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US 6,620,353 B2Granted
Method for molding reinforced thermoplastic parts
AssigneeComposite Technologies Corporation
InventorsFredric Louis Abrams, Robert F. Freund
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method is disclosed for molding a part. The method includes steps of heating molding materials in a plasticator at a predetermined temperature; mixing the molding materials to create a molten suspension wherein a majority of the reinforcing fibers remain generally undamaged; extruding the molten suspension to form a billet and then placing the billet in a compression mold and compressing the billet with the compression mold to mold a part. In one embodiment, the reinforcing fibers are distributed throughout the part.
Claims18
A method for molding a part comprising the steps of:
- heating molding materials in a plasticator at a predetermined temperature, said molding materials comprising reinforcing fibers, but no thermosets;
- mixing said molding materials to create a molten suspension wherein a majority of said reinforcing fibers remain generally undamaged;
- extruding said molten suspension in order to form a billet;
- and
- placing said billet in a compression mold;
- and compressing said billet with said compression mold to mold a part wherein said reinforcing fibers are distributed throughout said part;
- and
- wherein said extruding step further comprises the steps of:
- sensing the approximate pressure in said plasticator;
- extruding said billet in said compression mold when said pressure reaches a predetermined pressure.
7 more elements
A method for molding a part comprising the steps of:
- heating molding materials in a plasticator at a predetermined temperature, said molding materials comprising reinforcing fibers, but no thermosets;
- mixing said molding materials to create a molten suspension wherein a majority of said reinforcing fibers remain generally undamaged;
- extruding said molten suspension in order to form a billet;
- and
- placing said billet in a compression mold;
- and compressing said billet with said compression mold to mold a part wherein said reinforcing fibers are distributed throughout said part;
- and
- wherein the heating step comprises the step of controlling the temperature in the plasticator.
5 more elements
A method for molding a part comprising the steps of:
- heating molding materials in a plasticator at a predetermined temperature, said molding materials comprising reinforcing fibers, but no thermosets;
- mixing said molding materials to create a molten suspension wherein a majority of said reinforcing fibers remain generally undamaged;
- extruding said molten suspension in order to form a billet;
- and
- placing said billet in a compression mold;
- and compressing said billet with said compression mold to mold a part wherein said reinforcing fibers are distributed throughout said part;
- and
- wherein the plasticator comprises a barrel having a feeding end and an extruding end;
- a feed hopper associated with the feeding end;
- a knife associated with the extruding end;
- said method further comprising the step of:
- controlling the temperature from the feed hopper to the knife so that the molding materials loaded in the plasticator experience one controlled thermal rise.
9 more elements
A method for molding a part comprising the steps of:
- heating molding materials in a plasticator at a predetermined temperature, said molding materials comprising reinforcing fibers, but no thermosets;
- mixing said molding materials to create a molten suspension wherein a majority of said reinforcing fibers remain generally undamaged;
- extruding said molten suspension in order to form a billet;
- and
- placing said billet in a compression mold;
- and compressing said billet with said compression mold to mold a part wherein said reinforcing fibers are distributed throughout said part;
- and
- wherein the plasticator has a barrel and a screw rotatably mounted therein;
- said method further comprising the step of
- controlling the pressure at which the screw drives the molten suspension to a storage area in the barrel.
7 more elements
A method for molding a part comprising the steps of:
- heating molding materials in a plasticator at a predetermined temperature, said molding materials comprising reinforcing fibers, but no thermosets;
- mixing said molding materials to create a molten suspension wherein a majority of said reinforcing fibers remain generally undamaged;
- extruding said molten suspension in order to form a billet;
- and
- placing said billet in a compression mold;
- and compressing said billet with said compression mold to mold a part wherein said reinforcing fibers are distributed throughout said part;
- and
- wherein the plasticator has a barrel and a screw rotatably mounted therein;
- said method further comprising the step of
- controlling the pressure and speed at which the screw drives the molten suspension to a storage area in the barrel.
7 more elements
A method for molding a part comprising the steps of:
- heating molding materials in a plasticator at a predetermined temperature, said molding materials comprising reinforcing fibers, but no thermosets;
- mixing said molding materials to create a molten suspension wherein a majority of said reinforcing fiber remain generally undamaged;
- extruding said molten suspension in order to form a billet;
- and
- placing said billet in a compression mold;
- and compressing said billet with said compression mold to mold a part wherein said reinforcing fibers are distributed throughout said part;
- and
- wherein said mixing step further comprises the step of:
- using a screw which is rotatably mounted in a barrel, said screw comprising a shaft having a first end associated with a feeder in the barrel and a second end associated with an extruding end of the barrel;
- said shaft having a pitch diameter at said first end which is larger than a pitch diameter of said shaft at said second end.
7 more elements
A method for molding a part comprising the steps of:
- heating molding materials in a plasticator at a predetermined temperature, said molding materials comprising reinforcing fibers, but no thermosets;
- mixing said molding materials to create a molten suspension wherein a majority of said reinforcing fibers remain generally undamaged;
- extruding said molten suspension in order to form a billet;
- and
- placing said billet in a compression mold;
- and compressing said billet with said compression mold to mold a part wherein said reinforcing fibers are distributed throughout said part;
- and
- wherein said mixing step further comprises the step of:
- using a screw which is rotatably mounted in a barrel, said screw comprising a shaft having a first end associated with a feeder in the barrel and a second end associated with an extruding end of the barrel, said screw comprising a feeding section, a blending section and an extruding section, said screw having a greater number of threads at said blending section when compared to the number of threads at said feeding section.
6 more elements
A method for molding a part comprising the steps of:
- heating molding materials in a plasticator at a predetermined temperature, said molding materials comprising reinforcing fibers, but no thermosets;
- mixing said molding materials to create a molten suspension wherein a majority of said reinforcing fiber remain generally undamaged;
- extruding said molten suspension in order to form a billet;
- and
- placing said billet n a compression mold;
- and compressing said billet with said compression mold to mold a part wherein said reinforcing fibers are distributed throughout said part;
- and
- wherein said method further comprises the step of:
- preheating said molding materials to a predetermined temperature before they are loaded into the plasticator.
6 more elements
A method for molding a part comprising the steps of:
- heating molding materials in a plasticator at a predetermined temperature, said molding materials comprising reinforcing fibers, but no thermosets;
- mixing said molding materials to create a molten suspension wherein a majority of said reinforcing fiber remain generally undamaged;
- extruding said molten suspension in order to form a billet;
- and
- placing said billet in a compression mold;
- and compressing said billet with said compression mold to mold part wherein said reinforcing fibers are distributed throughout said part;
- and
- wherein said plasticator comprises a feed hopper having an agitator rotatably mounted therein, said method further comprising the step of:
- loading said feed hopper with said molding materials;
- preheating said molding materials to a predetermined temperature while they are in said feed hopper.
7 more elements
A method for molding a part comprising the steps of:
- heating molding materials in a plasticator at a predetermined temperature, said molding materials comprising reinforcing fibers, but no thermosets;
- mixing said molding materials to create a molten suspension wherein a majority of said reinforcing fibers remain generally undamaged;
- extruding said molten suspension in order to form a billet;
- and
- placing said billet in a compression mold;
- and compressing said billet with said compression mold to mold part wherein said reinforcing fibers are distributed throughout said part;
- and
- wherein said method further comprises the step of:
- loading a compatibility enhancing agent into said plasticator.
6 more elements
A method for molding a part comprising the steps of:
- heating molding materials in a plasticator at a predetermined temperature, said molding materials comprising reinforcing fibers, but no thermosets;
- mixing said molding materials to create a molten suspension wherein a majority of said reinforcing fibers remain generally undamaged;
- extruding said molten suspension in order to form a billet;
- and
- placing said billet in a compression mold;
- and compressing said billet with said compression mold to mold a part wherein said reinforcing fibers are distributed throughout said part;
- and
- wherein said plasticator comprises a barrel having a feeding section, a blending section and an extruding section, said heating step further comprising the step of:
- heating said feeding section, said blending section and said extruding section to approximately a first predetermined temperature, a second predetermined temperature and a third predetermined temperature, respectively.
6 more elements
A method for molding a part comprising the steps of:
- heating molding materials in a plasticator at a predetermined temperature, said molding materials comprising reinforcing fibers, but no thermosets;
- mixing said molding materials to create a molten suspension wherein a majority of said reinforcing fibers remain generally undamaged;
- extruding said molten suspension in order to form a billet;
- and
- placing said billet in a compression mold;
- and compressing said billet with said compression mold to mold a part wherein said reinforcing fibers are distributed throughout said part;
- and
- wherein said plasticator comprises a barrel having a knife located at an extruding opening of the barrel, said method further comprising the steps of:
- extruding said billet through said extruding opening;
- driving said knife to cut said billet to a predetermined shape.
7 more elements
A method for molding a part comprising the steps of:
- heating molding materials in a plasticator at a predetermined temperature, said molding materials comprising reinforcing fibers, but no thermosets;
- mixing said molding materials to create a molten suspension wherein a majority of said reinforcing fibers remain generally undamaged;
- extruding said molten suspension in order to form a billet;
- and
- placing said billet in a compression mold;
- and compressing said billet with said compression mold to mold a part wherein said reinforcing fibers are distributed throughout said part;
- and
- wherein said plasticator comprises a control system, said method further comprising the step of:
- suspending said molding materials until said billet achieves predetermined characteristics in said plasticator.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.