Method and apparatus for forming thin-walled products, and a product manufactured therewith
AssigneeECIM Technologies B.V.
InventorHendricus Antonius Hoogland
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for forming thin-walled products from low-melt plastic in a mold, wherein an amount of the plastic, heated, is introduced into a mold cavity, with the mold at least partly opened, whereafter the mold is closed, such that the plastic in the mold cavity is pressed away by the wall parts of the mold cavity, whereby a complete filling of the mold cavity is obtained.
Claims34
A method for forming thin-walled products from plastic in a mold, the mold including a first mold part, a second mold part, a forming member movably supported in said second mold part and a thermally insulating seal disposed between said forming member and said second mold part, the method comprising the steps of:
- setting said mold to an open position, wherein said first and second mold parts are spaced apart by a distance and said forming member is extended from said second mold part whereby said thermally insulating seal thermally isolates said forming member from said second mold part;
- injecting a heated plastic into a space defined between said first mold part and said forming member, wherein said plastic contacts said forming member, said forming member remaining thermally isolated from said second mold part during said injecting step whereby said plastic does not substantially cool during injection;
- and
- closing said mold to a closed position before said plastic cools, wherein said first and second mold parts make contact and said forming member comes into thermal contact with said second mold part, wherein said forming member and said plastic cool to a temperature substantially matching a temperature of said second mold part,
- wherein said forming member comprises thin walls defining a hollow interior.
A method for forming thin-walled products from plastic in a mold, wherein an amount of said plastic, heated, is introduced into a mold cavity while the mold is at least partly open, whereafter the mold is closed, such that the plastic in the mold cavity is pressed away by the wall parts of the mold cavity, whereby a complete filling of the mold cavity is obtained, and wherein a mold is used, said mold including a first and second mold part and a mold-forming wall part, said mold-forming wall part being movable with respect to the first mold part and thermally insulated from the first mold part when the mold is open, wherein said thermally insulated wall part of the mold has a low heat capacity that, when the plastic is introduced into said mold cavity, the plastic heats said wall part such that the temperature of the wall part is raised to a temperature close to the temperature of the plastic, while the other mold parts are kept relatively cool, and wherein during closure of the mold said movable wall part of the mold cavity is cooled by thermal conduction between said moveable wall part and the further relatively cold mold parts, wherein said movable wall part comprises thin walls defining a hollow interior.
A method for forming thin-walled products from plastic in a mold, wherein an amount of said plastic, heated, is introduced into a mold cavity while the mold is at least partly open, whereafter the mold is closed, such that the plastic in the mold cavity is pressed away by the wall parts of the mold cavity, whereby a complete filling of the mold cavity is obtained, and wherein a mold is used of which at least one wall part is movably arranged and is thermally insulated from the mold when said mold is open, wherein during introduction of the plastic, said at least one wall part is pressed away by the plastic and is heated by said plastic, such that between said at least one wall part and an opposite wall part a flow passage for the plastic is formed having a thickness (Hz), measured between said wall parts, that is greater than the thickness of the product part to be formed therefrom, and wherein during closure of the mold said flow passage is closed to some extent to the desired thickness for the product part to be formed at that point, wherein a plastic is used having a melt less than 18 according to ISO 1133, and wherein said plastic does not substantially cool during injection and said mold is closed before said plastic cools, wherein said movable wall part comprises thin walls defining a hollow interior.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.