Skin-Integrated Interior Molding With Variable Cavity Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing process of automotive interior materials is complicated due to potential wrinkles in skins, the need for trimming excess skin portions, and the use of adhesives that generate environmental pollutants, along with the risk of skin damage from high temperature and pressure.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method utilizing a volume-variable injection space in a mold system that injects molten resin, compresses it, and integrates it with a skin to form a base material, minimizing skin damage and wrinkles, while using a mold drive module to align and misalign molds for efficient resin distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If high temperature and high pressure are applied to skins during manufacturing, then the resin is properly molded into the base material, but the skins may be damaged and become hard
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is divided into two distinct stages: first, injecting molten resin at high temperature and pressure to ensure proper molding; second, introducing cooling gas to rapidly cool and solidify the resin. This segmentation allows the resin to be molded under optimal high-temperature conditions without exposing the skin to prolonged thermal damage, as the cooling stage quickly reduces the temperature after molding is complete.
Solution Approach 2:
The skin is pre-mounted and secured to the mold surface before resin injection begins. This preliminary positioning ensures the skin is properly fixed in place to withstand the subsequent high-temperature and high-pressure resin injection, preventing skin displacement or damage during the molding process while maintaining manufacturing precision.
2Reliability
If adhesives are used to adhere the edge portion of the skin to the peripheral portion of the base material, then the skin is securely attached, but large amounts of environmental pollutants such as volatile organic compounds are generated
Solution Approach 1:
The chemical bonding method using adhesives is replaced with a mechanical integration method. The resin itself is used to mechanically interlock the skin edge portion with the base material peripheral portion through the molding process, eliminating the need for separate adhesive application and curing steps. This substitution eliminates VOC emissions while maintaining secure attachment through the structural integration of the resin material.
3Shape
If trimming is performed to remove excess skin portions and then edge portion is adhered to peripheral portion, then the final product shape is achieved, but the overall process becomes complicated and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple separate operations (skin mounting, resin injection, cooling, and edge attachment) are merged into a single integrated molding process. The skin is mounted on the mold, resin is injected to form the base material, and the resin simultaneously integrates the skin edge portion with the base material peripheral portion during one continuous cycle, eliminating the need for separate trimming and adhering steps and simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin serves multiple functions simultaneously: it forms the base material structure, acts as the bonding medium to attach the skin edge to the base material, and provides the mechanical integration that eliminates the need for separate adhesive application. This multi-functionality reduces process complexity while achieving the required product shape and attachment strength.
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 approach simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces environmental pollutants, prevents skin damage, and enhances productivity by integrating skins with base materials effectively.
Implementation Method 1
maintaining the volume-variable injection space in a first volume state while molten resin is injected through the gate
Implementation Method 2
the state of the volume-variable injection space may change to a second volume state in which a volume of the injection space may be reduced compared to the first volume state to compress the injected molten resin
Implementation Method 3
The molten resin may contain a forming agent
Data Source
AI summary
Proposed is an apparatus and method for manufacturing automotive interior materials. The apparatus includes a first mold unit with a first molding surface and a gate disposed on the first molding surface, and a second mold unit provided with a second molding surface facing the first molding surface, wherein a skin is set on the first molding surface; and the first mold unit and the second mold unit are configured, when combined, to provide a volume-variable injection space between the set skin and the first molding surface, wherein the volume-variable injection space is in a first volume state while molten resin is injected through the gate, and after completing the injection of the molten resin, the volume-variable injection space changes to a second volume state that a volume of the injection space is reduced compared to the first volume state to compress the molten resin.