Molding process closed

A special attribute of these processes is the abiHty to pre-position reinforcement, inserts, and core materials for stiffening ribs. Gel coatings can be apphed to the mold surface to eliminate post-mold finishing. Because both surfaces of the part are formed in a mold to close tolerances, accurate assemblies are possible, which is a requirement for many automotive or tmck body appHcations. 

This process is carried out at low pressure and at ambient temperature. The fiber is placed in the tool in the form of a mat and the resin is poured in. The mold is closed, and the resin spreads through the reinforcement thereby impregnating and fully wetting out the fiber strands. The process is done on an hydraulic press. Pressure levels required for molding are typically around 10 MPa. Gel coat can be applied to the mold faces before the molding operation commences. 

Thermoformed products are used in various outdoor and commercial applications which require tough products that have a large surface area. Typically, these products do not have close dimensional tolerances. Such applications include ornamental pool liners, dumpster lids, panels for portable sanitation facilities, and agricultural feed troughs. These products, which are not required in very large numbers, could not be produced economically by other molding processes,... 

Although most boats are produced via the open mold spray-up process, environmental pressures are mounting due to the high styrene monomer emissions that are inherent in open molding techniques. Closed molded techniques are beginning to be commercially practiced, and it is anticipated that these processes will replace the open mold process. 

The plasticator on an injection-molding machine is a specialized plasticating single-screw extruder. The plasticator has two main differences there is a nonreturn valve on the tip of the screw, and the screw retracts as molten material accumulates between the nonreturn valve and the end of the barrel. Pressure is maintained on the accumulated material by a constant force applied to the shank of the screw via the drive system. This force is typically measured as a pressure applied to the shank and is referred to as the back pressure. During the injection step of the process, the screw is forced forward, the nonreturn valve closes, and the material is injected into the mold. Additional information on the injection-molding process can be obtained elsewhere [Ij. 

Figure 7.77 Schematic illustration of compression molding process with mold open (left) and mold closed (right). From Z. Tadmor and C. G. Gogos, Principles of Polymer Processing. Copyright 1979 by John Wiley Sons, Inc. This material is used by permission of John Wiley Sons, Inc.

Figure 13.44 represents the various stages of the compression molding cycle from the point of view of the plunger force needed to close the mold at a constant rate. In the first region, t < the force increases rapidly as the preform is squeezed and heated. At tf, the polymer is presumably in the molten state and, as such, is forced to flow into the cavity and fill it. Filling terminates at tc, when compression of the polymer melt takes place, to compensate for the volume contraction that results from the polymerization reaction. The bulk of the chemical reaction occurs after tc. We now comment on each of the steps of the compression molding process. 

Fig. 14.15 Schematic representation of the blow molding process, (a) The extruder head with the blowing pin and open mold (b) the extrusion of the parison (c) the mold closed with the parison pinched in the bottom and sealed at the top (d) the inflated parison forming a bottle.

In the continuous extrusion design process, the parison is continuously extruded between the open mold halves from an accumulator head. When the required length of parison has been produced, the mold is closed, trapping the parison that is severed usually by a hot knife from the die. Figure 6.7 provides a simplified schematic of a continuous BM process. Land or pinch-off areas on the mold compress and seal the upper and lower ends of the parison to make an elastic airtight part. Compressed air is introduced through the blow pin into the interior of the sealed parison that expands to take up the shape of the mold cavities. The cooled mold chills the blown object that can then be ejected when the mold opens. 

Blow mold usually consists of two halves, each containing cavities which, when the mold is closed, define the exterior shape of the BM (Chapter 17). Multiple cavity molds are used. Because the process produces a hollow article, there are no cores to define the inner shape. Mold details and actions will vary considerably according to the geometry of the product and the BM process in use. Even though the following review concentrates on EBM, the information can also be applied to IBM. The two halves that meet on a plane are known as the parting line. The plane is chosen so that neither cavity half presents an... 

This is an extension of the cold forming process. It uses thermoformed B-stage thermoset reinforced plastic (RP) skin to improve surface and other characteristics to a cold molded thermoplastic. The mold is closed and the fast, room temperature curing RP plastic system hardens. The finished product has the smooth TP-formed sheet. 

This process resembles the open molding process except it is closed like a two-part compression mold (Chapter 14). A measured amount of plastisol is poured or pumped into the closed mold cavity, similar to close molding except that a slight pressure of about 5 psi (34.5 kPa) is applied. The mold is heated to fuse the plastisol then cooled. Later the mold is opened and the product stripped out. This process can provide for accurate thickness control, filling very complex shaped parts, and so on. 

Injection molding is a cyclic process. As an arbitrary starting point, assume that the mold is closed and the screw is in its retracted position with a shot of melt ready to be injected. This is the position at the top of Figure 14-41. The four steps that comprise the process are ... 

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