Vehicle Interior Foam Molding Using Disposable Partition Medium
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for molding vehicle interiors with a substrate and foam layer, such as those using a lamination process, face issues like high rejection rates due to foamed plastics leakage, orange peel effects, and unstable part sizes, and require labor-intensive processes with high energy consumption and material requirements, especially when using slush-molding skin layers.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of an intermediate partition medium made of polypropylene or polyethylene, which is adsorbed to the mold profile by vacuum, allowing for precise fitting and subsequent foam molding between the substrate and intermediate partition medium, reducing material and technological requirements, and eliminating the need for slush-molding skin layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a slush-molding skin layer is used to seal the joint before foaming, then the joint sealing problem is resolved, but the material requirements (granularity, thermal stability, melting property) and energy consumption increase excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a release film as an intermediary layer between the skin layer and the mold cavity. This release film serves as a temporary seal during the foaming process, allowing the skin layer joint to be sealed without requiring the skin layer material itself to have extreme thermal stability or melting properties. The release film absorbs the thermal and sealing requirements, enabling the use of conventional skin layer materials with lower material and energy requirements.
2Reliability
If a slush-molding skin layer is used to seal the joint, then the joint sealing problem is resolved, but the weight of the molded product increases
Solution Approach 1:
The release film is a temporary, disposable component that serves its sealing function only during the foaming process. After foaming completes, the release film is removed and does not become part of the final product. This approach provides effective joint sealing during the critical foaming phase without adding permanent weight to the molded product, as the sealing mechanism is temporary rather than permanent.
3Ease of manufacture
If the skin layer joint is not fully sealed before foaming, then the process is simpler, but the foamed plastics leak from the joint and the skin layer may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The release film acts as an intermediary sealing layer that is placed over the skin layer joint before foaming. This intermediary layer provides the necessary seal to prevent foamed plastics from leaking at the joint during pressurization, while not requiring modification of the skin layer material or complex sealing procedures. The release film simply covers and seals the joint area, maintaining process simplicity while ensuring reliable sealing.
4Ease of manufacture
If the skin layer is put inside the mold directly and foamed, then the process is simpler, but the foamed plastics leak from the joint and orange peel effect occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The release film serves as a protective intermediary between the mold cavity and the skin layer joint. During foaming, the release film prevents direct contact between the expanding foam and the skin layer joint, eliminating the orange peel effect that occurs when foam directly impacts the joint area. The release film absorbs the pressure and expansion forces, protecting the skin layer surface quality while maintaining a relatively simple overall 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 effectively reduces the weight and cost of the product, improves the stability of the foam molding process, and eliminates issues like untight joints and orange peel effects, while maintaining high-quality results.
Implementation Method 1
the intermediate partition medium is adsorbed to the profile of the first lower mold by vacuum
Implementation Method 2
the substrate layer is adsorbed to the first upper mold by vacuum
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for molding a product comprising a substrate layer and a foam layer. The method comprises at least the following steps: a step for adsorbing a substrate layer, a step for adsorbing an intermediate partition medium, a step for mold closing and injection, and a step for demolding and product taking-out, wherein the product comprises the substrate layer and the foam layer is taken out after demolding, and the intermediate partition medium is removed, wherein the intermediate partition medium is made of a polypropylene or polyethylene material. The method of the present invention can guarantee the quality of the product and reduce the material requirements of the intermediate partition medium and the technological requirements of the foaming process, and effectively reduce the cost of the process and reduce the weight of the product. The present invention further relates to a vehicle interior comprising the product made by the above method.