The disclosure relates to components with a customized exterior surface and a method of manufacturing the same with a forming tool.
A variety of polymeric components can be formed by manufacturing tooling, such as, tooling for injection molding, thermoforming, compression molding, and blow molding. Such tools typically have a plurality of mold surfaces that combine to define a mold cavity. In turn, the tool produces polymeric components with a single uniform exterior surface texture or finish in the shape of the mold cavity. It is desirable, in some applications, to customize the exterior surface texture or finish of these components for use in different applications.
A component with a customized exterior surface and a method of manufacturing the same with a forming tool are provided. The component includes a component body structure. The body structure has an exterior surface. The exterior surface has a surface texture formed thereon.
The component is composed of a polymeric material and is manufactured with a forming tool via a suitable plastic forming process, such as injection molding, compression molding, blow molding, thermoforming, and vacuum forming. As such, the component may be formed via a forming tool suitable for use in injection molding, thermoforming, compression molding, blow molding, and vacuum forming. The forming tool may have a plurality of tool surfaces, which define a mold cavity in the shape of the component body.
The at least one tool surface may have a textured layer coupled thereto, such that the textured layer directly contacts the material defining the component during the forming process. Therefore, the surface texture present on the textured layer is transferred to the exterior surface of the component body during forming due to the contact between the material defining the component exterior surface and the textured layer. The textured layer may be changeable and/or replaceable with respect to the at least one tool surface.
The method of manufacturing the component with a customized exterior surface includes at least the following steps: selecting a textured layer having a selected surface texture formed thereon; selecting a forming tool having at least one tool surface that defines a mold cavity; coupling the textured layer to the at least one tool surface; and supplying a moldable polymeric material into the mold cavity to form the component body structure in the shape of the mold cavity, such that the polymeric material contacts the textured layer applied to the at least one tool surface, such that the surface texture of the textured layer is transferred to and formed on the exterior surface of the component.
The above features and advantages, and other features and advantages, of the present teachings are readily apparent from the following detailed description of some of the best modes and other embodiments for carrying out the present teachings, as defined in the appended claims, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
While the present disclosure may be described with respect to specific applications or industries, those skilled in the art will recognize the broader applicability of the disclosure. Those having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that terms such as “above,” “below,” “upward,” “downward,” et cetera, are used descriptively of the figures, and do not represent limitations on the scope of the disclosure, as defined by the appended claims. Any numerical designations, such as “first” or “second” are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure in any way.
Features shown in one figure may be combined with, substituted for, or modified by, features shown in any of the figures. Unless stated otherwise, no features, elements, or limitations are mutually exclusive of any other features, elements, or limitations. Furthermore, no features, elements, or limitations are absolutely required for operation. Any specific configurations shown in the figures are illustrative only and the specific configurations shown are not limiting of the claims or the description.
Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like components throughout the several views, a polymeric component 10 and a method of manufacturing 100 the same with a forming tool 22 are provided. Referring specifically to
The component 10 has a component body 12 having an exterior surface 14. The exterior surface 14 of the component body 12 may be smooth or without surface texture 16, as shown in
As shown further in
Surface textures 16 are usefully applied to the exterior surface 14 of a variety of polymeric components 10 including, but not limited to, exterior panels for home appliances, sporting balls, playground equipment, and automotive body panels and trim pieces. Such polymeric components 10 may be formed by a plastic forming process such as, but not limited to, injection molding, blow molding, thermoforming, and vacuum molding. Surface textures 16 applied to the exterior surfaces 14 of such polymeric components 10 are desirable to enhance the aesthetic qualities of the component 10 and obscure sink marks, sink wells, or other potential blemishes or imperfections created during formation or molding.
Surface textures 16 may be applied to the exterior surface 14 of formed polymeric components 10 with a forming tool 22 having at least one tool surface 24, such that the tool surfaces 24 cooperate to define a mold cavity 26. Conventionally, the tool surfaces 24 are pre-grained, i.e., machined with a single specific texture 16 or grain thereon or left smooth or without surface texture 16. Such a configuration of the forming tool 22 and tool surfaces 24 allows for only the particular surface texture 16 or grain machined onto the respective tool surfaces 24 to be applied to the exterior surface 14 of the resultant components 10 over the life of the tool 22, unless the tool surfaces 24 are re-grained, i.e., machined with an alternate single specific surface texture 16 or grain thereon. Changing the surface texture 16 or grain on the tool surfaces 24 is a very expensive and time consuming process.
Thus, in essence, a tool 22 that produces components 10 with the single specific surface texture 16 formed on the respective tool surface 24 cannot produce components 10 having differing surface textures 16 formed on the exterior surface 14; this limits the ability to freely view a variety of surface textures 16 on a particular component 10 during the design phase, e.g., a designer cannot produce a variety of prototypes with different textures formed on the exterior surface 14 of the component 10 to determine which surface texture 16 is best suited for the particular application. Rather, different grains are likely viewed and evaluated, for example, on two-dimensional grain plaques instead of on the resultant three-dimensional components 10 themselves. Further, a particular surface texture 16 or grain is likely to be selected for machining on the respective tool surface 24 for production in advance of the production of a prototype. Further, after a surface texture 16 is selected for production, changes to the surface texture 16 applied to respective components 10 are substantially precluded due to the cost and time necessary to re-machine the tool surface 24 of a dedicated tool 22 with a single surface texture 16 formed on the tool surface 24.
Referring to
As shown in the flow chart in
At step 102, a textured layer 30 having the selected surface texture 16 formed thereon is selected. The textured layer 30 may be one of a textured film and a textured tape. In embodiments where the textured layer 30 is a textured film, the textured film may be a polymer film, plastic film, a polyamide film, a polyimide film, a polyethylene film, a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) film, or the like. In the case of a polyethylene film, the film may be one of, but is not limited to, a high-density polyethylene film, a low-density polyethylene film, and a linear low-density polyethylene (LLPE) film.
In embodiments where the textured layer 30 is a textured tape, the textured tape may be a commercially available textured tape such as, but not limited to, one of a textured vinyl tape, a textured polyethylene tape, a textured foil tape, a textured fabric tape, and textured cloth tape. The textured tape may be a commercially available paper-based tape such as a masking tape or the like. The textured tape may be a commercially available textured vinyl tape, such as duct tape or the like. The textured tape may be a polyvinyl chloride tape. The vinyl tape or polyvinyl chloride tape may also contain a mineral abrasive grit to enhance the surface texture 16. In the case of a polyethylene tape, the tape may be one of, but is not limited to, a high-density polyethylene tape, a low-density polyethylene tape, and a linear low-density polyethylene (LLPE) tape.
In some instances, the textured layer 30 may be pre-formed with the selected surface texture 16 thereon. In other instances, the textured layer 30 may need the selected texture 16 applied thereto. In such cases, the step of selecting a textured layer 30 having the selected surface texture 16 may further include: applying the selected surface texture 16 to the textured layer 30. The selected surface texture 16 may be applied to the textured layer 30 via embossing, debossing, stamping, molding, application of a textured release paper, laser etching of a film, or the like.
At step 103, a plastic forming tool 22 is selected. The plastic forming tool 22 has a plurality of tool surfaces 24. The tool surfaces 24 cooperate to define a mold cavity 26, such that the shape of the mold cavity 26 defines the shape of the exterior surface 14 of the resultant component 10. The plastic forming tool 22 may be one of an injection molding machine 23 (
At step 104, the textured layer 30 is coupled to the at least one tool surface 24 of the selected forming tool 22. The textured layer 30 may be coupled to the tool surfaces 24 via an adhesive layer applied between the textured layer 30 and the tool surface 24 or formed within the underside of the textured layer 30. A respective textured layer 30 may be utilized to form a plurality of like-textured components in relative succession. However, the textured layer 30 is readily removable from the respective tool surface 24. Further, the textured layer 30 may be readily replaced by an alternative textured layer 30 on the same tool surface 24. Simply stated, a first textured tape or textured film may be coupled to the respective tool surface 24 prior to the forming of a first component 10 and removed or interchanged thereafter. A second textured tape or textured film of the same or a different selected surface texture 16 may be coupled to the respective tool surface 24 prior to the forming a second component, etc. The removable and interchangeable nature of the textured layer 30 allows several components 10 having different selected surface textures 16 formed on the exterior surface 14 thereof, to be formed by the same forming tool 22 in relative succession.
In one example, shown in
In another example, shown in
As shown in
Alternatively, as shown in
The at least one tool surface 24 may, alternatively, have a grained surface, which produces a surface texture 16 on the exterior surface 14 of the component 10 that is not desired. In this instance, in one example, a textured layer 30 may be coupled to or applied over the pre-grained tool surface 24, in order to change the surface texture 16 formed on the exterior surface 14 of the resultant component 10 formed by the respective forming tool 22. In another example, a smooth layer 30 may be coupled to or applied over the pre-grained tool surface 24, in order to change the surface texture 16 formed on the exterior surface 14 of the component 10 formed by the respective forming tool 22. In this instance, a pre-grained tool surface 24, would produce a component 10 with a smooth exterior surface 14, i.e., without a surface texture 16 formed thereon.
After the textured layer 30 having the predetermined surface texture 16 formed thereon is applied to the at least one tool surface 24, at step 104, at step 105 a high-strength moldable polymeric material 60 is supplied to the mold cavity 26 of the forming tool 22 to form the component body 12 in the shape of the mold cavity 26. The high-strength moldable material 60 may be a thermoplastic material, a thermosetting material, or the like. The high-strength moldable material 60 is supplied to the mold cavity 26, such that the material fills the mold cavity 26 and contacts the textured layer 30 coupled to the at least one tool surface 24. The high-strength moldable material 60 may be supplied to the mold cavity 26 at a temperature of from about 155 degrees Celsius to about 170 degrees Celsius. The respective tool surfaces 24 may be cooled via water jackets or the like to maintain a forming temperature of from about thirty-five (35) degrees Celsius to about fifty-five (55) degrees Celsius. Upon contact between the high-strength moldable material 60 and the textured layer 30, the predetermined surface texture 16 formed on the textured layer 30 is transferred to and formed on the exterior surface 14 of the component 10.
In a first example, when the plastic forming process is an injection molding process, and the forming tool 22 is an injection molding machine 23 (
As detailed in
As detailed in
At step 303, the thermoplastic sheet 42 is deformed to the shape of the mold cavity 26 or the desired shape of the component 10. When deformed or stretched to the shape of the mold cavity 26, the thermoplastic sheet 42 contacts the textured layer 30 coupled to the at least one tool surface 24, such that the selected surface texture 16 formed on the textured layer 30 is transferred to and formed on the exterior surface 14 of the formed component 10.
At step 304, the deformed thermoplastic sheet is cooled to a second predetermined temperature. Once cooled and solidly formed at step 304, the thermoplastic sheet 42 is trimmed of excess material to form the component 10, at step 305.
As detailed in
At step 403, the mold cavity 26 is closed by applying a force F to the first compression molding machine portion 48, which forces the high-strength moldable material 60 into the mold cavity 26, such that the high-strength moldable material 60 contacts the textured layer 30 coupled to the at least one molding surface 24.
At step 404, the high-strength moldable material 60 is cured within the mold cavity 26, wherein the mold cavity 26 remains in the closed position. Curing the high-strength moldable material 60 includes heating the moldable material 60 to a predetermined curing temperature and applying a predetermined curing pressure to the moldable material 60 with the first compression molding machine portion 48 and the second compression molding machine portion 50 for a predetermined amount of time.
The present method 100 continues after formation of the component 10 at step 106. At step 106, the component 10 is removed from the mold cavity 26.
At step 107, the textured layer 30 is decoupled from the at least one tool surface 24, such that the textured layer 30 is removed from the respective tool surface 24.
Optionally, steps 101-105 can be repeated. Notably, in repeating steps 101-105, at step 101, the selected surface texture 16 may be different from the selected surface texture 16 of the preceding iterations of the present method 100. Simply stated, each molded component 10 may have a different surface texture 16 formed on its exterior surface 14 than the components 10 previously formed by the same tool 22.
The detailed description and the drawings or figures are supportive and descriptive of the present teachings, but the scope of the present teachings is defined solely by the claims. While some of the best modes and other embodiments for carrying out the present teachings have been described in detail, various alternative designs and embodiments exist for practicing the present teachings defined in the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/316,207, filed Mar. 31, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62316207 | Mar 2016 | US |