Injection Molded Housing Without Parting Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional housing manufacturing methods result in parts with visible parting lines, which can lead to structural imperfections and increased risk of damage to internal components, especially in computing devices where precise parallelism is crucial.
Innovation Solution
A housing design and manufacturing method that utilizes a tool with a core and sleeve, where the sleeve is selectively connectable to the core, and the material is injected to form a part without parting lines on the lateral surfaces, ensuring that at least two surfaces are parallel to within 1 degree, thereby eliminating parting lines and enhancing structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional housing manufacturing methods are used, then production efficiency is maintained, but visible parting lines are formed on the housing surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is divided into separate components (cavity and core) that can be selectively assembled. The cavity is separated from the core by a distance greater than the thickness of the housing, allowing independent positioning and removal of each component without creating parting lines on the housing surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
A spacer or distancing mechanism is introduced between the cavity and core to maintain a separation distance greater than the housing thickness. This intermediary element prevents the formation of parting lines by ensuring that the tool components do not contact each other during the molding process.
2Strength
If conventional tooling methods are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but structural integrity of the housing is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is segmented into distinct cavity and core components that are positioned at a separation distance. This segmentation allows the housing to be molded without parting lines, thereby maintaining structural integrity while still using relatively simple injection molding technology.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from a conventional two-dimensional tool contact interface to a three-dimensional separation where the cavity and core are spaced apart in the thickness direction. This dimensional change eliminates parting lines on the housing surfaces while maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
3Reliability
If parting lines are present on housing surfaces, then manufacturing process is simpler, but risk of damage to internal components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tool components (cavity and core) are segmented and separated by a distance greater than the housing thickness. This prevents parting lines from forming on the housing surfaces, thereby protecting internal components from potential damage while using a moderately complex tool structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cavity and core are preliminarily positioned at a specific separation distance before the injection molding process begins. This preliminary positioning ensures that no parting lines will form during molding, protecting the housing and its internal components from damage.
Data Source
AI summary
A housing and methods of manufacturing a housing are described. The housing may include a plurality of faces and a plurality of surfaces. Two of the plurality of surfaces may be parallel to within 1 degree. The at least two of the plurality of surfaces are without parting lines formed by interfacing tool components.