TOOL SLEEVE FOR MOLD DIE AND METHOD OF MOLDING PARTS USING THE SAME

• US 20100225016A1
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Prebil, Charles R., Wilkerson, Randall D., Rubin, Alexander M., Fox, James R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,691,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/39
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/3665 cores or inserts, e.g. pins, mandrels, sliders
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/306 Exchangeable mould parts, e.g. cassette moulds, mould inserts moulds with exchangeable mould parts for injection moulding B29C45/2673; mounting of exchangeable mould inserts for injection moulding B29C45/2675
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/222 characterised by the shape of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/36 Moulds for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/44 Compression means for making articles of indefinite length
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/526 Pultrusion dies, e.g. dies with moving or rotating parts B29C70/523 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0003 Producing profiled members, e.g. beams

Abstract

A device changes the shape of a die used to compression mold a part. The device includes a sleeve placed between the die and a charge to be molded. The sleeve has an inner face generally conforming to a face of the die, and a outer face for molding a part.

Claims

1. A device for changing the shape of a die used to compression mold a part, comprising:

a sleeve disposable between the die and a charge to be molded into a part,

the sleeve having a first face generally conforming to a face of the die, and having a second face for molding a part.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sleeve includes sides forming a cavity for receiving the die.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one gap is present between the sleeve and the die, and the device further comprises:

at least one shim for filling the gap.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first face of the sleeve extends across substantially the entire face of the die.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein:

a first portion of the face of the die and the second face of the sleeve have different contours.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein:

a second portion of the face of the die and the second face of the sleeve have substantially the same contours.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the different contours include at least one of:

a radius,

a wall thickness, and

a joggle.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the sleeve has a curved longitudinal axis.

9. A device for changing the shape of a part that may be molded by a compression molding die having a fixed shape, comprising:

a tool sleeve that may be installed between the die and a mold charge for changing the shape of the part molded by the die.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the tool sleeve includes:

an inner face substantially conforming to a face on the die, and

a thickness related to the thickness of the part.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein:

the tool sleeve includes sides that may be sleeved over the die.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the tool sleeve is elongate and has a thickness that varies along the length of the tool sleeve.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the tool sleeve includes an outer face configured to mold into the part at least one of:

a radius,

a changing wall thickness, and

a ramp.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the tool sleeve has a curved longitudinal axis.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the sleeve is formed of at least one of:

metal,

synthetic polymer,

ceramic,

composites.

16. A method of compression molding parts having any of a plurality of shapes using a molding die, comprising:

producing a plurality of tool sleeves respectively having shapes related to the shapes of the parts;

selecting one of the sleeves;

installing the selected sleeve between the die and a charge to be molded into a part; and

compression molding a part using the die and the selected sleeve.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein installing the sleeve includes placing the sleeve between the die and a charge to be molded.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein producing the sleeves includes forming an inside face on each of the sleeves that substantially matches the shape of a face on the die.

19. A method of changing the shape of at least a portion of a die face on a compression molding die, comprising:

producing a tool sleeve, including providing the sleeve with an inner face substantially matching the shape of the die face; and

installing the sleeve over the die.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein producing the tool sleeve includes providing the tool sleeve with a shape related to the shape of the part to be molded by the die.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

placing at least one shim between the tool sleeve and the die.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein installing the tool sleeve includes placing the sleeve over sides of the die.

23. A method of changing the shape of elongate thermoplastic parts molded by a single compression molding die having a fixed cross section, comprising:

producing a tool sleeve, including providing an inner face of the sleeve with a shape that substantially matches the cross sectional shape of the die, and providing an outer face of the tool sleeve with a feature different than features of the die, wherein the feature include at least one of a wall thickness, a radius and a ramp;

installing the sleeve over the die such that the outer face acts as a molding surface for compression molding a part; and

placing at least one shim between the sleeve and the die.

24. A device for compression molding a family of parts using the same mold die, comprising:

a plurality of tool sleeves, each of which sleeves may be placed between the die and a charge to be molded,

the tool sleeves each including an inner face substantially conforming to the shape of the die and covering sides of the die, and an outer face for molding one of the parts in the family,

each of the tooling sleeves filling a space between the charge being molded and the die, and having a feature unique to one of the parts wherein the feature is one of a thickness, a corner radius, a ramp, a step and a contour.