Plasticizing unit
12304125 · 2025-05-20
Assignee
Inventors
- Stefan Schierl (Germering, DE)
- Andreas Bierbaumer (Prutting, DE)
- Thomas DROGI (Altdorf / Eugenbach, DE)
- Martin Würtele (Friedberg, DE)
- Lazlo Giesgen (Aachen, DE)
Cpc classification
B29C48/385
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C45/0013
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C48/575
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C48/65
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C48/625
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C48/52
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
B29C48/64
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C48/385
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C48/52
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C48/575
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C48/625
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C48/65
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
The application relates to a plasticizing unit with a cylinder and a screw that is rotatably mounted in the cylinder and has a screw section which is designed as a shearing section and in which a blocking web encircling the screw core in a helical manner and a main screw thread enclosed by the blocking web are provided. A shearing web runs in the main screw thread parallel to the blocking web at a lower height than the blocking web. In this manner, two screw threads are produced which run parallel to each other and are separated by the shearing web. The threads are designed in the form of wave screw threads. Each wave screw thread is equipped with one or more wave peaks with a surface which is designed in the form of a plateau and forms a wave peak shearing surface, wherein the wave peak shearing surface is located at the same height as the surface of the shearing web in the region. The shearing web surface section which lies in the region of a wave peak shearing surface constitutes a shearing web sharing surface. A wave peak shearing surface and a shearing web shearing surface together form a total shearing surface. A specified total shearing surface together with the inner wall of the cylinder forms a shearing gap in accordance with a shearing gap size specified for the total shearing surface.
Claims
1. A plasticizing unit (1) for an injection moulding machine or an extrusion system, wherein the plasticizing unit (1) comprises: a cylinder (2) and a screw (3) arranged rotatably therein, wherein the screw (3) has a screw section formed as a shearing section (B), wherein in the shearing section (B) the screw (3) has a blocking web (4) encircling the screw in a helical manner, and a main screw thread (5) enclosed by the blocking web (4), wherein in the main screw thread (5) a shearing web (6) is arranged parallel to the blocking web (4), wherein the shearing web (6) has at least a part with a smaller height than a height of the blocking web (4) and at this part a surface (6a) of the shearing web (6) forms a shearing web shearing surface (SF.sub.S), wherein in the main screw thread (5) a first wave screw thread (7) and a second wave screw thread (8) are provided, each running parallel and spaced apart from one another by the shearing web (6), wherein the first wave screw thread (7) has a first thread base (15), running in a wave-shaped manner in a conveying direction of a melt, and the second wave screw thread (8) has a second thread base (16) running in a wave-shaped manner in the conveying direction of the melt, wherein wave peaks (9) of the first wave screw thread (7), when viewed in the conveying direction of the melt, lie offset with respect to wave peaks (10) of the second wave screw thread (8), wherein the wave peaks (9) of the first wave screw thread (7) and the wave peaks (10) of the second wave screw thread (8) are each provided with a surface (9c, 10c) configured as a plateau forming a wave peak shearing surface (SF.sub.W), wherein a length (L.sub.W) of the wave peak shearing surface (SF.sub.W), when viewed in the conveying direction of the melt, is longer than a width (B.sub.4) of the blocking web (4), and/or a width (B.sub.6) of the shearing web (6) is wider than the width (B.sub.4) of the blocking web (4) at the shearing web shearing surface (SF.sub.S), wherein the wave peak shearing surface (SF.sub.W) is situated at a same height as a height of the surface (6a) of the shearing web (6), wherein the wave peak shearing surface (SF.sub.W) and the shearing web shearing surface (SF.sub.S) together form an overall shearing surface (SFn), wherein the overall shearing surface (SFn) forms with an inner wall of the cylinder (2) a shearing surface shearing gap (S.sub.Z1), and wherein in both the first wave screw thread (7) and the second wave screw thread (8) more than one overall shearing surface (SFn) is present, and a size of the shearing surface shearing gap (S.sub.Z1) becomes smaller in the conveying direction of the melt.
2. The plasticizing unit according to claim 1, wherein with respect to a screw diameter D, the length (L.sub.W) of the wave peak shearing surface (SF.sub.W), viewed in the conveying direction of the melt, has a dimension of at least 0.15D, and/or that the width (B.sub.6) of the shearing web (6) has at least in part a dimension of at least 0.15D, wherein the width (B.sub.6) of the shearing web (6) has this dimension at the shearing web shearing surface (SF.sub.S).
3. The plasticizing unit according to claim 2, wherein the length (L.sub.W) of the wave peak shearing surface (SF.sub.W) is greater than or equal to 0.20D.
4. The plasticizing unit according to claim 3, wherein the length (L.sub.W) of the wave peak shearing surface (SF.sub.W) is greater than or equal to 0.30D.
5. The plasticizing unit according to claim 2, wherein the width (B.sub.6) of the shearing web (6) is greater than or equal to 0.20D.
6. The plasticizing unit according to claim 5, wherein the width (B.sub.6) of the shearing web (6) is greater than or equal to 0.30D.
7. The plasticizing unit according to claim 1, wherein the size of the shearing web shearing gap (S.sub.Z1) at the shearing web shearing surface (SF.sub.S) has a value between 0.2 mm and 2.0 mm.
8. The plasticizing unit according to claim 7, wherein the size of the shearing web shearing gap (S.sub.Z1) has a value between 0.3 mm and 0.9 mm.
9. The plasticizing unit according to claim 8, wherein the size of the shearing web shearing gap (S.sub.Z1) has a value between 0.4 mm and 0.8 mm.
10. The plasticizing unit according to claim 1, wherein the surface (6a) of the shearing web (6), viewed in the conveying direction of the melt, has a profile, wherein the profile is step-shaped or wave-shaped, wherein the profile is configured such that the surface (6a) of the shearing web (6) near the wave peaks (9, 10) lies lower than in other regions, and that near a wave trough the surface (6a) of the shearing web (6) lies at a same height as a surface of the blocking web (4).
11. The plasticizing unit according to claim 1, wherein the surface (9c, 10c) of the wave peaks (9, 10) form with the inner wall of the cylinder (2) a wave peak shearing gap (S.sub.Z2), wherein a size of the wave peak shearing gap (S.sub.Z2) becomes smaller in the conveying direction of the melt.
12. The plasticizing unit according to claim 1, wherein in region of the overall shearing surface (SFn), the width (B.sub.6) of the shearing web (6) at its surface (6a) is smaller than or equal in size to the length (L.sub.W) of the wave peak shearing surface (SF.sub.W), viewed in the conveying direction of the melt, wherein the width (B.sub.6) has a lower threshold value of between 50% and 60% and an upper threshold value of between 80% and 90% of the length (L.sub.W).
13. The plasticizing unit according to claim 1, wherein the wave peak shearing surface (SFW.sub.7) of the first wave screw thread (7) and the wave peak shearing surface (SFW.sub.8) of the second wave screw thread (8), viewed in the conveying direction of the melt, are spaced apart from one another, wherein the wave peak shearing surface (SF.sub.W) in the first wave screw thread (7) is associated with a wave trough (12) in the second wave screw thread (8).
14. The plasticizing unit according to claim 1, wherein the wave peaks (9, 10), viewed in the conveying direction of the melt, have an ascending flank (13) lying in front of the wave peak shearing surface (SF.sub.W), and a descending flank (14) lying after the wave peak shearing surface (SF.sub.W), wherein the ascending flank (13) forms a first angle () with the surface (6a) of the shearing web (6), wherein the descending flank (14) forms a second angle () with the surface (6a) of the shearing web (6), and wherein the first angle () is smaller than the second angle ().
15. The plasticizing unit according to claim 1, wherein the cylinder (2) with the screw (3) formed with the shearing portion (B) constitutes a first cylinder (18) with a first screw (19), wherein addition to the first cylinder (18) a second cylinder (26) is provided with a second screw (27), wherein the second cylinder (26) has at its front end a melt outlet (28), which is in fluidic connection with a melt inlet (29) in the rear region of the first cylinder (18), wherein the second cylinder (26) is provided for the production of a melted plastic material (P), wherein the melted plastic material (P) can be transferred from the second cylinder (26) into the first cylinder (18), wherein at the first cylinder (18) an inlet is provided for the addition of a fibre material (F), and wherein at the first cylinder (18) the inlet for the plastic material (P) and the inlet for the filler, when viewed in the conveying direction of the melt, are arranged in front of the shearing portion (B).
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The invention is to be described more closely below with the aid of example embodiments and with reference to
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DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
(13) In the following embodiments, a fibre material is to be used as filler.
(14) The screw 3 has several sections A and B. In a first section A a plastic material P, which is introduced via a feeding hopper, is drawn in and melted. Via this feeding hopper, a fibre material F is also added. The section A is embodied in the manner of a three-zone screw and thus has a feed zone, a compression zone and a metering zone. Viewed in conveying direction of the melt, a shearing section B according to the invention adjoins. At the start of the section B, a mixture of melted plastic material P and fibre material F is present. Plastic material P and fibre material F can be fed into the cylinder 2 via one and same feeding hopper, as in
(15) The configuration of the shearing section B is to be described more closely in the following with the aid of
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(17) According to the invention, on the one hand the width Be of the shearing web 6 is distinctly greater than the width B.sub.4 of the blocking web 4. Furthermore, the height of the wave peaks 9, 10 is dimensioned such that in each wave screw thread 7, 8 there is a portion in which the surface of the shearing web 6 and the surface of a wave peak form a shared surface. In addition, the wave peaks are formed with a plateau, i.e. there is a surface of a wave peak which in conveying direction of the melt has a length Lw and the width of which corresponds to the thread width G.sub.7, G.sub.8 of a wave screw thread 7, 8. The above-mentioned shared surface of shearing web 6 and wave peak 9, 10 is therefore present over the entire length Lw of the area of a wave peak 9, 10. The width of the shared surface corresponds to the sum of the width B.sub.6 of the shearing web 6 and of the thread width G.sub.7, G.sub.8 of the wave peak 9, 10 respectively involved in the shared surface.
(18) The function of the above-mentioned shared surface consists in exerting a shear effect on the mixture of plastic material P and fibre material F which is present in a wave screw thread and flowing up a wave peak, and in dividing this mixture according to flow such that a portion continues to flow over the plateau of the wave peak and remains in the wave screw thread in which the mixture has arrived, and that another portion flows over the shearing web away into the adjacent wave screw thread. Therefore, the shared surface is also to be designated in the following as overall shearing surface SF. This overall shearing surface SF is therefore composed of a shearing surface SFw corresponding to the surface of the plateau of a wave peak 9, 10 and a shearing surface SFs of a shearing web 6, which corresponds to the product of the length Lw of the shearing surface SFw and the width B.sub.6 of the shearing web 6, i.e. SFs=LwB.sub.6.
(19) Depending on whether the shearing surface SFw is present with a wave peak 9 in the wave screw thread 7 or with a wave peak 10 in the wave screw thread 8, the following shearing surfaces can be differentiated.
SFw.sub.7=LwG.sub.7(shearing surface with wave peak in wave screw thread 7)
SFw.sub.8=LwG.sub.8 (shearing surface with wave peak in wave screw thread 8)
(20) The configuration of the wave screw threads 7 and 8 and of the shearing web 6 is such that the width B.sub.6 of the shearing web 6 is smaller than or equal to the length Lw of a shearing surface SFw with a wave peak. In a preferred embodiment, the width Be can assume a value of 50% of Lw and greater. Most particularly preferably, the lower limit of B.sub.6 lies between 50% and 60% of Lw and the upper limit of B.sub.6 lies between 80% and 90% of Lw. Suitable numerical values are directed to which plastic material P and which fibre material F is to be processed. The ratio of width B.sub.6 to length Lw should be such that for the material which is to be processed in the region of an overall shearing surface SF a division of the material stream results, according to which at least half of the incoming material flows via the shearing web 6 into the adjacent wave screw thread.
(21) Viewed in flow direction, in each of the wave shear threads 7, 8 several wave peaks 9 or respectively 10 are to follow one another. An arrangement with two to five wave peaks following one another can be regarded as sufficient for most applications. However, it may also occur that a greater number of wave peaks is necessary.
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(23) The length Lw of a wave peak shearing surface, viewed in conveying direction of the melt, is configured to be comparatively long, in particular compared to the width of the blocking web and/or the width of the shearing web is configured to be at least partially comparatively wide, in particular compared to the width of the blocking web and namely preferably in the portions of the surface of the shearing web formed as a shearing web shearing surface.
(24) According to an embodiment, provision can be made that with respect to the screw diameter D the length Lw of a wave peak shearing surface, viewed in conveying direction of the melt, has a dimension of at least 0.15D, preferably greater than or equal to 0.20D, most particularly preferably greater than or equal to 0.30D. Additionally or alternatively thereto, provision can be made that the width of the shearing web has at least in part a dimension of at least 0.15D, preferably greater than or equal to 0.20D, most particularly preferably greater than or equal to 0.30D. The width of the shearing web can preferably have the above-mentioned dimension in the portions of the surface of the shearing web configured as shearing web shearing surface (SFs).
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(26) In
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(30) The surface of the shearing web forms with the inner wall of the cylinder a shearing web shearing gap S.sub.Z1, and the surface of a wave peak shearing surface forms with the inner wall of the cylinder a wave peak shearing gap S.sub.Z2. According to a configuration of the invention, the size of the shearing web shearing gap S.sub.Z1 at least in the region of a shearing web shearing surface can have a value of between 0.1 mm to 1.2 mm and/or the size of the wave peak shearing gap S.sub.Z2 can have a value of between 0.1 mm to 1.2 mm. Depending on which shearing gap (shearing web shearing gap S.sub.Z1/wave peak shearing gap S.sub.Z2) has which value, different case constellations can be present. Thus, one or more wave peak shearing surfaces at least in the region of a shearing web shearing surface can lie at the same height as the surface of the shearing web (see
(31) Between an overall shearing surface SF and the inner wall of the cylinder 2, a gap SZ is present, which is also to be designated in the following as shearing gap SZ. The size of this shearing gap SZ with a specified shearing surface SFn (n=1, 2, . . . ) is to be designated in the following by n (n=1, 2, 3, . . . ). The screw 2 is configured such that the shearing gap SZ becomes smaller, viewed in flow direction, i.e. 1>2>3 and so on. Thereby, the following effect is achieved: Through the reduction of the shearing gap SZ, an increase of the shear deformation is produced, which leads to an improvement of the dispersive and distributive mixing effect with the aim of further dispersing the agglomerates which are becoming smaller over the length of the process.
(32) In
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LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS
(36) 1 plasticizing unit 2 cylinder 3 screw 4 blocking web 5 main screw thread 6 shearing web 6a surface of the shearing web 6 7 first wave screw thread 8 second wave screw thread 9 wave peak in wave screw thread 7 9a start of the shearing surface of wave peak 9 9b end of the shearing surface of wave peak 9 9c surface of wave peak 9 (shearing surface) 10 wave peak in wave screw thread 8 10c surface of wave peak 10 11 wave trough in wave screw thread 7 12 wave trough in wave screw thread 8 13 ascending flank 14 descending flank 15 plasticizing and injecting unit of first type of construction 16 plasticizing and injecting unit of second type of construction 17 plasticizing and injecting unit of third type of construction 18 first cylinder of plasticizing and injecting unit 17 19 first screw of plasticizing and injecting unit 17 20 feeding hopper 21 plastic material metering device 22 fibre material metering device 23 rotary drive 24 linear drive 25 screw conveyor 26 second cylinder of plasticizing and injecting unit 17 27 second screw of plasticizing and injecting unit 17 28 melt outlet 29 melt inlet 30 clamping unit 31 fixed platen 32 movable platen 33a movable mould half 33b fixed mould half 34 rotary drive for second screw 27 35 pipeline 40 machine bed A first screw section B second screw section C third screw section P plastic material F fibre material G.sub.5 thread width of main screw thread 5 G.sub.7 thread width of wave screw thread 7 G.sub.8 thread width of wave screw thread 8 B.sub.4 web width of blocking web 4 B.sub.6 web width of shearing web 6 Lw length of the plateau of a wave peak 9, 10 SF shearing surface SFs shearing surface of shearing web 6 SFw shearing surface of a wave peak 9, 10 SFw.sub.7 shearing surface of a wave peak in wave screw thread 7 SFw.sub.8 shearing surface of a wave peak in wave screw thread 8 S.sub.Z1 shearing surface shearing gap S.sub.Z2 wave peak shearing gap SP gap between blocking web and cylinder inner wall SZ gap between shearing surface and cylinder inner wall angle between ascending flank and surface of the shearing web angle between descending flank and surface of the shearing web