Patent Application
20140217632
The present invention concerns a temperature control device for a shaping tool or components of a shaping working machine having the features of the classifying portion of claim 1 and a method having the features of claim 10.
The following discussion of the state of the art is implemented exemplary on the basis of an injection moulding machine as a special case of a shaping working machine and on the basis of an injection moulding tool of such an injection moulding machine as an example of a shaping tool of a general shaping working machine. The disclosure of the following application however is not limited to that specific case.
In the present application the expression temperature control is used to denote cooling or heating.
In the state of the art the at least one pump is operated at a constant delivery. Either the through-flow amount which is afforded by the delivery (delivery amount or pressure and so forth) and the hydraulic resistance of the at least one branch line is used, or throttles are used to achieve a desired lower through-flow amount.
Various disadvantages result therefrom:
The object of the invention is to at least partially overcome the above-described disadvantages.
That object is attained by a temperature control device having the features of claim 1 and a method having the features of claim 10.
The invention provides that the above-described throttling which is absolutely required in the state of the art can be reduced or even eliminated. As the energy consumption is proportional to the product of through-flow amount and pressure drop elimination of the throttling has a positive effect on energy consumption.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined in the appendant claims.
Preferably water (in gas or liquid form) or oil is provided as the temperature control medium. It is however also possible to use other fluids like for example carbon dioxide or nitrogen. The temperature control medium can be delivered continuously or in pulsed fashion.
Particularly preferably it is provided that the temperature control device is in the form of an accessory device for a shaping working machine and has one or more temperature control branches. The accessory device can either be arranged in free-standing relationship beside the shaping working machine or can be installed thereon.
Particularly preferably there are provided at least two temperature control branches which are preferably connected in parallel.
To make the regulation or control action as good as possible at least one sensor can be provided in each of the at least temperature control branches, by which sensor at least one of the parameters from the group consisting of temperature, through-flow amount, pressure, amount of heat, and temperature difference can be detected, wherein signals from the sensors can be fed to the control or regulating device.
In the simplest case regulation or control of the pump can be implemented by the pump being regulated or controlled by way of its rotary speed.
In the situation where the pump system includes more than one pump it may be advantageous for individual pumps of the pump system to be adapted to be shut down and/or switched on, alternatively or additionally to regulation or control of the pump or pumps. That affords a kind of step control or regulation.
For individual regulation of the through-flow amounts in the temperature control branches, at least one throttle device can be respectively provided therein. The throttle device can be adjustable for example manually or by the control or regulating device.
The throttle device can be for example a through-flow valve, the through-flow capacity of which is steplessly adjustable.
Protection is also claimed for a shaping working machine, in particular an injection moulding machine, a die casting machine or a pressing machine, having a temperature control device according to the invention.
In addition protection is claimed for an arrangement comprising at least two shaping working machines and a temperature control device according to the invention, wherein the shaping tools of the at least two shaping working machines can be temperature-controlled by the temperature control device in serial or parallel relationship.
As that is particularly energy-efficient it can preferably be provided that each temperature control branch is individually throttled, wherein at least one of the temperature control branches is at least substantially not throttled. The pump can run with the lowest possible energy consumption by virtue of adaptation of the delivery (delivery amount or pressure and so forth) to the through-flow requirement of that non-throttled temperature control branch.
The control or regulating device can be a component part of the injection moulding machine control, an external control, an accessory component or a central management computer system.
The pump system can be a component part of the injection moulding machine, an accessory device or a central media supply.
Further advantages and details of the invention will be apparent from the Figures and the related specific description.
In that respect
The two temperature control branches 2 are respectively connected to the feed 5 and the return 6. A pump 13 delivers temperature control medium from the return 6 into the feed 5. In addition an optional heat exchanger 16 is arranged in the return 6. The pump 13 is also connected to the regulating device 1 for regulation purposes.
That temperature control branch i* which at least approximately remains 100% open can be displayed to a user as a branch which is determining in respect of the overall system (“bottleneck”). In that way the user has the option of reducing in specifically targeted fashion the hydraulic resistance of that temperature control branch 2 for example by the removal of quick-action couplings or by reducing hose lengths. In that way the delivery flow of the pump 13 can be further reduced with simultaneous opening of the through-flow valves 15 of the further temperature control branches 2.
Unlike
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79/2013 | Feb 2013 | AT | national |
