Modular Vacuum Forming Mold Plates for Fast Mold Reconfiguration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost and time-consuming process of sand casting for wind turbine rotor blades, along with the difficulty in modifying existing molds when design changes occur, make current vacuum forming technologies inefficient and costly for large-scale wind turbine component production.
Innovation Solution
A modular vacuum forming mold assembly composed of removably coupled mold plates with grooves forming vacuum passages, allowing for easy modification and reuse by replacing or reconfiguring individual plates to accommodate design changes without the need for new molds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional vacuum forming molds are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but manufacturing precision and surface finish quality deteriorate due to material pooling and sponginess
Solution Approach 1:
The mold assembly is segmented into multiple functional layers: a rigid support structure, a flexible membrane layer, and a porous backing layer. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function - the membrane provides vacuum sealing and surface definition, while the porous backing prevents material pooling - thereby improving surface finish quality without requiring a completely complex custom mold design.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible membrane acts as an intermediary between the rigid support structure and the thermoplastic material. This membrane transmits the vacuum force uniformly across the material surface while preventing direct contact between the rigid mold and the material, eliminating material pooling and sponginess issues that occur with traditional rigid molds.
2Adaptability or versatility
If vacuum forming is used to create custom shapes, then shape customization is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to material pooling and uneven distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The porous backing layer provides localized quality by allowing vapor transmission and fluid drainage specifically at the material-mold interface, while the flexible membrane provides uniform vacuum distribution across the entire surface. This local quality control prevents material pooling in specific areas while maintaining overall shape fidelity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses vacuum pressure applied through the flexible membrane to uniformly distribute the thermoplastic material across the mold surface. The pneumatic pressure ensures even material distribution and prevents pooling, while the porous backing facilitates vapor removal to maintain consistent material density throughout the formed product.
3Strength
If rigid molds are used, then structural strength is maintained, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to vacuum distribution unevenness and material pooling
Solution Approach 1:
The mold structure is segmented into a rigid support framework that provides overall structural strength and a separate flexible membrane layer that ensures uniform vacuum distribution. This segmentation allows the rigid portion to maintain structural integrity while the flexible portion adapts to the material surface and distributes vacuum pressure evenly, preventing material pooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible membrane introduces dynamic adaptability to the otherwise rigid mold structure. This membrane can deform and conform to the thermoplastic material surface during the forming process, ensuring uniform vacuum contact and pressure distribution, while the rigid support structure maintains overall structural strength and stability.
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 reduces production costs and time by enabling efficient modification of the mold assembly to produce different components, eliminating the need for new molds when design changes occur, while maintaining the integrity of vacuum forming processes for wind turbine rotor blades.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum pump or other vacuum source is connected to the vacuum forming mold assembly
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to a mold assembly for vacuum forming a component. The mold assembly includes plurality of support plates and a plurality of mold plates removably coupled to the plurality of support plates. The plurality of mold plates is stacked and removably coupled together to form a mold configured for forming the component. Each mold plate including a first surface partially defining a top surface of the mold, a second surface spaced apart from the first surface, a third surface extending from the first surface to the second surface, and a fourth surface spaced apart from the third surface and extending from the first surface to the second surface.