Motor Driven Mold Core Positioning and Wear Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current injection molding technologies lack individual control over mold cores, leading to cumbersome adjustments due to wear and resulting in costly downtime and labor, especially when producing medical-grade products that require sanitary conditions.
Innovation Solution
A mold system with independently controlled mold cores, utilizing rotary actuators and a programmable controller to adjust the position of each core between minimum and maximum positions, with sensors providing feedback for precise positioning and automatic adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If hydraulic actuators are used to actuate mold cores, then sizeable forces can be transmitted effectively, but the hydraulic fluid is considered unsanitary for medical industry products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces hydraulic actuators with electric motors to actuate mold cores. This substitution eliminates the use of hydraulic fluid entirely, removing the sanitary contamination risk while maintaining the ability to transmit sufficient force through electric motor-driven mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent alternatively uses pneumatic actuators (compressed air) instead of hydraulic actuators (hydraulic fluid). This substitution maintains the actuation capability while eliminating the sanitary issues associated with hydraulic fluid, as compressed air is clean and does not contaminate medical products.
2Ease of operation
If electric motors with ballscrew are used to actuate linearly moveable cores, then cores can be set and pulled, but all cores are driven simultaneously without individual control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the core actuation system into independent segments, with each mold core having its own dedicated electric motor and control circuitry. This segmentation enables individual control of each core, allowing different positioning, speed, and actuation timing for each core based on specific molding requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic control of each core through programmable controllers that can independently adjust the position, speed, and actuation sequence of each core. This dynamic control allows cores to be positioned at different locations and moved at different times during the molding cycle, providing adaptability for various core configurations and molding needs.
3Reliability
If mechanical devices are used to adjust mold cores due to wear, then core position can be corrected, but valuable machine downtime and labor are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms such as position sensors and encoders on each core actuator that continuously monitor core position and provide real-time data to the controller. This feedback enables automatic detection of position deviations due to wear and allows the system to automatically compensate and correct positioning errors without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-adjusting capabilities where the programmable controller automatically detects core wear and adjusts core positioning parameters without requiring manual intervention. The system can automatically recalibrate core positions, adjust actuation sequences, and compensate for wear, thereby eliminating the need for manual adjustment and reducing machine downtime.
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
Enables individual actuation and precise positioning of mold cores, reducing downtime and labor costs by allowing automatic adjustments, ensuring accurate molding without mechanical intervention.
Implementation Method 1
a servomotor (122) that rotates the mold core (112)
Implementation Method 2
a sensor (144) that detects the position of the mold core (112) and provides feedback data to the controller (131)
Data Source
AI summary
A mold includes a controller and core actuators that may independently drive a plurality of mold cores positioned with the mold. Sensors may be included whereby the mold cores are positioned in the mold core responsive to the sensor feedback. The core actuators may be servomotors and may further include motor controllers, one for each servomotor, for use in actuating the mold cores.