Laser Mold Cleaning with Automatic Shape-Matched Path Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mold cleaning methods, such as shot blasting and plasma cleaning, risk scratching the molding surface, and require manual operation to match mold shapes with stored data for efficient cleaning, especially for complex shapes like tire vulcanization molds.
Innovation Solution
A mold cleaning system with a laser oscillator, a 3D movable laser head, a control device, and a database that associates identification marks with shape data, allowing automatic movement of the laser head based on detected marks for efficient dirt removal without manual operation, using multiple laser heads for varying widths and a camera for image data analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If shot blasting cleaning method is used, then cleaning efficiency is improved, but the molding surface is easily scratched
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical shot blasting system with a laser beam system. The laser beam irradiates the molding surface to remove dirt through thermal effects without mechanical contact, thereby eliminating surface scratching while maintaining cleaning efficiency. The laser head can be precisely positioned and moved along the molding surface using a manipulator, enabling effective cleaning of complex shapes.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If laser beam cleaning method is used, then surface scratching is prevented, but cleaning area per unit time is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic laser head positioning system using a manipulator that can move the laser head freely in three dimensions. This allows the laser beam to dynamically track and follow the contours of complex molding surfaces, maximizing the cleaning area per unit time while maintaining precise control to prevent surface damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser cleaning system is designed to handle various molding surface shapes and sizes through programmable manipulator control. The system can adapt to different mold types (tire vulcanization molds, injection molds, etc.) by loading corresponding shape data, providing universal cleaning capability across multiple applications.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual operation is used to match mold shapes with stored data, then cleaning accuracy is improved, but operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically retrieves and loads the appropriate mold shape data from the database based on identification information (such as barcodes or RFID tags) detected on the mold. This self-service mechanism eliminates manual data matching operations while ensuring accurate correspondence between the cleaning path and the actual mold geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates a mark detector to automatically detect identification marks on the mold and provides feedback to the control device. This feedback loop ensures that the correct shape data is selected and loaded, maintaining cleaning accuracy without requiring manual intervention for data matching.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple molds with different shapes are cleaned, then versatility is improved, but data management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates and stores digital copies (3D shape data) of various mold geometries in a database. These digital models serve as templates for the cleaning process, allowing the system to handle diverse mold types without requiring physical reference samples or complex manual measurement procedures for each mold variant.
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
Prevents scratches and efficiently removes dirt from complex mold surfaces without manual operation, ensuring consistent cleaning quality and reducing the need for repeated data invocation, while using temperature sensors to prevent overheating.
Implementation Method 1
the dirt is removed by the shock wave caused by the irradiation
Implementation Method 2
the dirt is removed by the shock wave caused by the irradiation
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a mold cleaning system. On the basis of an identification mark assigned to a mold and detected by a mark detector when cleaning the mold, the mold cleaning system obtains shape data for the molding surface of the mold which is stored in a database, and on the basis of the obtained shape data, the mold cleaning system controls the movement of arms using the control device, moves a laser head along the molding surface thereof while irradiating with a laser beam supplied by a laser oscillator, and as a result, removes the dirt adhered to the molding surface.