusp radii while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through the automated two-stage engraving 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 reduces material extrusion, minimizes damage, and achieves smaller cusp radii, improving the smoothness and quality of the coining holes, enabling more efficient and cost-effective mold production.
Implementation Method 1
pressing the mold cavity by a hydraulic press, causing each of the holes to be coined being pressed to form the coining hole
Implementation Method 2
causing each of the holes to be coined being pressed to form the coining hole
Data Source
AI summary
A method for producing a single-sided mold and a double-sided coining mold are provided. The method comprises the following steps: S1. forming a mold cavity on the single-sided mold according to shape of a product; S2. engraving a surface of the mold cavity by a first engraving and milling cutter to form engraved holes, and then inserting a second engraving and milling cutter into the engraved holes for further engraving to form holes to be coined; S3. repeating the step S2 until a predefined number of the holes to be coined are formed on the surface of the mold cavity; S4. placing a coining die with hardened tips on the surface of the mold cavity, and embedding each of the hardened tips into one of the holes to be coined respectively, and then the mold cavity being molded by a coining process.