Abstract
An arrangement for melting at least one solid precursor product for polymer production includes a housing for receiving the solid precursor product by way of an opening, and a melting device arranged in the housing. The melting device is disposed so that the solid precursor product can be fed thereto to be melted. A preferably switchable discharge device is connected to an opening of the housing and can be connected to an injection unit.
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A melting process for melting a solid precursor product for polymer production, the process comprising: receiving the solid precursor product in a housing by way of an opening, feeding the solid precursor product to a melting device arranged in the housing, preferably by way of a feed unit connected to the housing, melting the solid precursor product by the melting device to give a melt, and discharging the melt by way of a discharge device connected to the housing to an injection unit connected to the discharge device.
22. A production process for producing a fiber-reinforced plastic component comprising the steps: melting at least two solid precursor products according to the melting process as set forth in claim 21, mixing the melts to give a reactive matrix, providing an insert portion or a reinforcing element in a cavity of a molding tool introducing the reactive matrix into the cavity of the molding tool, hardening the reactive matrix together with the insert portion or together with the reinforcing element to give a plastic component, and removing the fiber-reinforced plastic component from the molding tool.
23. The melting process as set forth in claim 21, wherein the solid precursor product received in the housing comprises at least one of additivated mixtures of -caprolactam or laurolactam, precursor products of thermoplastic epoxy resins, and cross-linking silicones.
24. The melting process as set forth in claim 21, wherein said melting the solid precursor product comprises melting only an amount of the solid precursor product to be used in a subsequent processing operation.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0042] Further details of the invention are discussed with reference to FIGS. 1 through 8 which show various embodiments of the arrangement, by way of example.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0043] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment having an arrangement 1 which has a housing 2 in which is arranged a preferably heated melting device 4 to which a solid precursor product can be fed by way of a feed unit 3 (here a screw conveyor). The melting device 4 is conical (cone-shaped) and oriented in the vertical direction such that tips of the cone or pyramid-shaped melting devices 4 point to a respective inlet opening of the housing 2 through which is supplied the first solid precursor product. Furthermore, each melting device 4 has an internal temperature controller. In addition, a heating device 13 is provided for heating the walls of the housing 2. The molten material collects beneath the melting device 4 in a collecting zone 8, from where it can be discharged through a switchable discharge device 5. Also provided is a filling level sensor 7. Also shown are a gas introducing device 9 for the introduction of a protective gas and a pressure regulating device 12.
[0044] In the variant shown in FIG. 2, the filling level sensor 7 is in the form of an oscillating fork sensor. The double-headed arrow indicates the adjustability in height of the melting device 4 which here is in the form of an inclined plate. A stripping device 14 and a slider 10 are also provided. In both the first embodiment of FIG. 1 and the second embodiment of FIG. 2, the solid precursor product passes from the respective feed unit 3 through the inlet opening of the housing 2 and onto a heating surface of the melting device 4. The heating surface is inclined relative to horizontal and is located vertically below the inlet opening of the housing 2. As also illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the discharge devices 5 are arranged vertically below the collecting zones 8 and below the melting devices 4. Thus, when the discharge devices 5 are opened, the molten material flows from the collecting zones 8 into a respective injection unit 6 (see FIG. 3).
[0045] FIG. 3 shows an apparatus for the production of a polymer molding from at least two different solid precursor products having at least two arrangements 1 as shown in FIG. 1. The melts are introduced into a cavity of a common molding tool 11 by injection units 6. Each discharge device 5 is connected to a respective injection unit 6 directly or by way of a conduit such as a mold discharge hose or pipe connection.
[0046] FIG. 4 shows the same apparatus as in FIG. 3, but with arrangements which substantially correspond to FIG. 2. Here, however, a feed unit 3 in the form of a suction conveyor with a storage container 15 and a separating device 16 is arranged between the feed unit 3 and the melting device 4, in the form of a cell wheel rotary valve.
[0047] FIG. 5 shows modifications in relation to FIG. 4, in which the discharge devices 5 (switch-over valves) are shown inclined. In addition, the conduits between the discharge devices 5 and the melting devices 4 are increased in length. An additional temperature control element 17 is also disposed in those conduits, which can also be in the form of a heat exchanger and which can also serve for thermal homogenization of the melt.
[0048] In FIGS. 6 through 8, the discharge device 5 (switch-over valve) is not formed by a valve head-valve seat combination, but has a closure element 21 in the form of a slider, a seal 18, and the discharge passage 22. The seal 18 can for example comprise a ceramic material. Preferably, the seal 18 comprises a plastic, in particular a polymer. In FIG. 6, the front part (shown at the right-hand side) of the seal 18 is fitted on to the piston-shaped closure element 21 of the discharge device 5 and is fixed by a screw 19 and a holding plate 20. In FIG. 7, a single longer seal 18 is disposed around or on the entire front shank region (closure element 21) of the discharge device 5. In contrast, FIG. 8 shows a variant in which the preferably polymer seal 18 is applied to the slider (closure element 21) in the form of two mutually spaced, cast sealing rings.
LIST OF REFERENCES
[0049] 1 arrangement [0050] 2 housing [0051] 3 feed unit [0052] 4 melting device [0053] 5 discharge device [0054] 6 injection unit [0055] 7 filling level sensor [0056] 8 collecting zone [0057] 9 device for introducing a protective gas [0058] 10 slider [0059] 11 molding tool [0060] 12 pressure regulating device [0061] 13 heating device [0062] 14 stripping device [0063] 15 storage container [0064] 16 separating device [0065] 17 temperature control element [0066] 18 seal [0067] 19 screw [0068] 20 holding plate [0069] 21 closure element [0070] 22 discharge passage
