Rapid prototyping method of producing tooling for an injection mold

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10076868-B1
Application number	US-201815869138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 12, 2018
Priority date	Aug 31, 2017
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

A method of producing an injection molding tool for molding an article includes producing a replica of the article using at least one of an additive manufacturing process, a solid freeform fabrication process, or a computer numerically controlled (CNC) process. A support block is configured to receive at least a portion of the replica and support the replica with at least one of an outer peripheral surface of the replica or an inner peripheral surface of the replica positioned at a spaced distance from a peripheral surface of the support block. The replica is supported inside the support block at the spaced distance, a ceramic resin material is introduced into the spaced distance and cured to form a ceramic shell insert, the insert is removed from the cavity, and the insert is positioned within the support block to form a part of a mold tool adapted for installation in a standard plastic injection molding machine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of producing a mold for injection molding an article, the method comprising:
producing a scaled replica of the article using at least one of an additive manufacturing process or a subtractive manufacturing process, wherein dimensions of the scaled replica are scaled from dimensions of the article to allow for any changes in dimensions of parts of the mold resulting during subsequent processing steps for producing the mold;
providing a standardized mold support block having one or more cavities with peripheral surfaces that include dimensions that are not particular to a specific article to be molded, but that correspond more generally to a plurality of different articles having different dimensions from each other, the standardized mold support block being configured to:
receive at least a portion of the scaled replica; and
support the scaled replica with at least one of an outer peripheral surface of the scaled replica or an inner peripheral surface of the scaled replica positioned at a spaced distance from a peripheral surface of a portion of the support block;

supporting the scaled replica inside the support block at the spaced distance;
introducing a ceramic resin material into the spaced distance;
allowing the ceramic resin material to cure and form a ceramic mold insert supported in the support block;
removing the scaled replica from the ceramic mold insert;
removing the ceramic mold insert from the support block;
subjecting the ceramic mold insert to a sintering process; and
replacing the sintered ceramic mold insert within the support block to form a part of a mold tool adapted for installation in a standard plastic injection molding machine.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the support block comprises at least one of a recessed surface or a cavity formed in the support block.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the support block comprises at least one of a projection or a boss formed in the support block.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the support block is formed from a metal material comprising at least one of aluminum or steel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scaled replica is supported in the support block using at least one of a cement or a mechanical pin-and-socket structure.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein producing the scaled replica comprises producing the scaled replica using a Fused Deposition Method™ (FDM™) of additive manufacturing.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein producing the scaled replica comprises producing the scaled replica with dimensions that are scaled up from dimensions of the article so as to compensate for shrinkage of a material used in injection molding of the article.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein producing a scaled replica of the article comprises producing a scaled replica having:
outer dimensions that are scaled from outer dimensions of the article; and
inner dimensions that are scaled from inner dimensions of the article.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing a standardized mold support block comprises:
providing a mold cavity support block configured to:
receive a portion of the scaled replica; and
support the scaled replica at a spaced distance from an inner peripheral surface of a cavity formed in the mold cavity support block; and

providing a mold core support block configured to:
mate with the mold cavity support block;
receive a portion of the scaled replica; and
support the scaled replica at a spaced distance from an outer peripheral surface of a portion of the mold core support block.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spaced distance is approximately 0.25-0.50 inch.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic resin material comprises a urethane material impregnated with ceramic particles.

12. A method of manufacturing a first article, comprising:
forming a standardized mold support block comprising a cavity defined therein, the cavity comprising a peripheral surface generally corresponding in configuration to at least one of an inner peripheral surface of the first article or an outer peripheral surface of the first article, and generally corresponding in configuration to at least one of an inner peripheral surface or an outer peripheral surface of a second article having different dimensions than the first article;
positioning a scaled replica of the first article at least partially within the cavity such that a space is created between at least one of an outer peripheral surface of the scaled replica or an inner peripheral surface of the scaled replica, and a peripheral surface of the cavity, wherein dimensions of the scaled replica are scaled from dimensions of the first article to allow for any changes in dimensions of parts of a mold used in manufacturing the first article, during subsequent processing steps for producing the mold;
injecting a ceramic resin material into the space such that the ceramic resin material substantially covers the at least one of an outer peripheral surface of the scaled replica or an inner peripheral surface of the scaled replica;
allowing the ceramic resin material to solidify in the space such that a rigid mold insert is formed, the rigid mold insert forming an impression of the at least one of an outer peripheral surface of the scaled replica or an inner peripheral surface of the scaled replica;
removing the scaled replica from the mold insert;
removing the mold insert from the support block;
subjecting the mold insert to a sintering process;
replacing the sintered mold insert into the support block;
installing the support block with the mold insert in an injection molding fixture; and
injecting a material from which the first article is to be formed into the injection molding fixture and into contact with the mold insert.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the cavity defined in the support block comprises a recessed surface.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the cavity defined in the support block comprises a projecting surface.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein forming the support block comprises forming the support block from a metal comprising at least one of aluminum or steel.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the scaled replica is supported in the support block using at least one of a cement structure or a mechanical pin-and-socket structure.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein positioning the scaled replica comprises positioning a scaled replica produced using a Fused Deposition Method™ (FDM™) of additive manufacturing.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein positioning the scaled replica comprises positioning a scaled replica produced with dimensions that are scaled up from dimensions of the first article in order to compensate for shrinkage of a material used in injection molding of the first article.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein positioning the scaled replica comprises positioning a scaled replica having outer dimensions that are scaled from outer dimensions of the first article, and inner dimensions that are scaled from inner dimensions of the first article.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein forming a standardized mold support block comprises:
forming a mold cavity support block configured to receive a portion of the scaled replica and support the scaled replica at a spaced distance from an inner peripheral surface of the cavity formed in the mold cavity support block; and
forming a mold core support block configured to mate with the mold cavity support block and receive a portion of the sca

Assignees

• Capital One Services Llc

Inventors

• Wurmfeld David K

Classifications

• B29C45/37

  Mould cavity walls {, i.e. the inner surface forming the mould cavity, e.g. linings} · CPC title

• B29K2909/02

  Ceramics · CPC title

• B29C45/2673

  with exchangeable mould parts, e.g. cassette moulds (B29C45/1756 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C33/3857

  by making impressions of one or more parts of models, e.g. shaped articles and including possible subsequent assembly of the parts · CPC title

• C04B2235/9638

  Tolerance; Dimensional accuracy · CPC title