Turret Mold Holders for Injection Molding Cycle Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing injection molding devices face inefficiencies due to the need for prolonged mold closure during cooling, complex piece transposition, and high energy consumption from heavy moving parts, which hinder productivity and increase production costs.
Innovation Solution
A stack mold device with a cube design incorporating separate cooling and ejection stations and removable, light, compact holders that move injection molding pieces quarter-turn to facilitate simultaneous cooling and ejection, allowing for continuous mold operation and reduced energy use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the mold remains closed for cooling, then the injection molding pieces can be formed, but the productivity decreases due to prolonged cycle time
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is divided into a stationary cube and movable mold parts, allowing selective opening of specific mold sections while maintaining closure in other areas. This enables independent cooling of injection molding pieces while keeping the overall mold structure stable and ready for rapid reclosure.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold parts are pre-positioned and can be quickly opened and closed again after injection molding, enabling the system to prepare for the next molding cycle immediately after ejection, thereby reducing idle time and increasing productivity.
2Ease of operation
If externally provided grippers or robots are used to remove pieces, then the pieces can be taken out of the mold, but precious time is lost before the mold can be closed again
Solution Approach 1:
The ejection function is merged with the mold opening mechanism itself. The movable mold parts serve dual purposes: forming the mold impressions and subsequently ejecting the pieces through integrated ejection stations, eliminating the need for separate external grippers and enabling immediate reclosure.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold structure itself performs the ejection function through built-in ejection stations and movable parts that can be actuated to release pieces directly from the mold, without requiring external robotic systems or additional tools.
3Reliability
If the cube and mold parts are made heavy and sizeable for stable operation, then the mold can be opened and closed reliably, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mold system is segmented into a heavy stationary cube providing structural stability and a separate movable mold parts component that can be opened and closed with less energy. This division allows the heavy portion to remain fixed while only the lighter movable portions require actuation energy.
Solution Approach 2:
A turret with holders serves as an intermediary mechanism between the stationary cube and the movable mold parts. The turret rotates to position holders for receiving and transferring pieces, enabling precise positioning and movement with reduced energy consumption compared to moving the entire heavy mold structure.
4Device complexity
If the first and second mould impressions are situated in a single plane, then the structure is simple, but the forces to hold the mould parts together cancel out one another
Solution Approach 1:
The mold impressions are arranged in three-dimensional space rather than a single plane, with the first and second mold impressions positioned on opposite faces of the cube. This spatial arrangement creates complementary force distributions that work together to hold the mold parts together, rather than canceling each other out.
Data Source
AI summary
Device (1) for manufacturing injection molding pieces (2) which mainly consists of a stack mold (3) with a central cubical part (4) and two mold impressions (9,10), whereby the device (1) is provided with a cooling station (15) and an ejection station (16) as well as four holders (17-20) for holding an injection molding piece (2), which are formed as a piece (17-20) which can be taken out of the cube and which partly co-determines a mold impression (9,10), and with means (24) to detach the holders (17-20) from the cube faces (5, 13, 6, 14) with mold impressions (9, 10) and to put them in the latter again, as well as means (25) to each time move the holders (17-20) a quarter of a turn to a following cube face (13, 6, 14, 5) after the injection molding.