Inductive Mold Heating and Pneumatic Cooling System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing molds for forming, molding, and welding thermoplastic tubing face challenges in rapid heating and cooling, leading to time constraints that negatively impact throughput, and require new units for different operations, resulting in significant costs due to the lack of substitutable subassemblies.
Innovation Solution
A disassembleable housing with a radio frequency (RF) energized spool and a manifold for air cooling, allowing for rapid and interchangeable heating and cooling of molds, with a lead screw and guide pin for adjustable heat zones and the use of split molds to accommodate various tubing sizes, enabling efficient and flexible operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If massive heat sinks are used for cooling the mold, then cooling capacity is improved, but cooling time is increased and throughput is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is divided into a heated center section and separate heat sink components. The heat sinks are segmented into discrete elements that can be independently positioned and sized, allowing optimized heat removal without requiring excessive mass. This segmentation enables faster cooling cycles while maintaining adequate cooling capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
A manifold system is introduced to direct flows of cooling air between the mold and spool. This pneumatic cooling approach replaces or supplements massive thermal mass heat sinks with forced convection air cooling, significantly reducing cooling time while maintaining effective heat removal capability.
2Temperature
If a fixed location heating coil is used on the mold, then heating function is achieved, but adaptability to different heating zones is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The spool supporting the heating coil is made translatable along the mold via a lead screw mechanism. This dynamic positioning capability allows the heating coil to be moved to different locations along the mold, enabling adaptation to various heating zone requirements without redesigning the entire heating system.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating system is designed as a universal, repositionable unit that can serve multiple heating zone locations. The same spool and coil assembly can be moved to different positions along the mold, making the heating system versatile for different operation types and mold configurations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If complete mold units are designed for each operation type, then operational requirements are met, but manufacturing costs increase due to lack of substitutable subassemblies
Solution Approach 1:
The mold system is segmented into interchangeable components: the center section, heat sinks, spool with heating coil, and manifold. These modular subassemblies can be independently manufactured and then assembled in different configurations for different operations, reducing the need to manufacture complete custom mold units for each operation type.
Solution Approach 2:
Key components such as the spool, heating coil, and manifold are designed as universal subassemblies that can be used across different mold configurations and operation types. This universality allows a single subassembly to serve multiple functions, significantly reducing manufacturing costs compared to creating dedicated complete units for each operation.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the mold is designed as a unitary assembly, then structural integrity is maintained, but flexibility for different operations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is segmented into distinct but connectable components including the center section, heat sinks, and other subassemblies. This segmentation maintains structural integrity of each component while enabling flexibility in assembly configurations for different operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functional components are merged into a coordinated assembly that functions as an integrated system during operation. The heat sinks, center section, and other components work together as a unified system while remaining separable for reconfiguration, thus maintaining both integrity and flexibility.
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 solution enables rapid heating and cooling of molds, enhancing throughput and allowing for interchangeable subassemblies, reducing production costs and time constraints while maintaining the integrity of the tubing during the process.
Implementation Method 1
A spool supporting a coil energized by radio frequency (RF) energy includes a central aperture surrounded by the coil and is supported by the housing. A mold having a center section extends through the aperture in the spool to locate the center section generally coincident with the coil.
Implementation Method 2
A manifold provides a flow of air into the space between the center section and the aperture to draw heat from the mold and cool the mold after the tubing has been formed, molded or welded.
Data Source
AI summary
A mold for forming, molding or welding thermoplastic tubing extends through the aperture of an apertured spool supporting an RF energized coil to inductively heat a center section of the mold. A source of air is channeled through a manifold to flow about the center section of the mold and through the space between the mold and the aperture in the spool to rapidly cool the mold. Thermal chokes on each side of the center section of the mold impede heat transfer and a heat sink connected to each thermal choke serves to dissipate any heat build up. The spool may be translated along the center section of the mold to a predetermined location commensurate with a predetermined heat profile. The mold includes a passageway extending therethrough for receiving the tubing; by appropriate dimensioning, the passageway will accommodate the use of a mandrel to support the tubing to be formed, molded or welded. The mold may be split to permit separation within the confines of the aperture in the spool and subsequent withdrawal of the formed, molded or welded tubing.