TWI398339B - Mold exchange device and molding system - Google Patents

Description

Mold transfer device and mold system

The present invention relates to a mold system and a mold transfer apparatus therefor; and more particularly to a mold system including a plurality of monochrome mold machines and a mold transfer apparatus therefor.

Plastic injection molding technology is a very important technology in the current plastic product manufacturing process. The principle of injection molding is to send the plastic material from the feeding funnel to the heating pipe in a quantitative and intermittent manner, and then melt it, and then push it forward through the piston rod or the push head and into the cavity of the mold after passing through the nozzle. . After the cavity is filled with the molten plastic material, the cooling system of the mold cools the plastic material into a solid, wherein after the mold is lowered to a proper temperature, the mold can be opened to eject the finished plastic product, and then the mold is closed to continue the next injection cycle.

Different plastic materials can have various colors, and the plastic finished product can be formed into plastic products containing different colors by injecting different color plastic materials into the mold. The plastic materials with different colors are preferably injected into the mold cavity of the mold through different nozzles, so the plastic product process can use a monochrome, two-color or even multi-color injection molding machine according to the color of the finished product.

In the process of plastic product manufacturing, the manufacturer will adopt an injection molding machine with the corresponding number of colors according to the number of finished products. For example, the manufacturer will use a two-color injection molding machine to form a two-color plastic finished product and a monochrome injection molding machine to form a finished monochrome product.

However, when a manufacturer needs to produce a large number of multi-color plastic products in a short period of time, the number of existing multi-color injection molding machines may not be sufficient to cause inefficiency. At the same time, the manufacturer may not be able to produce many of the existing monochromatic injection molding machines due to insufficient production requirements for the production of monochrome plastic products. Therefore, how to optimize the injection molding capacity under the production requirements of different plastic products is one of the current topics of plastic injection molding.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mold transfer apparatus for combining a plurality of single-shot injection molding machines for injecting different plastic materials to form a mold system capable of multi-color injection molding.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mold system, and more particularly to a mold system that can be used for multi-color injection molding, wherein the mold system includes a plurality of single-color mold machines that can be separately molded in a single color and exchange molds. A mold exchange system between monochrome mold machines.

The mold transfer device of the present invention is used in a plurality of monochrome mold machines in which one of the mold machines includes a mold. The mold transfer device includes a base, a horizontal rotating portion, and a first holding unit. The first holding unit is coupled to the first end of the horizontal rotating portion for holding the mold. The first holding unit will hold the mold after the mold completes the injection of the plastic material, wherein the horizontal rotating portion will rotate horizontally to move the first holding unit to another mold machine. After the first holding unit, the mold is placed on another mold machine for another mold machine to inject different plastic materials into the mold.

In another embodiment, the mold transfer device further includes a second holding unit coupled to the second end of the horizontal rotating portion. The first holding unit and the second holding unit simultaneously lift the mold for injecting the plastic material from the corresponding monochrome mold machine, and then the horizontal rotating portion will rotate horizontally to move the two holding units to another mold machine. The first holding unit and the second holding unit respectively place the respective lifted molds on another mold machine for another mold machine to inject different plastic materials into the mold.

The present invention relates to a mold system and a mold transfer apparatus therefor; and more particularly to a mold system that uses a mold transfer apparatus to selectively combine a plurality of independent monochrome mold machines and provide multi-color forming.

1A is a schematic illustration of a mold system 100 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1A, the mold system 100 includes a first mold machine 200, a second mold machine 300, a mold 400, and a mold transfer device 500. The mold transfer device 500 includes a first holding unit 510, a horizontal rotating portion 520, and a base 530. The first mold machine 200 includes a first turntable 210 and a first molding machine 220. The mold 400 is disposed on the first turntable 210 and in the injection molding zone 710 below the first molding machine 220 for the first molding machine 220. The plastic material is injected into the mold 400. The mold transfer device 500 will transport the mold 400 to the second mold machine 300 after the plastic material injection process is completed to proceed to the next stage of the plastic material injection process.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the first mold machine 200 and the second mold machine 300 are all independently operable monochrome injection molding machines, wherein the second mold machine 300 is usually used for the mold for performing monochrome injection molding. program. The mold transfer device 500 is used to transfer the mold 400 between the two mold machines 200, 300 to allow the mold 400 to inject different colors or materials of plastic materials into the different mold machines 200, 300, respectively. In other words, the mold transfer device 500 forms a mold machine that can be used for two-color injection molding by combining two mold machines 200, 300 of different colors.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the second mold machine 300 includes a second turntable 310 and a second molding machine 320, each having the same function as the first turntable 210 and the first molding machine 220. However, the first molding machine 220 and the second molding machine 320 of the present embodiment are respectively used to inject plastic materials of different colors into the mold 400 to complete the process requirements of the two-color injection molding.

1B and 1C are schematic views of the mold system 100 of FIG. 1A. As shown in FIG. 1B, the first turntable 210 rotates the mold 400 after the completion of the injection of the plastic material to the preparation area 700 for the mold transfer device 500 to lift the mold 400 and place it on the second mold machine 300.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1C , the first holding unit 510 includes a holding portion 511 and a rotating portion 512 , wherein the rotating portion 512 will rotate to move the holding portion 511 to a position close to the mold 400 for the holding portion 511 to hold the Mold 400. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1D, the horizontal rotating portion 520 is positioned on the first mold machine 200 and the second mold machine 300 and includes a first end 521 and a second end 522, wherein the first holding unit 510 is connected. First end 521. Further, the base of the horizontal rotating portion 520 includes a first lifting portion 513. The first lifting portion 513 is raised after the holding portion 511 holds the mold 400 to have a space between the mold 400 and the first turntable 210.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1E, the horizontal rotating portion 520 is rotated horizontally after the first lifting portion 513 is raised to move the first holding unit 510 to the position of the second mold machine 300. Finally, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1F, the first lifting portion 513 will be correspondingly lowered to bring the mold 400 into contact with the second turntable 310 of the second mold machine 300. The gripping portion 511 will release the mold 400 to place the mold 400 on the preparation zone 700 of the second turntable 310, wherein the rotating portion 512 will rotate to move the gripping portion 511 away from the second turntable 310. The second turntable 310 will then be rotated to move the mold 400 from the preparation zone 700 to the injection molding zone 710 of the second forming machine for the second forming machine to inject the plastic material of another color into the mold 400. In this way, the mold 400 can receive plastic materials of different colors from the first mold machine 200 and the second mold machine 300, respectively, to form a two-color plastic material.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D, the rotating portion 512 and the horizontal rotating portion 520 are rotated in accordance with two virtual planes having different orientations. In this embodiment, the two virtual planes are perpendicular to each other, but are not limited thereto; in different embodiments, the rotating portion 512 can rotate according to the virtual plane of different orientations according to the position of the first clamping unit 510 holding the mold 400.

As described above, the mold transfer device 500 disposed between the first mold machine 200 and the second mold machine 300 combines the two monochrome mold machines by the action of the first holding unit 510 holding the mold 400 and the horizontal rotating portion 520. A two-color injection molding machine for injecting plastic materials of different colors is formed. In this way, when the number of the original two-color injection molding machines is insufficient to support the production capacity required for the mold 400, the user can combine the mold transfer device 500 between the two monochrome mold machines to form an additional two-color injection molding machine to support Injection molding work.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A to FIG. 1F, the first holding unit 510 is a holding robot arm with a hook, but is not limited thereto; in different embodiments, the first holding unit 510 may also have a human arm type. A mechanical arm or other robotic arm suitable for holding the mold 400. The rotating portion 512 and the horizontal rotating portion 520 are driven by a servo motor (Servo Motor) to perform horizontal rotation and drive the first holding unit 510 and the holding portion 511, but are not limited thereto; in different embodiments; the rotating portion 512 and the horizontal rotation Port 520 can also be driven in other ways. A rotating element that drives other components.

2A and 2B show another embodiment of the mold system 100 of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the mold system 100 includes a first mold 410 and a second mold 420 disposed in the first mold machine 200 and the second mold machine 300, respectively. In addition, the mold transfer device 500 further includes a second holding unit 514, wherein the first holding unit 510 and the second holding unit 514 are used to transport the first mold 410 and the second mold 420 between the two mold machines at the same time. A two-color injection molding process is performed together.

In the present embodiment, the second holding unit 514 is coupled to the second end 522 of the horizontal rotating portion 520. The second holding unit 514 includes a holding portion 511 and a rotating portion 512 which are the same as the first holding unit 510 . As shown in FIG. 2A, the rotating portions 512 of the two holding units 510, 514 respectively move the corresponding holding portions 511 toward the first mold machine 200 and the second mold machine 300 and hold the first mold 410 and the second mold 420. The first lifting portion 513 of the mold transfer device 500 will be elongated after confirming that the two molds are held to lift the first mold 410 and the second mold 420 from the corresponding turntable. In addition, the horizontal rotating portion 520 of the mold transfer device 500 will be moved horizontally to move the two holding units to another mold machine.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2B, when the first holding unit 510 and the second holding unit 514 are respectively moved to the second mold machine 300 and the first mold machine 200, the first lifting portion 513 will contract to make the two molds Contact the corresponding turntable. The rotating portions 512 of the two holding units will rotate after the mold is released from the grip to move the gripping portion 511 away from the mold machine. In this way, the first turntable 210 and the second turntable 310 can respectively move the two molds to the corresponding injection molding zone 710 for the second monochrome injection molding process.

3A and 3B are schematic views showing a modified embodiment of the mold system 100 shown in Figs. 1A to 1F. In this embodiment, the first holding unit 510 includes a second lifting portion 517, and connects the rotating portion 512 of the first holding unit 510 and the first end 521 of the horizontal rotating portion 520 to selectively extend or contract to change the first holding The distance between unit 510 and the mold machine. Similarly, the second holding unit 514 also includes a second lifting portion 517 connecting the rotating portion 512 of the second holding unit 514 and the second end 522 of the horizontal rotating portion 520 to selectively extend or contract to change the second holding unit 514. The distance from the mold machine.

As shown in FIG. 3A, after the rotating portion 512 moves the holding portion 511 to the mold 400 and holds it, the second lifting portion 517 will elongate to lift the mold 400 from the first turntable 210; thus, the horizontal rotating portion 520 The first holding unit 510 can be moved to the position of the second mold machine 300 by horizontal rotation.

As shown in FIG. 3B, when the first holding unit 510 is moved to the second mold machine 300, the second lifting portion 517 will contract to place the mold 400 on the second turntable 310 of the second mold machine 300. In this way, the second turntable 310 can be rotated to move the mold 400 into the injection molding zone 710 of the second molding machine 320 for the second molding machine 320 to perform another color plastic material injection operation on the mold 400.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the second lifting portion 517 can be selectively mounted at different positions of the mold transfer device 500 according to the weight and volume of the mold 400. In addition, in this embodiment, the second lifting portion 517 is a hydraulic mechanical arm, but is not limited thereto; in different embodiments, the second lifting portion 517 also includes a mechanical arm using an electric motor or other extension A mechanical device that lifts the mold 400.

4A and 4B are schematic views of another embodiment of the mold system 100 of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the first holding unit 510 includes a holding portion 511 and a second lifting portion 517. The second lifting portion 517 is configured to move and hold the clamping portion 511 and the mold 400 thereof. As shown in FIG. 4A, when the gripping portion 511 is positioned above the mold 400, the second lifting portion 517 will first move the gripping portion 511 toward the mold 400 by shrinking to hold it; then the second lifting portion 517 will elongate to mold the mold. The 400 is removed from the first turntable 210 for the horizontal rotating portion 520 to move the first holding unit 510 to the second molding machine 300 by horizontal rotation.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4B, when the holding portion 511 of the first holding unit 510 is located in the spare area 700 above the second turntable 310, the second lifting portion 517 will contract to make the mold 400 contact the second turntable 310. The holding portion 511 releases the holding of the mold 400 after the mold 400 contacts the second turntable 310. Finally, the second lifting portion 517 is elongated to remove the mold holding portion 511 from the second molding machine 300 to prevent the mold holding portion 511 and the mold 400 from colliding with each other when rotating.

5A and 5B show another embodiment of the mold system 100 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5A, the mold system 100 further includes a third mold machine 600, wherein the third mold machine 600 includes a third turntable 610 and a third forming machine 620. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A, the first holding unit 510 lifts the mold 400 from the second turntable 310 of the second molding machine 300, wherein the mold 400 has been completed in the first molding machine 220 and the second molding machine 320. Corresponding plastic injection molding process.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5B, the third turntable 610 of the third molding machine 600 feeds the mold 400 into the third molding machine 620 by rotation, so that the third molding machine 620 performs another plastic injection molding on the mold 400. Process. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, the molding machines included in the three mold machines are respectively used to inject plastic materials having different colors, wherein the first holding unit 510 of the mold transfer device 500 transmits the mold 400. A single-color plastic material is injection molded between the three mold machines. In other words, the mold system 100 of the present embodiment combines three monochromatic injection molding machines into a three-color injection molding machine by the transfer of the mold transfer device 500.

In the above embodiment, the mold system 100 forms a two- or three-color injection molding machine by means of a mold transfer device 500 in combination with two or three single-shot injection molding machines, but is not limited thereto; in various embodiments, the mold system 100 It can also contain other numbers and corresponding colorless monochrome injection molding machines.

6A and 6B show another embodiment of the mold system 100 of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the mold system 100 further includes a third mold machine 600 and a fourth mold machine 630. In addition, the mold system 100 further includes a third holding unit 515 and a fourth holding unit 516, wherein the third holding unit 515 and the fourth holding unit 516 have the holding portion and the rotating portion in the above embodiment.

In this embodiment, the four holding units respectively correspond to one of the plurality of mold machines, wherein the first holding unit 510 and the second holding unit 514 form a pair of 挟 The third holding unit 515 and the fourth holding unit 516 also form a pair of holding groups. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6A, each molding machine of the molding machine has completed a monochrome injection molding process for the mold, and after the turntable, the mold is moved from the injection molding machine of the molding machine to the preparation area 700 by rotation. For the corresponding holding unit to lift. The first holding unit 510 and the second holding unit 514 will lift the molds 410, 420 from the first mold machine 200 and the second mold machine 300 and prepare to exchange the molds 410, 420 between the first mold machine 200 and the second mold machine 300. Similarly, the third holding unit 515 and the fourth holding unit 516 will lift the molds 430, 440 from the third mold machine 600 and the fourth mold body 630 and prepare to exchange the molds 430, 440 between the third mold machine 600 and the fourth mold machine 630.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6B, the horizontal rotating portion of the mold transfer device 500 moves the gripping unit by substantially 180 degrees of rotation to move the gripping unit from one mold machine to the other. In addition, the first lifting portion 513 of the mold transfer device 500 will contract to bring the mold of the holding unit into contact with the corresponding turntable, wherein the holding portion 511 of the holding unit will release the holding of the mold. The first lifting portion 513 will be raised after confirming that the holding portion 511 is not holding the mold, so that the rotating plate moves the mold to the injection molding zone of the molding machine to receive the injection of another plastic material by rotation.

As shown in FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, in this embodiment, four holding units and two pairs of mold machines are used to form a two-color injection molding machine capable of simultaneously performing four molds, but is not limited thereto; in different embodiments, this embodiment The inventive mold system 100 can use other numbers of holding units and a corresponding number of mold machines to simultaneously process the plastic injection of other numbers of molds. The mold system 100 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B is substantially the same as or similar to the mold system 100 of FIGS. 1A through 1F except for the number of holding units and mold machines, and thus will not be described herein.

While the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, the embodiments of the invention The spirit and scope of the principles of the invention. Modifications of the various forms, structures, arrangements, ratios, materials, components and components may be employed by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims, and the legal equivalents thereof are not limited to the foregoing description.

100. . . Mold system

200. . . First mold machine

210. . . First turntable

220. . . First molding machine

300. . . Second mold machine

310. . . Second turntable

320. . . Second molding machine

400. . . Mold

410. . . First mold

420. . . Second mold

430. . . Third mold

440. . . Fourth mold

500. . . Mold transfer device

510. . . First holding unit

511. . . Holding department

512. . . Rotating part

513. . . First lifting section

514. . . Second holding unit

515. . . Third holding unit

516. . . Fourth holding unit

517. . . Second lifting section

520. . . Horizontal rotation

521. . . First end

522. . . Second end

530. . . Base

600. . . Third mold machine

610. . . Third turntable

620. . . Third molding machine

630. . . Fourth mold machine

640. . . Fourth turntable

650. . . Fourth molding machine

700. . . Preparation area

710. . . Injection molding zone

1A to 1F are schematic views showing an embodiment of a mold system of the present invention;

2A and 2B are another embodiment of the mold system of the present invention;

3A and 3B are schematic views showing a modified embodiment of the mold system shown in FIGS. 1A to 1F;

4A and 4B are schematic views showing another embodiment of the mold system of the present invention;

5A and 5B are another embodiment of the mold system of the present invention;

6A and 6B show another embodiment of the mold system of the present invention.

100. . . Mold system

200. . . First mold machine

210. . . First mold machine

220. . . First molding machine

300. . . Second mold machine

310. . . Second turntable

320. . . Second molding machine

400. . . Mold

500. . . Mold transfer device

510. . . First holding unit

511. . . Holding department

512. . . Rotating part

513. . . First lifting section

520. . . Horizontal rotation

521. . . First end

522. . . Second end

530. . . Base

700. . . Preparation area

710. . . Injection molding zone

Claims (12)

A mold transfer device for a plurality of mold machines, one of the mold machines comprising a first mold, the mold transfer device comprising: a base between the mold machines; a horizontal rotating portion coupled to the base The horizontal rotating portion has a first end that can be positioned above the mold machines, and a first holding unit coupled to the first end of the horizontal rotating portion for holding the first mold, the first holding The unit includes: a holding portion for holding the first mold; and a rotating portion coupled to the holding portion, wherein the holding portion is pivoted about the rotating portion to selectively bring the holding portion closer to or away from the a mold machine, wherein the first holding unit holds the first mold of the mold machine, the horizontal rotating portion rotates horizontally to move the first holding unit to another mold machine for the first holding unit The first mold is placed on another mold machine. The mold transfer device of claim 1, further comprising a second holding unit, wherein the horizontal rotating portion has a second end that can be positioned above the mold machines, and the other mold machine includes a second mold. The second holding unit is coupled to the second end of the horizontal rotating portion for holding the second mold. The mold transfer device of claim 2, wherein the first holding unit holds the second mold of the mold machine while the first holding unit holds the second mold of the mold machine, the horizontal rotating portion is horizontal Rotating to move the second holding unit to the mold machine for the second holding unit to place the second mold on the mold machine. The mold transfer device of claim 1, wherein the horizontal rotating portion comprises a first lifting portion that is selectively elongated or contracted to change a distance between the first clamping unit and the mold machine. The mold transfer device of claim 1, wherein the first holding unit comprises a second lifting portion that is selectively elongated or contracted to change a distance between the first clamping unit and the mold machine. A mold system comprising: a plurality of mold machines comprising a first mold machine and a second mold machine, wherein the first mold machine comprises a first mold; and a mold transfer device comprising: a base at the molds Between the machines; a horizontal rotating portion connected to the base, the horizontal rotating portion has a first end, which can be positioned above the mold machines; and a plurality of holding units, including a first holding unit, connected to the horizontal rotation The first end of the portion is for holding the first mold, the first holding unit comprises: a holding portion for holding the first mold; and a rotating portion connected to the holding portion, wherein the holding portion is The rotating portion is pivoted to selectively bring the holding portion closer to or away from the first mold machine, wherein the horizontal holding portion is horizontal after the first holding unit holds the first mold of the first mold machine Rotating to move the first holding unit to the position of the second mold machine for the first holding unit to place the first mold on the second mold machine. The mold system of claim 6, wherein the horizontal rotating portion comprises a first lifting portion that is selectively elongated or contracted to change a distance between the first holding unit and the mold machines. The mold system of claim 6, further comprising a second holding unit, wherein the horizontal rotating portion has a second end that can be positioned above the mold machines, and the second mold machine includes a second mold, The second holding unit is coupled to the second end of the horizontal rotating portion for holding the second mold. The mold system of claim 8, wherein the first holding unit holds the first mold of the first mold machine, the second holding unit holds the second mold of the second mold machine, the horizontal rotating portion Rotating horizontally to move the second holding unit to the first mold machine for the second holding unit to place the second mold on the first mold machine. The mold system of claim 6, wherein the first holding unit comprises a second lifting portion that is selectively elongated or contracted to change a distance between the first holding unit and the mold machines. The mold system of claim 8, wherein the first holding unit comprises: a holding portion for holding the first mold; and a lifting portion connected to the holding portion and the horizontal rotating portion, wherein the lifting portion Optionally, it can be elongated or contracted to change the distance between the holding portion and the mold machines. The mold system of claim 8, wherein the first mold machine comprises: an injection molding zone for performing monochrome injection molding on the first mold; and a turntable for setting the first mold and partially the turntable Located below the injection molding zone, the turntable moves the first mold from a preparation zone to the injection molding zone by rotation or moves the first die from the injection molding zone to the preparation zone; wherein the die transfer device is Controlling the first holding unit or the second holding unit to hold the first mold when the first mold is located in the preparation area.