INJECTION MOLDING TOOL AND METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING MARBLED MOLDED PARTS

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an injection mold for production of marbled moldings, including at least one hot runner, a cavity, an entry opening into the injection mold and an inlet into the cavity, where the hot runner has at least two ducts that are connected at a first end of each duct to the inlet into the cavity and at a second end of each duct to the entry opening into the injection mold, where the at least two ducts each at least partly form a spiral, and the at least two ducts are bounded by a one-piece component. Further disclosed herein is a process for producing the injection mold and a process for producing marbled moldings.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. An injection mold for production of marbled moldings, comprising at least one hot runner, a cavity, an entry opening into the injection mold and an inlet into the cavity, wherein the hot runner has at least two ducts that are connected at a first end of each duct to the inlet into the cavity and at a second end of each duct to the entry opening into the injection mold, wherein the at least two ducts each at least partly form a spiral and the at least two ducts are bounded by a one-piece component, and wherein the at least two ducts are separated from one another between their first end and their second end by the one-piece component, wherein the at least two ducts each have a center axis, and the center axis is arranged in the form of the spiral around a longitudinal hot runner axis, and the spiral has different slopes at each of at least two different positions.

17. The injection mold according to claim 16, wherein the spiral has a number of windings, and the number of windings is within a range from more than 0.5 to 3.

18. The injection mold according to claim 16, characterized in that the hot runner has three to eight ducts.

19. The injection mold according to claim 16, wherein a first slope of the spiral at a first position differs by at least 20? from a second slope of the spiral at a second position.

20. The injection mold according to claim 16, wherein the spiral has a slope of less than 60? at at least one position.

21. The injection mold according to claim 16, wherein the slope of the spiral decreases in a direction from the entry opening to the inlet.

22. The injection mold according to claim 16, wherein the hot runner has a central bore and optionally a closure element, along the longitudinal hot runner axis.

23. The injection mold according to claim 16, wherein the at least two ducts in a radial cross section of the hot runner each have a round, ellipsoidal, ring segment-shaped or polygonal, hexagonal or triangular, cross-sectional area.

24. The injection mold according to claim 16, wherein the one-piece component is an insert disposed in the hot runner, and the at least two ducts are disposed in the insert.

25. A process for producing an injection mold for production of marbled moldings, comprising at least one hot runner, a cavity, an entry opening into the injection mold and an inlet into the cavity, wherein the hot runner has at least two ducts that are connected at a first end of each duct to the inlet into the cavity and at a second end of each duct to the entry opening into the injection mold, wherein the at least two ducts each at least partly form a spiral and the at least two ducts are bounded by a one-piece component, and wherein the at least two ducts are separated from one another between their first end and their second end by the one-piece component, wherein at least the one-piece component is produced by additive method.

26. A process for producing marbled moldings, wherein a first molding compound and at least one further molding compound are each added separately in time and/or space to an injection unit of a screw injection molding machine and injected from the injection unit of the screw injection molding machine into an injection mold, wherein the injection mold comprises at least one hot runner, a cavity, an entry opening into the injection mold and an inlet into the cavity, wherein the hot runner has at least two ducts that are connected at a first end of each duct to the inlet into the cavity and at a second end of each duct to the entry opening into the injection mold, wherein the at least two ducts each at least partly form a spiral and the at least two ducts are bounded by a one-piece component, and wherein the at least two ducts are separated from one another between their first end and their second end by the one-piece component.

27. The process according to claim 26, wherein the injection unit comprises a barrel, a screw having a screw tip and a nozzle wherein the screw is rotatable and is disposed in the barrel so as to be movable in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the barrel between a forward position and a backward position, with a smaller distance between the screw tip and the nozzle in the forward position than in the backward position, and wherein the first molding compound comprises a first polymer compound and a first colorant, and the at least one further molding compound comprises a further polymer compound and optionally at least one further colorant, comprising the following steps: a) optionally feeding a first amount of the first molding compound onto the screw when the screw is in the backward position, b) optionally advancing the screw from the backward position into the forward position, c) feeding a second amount of the at least one further molding compound onto the screw, d) plastifying the first molding compound and the at least one further molding compound in the barrel of the screw, with rotation of the screw and conveying of at least a portion of the first molding compound and at least a portion of the at least one further molding compound into a clear space in the barrel between the nozzle and the screw tip, and with the screw moving from the forward position into the backward position, e) feeding a new first amount of the first molding compound onto the screw when the screw is in the backward position, f) injecting the first molding compound and the at least one further molding compound from the clear space in the barrel into a cavity of the injection mold, with the screw advancing from the backward position into the forward position, g) cooling the first molding compound and the at least one further molding compound in the injection mold, so as to give a marbled molding, h) removing the marbled molding from the injection mold, wherein steps c) to h) are repeated, step e) is conducted before step f), and step a) is optionally conducted before step b), and wherein the feeding of the new first amount of the first molding compound in step e) and optionally the feeding of the first amount of the first molding compound in step a) is conducted separately in time and/or space from the feeding of the second amount of the at least one further molding compound in step c).

28. The injection mold according to claim 22, wherein the closure element is a needle.

29. The process of claim 25, wherein the insert is produced by means of 3D printing.

Description

[0142] The figures show:

[0143] FIG. 1 a first schematic diagram of an injection molding machine with injection mold,

[0144] FIG. 2 a second schematic diagram of a screw injection molding machine with injection mold,

[0145] FIG. 3 a detail of a screw injection molding machine,

[0146] FIGS. 4, 6 and 8 each a detail of a hot runner,

[0147] FIGS. 5, 7 and 9 each a cross section of the detail of the hot runner according to FIGS. 4, 6 and 8 respectively,

[0148] FIGS. 10 to 21 each a top view or a perspective view of various embodiments of the at least two ducts,

[0149] FIGS. 22 to 27 each a top view, a perspective view or a longitudinal section of two further embodiments of the at least two ducts, and

[0150] FIG. 28 an insert with an undercut.

[0151] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a screw injection molding machine 7 comprising an injection unit 5. The injection unit 5 comprises a barrel 11 with an internal free volume 31, a screw 13 with a screw tip 15, and a nozzle 17 having a nozzle head 37 and a nozzle body 39. The screw 13 is rotatable and mounted in the direction of a longitudinal axis 19 of the barrel 11. The screw is in a backward position 23 in the barrel 11, with a distance 25 extending between the nozzle 17 and the screw tip 15, such that there is a clear space 27 between the nozzle and the screw tip 15 in the barrel 11.

[0152] The novel 17 having an exit opening 40 is adjoined by an injection mold 9 with hot runner 4 and two cavities 29. The injection mold 9 is shown in enlarged form. The cavities 29 have an internal volume and are merely indicated here. In addition, the injection mold 9 has an entry opening 8 into the injection mold 9 and two inlets 6 into the cavities 29. Between the exit opening 8 and the inlets 6 is disposed, as gate, a hot runner 4 with a hot runner distributor 33, which can also be referred to as distributor bar. A melt duct 74 leads to each cavity 29 from the hot runner distributor 33, and each of the two melt ducts 74 of the hot runner 4 has an insert 42 with ducts 41 into which the melt duct 74 is divided in the insert 42.

[0153] In the injection molding machine 7, the screw 13 has a metering zone 47, a compression zone 49 and an intake zone 51. The screw 13 can be used to convey molding compounds in a conveying direction 52 in the clear space 27. The clear space 27 is part of the interior 35 of the barrel 11, which is bounded by the barrel 11 and the screw 13.

[0154] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a screw injection molding machine 7 having an injection mold 9 corresponding essentially to the diagram of FIG. 1. However, the screw 13 according to FIG. 2 is in a forward position 21 in the barrel 11. By comparison with FIG. 1, the distance 25 has been reduced by an advance of the screw 13.

[0155] FIG. 3 shows a detail of the screw injection molding machine 7 according to FIG. 1. A portion of the intake zone 51 of the screw 13 present in the barrel 11 is shown. The screw 13 is movable along the longitudinal axis 19 of the barrel 11, and is in the backward position 23. Part of the screw 13 is beneath a feed opening 53. In the embodiment shown, a first molding compound 1 and a further molding compound 3 are fed to the screw 13 through the feed opening 53. The feed opening 53 has a first region 55 for feeding in the first molding compound 1 and a second region 57 for feeding in the further molding compound 3. By virtue of a cover 59, there is a second distance 61 between the first region 55 and the second 57, by means of which the first molding compound 1 is fed in spatially separately from the further molding compound 3.

[0156] FIG. 4 shows a hot runner nozzle 76 of a hot runner 4 with a hot runner nozzle cap 77. An insert 42 is disposed in the hot runner nozzle cap 77 as a one-piece component 46. A needle 73 is guided through the insert 42, which is movable along a longitudinal hot runner axis 69 and can close an inlet 6 into a cavity 29.

[0157] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the insert 42 according to FIG. 4. The insert 42 has a central bore 71 through which the needle 73 is guided. In addition, the insert 5 has ducts 41 in the form of straight bores having a round cross-sectional area 63. The ducts 41 are passage bores that run parallel to the longitudinal hot runner axis 69.

[0158] FIGS. 6 and 7, and 8 and 9, correspond essentially to FIGS. 4 and 5, except that the inserts 42 are of different configuration.

[0159] According to FIGS. 6 and 7, the insert 42 does not have a central bore 71 since the hot runner nozzle 76 is designed as an open nozzle without needle 73. The same applies to the portion of the hot runner 4 according to FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0160] The insert 42 of the open hot runner nozzle 76 according to FIGS. 6 and 7 has three straight ducts 41 with centre axes 67 that are arranged parallel to the longitudinal hot runner axis 69.

[0161] In FIGS. 8 and 9, a hot runner nozzle 76 in the form of an open nozzle is likewise shown. The insert 42 according to FIGS. 8 and 9 comprises three ducts 41, with each duct 41 at least partly forming a spiral 75 having a greater slope in a first position 44 than in a second position 48. Each duct 41 has a first end 43 and a second end 45, with the first end 43 arranged adjacent to the inlet 6. The ducts 41 each have an ellipsoidal or round cross-sectional area 63.

[0162] FIGS. 10 to 21 show six further embodiments of an insert 42, each of which is shown in a top view or perspective view. In FIGS. 10 to 21, ducts 41 in each case form a spiral 75, with the center axis 67 of each duct 41 disposed in the form of the spiral 75 around the longitudinal hot runner axis 69 in each case and having a particular number of windings 50.

[0163] According to FIGS. 10 and 11, the insert 42 has three ducts 41 and a central bore 71 for guiding the needle. The slope of the spirals 75 decreases in conveying direction 52, i.e. in the direction from the entry opening 8 of the injection mold 9 to the inlet 6 and from the second end 45 to the first end 43 of each duct 41. There is a greater slope in a first position 44 than in a second position 48. The slope changes from about 90? to a relatively gentle slope of about 30?. This results in favorable entry in terms of flow and a significant twist, which is imposed on the plastified molding compound at an outlet, i.e. at the first end 43 of every duct 41. Along the longitudinal hot runner axis 69, there is a constant free cross-sectional area 63 and hence a constant opening ratio. The spirals 75 each have a half winding 50, such that a land 65 between two ducts 41 is rotated by 180? compared to the first end 43 and second end 45.

[0164] The insert 42 according to FIGS. 12 and 13 corresponds to the insert according to FIGS. and 11, with the difference that it is an insert 42 for open nozzles since the ducts 41 are divided from one another by a solid cylinder 79 in the longitudinal hot runner axis 69.

[0165] The insert 42 according to FIGS. 14 and 15 corresponds to the insert 42 according to FIGS. 12 and 13, except that only two ducts 41 are present.

[0166] The insert 42 according to FIGS. 16 and 17 corresponds essentially to the insert 42 according to FIGS. 14 and 15, except that the spirals 75 have a constant slope and each have only about one third of a complete winding 50, such that the land 65 is rotated by about 120? compared to the first end 43 toward the second end 45. The slope is about 60?.

[0167] The insert 42 according to FIGS. 18 and 19 corresponds essentially to the insert 42 according to FIGS. 16 and 17, except that the spirals 75 have 1.5 windings 50, such that there is a slope of about 20?.

[0168] The insert 42 according to FIGS. 20 and 21 is similar to the insert 42 according to FIGS. 12 and 13. There are three ducts 41 each in the form of a spiral 75 which have a greater slope in a first position 44 than in a second position 48. The ducts 41 of the insert 42 according to FIGS. 20 and 21 each partly form a spiral 75, and the first ends 43 of the ducts 41 open into a first end face 83. A further portion of the ducts 41 runs straight and opens by the second end 45 into a second end face 81. In addition, the ducts 41 have a hexagonal cross-sectional area 63.

[0169] The insert 42 shown respectively in a top view, in perspective view and in a longitudinal section in FIGS. 22, 23 and 24 corresponds essentially to the insert 42 according to FIGS. 25, 26 and 27, except that the ducts 41 have a constant ellipsoidal cross-sectional area 63. By virtue of a constant cross-sectional area 63 as an ellipse, a higher opening ratio in the cross-sectional area 63 is achieved compared to a partly round cross-sectional area 63.

[0170] The insert 42 according to FIGS. 25, 26 and 27 corresponds to the insert 42 according to FIGS. 6 and 7, and essentially to the insert 42 of FIGS. 22, 23 and 24, except that the ducts 41 have a variable cross-sectional area 63. The ducts 41 have a round cross-sectional area 63 at the second end 45, and also along the straight portion of the ducts 41. In the spiral 75, the cross-sectional area 63 varies from a round form to a flattened ellipsoidal form since a slope of the center axes 67 of the ducts 41 increases relative to the longitudinal hot runner axis 69.

[0171] FIG. 28 shows an insert 42 having an undercut 91. The insert 42 comprises three ducts 41, each of which forms a spiral 75 with a variable slope. In the insert 42, an insert melt duct 85 ends at a second end face 81 of the ducts 41 in conveying direction 52. The insert melt duct 85 has the undercut 91, such that a first diameter 87 of the insert melt duct 85 is smaller than a second diameter 89 of the insert melt duct 85 at the second end face 81. Correspondingly, the diameter 87, 89 of the insert melt duct 85 increases in conveying direction 52.

EXAMPLE

Production of Coasters

[0172] For production of coasters, a hydraulic injection molding machine with locking force 1000 kN was used, comprising a barrel of internal diameter 25 mm, and an injection mold having two cavities and a hot runner system.

[0173] For two coasters, i.e. for each injection operation, which is also referred to as cycle or shot, a first amount of a first molding compound is provided in each case. The first molding compound consisted of black colored pellets in the form of cylindrical pellets having a respective diameter of 1 mm and a length of 2 mm, which comprised a black color and having a concentration of 20% by weight in PBT. The first amount had a mass of 0.03 g, which corresponded to five pellets.

[0174] In addition, a second amount of a further molding compound was provided for every two coasters. The second amount had a mass of 40 g. The further molding compound comprised 39.77 g of an uncolored PBT pellet material and 0.23 g of a colored PBT pellet material that comprised a further colorant in concentrated form per second amount. The further molding compound was in the form of a pellet mixture, and the uncolored PBT pellets and the colored PBT pellets were premixed in the further molding compound.

[0175] In each cycle, a first amount of the first molding compound was introduced onto the screw that was in a backward position. Then the screw was moved into a forward position toward the nozzle for injection. For addition of the molding compounds, a metering device with two funnels was used, mounted on the cylinder feed opening. The funnel that was used for the first molding compound opened out via a tube close to the screw flight of the screw in the hollow cylinder. This assured the desired placement position of the first amount.

[0176] The plastified molding compounds were injected into the cooled injection mold that comprised the hot runner system and two cavities each having a melt duct with hot runner nozzle, such that two marbled moldings were manufactured in parallel in each cycle. The hot runner kept the plastified molding compound in a liquid state up to the cavity, i.e. up to the molding. The hot runner nozzles used in each case were a needle valve nozzle that was operated hydraulically.

[0177] Each melt duct of the hot runner comprised exchangeable inserts that each had a central bore for guiding of the needle. In addition, the inserts each comprised at least two ducts in which the stream of the plastified molding compounds was divided and then combined again in the melt duct upstream of the exit from the hot runner nozzle. Inserts having three or four ducts were used, such that coasters having a pattern comprising a triple or quadruple repetition were obtained. An insert having three ducts was disposed upstream of one of the two hot runner nozzles, and an insert having four ducts upstream of the other of the two hot runner nozzles. It was thus possible, in a single cycle, to produce two identically colored coasters with different, respectively reproducible marbling patterns in just one injection mold.

[0178] One of the inserts used had a geometry according to table 1, and the ducts in each case were in the form of screw flights as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Starting point of the section of Diameter of the Slope the longitudinal hot runner axis [mm] spiral [mm] angle [?] 0 10 72.6 4 10 57.9 8 10 43.7 12 10 32.5 14 10 25.5

[0179] 20 coasters were produced in 10 successive cycles, and so the process was repeated several times. Good reproducibility of the resultant marbling pattern was found.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0180] 1 first molding compound [0181] 3 at least one further molding compound [0182] 4 hot runner [0183] 5 injection unit [0184] 6 inlet [0185] 7 screw injection molding machine [0186] 8 entry opening [0187] 9 injection mold [0188] 11 barrel [0189] 13 screw [0190] 15 screw tip [0191] 17 nozzle [0192] 19 longitudinal axis of the barrel [0193] 21 forward position [0194] 23 backward position [0195] 25 distance [0196] 27 clear space [0197] 29 cavity [0198] 31 internal free volume [0199] 33 hot runner distributor [0200] 35 interior [0201] 37 nozzle head [0202] 39 nozzle body [0203] 40 exit opening [0204] 41 ducts [0205] 42 insert [0206] 43 first end [0207] 44 first position [0208] 45 second end [0209] 46 one-piece component [0210] 47 metering zone [0211] 48 second position [0212] 49 compression zone [0213] 50 winding [0214] 51 intake zone [0215] 52 conveying direction [0216] 53 feed opening [0217] 55 first region [0218] 57 second region [0219] 59 cover [0220] 61 second distance [0221] 63 cross-sectional area [0222] 65 land [0223] 67 center axis [0224] 69 longitudinal hot runner axis [0225] 71 central bore [0226] 73 needle [0227] 74 melt duct [0228] 75 spiral [0229] 76 hot runner nozzle [0230] 77 hot runner nozzle cap [0231] 79 solid cylinder [0232] 81 second end face [0233] 83 first end face [0234] 85 insert melt duct [0235] 87 first diameter [0236] 89 second diameter [0237] 91 undercut