Magnetic Guide Device for Mold Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing molding machines face alignment issues between the upper and lower mold parts, leading to potential collisions and wear, which can result in damage and increased production costs due to the need for inlet chamfers and subsequent welding.
Innovation Solution
A magnetic guide device is used to align the upper and lower mold parts using magnetizable guide elements that maintain a predefined distance without contact, reducing wear and vibration energy losses, and eliminating the need for inlet chamfers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If mechanical guide elements are used to align the upper and lower mold parts, then alignment is achieved, but wear and collision damage occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical guide elements with a magnetic guide system. Magnets are embedded in the upper mold part and correspondingly positioned in the lower mold part to generate magnetic attraction forces that align the mold parts during engagement, eliminating direct mechanical contact and wear between guide surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic field acts as an intermediary force between the upper and lower mold parts. Instead of direct mechanical contact for alignment, the magnetic attraction serves as a mediating force that pulls the mold parts into proper alignment, preventing collision and wear while maintaining precise positioning.
2Ease of operation
If inlet chamfers are added to facilitate pressure plate insertion, then insertion is easier, but production costs increase due to welding requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic guide system replaces the need for mechanical inlet chamfers. The magnetic attraction force guides the pressure plates and mold parts into proper alignment during insertion, eliminating the need for angled chamfered surfaces that would require additional manufacturing steps and welding.
3Manufacturing precision
If mechanical guide elements are used for alignment, then alignment is achieved, but vibration energy losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic guide system eliminates mechanical contact between guide elements, thereby reducing friction and vibration energy losses. The non-contact magnetic attraction force maintains alignment without the energy dissipation that occurs in mechanical guide systems through friction and impact.
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 magnetic guide device improves alignment precision, reduces wear and vibration energy losses, and simplifies the design of the lower mold part, lowering production costs and extending the service life of the guide device.
Implementation Method 1
a magnetizable first guide element (FE1) is assigned to the upper mold part (FO) and a magnetizable second guide element (FE2) is assigned to the lower mold part (FU), which overlap outside the opening (OE) in at least two positions along the direction of insertion (ER) without contact in a guide area, so that the lower mold part (FU) maintains a predefined distance from the upper mold part (FO) running transversely to the direction of insertion (ER) by means of a magnetic force between the guide elements
Data Source
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AI summary
A guide device in a molding machine (FM) and a molding machine (FM) with such a guide device (FE) are specified, the molding machine (FM) comprising a molding upper part (FO) for transmitting a pressure force to at least one pressure plate (DP) which can be inserted in the insertion direction (ER) into an opening (OE) of a molding lower part (FU), wherein the molding upper part (FO) is assigned a magnetizable first guide element (FE1) and the molding lower part (FU) a magnetizable second guide element (FE2), which overlap without contact in a guide area outside the opening (OE) at at least two positions along the insertion direction (ER), so that the molding lower part (FU) maintains a predefined distance (SP) to the molding upper part (FO) transverse to the insertion direction (ER) by means of a magnetic force between the first guide element (FE1) and the second guide element (FE2) when the pressure plate (DP) is inserted into the molding lower part (FU).