System and method for forming parts using moveable heater and recoil alignment mechanism

A system for heating and aligning a large blank of a material in order to form the large blank into a part in a press including first and second dies, wherein the material includes a plurality of fibers and a thermoplastic resin, the system comprising:

• a frame holding the large blank in an aligned position between the first and second dies;
• an infrared heater element movable between a first position within the press to heat the large blank in the aligned position to a melting temperature of the thermoplastic resin using infrared heating, and a second position outside the press, to allow the first and second dies to form the large blank into the part;
• and
• an alignment mechanism which maintains the large blank in the aligned positioned between the first and second dies as the first and second dies are brought together to form the large blank into the part, the alignment mechanism comprising
• a rail extending between the first and second dies and through the frame, the first die and the frame slidable on the rail between a first position in which the first and second dies and the frame are spaced apart, and a second position in which the first and second dies and the frame are in physical contact, and
• a collapsible member extending between the first die and the frame and spacing the frame apart from the first die, the collapsible member pushes the frame toward the second die as the first die moves toward the second die, and then collapses when the frame contacts the second die to allow the first and second dies to contact the large blank and form the large blank into the part.

A method of heating and aligning a blank of a material in order to form the blank into a part in a press including first and second dies, the method comprising:

• holding the blank in a frame in an aligned position between the first and second dies;
• advancing a heater element to a first position within the press;
• heating the blank in the aligned position to a forming temperature;
• withdrawing the heater element to a second position to allow the first and second dies to form the blank into the part;
• and
• maintaining the blank in the aligned positioned between the first and second dies as the first and second dies are brought together to form the blank into the part by
• spacing the frame apart from the first die using a collapsible member extending between the first die and the frame, wherein the first die and the frame are slidingly mounted on a rail extending between the first and second dies and through the frame,
• moving the first die along the rail toward the second die, wherein the collapsible member pushes the frame along the rail toward the second die as the first die moves along the rail toward the second die, and
• collapsing the collapsible member when the frame contacts the second die to allow the first and second dies to contact the blank and form the blank into the part.