Methods and systems for producing pressware
AssigneeBrown LLC
InventorsVictor L. Chun, Steffen Brown, Philip Eichbauer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for forming a pressware product from a web of a roll of material includes a positive mold, a negative mold, a heating element, an actuator, a force sensor, and a control system. The positive mold forms a top surface of the pressware product. The negative mold forms a bottom surface of the pressware product. The heating element is coupled to the positive mold or the negative mold. The actuator shifts the positive mold or the negative mold to cut and form the pressware product in a single stroke. The force sensor detects the forming force applied by the actuator, and the control system directs the actuator to adjust the forming force.
Claims20
A method of forming a pressware product from a web from a roll of material, the method comprising:
- pressing, via one or more forming station actuator, the web between a positive mold of a positive mold assembly and a negative mold of a negative mold assembly to form the pressware product, the positive mold assembly including a positive punch and the negative mold assembly including a trim die plate, the positive punch and the trim die plate configured to cut the web to separate the pressware product from the web, wherein the positive punch is shiftable relative to the positive mold;
- and
- shifting, via the one or more forming station actuator, the positive punch relative to the positive mold to cut the pressware product from the web.
A method of forming a pressware product from a web from a roll of material, the method comprising:
- positioning the web between a positive mold of a positive mold assembly and a negative mold of a negative mold assembly, the positive mold comprising a central portion and an annular portion extending around the central portion and configured to help shape a rim of the pressware product, the central portion and the annular portion being integral and cooperatively presenting a surface that shapes a top surface of the pressware product;
- and
- shifting, via one or more forming station actuator, at least one of the positive mold assembly or the negative mold assembly to press the web between the positive mold and the negative mold to form the pressware product in the web and to cause a positive punch of the positive mold assembly to shift relative to the positive mold toward a trim die plate of the negative mold assembly and cut the pressware product from the web.
A method of forming a pressware product from a web from a roll of material, the method comprising:
- pressing, via one or more forming station actuator, the web between a positive mold of a positive mold assembly and a negative mold of a negative mold assembly to form the pressware product, the positive mold assembly including a positive punch and the negative mold assembly including a trim die plate, the positive punch and the trim die plate being configured to cut the web to separate the pressware product from the web, wherein the positive punch is shiftable relative to the positive mold;
- shifting, via the one or more forming station actuator, the positive punch relative to the positive mold to cut the pressware product from the web;
- holding, via the one or more forming station actuator, the positive mold and the negative mold pressed against the pressware product so that the pressware product is heated via a heating element coupled to at least one of the positive punch or the negative mold;
- generating, via a force sensor, sensor data representative of a forming force applied by the one or more forming station actuator;
- and
- adjusting, via a control system, the forming force applied by the one or more forming station actuator based at least in part on the sensor data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.