Mold Insert System for Groove Formation in Injection Molding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional injection mold apparatuses for automotive door panels often result in blemishes on the surface due to the formation of grooves, necessitating costly secondary processes like painting to mask these imperfections, and the use of robotic cutting tools for post-molding groove creation adds labor and accuracy concerns.
Innovation Solution
A mold insert system with a movable imprint plate and stationary piece, actuated by a mechanism like a hydraulic cylinder, which forms grooves in the molded article without protrusions extending beyond the mold surface, thereby eliminating blemishes and reducing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If permanently protruding projections are used to form grooves in injection molded parts, then grooves are formed to weaken the door panel, but blemishes appear on the show surface of the molded article
Solution Approach 1:
The mold insert system employs a movable imprint plate with protrusions that can dynamically extend and retract. During injection molding, the protrusions extend to form grooves in the door panel. After molding, the protrusions retract to a retracted position where they do not protrude beyond the mold surface, preventing blemishes on the show surface. This dynamic positioning resolves the contradiction between forming precise grooves and avoiding surface defects.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If painting or other secondary processes are used to cover blemishes, then surface appearance is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mold insert system performs the groove formation action preliminarily and dynamically during the injection molding process itself, rather than as a separate post-processing step. The protrusions extend only when needed to form grooves and retract afterward, allowing groove formation without creating permanent surface blemishes that would require painting. This eliminates the need for costly secondary painting processes while maintaining surface appearance.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If robotic cutting tools are used to form grooves after molding, then blemishes are avoided, but labor cost and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mold insert system merges the groove formation function with the injection molding process itself. The movable imprint plate with protrusions is integrated into the mold, allowing grooves to be formed during the molding cycle rather than requiring a separate robotic cutting operation. This combines two previously separate processes (molding and groove formation) into one, reducing device complexity and eliminating the need for additional robotic cells, fixtures, and labor.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If movable imprint plate with protrusions is used to form grooves, then grooves are formed without surface blemishes, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mold insert system segments the mold into a stationary piece and a movable imprint plate with protrusions. This segmentation allows the imprint plate to move independently to extend and retract the protrusions as needed, while the stationary piece remains fixed. The segmentation enables dynamic groove formation without requiring the entire mold to be complex or movable, thus reducing overall device complexity while achieving blemish-free surfaces.
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 system effectively imprints grooves into injection-molded automotive door panels without surface blemishes, eliminating the need for costly secondary processes like painting and improving manufacturing efficiency and accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
The actuator is configured to actuate the imprint plate of the insert from a first position in which the protrusions on the imprint plate of the insert do not extend beyond the slots in the stationary piece of the insert to a second position in which the protrusions on the imprint plate of the insert extend temporarily beyond the slots in the stationary piece of the insert
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a mold insert system that includes an insert for insertion into an injection mold apparatus and an actuator. The insert includes a movable imprint plate with a predetermined pattern of protrusions configured to form grooves in an article molded by the mold apparatus. The insert also includes a stationary piece with a pattern of slots configured to correspond to the predetermined pattern of protrusions in the imprint plate. The actuator moves the imprint plate from a first position in which the protrusions on the imprint plate do not extend beyond the slots in the stationary piece to a second position in which the protrusions on the imprint plate extend temporarily beyond the slots in the stationary piece. An injection mold apparatus including the mold insert system, as well as a method of making a molded article including the mold insert system are also provided.