Locating Ring With Soft Guard For Injection Molding Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the injection molding industry, the alignment of mold tools with stationary platens is often manual and prone to errors, leading to damage of locating rings and platens, which results in costly repairs, downtime, and compromised product quality due to misalignment and thermal degradation of non-metallic locating rings.
Innovation Solution
A locating ring with a metal body and a softer guard material, such as liquid silicone rubber or thermoplastic elastomer, is designed to prevent damage during alignment by allowing the guard to absorb impact and maintain precise alignment, ensuring the metal body seats correctly in the locating hole without damaging the platen or ring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a metal locating ring is used for alignment, then alignment precision is improved, but damage to the locating ring and platen occurs during manual positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The locating ring is divided into two functional segments: a hard metal body for precise alignment and a softer guard portion for impact absorption. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the locating ring have different material properties - the body is made of hard metal for precision while the guard is made of softer material for protection. This local differentiation of material quality resolves the contradiction between precision and damage resistance.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If non-metallic guard material is used, then impact absorption is improved, but thermal degradation occurs during injection molding
Solution Approach 1:
The guard is segmented into a outer protective layer of heat-resistant material and an inner cushioning layer of softer material. This segmentation allows the outer layer to resist thermal degradation while the inner layer provides impact absorption.
Solution Approach 2:
The guard is constructed as a composite material structure combining heat-resistant properties with impact-absorbing properties. This composite construction resolves the contradiction between thermal resistance and impact absorption capabilities.
3Ease of operation
If manual positioning is used, then operator control is improved, but alignment accuracy deteriorates due to inability to see proper alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The guard incorporates visual indicators such as color changes or visual markers that allow the operator to easily detect when proper alignment has been achieved. This visual feedback maintains operator control while significantly improving alignment accuracy.
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
The solution reduces the risk of damage to mold components, minimizes downtime, and maintains the structural integrity of the mold tool by allowing for precise alignment without damaging the locating ring or platen, thus improving operational efficiency and product quality.
Implementation Method 1
a softer guard material, such as liquid silicone rubber or thermoplastic elastomer, is designed to prevent damage during alignment by allowing the guard to absorb impact
Data Source
AI summary
A mold tool has a first mold part with a first side forming a first surface, a nozzle exposed on the first side of the first mold part, and a locating ring mounted to the first mold part. The ring has a body of a metal material and a guard of a material softer than the metal material. The body has a ring shape, a perimeter surface facing radially outward, a central opening concentric with a center axis, a mounting face, and a locating face opposite the mounting face. The guard is connected to the body radially within the perimeter surface and projects axially beyond the locating face. The locating ring surrounds and exposes the nozzle. The locating ring can be mounted to the first mold part. A second mold part can be arranged in proximity to the first mold part and have a locating hole in a second surface. The mold parts can be moved toward one another until the guard contacts the second surface or enters the locating hole. The mold parts can be repositioned relative to one another until the guard and the perimeter surface align with the locating hole and then can be moved further toward one another until the locating ring seats in the locating hole and the first and second surfaces engage one another.