SHAPING DEVICE, SHAPING MOULD WITH A PART TO BE FORMED AND METHOD FOR HEATING A SHAPING SURFACE OF A SHAPING HALF-SHELL OR OF A PART TO BE FORMED

Abstract

The invention relates to a shaping device (10), which comprises an inductor (14) and one or more shaping half-shells (12, 34), wherein at least one shaping half-shell (12, 34) comprises a bottom shaping element (16) produced from mineral material, and a top shaping element (17), wherein the top shaping element (17) is releasably connected to the bottom shaping element (16) or is formed integrally with it, covers at least parts of an inner surface (16a) of the bottom shaping element (16) and comprises an electrically conductive layer (18), and the inductor (14) is designed to induce eddy currents in the electrically conductive layer (18). The invention further relates to a shaping mould (40) with a part to be formed (38), as well as to a method for heating a shaping surface (17a) of a top shaping element (17) of a shaping half-shell (12, 34) or a shaping surface (38a) of a part to be formed (38).

Claims

1. Shaping device comprising an inductor and one or more shaping half-shells, at least one shaping half-shell comprising a bottom shaping element made of mineral material and a top shaping element, wherein the top shaping element is releasably connected to the bottom shaping element or integrally formed with it, covers at least partially an inner surface of the bottom shaping element and comprises an electrically conductive layer, and the inductor is set up to induce eddy currents in the electrically conductive layer.

2. Shaping device according to claim 1, wherein the mineral material is ultra high strength concrete or polymer concrete.

3. Shaping device according to claim 1, wherein the inductor is arranged in the bottom shaping element.

4. Shaping device according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive layer is made of an electrically non-conductive material with electrically conductive elements arranged therein and/or by electrically conductive elements, which are arranged adjacent to a shaping surface of the top shaping element.

5. Shaping device according to claim 1, wherein the shaping surface of the top shaping element and/or the electrically conductive layer of the top shaping element has/have a protective layer.

6. Shaping device according to claim 1, wherein at least one sensor, for example at least one temperature sensor and/or one humidity sensor and/or one pressure sensor and/or one voltage sensor, is/are arranged in the bottom shaping element and/or that the top shaping element.

7. Shaping device according to claim 1, wherein the bottom shaping element further comprises a temperature control device which is either arranged adjacent to an outer surface of the bottom shaping element facing away from the inner surface and/or is arranged in the volume of the bottom shaping element.

8. Shaping device according to claim 1, wherein a heat-insulating layer is arranged between the bottom shaping element and the top shaping element, and/or in the bottom shaping element, and/or in the top shaping element.

9. Shaping device according to claim 9, wherein the heat-insulating layer comprises one or more insert bodies, at least one of which forms a cavity, and/or the heat insulating layer comprises a preceramic paper.

10. Shaping device according to claim 1, wherein the top shaping element further comprises a mineral material, and/or more than 80% of the top shaping element is essentially made of a metallic material, and that the heat-insulating layer is arranged between the bottom shaping element and the top shaping element, or it is integrally formed with one of said two elements.

11. Shaping device according to claim 1, wherein the mineral material from which the bottom shaping element and/or the top shaping element is/are made comprises at least one additive which reduces the thermal conductivity of the mineral material.

12. Shaping device according to claim 1, wherein the top shaping element further comprises a cooling element which is arranged on and/or adjacent to the electrically conductive layer, and/or comprises a heat pipe which is arranged at least partially in the bottom shaping element.

13. Shaping device according to claim 1, wherein the shaping device comprises exactly two shaping half-shells which arrangeable opposite one another.

14. Shaping mould with a part to be formed, wherein the shaping mould comprises: one or more shaping half-shells, at least one shaping half-shell comprising an element made of a mineral material, and an inductor, wherein the part to be formed comprises: an electrically conductive layer which at least partially covers a shaping surface of the part to be formed, wherein the inductor of the shaping mould is set up to induce eddy currents in the electrically conductive layer of the part to be formed.

15. Method for heating a shaping surface of a top shaping element of a shaping half-shell, or a shaping surface of a part to be formed, wherein the shaping surface of the shaping half-shell or of the part to be formed is heated by means of an inductor which induces eddy currents in an electrically conductive layer arranged adjacent to the shaping surface.

16. Shaping device according to claim 1, wherein the inductor is arranged in the bottom shaping element and cast into it.

17. Shaping device according to claim 4, wherein the electrically conductive layer is made of an electrically non-conductive material with electrically conductive elements arranged therein, wherein the electrically conductive elements are electrically conductive particles and/or fibers, which are arranged adjacent to a shaping surface of the top shaping element.

18. Shaping device according to claim 4, wherein the electrically conductive layer is made by electrically conductive elements, which are arranged adjacent to a shaping surface of the top shaping element and embedded in the top shaping element.

19. Shaping device according to claim 5, wherein the electrically conductive layer and the protective layer are the same layer.

20. Shaping device according to claim 6, wherein said at least one sensor is at least one temperature sensor and/or one humidity sensor and/or one pressure sensor and/or one voltage sensor, and wherein said at least one sensor is cast into one or both the bottom shaping element and the top shaping element.

Description

[0044] The invention will be explained in more detail below using two exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

[0045] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the cross section of a shaping device according to the invention according to a first embodiment;

[0046] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the cross section of a shaping device according to the invention according to a second embodiment;

[0047] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the cross section of a shaping device according to the invention according to a third embodiment; and

[0048] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of the cross section of a shaping mould according to the invention with a part to be formed according to an embodiment.

[0049] In FIG. 1, a shaping device is generally designated with the number 10. The shaping device 10 comprises at least a first shaping half-shell 12 and an inductor 14. The shaping half-shell 12 comprises a bottom shaping element 16 made of mineral material and a top shaping element 17, on the shaping surface 17a of which an electrically conductive layer 18 can be arranged which covers the shaping surface 17a of the top shaping element 17, at least in sections. The top shaping element 17 is releasably connected to the bottom shaping element 16 or is formed integrally with it. The top shaping element 17 covers an inner surface 16a of the bottom shaping element 16 at least in sections and comprises an electrically conductive layer 18. The inductor 14, which, for example and as shown in the exemplary embodiments in FIGS. 1 and 2, can be embedded as an inductor coil 33 in the bottom shaping element 16, is configured to induce eddy currents in the electrically conductive layer 18, whereupon the latter heats up. The electrically conductive layer 18 can either be made of a ceramic layer provided with conductive particles, such as graphite, or it can be a metallic layer or a layer made of another suitable material in which eddy currents can be generated. An embodiment is also conceivable in which the inductor 14 is arranged outside the bottom shaping element 16, or even outside the shaping half-shell 12, 34.

[0050] In order to avoid heat loss of the heat generated in the electrically conductive layer 18 and/or excessive heating of the top shaping element 17 or the bottom shaping element 16, it is desirable to as far as possible prevent or at least reduce heat radiation in the direction of an interior of the top shaping element 17 or in the direction of the bottom shaping element 16 of the first shaping half-shell 12. This can be done, for example, by a layer structure of the first shaping half-shell 12, by means of which thermal decoupling is provided between the electrically conductive layer 18 and one or more layers of the top shaping element 17 or between the top shaping element 17 and the bottom shaping element 16.

[0051] A possible decoupling is enabled by arranging a heat-insulating layer 20 in the top shaping element 17, which is adjacent to the electrically conductive layer 18 or between the top shaping element 17 and the bottom shaping element 16. Alternatively, the heat-insulating layer can also be arranged in the bottom shaping element 16, for example being cast into the bottom shaping element 16 during the production process. For example, a thermally low-conductive insulation material, for example in the form of a mat, can be used as the heat-insulating layer 20. This could already be introduced during the casting process for producing the bottom shaping element 16 and/or the top shaping element 17. In this context, a heat-insulating layer 20 with a thin honeycomb or corrugated cardboard structure appears to be particularly advantageous, since these can have a gas-filled and/or porous structure, which acts as an insulator. If this honeycomb or corrugated sheet structure is also itself made of a material with low thermal conductivity, such as cellulose, and/or has a microporous structure, such as an aerogel scaffold, thermal insulation, which has no or only a slight negative effect on the mechanical strength of the bottom shaping element 16 and/or the top shaping element 17, can be achieved. Materials and/or layers with reduced or low thermal conductivity are understood to be those which have a thermal conductivity A, the value of which is less than 2 W/mK, preferably less than 1 W/mK, more preferably less than 0.2 W/mK.

[0052] During a moulding process, for example for the production of plastic-based fiber composite components, a method step in which the casting material is melted and heated is followed by a further method step in which the casting material is cooled and solidifies. This means that it is necessary for the electrically conductive layer 18 to cool down again after it has been warmed up in a first method step. Such cooling can, on the one hand, take place passively in that eddy currents are no longer generated in the electrically conductive layer 18 by means of the inductor 14. On the other hand, however, active cooling is also possible by means of a cooling element 22, which can be arranged on the electrically conductive layer 18 or can be adjacent to it.

[0053] The cooling element 22 can be a cooling coil, for example, which is set up to actively cool at least part of the electrically conductive layer 18. If the shaping device 10 comprises both a heat-insulating layer 20 and a cooling element 22, the cooling element 22 can preferably be arranged between the electrically conductive layer 18 and the heat-insulating layer 20. Methods for applying such a cooling structure and a metal layer formed there from a metal powder, which can be, for example, the electrically conductive layer 18, are already part of the prior art.

[0054] In addition or as an alternative to the heat-insulating layer 20 and/or the cooling element 22, the first shaping half-shell 12 can comprise a temperature control device 24, which is either arranged in the volume of the bottom shaping element 16, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, and/or is arranged adjacent to a surface 26 facing away from the shaping surface, as shown in FIG. 2. Regardless of its arrangement, the temperature control device 24 can be set up to reduce or even prevent heating of the bottom shaping element 16.

[0055] A status of the bottom shaping element 16 and/or the top shaping element can be monitored, for example, by arranging at least one sensor 28 therein, wherein the at least one sensor 28 can be a temperature sensor and/or humidity sensor and/or pressure sensor and/or voltage sensor. The at least one sensor 28 may have been cast into the bottom shaping element 16 and/or the top shaping element 16 during the casting process.

[0056] In general, a functionalisation of the bottom shaping element 16 by casting in components during the casting process of the bottom shaping element 16, for example casting in the at least one sensor 28 and/or the temperature control device 24, offers the possibility of passive monitoring and also active control of forming-relevant parameters, which can be determined with one of the aforementioned sensors 28 or can be calculated on the basis of the values measured using one of these, for example a temperature of the bottom shaping element 16, an internal pressure in the bottom shaping element 16, a tension in the bottom shaping element 16, etc.

[0057] Likewise, the top shaping element 17 can also be functionalised if at least one sensor 28 or the cooling element 22 is arranged therein, for example in the case of a top shaping element 17 made of a mineral material by casting. For example, the temperature of the electrically conductive layer 18 and/or the top shaping element 17 can be monitored by means of a temperature sensor.

[0058] Furthermore, a protective layer 30 can cover the electrically conductive layer 18 and/or the shaping surface of the top shaping element 17. The protective layer 30 can be provided in order to protect against abrasion. Furthermore, this can have a desired structure and/or a desired roughness. The protective layer 30 can be set up in such a way that a cast material and/or a preform and/or a shape-related semi-finished product can be in contact with it during a shaping process. The protective layer 30 may further reduce or even prevent material from adhering during the moulding process.

[0059] The shaping half-shell 12 can be provided with a frame 32 in which, for example, guide elements of the shaping device 10 can also be located. The frame 32 can be responsible for the load transfer and is preferably outside the actual forming environment, i.e., preferably does not form a shaping surface and preferably has no electrically conductive layer.

[0060] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment in which the top shaping element 17 can be formed from a metallic material 19. The top shaping element 17 made of a metallic material can in this case form both the shaping surface 17a and the electrically conductive layer 18, and said element can optionally comprise a protective layer 30. Any heat transfer from the top shaping element 17 to the bottom shaping element 16 can be reduced or even prevented by arranging a heat-insulating layer 20 between the top shaping element 17 and the bottom shaping element 16. The heat-insulating layer 20 can be formed by a preceramic paper which is stacked, for example, from several layers, which can be corrugated or folded or flat, for example.

[0061] The shaping device 10, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 3, can comprise a second shaping half-shell 34 in addition to the first shaping half-shell 12. The first and the second shaping half-shells 12, 34 can be arranged opposite one another so that a cavity can be formed between them, which can be configured to be filled with casting material during a shaping process, preferably to be filled completely. The frame 32 of one of the shaping half-shells 12 or 34 can have at least one positioning projection 36, while the respective other shaping half-shell 34 or 12 has a positioning recess 37 which is complementary and cooperates therewith, so that an exact positioning of the shaping half-shells 12, 34 relative to one another can be achieved.

[0062] The second shaping half-shell 34 can comprise one, more, or all of the functional components that have been described above with reference to the first shaping half-shell 12, for example a bottom shaping element 16 made of mineral material with an inductor 14, at least one sensor 28 and a temperature control device 24, a top shaping element 17 comprising an electrically conductive layer 18, a cooling element 22 and a protective layer 30, a heat-insulating layer 20 between the bottom shaping element 16 and the top shaping element 17 and/or a frame 32.

[0063] If both shaping half-shells 12, 34 have an inductor 14 and an electrically conductive layer 18, a cast material located between them or a preform and/or a shape-related semi-finished product can be heated on both sides, homogeneously and very quickly.

[0064] Alternatively, the second shaping half-shell 34 could be formed without an inductor and/or without an electrically conductive layer, but could have a top shaping element 17 with a cooling element 22 and/or a bottom shaping element 16 with a temperature control device 24. This would have the advantage that the manufacturing process would be positively influenced by shortening the cooling times.

[0065] A shaping half-shell 12 of a shaping mould 40 with a part to be formed 38 is shown in FIG. 4. It is clear that the shaping mould, as previously described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, can comprise two shaping half-shells 12, 34 lying opposite one another, even if only one is shown in FIG. 4. The at least one shaping half-shell 12 is an element 16 made of a mineral material, for example the previously described bottom shaping element. As shown, the shaping mould 40, the element 16, preferably a previously described bottom shaping element 16, an inductor 14 shown as an inductor coil 33, and the part to be formed 38 comprise an electrically conductive layer 18 which at least partially covers a shaping surface 38a of the part to be formed 38. However, it is also conceivable that the electrically conductive layer 18 completely covers the part to be formed. The inductor 14 of the shaping mould 40 is configured to induce eddy currents in the electrically conductive layer 18 of the part to be formed 38. Furthermore, the part to be formed 38 may additionally or alternatively include particles in its interior which likewise heat up due to eddy currents induced by the inductor 14. It is clear that the part to be formed can also comprise an electrically conductive layer 18 and/or particles, in which eddy currents can be generated by the inductor 14, even when using the shaping device 10 described above.

[0066] Furthermore, it is conceivable that a heat-insulating layer 20, as previously described with reference to the shaping device 10, is arranged on the element 16 in the direction of the part to be formed 38. In addition, the element 16 can also all have functionalities that were previously described in relation to the bottom shaping element 16 of the shaping device 10, such as, for example, a sensor 28 and/or a temperature control device 24 and/or a heat-insulating layer 20 and/or a protective layer 30.

[0067] Two heat pipes 42 arranged in the bottom shaping element 16 for dissipating heat from the electrically conductive layer 18 are shown by way of example in FIGS. 1 to 3 in the shaping half-shells, each designated with the number 34. It is clear that one or more heat pipes 40 can also be arranged in the bottom shaping elements 16 of both shaping half-shells 12, 34. Preferably, in the perspective shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, an upper end of the heat pipe 40 is arranged on and/or adjacent to the electrically conductive layer 18. However, a contact element 42, preferably a plate contact 42, can also be cast into the bottom shaping element 16, which is in contact with the conductive layer 18 when the bottom shaping element 16 is connected to the top shaping element 17. A lower end of the heat pipe 40 in the perspective shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 points away from the electrically conductive layer 18 and can preferably be arranged adjacent to or in contact with the temperature control device 24. Furthermore, at least one heat pipe 42, preferably the plurality of heat pipes 42, is aligned with its longitudinal extent in the perpendicular direction.