Glass Flow Passage Mold for Precise 3D Optical Glass Molding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional molds for molding glass-made optical components face challenges in achieving precise and complex three-dimensional shapes due to variations in molten glass gob weight, rapid cooling leading to cracking or breaking, and mold adhesion defects, resulting in low manufacturing yield and accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A mold comprising a female mold, male mold, and ring mold with a glass flow passage mold, allowing molten glass to be injected into a space formed by the lower and upper molds, ensuring controlled flow and shape accuracy, with a ratio of cross-sectional areas within 1.7 to 19.7 for optimal performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the direct press method is used to mold glass-made optical components, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the weight of the glass gob varies widely making it difficult to achieve precise molding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the glass gob into a specific shape (parallelepiped or rectangular prism) with controlled dimensions before molding. This pre-shaping ensures that the glass gob has a consistent volume and surface area ratio, which stabilizes the molding process and enables precise replication of the mold cavity shape, thereby resolving the precision issue while maintaining process simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the glass gob by specifying particular shape ratios (surface area to volume ratio within 1:2 to 1:5). By controlling these parameters, the glass gob maintains optimal thermal and flow characteristics during molding, ensuring both manufacturing ease and high shape accuracy of the final optical component
2Volume of moving object
If the molten glass gob is extended in the narrow space of the mold during pressing, then small and thin optical components can be obtained, but the heat is rapidly taken by the mold causing the glass to solidify before complete extension
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-heating the glass gob to a higher temperature range (1000°C to 1200°C) before molding. This preliminary heating ensures that the glass maintains sufficient fluidity and heat during the pressing process, allowing complete extension into narrow mold spaces without premature solidification, thereby enabling production of small and thin components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter by optimizing the glass gob temperature range and controlling the pressing speed. By maintaining the glass temperature within the optimal range during molding, the glass retains its fluidity long enough to completely fill the mold cavity, even for small and thin components, preventing solidification issues
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the molten glass gob is quickly cooled and solidified near the surface of the mold, then adhesion between glass and mold is prevented, but sink marks occur due to volume contraction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the cooling rate parameter by controlling the mold temperature and pressing speed. By optimizing these parameters, the glass cools at a controlled rate that prevents both adhesion and sink marks. The controlled cooling allows the glass to solidify uniformly without excessive volume contraction, maintaining shape accuracy while preventing adhesion
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating different thermal conditions in different regions of the glass gob. The surface near the mold cools faster to prevent adhesion, while the interior maintains higher temperature longer to avoid sink marks. This gradient cooling approach resolves both adhesion prevention and shape accuracy requirements
4Adaptability or versatility
If conventional molds are used for small-lot and multi-product manufacturing, then specialized materials and non-oxidizing atmospheres are required, but this increases manufacturing complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by developing a molding method that works with conventional glass materials and standard atmospheric conditions, making the process universally applicable to existing manufacturing infrastructure. This eliminates the need for specialized materials and controlled atmospheres, reducing complexity while maintaining versatility for small-lot and multi-product manufacturing
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
Enables the production of glass-made optical components with precise and complex three-dimensional shapes at high yield and productivity, suitable for small-lot and multi-product manufacturing without requiring special materials or non-oxidizing atmospheres.
Implementation Method 1
molten glass gob introduced into a concave surface of a female mold is pressed from above by a male mold having a convex surface
Implementation Method 2
a glass flow passage mold having a lower mold and an upper mold is provided to connect the female mold, ring mold and molding mold so that the molten glass gob is injected in the molding mold
Implementation Method 3
the molten glass gob having the temperature of approximately 1,000° C. is molded by the mold having the temperature of approximately 500° C.
Implementation Method 4
a kind of molding defect (defect of shape and size) called 'sink marks' occurs due to the volume contraction since the molten glass gob is in contact with the mold and quickly cooled and solidified
Data Source
AI summary
Provided with a glass flow passage mold having a lower mold provided on a female mold and an upper mold provided on a ring mold to connect the female mold, the ring mold and a molding mold having a lower molding mold and an upper molding mold into which molten glass gob is injected. The lower mold of the glass flow passage mold can be integrated with the female mold and detached from the female mold. The upper mold of the glass flow passage mold can be integrated with the ring mold and detached from the ring mold. In addition, the glass flow passage mold can be integrated with the molding mold. The above described features significantly improve the manufacturing yield and the productivity.