Injection Molding Tool With Corner-Indexing Holders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing injection molding tools lack flexibility and efficiency in producing parts with multiple components, requiring substantial space and expensive inserts, with limited options for molding different materials and functionalities.
Innovation Solution
The injection molding tool features a center mold block with movable holders that can be indexed between multiple sets of mold cavities, allowing for separate drives and flexible movement around the mold block, enabling the use of fewer inserts and greater molding flexibility by moving holders between various stations for different functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a common drive with a pair of turrets is used to move inserts with equal indexing steps, then the synchronization of molding operations is improved, but the space requirements increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The common drive system is segmented into separate drives for different holders or groups of holders. This allows independent control of each holder's movement and indexing, eliminating the need for a large centralized turret system while maintaining synchronization through coordinated control of the separate drives.
Solution Approach 2:
Holders are moved alongside the faces of the center mold block and around the corners between joined faces, utilizing the three-dimensional space around the mold block more efficiently. This replaces the traditional circular movement path with a more compact routing that reduces overall space requirements.
2Ease of operation
If inserts are moved on a circle about the center mold block, then the indexing between molding positions is simplified, but the space requirements increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The movement path of inserts is changed from a circular path about the center mold block to a path that moves alongside the faces and around the corners of the mold block. This utilizes the available space more efficiently and reduces the overall footprint of the molding tool while maintaining the indexing functionality between positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The movement system is made more flexible by allowing holders to be moved independently to various stations around the mold block rather than following a fixed circular path. This dynamic positioning capability maintains ease of indexing while adapting to the available space more efficiently.
3Manufacturing precision
If expensive inserts with mold cavities are used for each molding component, then the molding precision and quality are improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Holders are designed to be universal and can be used for multiple molding operations and different molding components. Instead of requiring a dedicated insert for each component, the same holder can service multiple stations and different product types, reducing the total number of expensive inserts needed while maintaining molding precision through proper holder design and positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows for flexible configuration of molding cavities and holder positions, enabling the same hardware to adapt to different molding requirements. This reduces the need for multiple specialized inserts by allowing parameter changes in holder positioning and orientation to accommodate different product geometries and material requirements.
4Device complexity
If a fixed number of molding components are used in each station, then the mold cavity definition is simplified, but the adaptability for different materials and functionalities is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The molding system is made dynamic and adaptable, allowing the number and type of molding components at each station to be changed based on production requirements. Holders can be positioned at different stations for different operations, and the system can accommodate unlimited components with different materials and functionalities, transforming a static fixed-configuration system into a flexible adaptive one.
Solution Approach 2:
The molding stations and holders are designed with universal capability to handle different materials and component types. Rather than being dedicated to specific component configurations, the system can be reconfigured for unlimited components with different materials and functionalities through flexible holder positioning and station assignment, maintaining simplified cavity definition through modular design.
Data Source
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AI summary
An injection molding tool for producing molded plastic parts is described, comprising a stationary center mold block (10) and at least one movable outer mold block (12,14), the center mold block having peripheral faces (10a,10b) joined by corners, at least one of the peripheral faces being a molding face which cooperates with the movable outer mold block, the molding face and the cooperating outer mold block defining mold cavities for molding molded parts, and further comprising at least one holder (20,22) which is movable around the corners formed between the peripheral faces of the center mold block for holding and for transporting molded parts between different stations, wherein at least one of the stations comprises the mold cavities which are defined by the molding face of the center mold block and an outer mold block.