Thin-Walled Plastic Profile Pultrusion Gripper System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pultrusion methods are limited to producing plastic profiles with sufficient wall thicknesses due to the force and contact pressure exerted by pull-off devices, preventing the formation of thin-walled or hollow profiles.
Innovation Solution
A method and device where a holding means with a core and outer holding parts encloses the plastic profile, allowing it to harden partially or fully outside the mold, enabling the production of thin-walled and hollow profiles by moving the mold relative to the profile and using a gripper system to manage pressure and shape the profile in stages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a pull-off device is used to pull the plastic profile through the mold, then the profile can be transported away, but only profiles with sufficient wall thickness can be produced due to the force and contact pressure
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of pulling the profile through the mold with a pull-off device, the mold moves relative to the stationary profile. The profile is held stationary by holding means (grippers) and the mold is periodically moved along the profile, reversing the traditional direction of force application and eliminating the damaging pull forces on thin walls.
Solution Approach 2:
Holding means with cores and outer holding parts are introduced as intermediaries to grip and hold the profile stationary. These holding means distribute the holding force evenly and provide a stable reference point, allowing the mold to move without subjecting the thin-walled profile to damaging concentrated forces.
2Productivity
If the profile is pulled through the mold by a pull-off device, then continuous production is possible, but the contact pressure damages thin-walled profiles
Solution Approach 1:
The relative motion is inverted: instead of the profile moving through a stationary mold, the mold moves relative to the stationary profile held by holding means. This eliminates the harmful contact pressure from pull-off devices while maintaining continuous production capability through periodic mold movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical pull-off system is replaced with a holding system that uses cores and outer holding parts to grip the profile. This substitution eliminates the damaging pull forces while maintaining the ability to transport and produce profiles continuously through coordinated movement of the mold and holding means.
3Manufacturing precision
If the profile is held stationary and the mold moves relative to it, then thin-walled profiles can be produced, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holding means are divided into multiple outer holding parts that can be detachably arranged around the profile. This segmentation allows the holding system to adapt to different profile shapes and sizes, reducing the need for completely different holding mechanisms for each profile type, thereby managing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic, periodically moving mold and holding means rather than static components. The coordinated periodic movement of the mold and holding means along the stationary profile enables thin-walled profile production while the dynamic nature allows the system to adapt to different production requirements, managing overall process complexity.
4Reliability
If the holding means completely encloses the profile, then the profile is securely held, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holding means consist of multiple outer holding parts that can be detachably arranged around the profile. This segmented design provides secure enclosure and reliable holding while allowing the system to be configured for different profile types, managing structural complexity through modularity.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding means with cores and outer holding parts are designed to be universally applicable to different profile shapes and sizes. The same basic holding mechanism can accommodate various profile types through adjustable configuration, reducing the need for multiple specialized holding devices and thereby managing overall device complexity.
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 the production of complex, thin-walled, and hollow plastic profiles by controlling the pressure and shape during the pultrusion process, allowing for more intricate designs and reduced risk of buckling or damage.
Implementation Method 1
The core of the holding means is fixed by a holding rod, in particular magnetically coupled to the holding parts without contact.
Data Source
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AI summary
Plastic articles, in particular plastic profiles (30), are usually produced in a strand, to be precise preferably by the pultrusion process. This involves pulling the plastic profile through a mould (31). The fact that the plastic profile is pulled through the mould by a take-off device means that only plastic profiles that withstand the force or the compressing pressure of the take-off device can be formed. Therefore, it has previously only been possible to produce plastic profiles that have sufficient wall thicknesses. According to the invention, it is provided that at least part of a mould is moved periodically in relation to the stationary thin-walled plastic profile, and the thin-walled plastic profile is securely held by at least one holding means (35) or gripper, comprising a core (37) and an outer holding part (36), while the mould is moved along on the thin-walled plastic profile that is stationary in relation to the same.