Sacrificial Profile for Cast-Resin Bead Undercut Seats
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing folding vehicle tops with cast-resin bead elements struggle with reliable demolding and producing complete circumferential undercut seats, leading to partial undercuts and increased manufacturing effort.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a sacrificial profile with a wider head area and narrower neck area, made of a softer material than the polyurethane bead element, is used to create an undercut seat groove in the cast-resin bead element, allowing for easy demolding and providing a continuous seat groove around the edge of a glass panel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a male profile with head area and neck area is used in the casting mold for forced demolding, then demolding can be achieved, but the manufacturing process becomes complex and reliable demolding cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
A sacrificial profile made of softer material is introduced as an intermediary element between the mold and the bead element. This sacrificial profile forms the undercut seat groove and is subsequently removed, simplifying the demolding process while avoiding complex mold structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The sacrificial profile is a disposable component made of softer material that is intentionally designed to be removed after serving its purpose of forming the undercut seat groove. This eliminates the need for complex permanent mold structures.
2Productivity
If forced demolding is used from the male profile, then the cast-resin bead element can be removed, but manufacturing precision and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameter of the sacrificial profile to be softer than the cured bead element. This parameter change allows the sacrificial profile to be easily removed after forming the seat groove, ensuring both high demolding efficiency and precise seat groove formation without damage.
3Manufacturing precision
If a sacrificial profile is used to form the undercut seat, then complete circumferential seat grooves can be produced, but an additional component is required
Solution Approach 1:
The undercut seat groove formation function is extracted from the permanent mold structure and transferred to a removable sacrificial profile. This allows complete circumferential seat grooves to be formed while the sacrificial profile is subsequently removed, avoiding the need for complex permanent mold features.
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
This method simplifies the manufacturing process, ensures reliable demolding, and enables the production of folding tops with secure, seal-tight connections and extended seat grooves, facilitating easier installation and distribution of forces for the roof liner.
Implementation Method 1
After the casting compound has cured, the cast-resin bead element thus formed was removed from the mold
Data Source
AI summary
A folding top for vehicles has a cast-resin bead element provided in a connecting region between an outer cover surface element and at least one further cover element. The top is made by first inserting at least one section of the outer cover surface element into a casting mold and at least one section of a sacrificial profile into the casting mold. A head area of the profile is wider than a neck area thereof. Then a casting compound is introduced into the casting mold around the head area. After curing of the compound, the cover surface element is removed with bead element affixed thereto from the casting mold. The sacrificial profile is extracted from the bead element in order to provide an undercut seat in the bead element.