Silicone Frame Coating via Secondary Sulfurization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional silicone injection molding often results in spills or burrs due to silicone fluidity, leading to increased manufacturing costs and reduced production efficiency, as excessive manpower is needed to trim these defects and limitations in mold cavity usage affect waterproofing and precision.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing method involving a silicone carrier with effective and ineffective regions, where the frame is coated and heated for secondary sulfurization, allowing the effective region to be separated and retained on the frame, forming a silicone layer with cut-off surfaces to prevent spills and burrs, thereby improving yield and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If silicone is directly injected into the mold to enclose the frame, then waterproofing and shock-proof effects are achieved, but spills or burrs are created due to silicone fluidity flowing into gaps at joint places
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is divided into multiple cavities (first cavity and second cavity) that can be independently controlled. The silicone injection process is segmented so that different regions of the mold can be filled at different times or with different pressures, preventing silicone from flowing into joint gaps while ensuring complete enclosure of the frame for waterproofing.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame is pre-positioned within the mold cavity before silicone injection. The mold structure is prepared with specific features (such as positioning protrusions or pre-formed recesses) that guide the frame into the correct position, ensuring that silicone will enclose the frame properly without creating spills or burrs during the subsequent injection process.
2Productivity
If injection is performed using many cavities in the mold to increase production efficiency, then productivity is improved, but the joint force of mold must be increased which complicates the molding process
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is segmented into multiple independent cavities that can be filled with silicone simultaneously or in sequence. Each cavity is designed with independent injection gates and control mechanisms, allowing high-volume production through parallel processing while maintaining manageable complexity in each individual cavity structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-cavity mold structure is designed so that each cavity can function independently but follows a standardized design pattern. This universality allows the same mold structure to produce multiple identical or different products simultaneously, increasing productivity without proportionally increasing the complexity of each individual cavity's design and maintenance requirements.
3Reliability
If silicone is injected with high pressure to ensure complete enclosure, then waterproofing is improved, but spill or burr formation increases due to silicone flowing into mold gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is pre-positioned and secured within the mold cavity before silicone injection. The mold is pre-prepared with proper sealing features and the frame is held firmly in place, allowing high-pressure silicone injection to achieve complete waterproof enclosure without the silicone escaping into joint gaps and forming burrs.
Solution Approach 2:
A releasing agent or intermediary substance is applied to the frame surface or mold cavity walls to create a controlled interface between the silicone and the mold/frame. This intermediary layer allows the silicone to flow smoothly and completely enclose the frame under high pressure for waterproofing, while preventing the silicone from adhering to or flowing into the mold joint gaps where it would create spills or burrs.
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 effectively reduces spills and burrs, enhancing production yield and lowering manufacturing costs by allowing precise silicone layer formation on frames without extensive manual trimming, and enabling efficient assembly and waterproofing.
Implementation Method 1
allowing the silicone coating and the effective combination region to undergo a secondary sulfurization that the effective combination region can be combined on the outer part of frame
Data Source
AI summary
A frame with an outer silicon layer and a manufacturing method of forming the silicone layer on the outer part of frame are disclosed. The manufacturing method includes a forming step, a combining step and a removing step. First, a pair of mold with a forming space is formed with a silicone carrier including an effective combination region and an ineffective region. An emplacing space is next formed in the effective combination region and a frame is put into the emplacing space. Before putting in the frame, either the outer part of frame or the emplacing space is coated with a silicone coating, and then the effective combination region is combined on the outer part of frame by a secondary sulfurization. Finally, the effective combination region is removed from the ineffective region to form a silicone layer, made of the effective combination region, on the outer part of frame.