Recycled Plastic Inserts for Cable Overmolding Process Start-Up
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing injection molding processes for overmolding components require costly, complex, and environmentally unfriendly pre-assembled cable inserts, which are difficult to reuse and result in high waste generation due to composite materials, necessitating multiple components and additional manufacturing steps.
Innovation Solution
A plastic insert made from recycled materials, comprising regions for clamping, transition, and plug functions, which mimics the geometry of the overmolded cable, allowing flexible adaptation and eliminating the need for additional components like metal bushings, and can be easily recycled.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pre-assembled cable inserts with multiple components are used, then the start-up process can be performed, but production costs increase and environmental impact worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (cable, connector, metal bushing) into a single integrated plastic insert that replicates the functional geometry of the original assembly. This merging eliminates the need for separate manufacturing and assembly steps, directly reducing production costs while maintaining the start-up process capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The plastic insert is designed as a simplified copy of the original cable assembly geometry, capturing the essential functional features without the complexity of real cable structures. This copying approach allows the insert to serve the same purpose in the start-up process while being significantly cheaper and easier to manufacture.
2Reliability
If pre-assembled cable inserts with composite materials are used, then the start-up process can be performed, but waste generation increases and reuse becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The insert is made from a single homogeneous plastic material rather than composite materials combining different plastics, metal, and rubber. This homogeneity enables the entire insert to be easily recycled through standard plastic recycling processes, significantly reducing waste generation and improving material recovery rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The simplified plastic insert design facilitates easier recovery and recycling of materials after use. The homogeneous plastic can be efficiently separated and processed through recycling streams, enabling material recovery that would be difficult with multi-material composite inserts, thus reducing the loss of substance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple different inserts are manufactured for different connectors, then specific connector requirements are met, but device complexity and manufacturing effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic insert is designed with universal applicability through standardized geometry and interface designs that can accommodate different connector types. The modular design allows a single insert base model to serve multiple functions across different connector configurations, reducing the total number of different inserts needed while maintaining adaptability.
4Ease of manufacture
If additional components like metal bushings are added, then the overmolding process can be performed, but production costs and manufacturing steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic insert integrates the function of the metal bushing directly into its structure, eliminating the need for separate metal components. This merging of functions reduces the number of parts, simplifies manufacturing, and removes the need for additional assembly steps while maintaining the capability to perform overmolding.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an insert (1) for an injection mold (40), wherein the insert (1) forms a predetermined volume in the injection mold (40) that can be overmolded with injection molding material, and the insert (1) is made entirely of plastic. The invention further relates to a method for starting an injection molding process.