Resin Coated Compression Mold for Uniform Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rigid elements, especially those made of natural fibers, suffer from dimensional instability due to handling and climatic variations, leading to poor coating quality and deformation issues during compression molding, which is unsatisfactory for applications requiring a 'hard' feel.
Innovation Solution
A compression mold with a resin-based coating attached to the male part, capable of compensating for geometric instability, applies uniform pressure through thermocompression, eliminating the need for a foam layer and ensuring a consistent coating application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a foam layer is used to compensate for dimensional instability, then the coating quality is improved, but the element achieves a 'soft' feel instead of the desired 'hard' feel
Solution Approach 1:
A resin-based coating layer is introduced as an intermediary between the mold and the element. This coating layer compensates for dimensional instability by deforming to match the element's geometry, while maintaining sufficient hardness (60-100 Shore A) to provide a hard feel, thus resolving the contradiction between coating quality and hardness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameters by using a resin-based coating with specific hardness (60-100 Shore A) and temperature resistance (>=30°C, preferably >=90°C) properties. This parameter change allows the coating to maintain both compliance for quality coating and hardness for the desired feel, eliminating the need for foam.
2Device complexity
If the element is placed directly in the compression mold without compensation, then the device complexity is reduced, but the coating quality deteriorates due to dimensional instability
Solution Approach 1:
The resin-based coating is applied to the mold surface before the element is placed in the compression mold. This preliminary action creates a compliant layer that will deform to match the element's dimensional instability, ensuring quality coating without adding complex foam layering or multi-component systems.
3Manufacturing precision
If a foam layer is used to fill dimensional instabilities, then the coating application is improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The resin-based coating serves as a single-step intermediary that simultaneously provides compliance for quality coating application and structural integrity. This eliminates the need for separate foam layering steps, multi-component assembly, or complex adjustment procedures, thereby improving productivity while maintaining manufacturing precision.
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 solution provides a high-quality, uniformly coated rigid element with a 'hard' feel, maintaining dimensional stability and improving the coating process by using a polymer-based coating resistant to elevated temperatures, thus ensuring the coated part retains its shape and desired texture.
Implementation Method 1
a resin-based coating is attached to one of the parts, said coating being intended to compensate for the geometric instability of the element so as to applying a substantially uniform pressure to said element
Implementation Method 2
the compression mold comprises means for heating at least one of the parts of the mold so as to secure the coating layer to the element by thermocompression
Implementation Method 3
the part to which the resin-based coating is attached comprises means for forming a vacuum on the receiving surface of said part in order to retain the element against said part
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a compression mould (1) for coating a rigid member (10) that includes a male portion (2) and a female portion (4) each including a reception surface (6, 8), respectively, of said member (10) and of a coating layer (12), wherein said surface (6, 8) has the shape of said member (10), one of the portions being movable so as to bear against the member (10) and the coating layer (12) in order to bind said coating layer (12) to the member (10). A silicone-based coating (16) is attached to one of the portions (2), wherein said coating (16) is intended to bear against the member (10) in order to apply a substantially uniform pressure on said member (10).