PRESS AND METHOD FOR MOLDING AN INGOT MADE OF THERMOPLASTIC OR THERMOSETTING MATERIAL

Abstract

A press (1) is described, for molding an ingot made of thermoplastic or thermosetting material, comprising a basement (10) integral with risers (20), a first and a second plane (30, 40) relatively sliding with respect to the risers (20), by means of first and second hydraulic cylinders (50, 60), respectively adapted to allow opening and closing a mold formed of a first half-mold fastened to the first plane (30) and a second half-mold fastened to the second plane (40), comprising actuators (70) adapted to exert a force whose direction is equal to or opposite with respect to the direction of the force adapted to allow opening or closing the mold; the first plane (30) connected to the basement (10) is moved by means of the first hydraulic cylinders (50) and of the actuators (70), while the second plane (40) is blocked by means of a blocking apparatus (80).

Claims

1. Press for molding an ingot made of thermoplastic or thermosetting material, comprising a basement integral with risers, a first and a second plane relatively sliding with respect to said risers, by means of first and second hydraulic cylinders, respectively adapted to allow opening and closing a mold formed of at least one first half-mold fastened to said first plane and a second half-mold fastened to said second plane and quickly increasing or reducing the relative distance between said first and said second plane and by means of actuators adapted to allow containing within a restricted tolerance threshold the parallelism between said first and said second plane, wherein said actuators are adapted to exert a force whose direction is equal to or opposite with respect to the direction of the force adapted to allow opening or closing said mold, and in that said first plane connected to said basement is moved by means of said first hydraulic cylinders and said actuators, said second plane connected to said risers is blocked by means of a blocking apparatus, after a sliding with respect to said risers to allow positioning said second plane in a certain position by means of said second hydraulic cylinders, said first hydraulic cylinders and said actuators adapted to move said first plane to allow opening or closing said mold and contain within a restricted tolerance threshold the parallelism between said first and said second plane.

2. Press according to claim 1, characterized in that each of said actuators comprises a position sensor adapted to allow a controller to impress a force to allow each of said actuators to reach a position adapted to contain within a restricted tolerance threshold the parallelism between said first and said second plane, said force having a direction equal to or opposite with respect to the direction of the force adapted to allow opening or closing said mold.

3. Press according to claim 2, characterized in that a first hydraulic circuit actuated by an hydraulic pump with constant flow-rate operates on a piston of each hydraulic cylinder, a second hydraulic circuit actuated by a bag-type accumulator pre-charged with pressurized nitrogen permanently operates on a piston of each actuator, and a proportional valve allows modulating the force acting onto said piston.

4. Method for molding an ingot made of thermoplastic or thermosetting material, by means of a press according to claim 1, comprising the following steps: slowly opening the mold formed of said first half-mold fastened to said first plane and possibly a second half-mold fastened to said second plane, by means of said first hydraulic cylinders adapted to move said first plane; quickly moving away said second plane, with respect to said first plane, by means of said second hydraulic cylinders; inserting the ingot to be molded inside said first half-mold; quickly approaching said second plane with respect to said first plane, by means of said second hydraulic cylinders; blocking said second plane, by means of said blocking apparatus; slowly closing the mold, by means of said first hydraulic cylinders adapted to move said first plane and by means of said actuators adapted to move said first plane by applying a force to allow each of said actuators to reach a position adapted to contain within a restricted tolerance threshold the parallelism between said first and said second plane.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Some embodiments of the present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, provided as a non-limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

[0019] FIG. 1 shows an axonometric view of an embodiment of the press for molding an ingot made of thermoplastic or thermosetting material, according to the present invention;

[0020] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the press of FIG. 1;

[0021] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view along line of FIG. 2;

[0022] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of portion IV of FIG. 3;

[0023] FIG. 5 shows a front view of the press of FIG. 1;

[0024] FIG. 6 shows a sectional view along line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

[0025] FIG. 7 shows an enlarged view of portion VII of FIG. 6;

[0026] FIG. 8 shows a front view of the press of FIG. 1;

[0027] FIG. 9 shows a sectional view along line IX-IX of FIG. 8; and

[0028] FIG. 10 shows an enlarged view of portion X of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0029] With reference to FIG. 1, it is possible to note that a press 1 for molding an ingot made of thermoplastic or thermosetting material comprises a basement 10 integral with risers 20, a first and a second plane 30, 40 relatively sliding with respect to the risers 20.

[0030] With reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, first and second hydraulic cylinders 50, 60, respectively allow opening and closing a mold formed of at least one first half-mold fastened to the first plane 30 and possibly a second half-mold fastened to the second plane 40 and quickly increasing or reducing the relative distance between the first and the second plane 30, 40.

[0031] With reference to FIGS. 5, 6, 7, actuators 70 allow containing within a restricted tolerance threshold the parallelism between the first and the second plane 30, 40.

[0032] The actuators 70 allow exerting a force whose direction is equal to or opposite with respect to the direction of the force adapted to allow opening or closing the mold.

[0033] The first plane 30 connected to the basement 10 is moved by means of the first hydraulic cylinders 50 of the actuators 70.

[0034] With reference to FIGS. 8, 9, 10, the second plane 40 connected to the risers 20 is blocked by means of a blocking apparatus 80, after a sliding with respect to the risers 20 to allow positioning the second plane 40 in a certain position by means of such second hydraulic cylinders 60.

[0035] Such first hydraulic cylinders 50 and such actuators 70 move the first plane 30 to allow opening or closing the mold and containing within a restricted tolerance threshold the parallelism between the first and the second plane 30, 40.

[0036] Each of the actuators 70 comprises a position sensor adapted to allow a controller to impress a force to allow each of such actuators 70 to reach a position adapted to contain within a restricted tolerance threshold the parallelism between the first and the second plane 30, 40. Such force is of an equal or opposite direction with respect to the direction of the force adapted to allow opening or closing the mold.

[0037] A first hydraulic circuit actuated by an hydraulic pump with constant flow-rate operates on a piston 51 of each hydraulic cylinder 50 (FIG. 4), a second hydraulic circuit actuated by a bag-type accumulator pre-charged with pressurized nitrogen permanently operates on a piston 71 of each actuator 70 (FIG. 7), a proportional valve allows modulating the force acting onto such piston 71.

[0038] A method for molding an ingot made of thermoplastic or thermosetting material by means of a press 1, comprises the following steps: [0039] slowly opening the mold formed of the first half-mold fastened to the first plane 30 and possibly a second half-mold fastened to the second plane 40, by means of such first hydraulic cylinders 50 adapted to move the first plane 30; [0040] quickly moving away the second plane 40, with respect to the first plane 30, by means of such second hydraulic cylinders 60; [0041] Inserting the ingot to be molded inside the first half-mold; [0042] quickly approaching the second plane 40 with respect to the first plane 30, by means of such second hydraulic cylinders 60; [0043] Blocking the second plane 40, by means of such blocking apparatus 80; [0044] slowly closing the mold, by means of such first hydraulic cylinders 50 adapted to move the first plane 30 and by means of such actuators 70 adapted to move the first plane 30 by applying a force to allow each of such actuators 70 to reach a position adapted to contain within a restricted tolerance threshold the parallelism between the first and the second plane 30, 40.