Rapid prototype injection molding
AssigneeStratasys, Inc.
InventorsSteven Scott Crump, William R. Priedeman, Jr., Jeffery J. Hanson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for making a prototype injection molded part. An extruder of the type used for fused deposition modeling injects production thermoplastic material into a heated nonconductive plastic mold tool slowly at low pressure in an isothermic process. The mold tool may be built from a CAD drawing by fused deposition modeling or another rapid prototyping technique. Using the present invention, an injection molded prototype part can be made from a digital representation of the part within 24 hours by an engineer in an office environment.
Claims44
A method for making a prototype plastic injection molded part, comprising the steps of:
- providing a plastic mold tool defining a mold cavity;
- injecting a liquified ribbon of plastic material into the mold cavity using an extrusion head at a pressure of less than 20 psi, until the material fills the cavity;
- curing the plastic material in the mold cavity to form the prototype part.
A method for making a prototype plastic injection molded part, comprising the steps of:
- providing a plastic mold tool defining a mold cavity;
- injecting a thermoplastic material into the mold cavity as a liquified ribbon of material using an extrusion head, at a pressure of less than 20 psi, so that the thermoplastic material fills the mold cavity;
- and
- cooling the thermoplastic material in the mold cavity to form the prototype part.
A method for making a prototype plastic injection molded part, comprising the steps of:
- providing a plastic mold tool defining a mold cavity, the plastic mold tool being built with an additive process rapid prototyping machine;
- injecting a polymer into the mold cavity using the additive process rapid prototyping machine at a pressure of less than 20 psi, until the material fills the cavity;
- and
- solidifying the polymer in the mold cavity, thereby forming the molded prototype part.
A method for making a prototype plastic injection molded part, comprising the steps of:
- providing a plastic mold tool defining a mold cavity;
- providing a supply of two or more reactant materials which form a thermoset resin when reacted together;
- mixing the reactant materials together;
- injecting the reactant materials from an extruder into the mold cavity as a liquified ribbon of material, at a controlled pressure of less than 20 psi, so that the reactant materials fill the cavity;
- heating the reactant materials in the mold cavity to form the molded prototype part;
- and
- cooling the molded prototype part in the mold cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.