Systems and methods for producing molded fiber products
AssigneeCongruens Group, LLC
InventorsRick Bontrager, Pablo Gonzalez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A molded fiber part production line includes a forming station, a part transfer system, a press station, and a removal system. The forming station includes a slurry tank, a forming mold, and a mold actuation system. The part transfer system includes a part transfer feature and a conveyance mechanism. The press station includes a core mold, a cavity mold compatible with the core mold, and a press actuation system. The removal system includes a removal feature defining a plurality of part vacuum channels and a plurality of trim vacuum channels. The removal system also includes a conveyance mechanism for moving the removal feature from a position in engagement with at least one of the core mold and the cavity mold to another position.
Claims20
A method of producing a molded fiber part, the method comprising:
- disposing a forming mold defining a plurality of vacuum channels into a slurry tank comprising a plurality of fibers and a liquid;
- actuating a vacuum communicatively coupled to the plurality of vacuum channels to draw at least some of the plurality of fibers onto the forming mold to form a partially formed molded fiber part;
- removing the forming mold from the slurry tank;
- transferring the partially formed molded fiber part to a press comprising a mold having a plurality of segments and a plurality of heating elements;
- applying a compressive pressure to the partially formed molded fiber part with the press;
- and
- applying an elevated temperature to the partially formed molded fiber part with the plurality of heating elements, wherein application of the compressive pressure and the elevated temperature substantially solidifies the partially formed molded fiber part into the molded fiber part, and wherein a temperature of each segment from the plurality of segments is independently monitored and controlled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.