Rotary Table Injection Molding with Three-Part Closing Side
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual handling and logistics of flexible profiles, such as vehicle door seals, between processing steps in injection molding is inefficient and requires high accuracy, leading to a need for increased automation in the production process.
Innovation Solution
An injection molding device with a rotary table and worktable device that allows for automated handling and positioning of profiles, featuring a three-part closing side mold and contactless energy transmission, enabling automated loading and unloading, and a cooling system that simplifies the manufacturing process without increasing space requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual handling is used to transfer profiles between processing steps, then flexibility in handling complex profile shapes is maintained, but productivity is reduced and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical handling with an automated indexing table system that mechanically indexes profiles through multiple processing stations. The indexing table with recesses automatically positions profiles at each station without manual intervention, thereby increasing productivity while maintaining controlled handling of complex profile shapes.
Solution Approach 2:
The indexing table serves multiple functions: it holds profiles during transfer, positions them at different processing stations, and coordinates with various processing devices (cutting, drilling, molding). This multi-functional approach enables automated handling across all processing steps, improving both productivity and automation level simultaneously.
2Productivity
If a rotary table with multiple machining areas is used, then automated handling and productivity are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the processing system into discrete stations arranged around the indexing table, with each station performing a specific function (cutting, drilling, injection molding). This segmentation allows independent optimization of each station while maintaining overall automated flow, improving processing speed without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple processing functions are merged into a single rotary indexing table system, where profiles are processed sequentially at different stations during rotation. This consolidation achieves high productivity through continuous automated operation while managing device complexity by integrating functions around a common mechanical platform.
3Extent of automation
If the closing side is integrated into the rotating worktable, then automation is improved, but positioning precision and manufacturing accuracy may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the closing side (mold) from the rotating indexing table, making it a separate, stationary component. This separation allows the indexing table to rotate freely for automated profile handling while the stationary closing side provides stable, precise positioning and molding surfaces, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision while achieving automated loading and unloading.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a separate mechanism (spring-loaded plunger, ejector pins) as an intermediary between the stationary closing side and the rotating indexing table. This intermediary enables automated profile ejection and positioning without requiring the closing side itself to rotate, thus maintaining both automation and positioning precision.
Data Source
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AI summary
To increase the degree of automation, a injection molding device (1) for machining profiles is proposed, comprising a rotary table (2) and a worktable device (3) which is rotatable about an axis of rotation in a plane of rotation and which has at least two machining areas (I, II, III), wherein the machining areas each comprise a central plate (4), wherein the central plate is attached and/or supported on the worktable via a central plate receptacle, wherein the rotary table comprises an upper and a lower form which are decoupled from the rotation of the worktable device and which are arranged opposite each other with respect to the plane of rotation, and wherein the upper and lower forms are movable such that they, together with the central plate, form a form that receives the profile, and the central plate receptacle (5) forms the fixed closing side and the upper and lower forms the movable closing side.