Transfer System for Multi-Component Injection Molding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plastic injection devices with integrated mold relocation mechanisms are costly and require large, heavy frames, and they fail to efficiently manage the cooling time of molded parts, leading to longer cycle times in the production of multi-component plastic components like toothbrushes and razor blade holders.
Innovation Solution
A transfer system within the plastic injection device allows for the vertical or horizontal movement of mold bars between injection stations, enabling pre-molded parts to be cooled outside the mold, reducing overall cycle time by separating the cooling phase from the injection process and allowing for simultaneous mold unloading and loading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If pre-molded parts are cooled inside the mold, then the mold structure is simple, but the cycle time is extended due to cooling time occupying mold space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling process from the mold interior by introducing an intermediate region outside the mold where pre-molded parts are transferred for cooling. This allows the mold to be immediately reused for the next injection cycle while parts cool externally, eliminating the cooling time bottleneck within the mold structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate region as a mediator between the injection station and the final product station. This intermediate region serves as a temporary holding area where pre-molded parts are transferred and cooled, enabling parallel operations of injection and cooling without interfering with each other.
2Adaptability or versatility
If mold plates are relocated using integrated turnable cube structure, then multi-component injection is achieved, but manufacturing cost and maintenance cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the injection process into multiple independent stations (first injection station, second injection station) with a transfer system connecting them. Each station can be designed and manufactured separately using standard mold components, avoiding the need for complex integrated relocation mechanisms while achieving multi-component injection capability.
3Productivity
If suction grippers are used to transfer components between mold cavities, then component transfer is achieved, but transfer reliability decreases for small or irregularly shaped parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses mold bars as a standardized copying mechanism for part transfer. Instead of using suction grippers that must adapt to each part's geometry, the mold bar provides a consistent mechanical interface that reliably transfers pre-molded parts between stations regardless of part shape or size, significantly improving transfer reliability.
4Device complexity
If cooling is performed inside the mold, then no additional cooling equipment is needed, but the frame size must be large and heavy to accommodate cooling time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling function from the mold structure itself by transferring pre-molded parts to an intermediate region for external cooling. This separation allows the mold to be lighter and more compact since it no longer needs to accommodate cooling channels and timing for internal cooling, while cooling equipment can be added externally without increasing mold weight.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a transfer system for a plastic injection device for manufacturing multi- component plastic workpieces. The invention is based on the object of creating solutions through which it becomes possible during the manufacture of multi-component plastic components, more preferably toothbrushes, to achieve advantages compared with previous manufacturing techniques. According to the invention, this object is solved through a transfer system for a plastic injection device with a mold, which can be opened via a mold separating surface which preferentially is substantially orientated vertically, a first injection station formed in the mold, a second injection station formed in the mold, a plurality of mold bars compatible both with the first injection station and also with the second injection station, each of which can be inserted in the first injection station and in the second injection station in the region of the mold chamber separating surfaces, wherein within the scope of a first injection step, pre-molded parts are manufactured in the first injection station which following the opening of the mold initially remain on the corresponding mold bar, the mold bar is embodied in such a manner that said mold bar can be brought into the second injection station jointly with the adhering pre-molded parts for injecting a second workpiece section onto the pre-molded parts in the second injection station, and that a transfer system is provided which is embodied in such a manner that through said transfer system a mold bar loaded with pre-molded parts within the scope of an injection step accomplished via the first injection station can initially be brought into an intermediate region which is located outside the mold and instead of the pre-molded parts just manufactured a mold bar provided with pre-molded parts within the scope of an earlier injection step preceding the mentioned injection step is brought into the second injection station.