RFID Chip Overmolding in Injection Mold Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing waste collection containers with embedded RFID chips require additional manual assembly steps, which are costly and prone to errors, as the RFID chips need to be manually mounted after the injection cycle, and there is a risk of forgetting to mount the component.
Innovation Solution
An insert support for the injection mold that automates the mounting of the RFID chip by overmolding it on both sides, eliminating the need for additional assembly steps and ensuring correct positioning, thereby preventing the chip from being swept away by the injection material flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual assembly is used to mount RFID chips after injection, then the chip can be installed, but additional costly assembly steps are required and there is risk of forgetting to mount the component
Solution Approach 1:
The RFID chip is pre-positioned on a support structure before the injection process begins. The support is placed in the mold cavity in advance, and the chip is already mounted on it, so that when injection occurs, the chip is automatically positioned and embedded in the correct location without requiring separate manual assembly steps afterward.
Solution Approach 2:
A support structure acts as an intermediary carrier between the RFID chip and the final product. The support holds the chip in the correct position during injection, and its geometry (including channels and cavities) guides the injected material to properly embed the chip. This intermediary eliminates the need for direct manual handling and positioning of the chip after injection.
2Ease of manufacture
If manual assembly is used to mount RFID chips, then the chip can be installed, but the cost of assembly operation is much higher than the cost of the RFID chip
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting of the RFID chip and the injection process are merged into a single automated operation. By pre-positioning the chip on a support that is already in the mold, the chip mounting action occurs simultaneously with the injection process, eliminating the need for separate manual assembly operations and reducing overall manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure with its specific geometry (channels, cavities, and features) automatically performs the functions of positioning, securing, and embedding the RFID chip during injection. The system is self-guiding through its geometric design, eliminating the need for external manual intervention and reducing labor costs.
3Reliability
If the RFID chip is force fitted or screwed in manually, then the chip can be mounted securely, but additional assembly operations are required
Solution Approach 1:
The chip is pre-mounted on the support structure before injection begins. This preliminary action ensures the chip is already in its final position and orientation, eliminating the need for post-injection assembly operations like force fitting or screwing, and allowing the injection process itself to complete the secure mounting.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical assembly operations (screwing, force fitting) are replaced by a single injection process. The injected material flows into the mold cavity and automatically secures the chip through the support structure's geometry, substituting complex mechanical assembly with a simpler, automated injection process.
4Manufacturing precision
If the insert support includes channels to conduct injected material, then the material can be directed to overmold both faces of the insert, but the support structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure has different geometric features at different locations: channels on the first face to conduct material toward the insert, and cavities on the second face to receive and overmold the opposite side of the insert. This local differentiation of geometry allows precise control of material flow and insert positioning without requiring uniform complexity throughout the entire support structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure acts as an intermediary that uses its geometric features (channels and cavities) to guide the injected material. The channels direct material flow to specific locations, and the cavities receive material to form the overmold on the opposite side of the insert, allowing precise positioning without requiring complex external positioning mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
- The invention relates to a support (10) for an insert (20) for an injection mold (30) for a collection tray (40), characterized in that it comprises a main body (50) provided at a first end (52) with a means for fixing (60) the body to the mold (30), at a second end (54) with a means for retaining (70) the insert (20) on the body (50), the retaining means (70) being equipped with a system (80) capable of conducting an injected material from a first surface (22) of the insert (20), towards a second surface (24) of the insert (20) opposite the first surface.