Manufacturing

ประเภทของกระดาษ
การเรียกชื่อกระดาษในภาษาไทย จะเป็นคำนามรวมสำหรับวัสดุที่ผลิตจากเยื่อหรือเส้นใยของพืช อันที่จริงศัพท์เทคนิคที่ใช้เรียกวัสดุนี้มีหลายคำ ซึ่งแบ่งตามความหนาหรือความแข็งแรง
Paper หมายถึง วัสดุที่ได้จากการสานอัดแน่นของเส้นใยจากพืชจนเป็นแผ่นบาง โดยทั่วไปมีความหนาไม่เกิน 0.012 นิ้ว หรือน้ำหนักมาตรฐาน (Basis Weight) ไม่เกิน 225 กรัมต่อตารางเมตร
Paperboard หมายถึง กระดาษแข็ง มีความหนามากกว่า 0.012 นิ้ว
Solid Fiberboard หมายถึง กระดาษที่ได้จาก Paperboard หลาย ๆ ชั้นประกบติดกัน และมีความแข็งแรงกว่า Paperboard
Corrugated Fiberboard หมายถึง กระดาษลูกฟูก ได้จาก Paperboard หลายชั้น ประกอบด้วยกระดาษผิวหน้า (Liner) และลอนลูกฟูก (Corrugated Medium) เรียงประกบติดสลับชั้นกัน
การแบ่งประเภทกระดาษตามลักษณะการใช้งาน สามารถแบ่งได้เป็น 7 ประเภท ดังต่อไปนี้
1. กระดาษคราฟท์ (Kraft Paper) หรือกระดาษเหนียว หมายถึง กระดาษที่ผลิตจากเยื่อซัลเฟตหรือเยื่อคราฟท์ล้วน ๆ หรือต้องมีเยื่อคราฟท์อย่างน้อยร้อยละ 80 กระดาษคราฟท์ที่ใช้งานทั่วไปมีทั้งประเภทไม่ฟอกสี ( กระดาษสีน้ำตาล ) สำหรับการใช้งานที่ต้องการความแข็งแรงสูง และกระดาษคราฟท์ฟอกสีเพื่อความสวยงาม หรือเพื่อผลิตเป็นกระดาษสีสันต่าง ๆ นิยมใช้กระดาษ - เหนียวทำถุงเพื่อการขนส่ง และห่อผลิตภัณฑ์ทั่วไป
2. กระดาษเหนียวชนิดยืด (Stretchable Paper) หมายถึง กระดาษเหนียวที่ปรับปรุงให้สามารถยืดตัวได้มากกว่าปกติ จึงสามารถทนทานแรงดึงได้สูงกว่ากระดาษเหนียวธรรมดา นิยมใช้ทำถุงเพื่อการขนส่ง
3. กระดาษแข็งแรงขณะเปียก (Wet Strength Paper) หมายถึง กระดาษเหนียวที่เติมเมลา - มีนฟอร์มอลดีไฮด์ (Melamine Formaldehyde) หรือยูเรียฟอร์มอลดีไฮด์ (Urea Formaldehyde) เพื่อเพิ่มความแข็งแรงให้กระดาษแม้ขณะเปียก นิยมให้ห่อผลิตภัณฑ์ที่มีความชื้นสูง และใช้ทำถุงเพื่อการขนส่งที่มีโอกาสเปียกน้ำสูง
4. กระดาษกันไขมัน (Greaseproof Paper) เป็นกระดาษที่ผลิตจากเยื่อที่ผ่านการตีป่นเป็นเวลานานจนเส้นใยกระจาย และบวมน้ำมากเป็นพิเศษ ทำให้กระดาษมีความหนาแน่นสูง จึงป้องกันการซึมผ่านของไขมันได้ดี นิยมใช้ห่อผลิตภัณฑ์อาหารที่มีไขมันสูง และชิ้นส่วนอะไหล่ที่มีน้ำมันเคลือบกันสนิม
5. กระดาษกลาซีน (Glassine) ทำจากกระดาษกันไขมันที่ผ่านการรีดเรียบร้อยด้วยลูกกลิ้งภายใต้อุณหภูมิสูง ๆ ขณะกระดาษเปียกชื้น ทำให้ความหนาแน่นของกระดาษเพิ่มขึ้น และยังมีการขัดผิว ทำให้กระดาษกลาซีนมีเนื้อแน่นและผิวเรียบมันวาว นิยมใช้ห่อผลิตภัณฑ์ที่มีไขมันสูง
6. กระดาษทิชชู (Tissue Paper) หมายถึง กระดาษที่มีความนุ่มและบางเป็นพิเศษน้ำหนักมาตรฐานประมาณ 17 – 30 กรัมต่อตารางเมตร นิยมใช้ห่อผลิตภัณฑ์ที่ต้องการป้องกันรอยขูดขีดผิว ห่อของขวัญ หรือห่อผลิตภัณฑ์ที่มีมูลค่าสูงเป็นการช่วยเสริมความสวยงามและความพิถีพิถัน เช่น น้ำหอม นาฬิกา และเครื่องประดับ เป็นต้น
7. กระดาษพาร์ชเมนต์ (Parchment Paper) เป็นกระดาษที่ผ่านกระบวนการผลิตพิเศษ โดยการจุ่มกระดาษในกรดซัลฟิวริกเข้มข้นเป็นเวลาสั้น ๆ แล้วนำไปล้างและทำให้เป็นกลางก่อนจะนำไปอบรีดให้แห้ง กระดาษนี้จะมีคุณสมบัติป้องกันการซึมผ่านของไขมันได้เป็นอย่างดี นิยมใช้บรรจุผลิตภัณฑ์อาหาร

Molding Inserts

Metal inserts can be also be injection molded into the workpiece. For large volume parts the inserts are placed in the mold using automated machinery. An advantage of using automated components is that the smaller size of parts allows a mobile inspection system that can be used to examine multiple parts in a decreased amount of time. In addition to mounting inspection systems on automated components, multiple axial robots are also capable of removing parts from the mold and place them in latter systems that can be used to ensure quality of multiple parameters. The ability of automated components to decrease the cycle time of the processes allows for a greater output of quality parts.
Specific instances of this increased efficiency include the removal of parts from the mold immediately after the parts are created and use in conjunction with vision systems. The removal of parts is achieved by using robots to grip the part once it has become free from the mold after in ejector pins have been raised. The robot then moves these parts into either a holding location or directly onto an inspection system, depending on the type of product and the general layout of the rest of the manufacturer's production facility. Visions systems mounted on robots are also an advancement that has greatly changed the way that quality control is performed in insert molded parts. A mobile robot is able to more precisely determine the accuracy of the metal component and inspect more locations in the same amount of time as a human inspector

Lubrication and Cooling

Obviously, the mold must be cooled in order for the production to take place. Because of the heat capacity, inexpensiveness, and availability of water, water is used as the primary cooling agent. To cool the mold, water can be channeled through the mold to account for quick cooling times. Usually a colder mold is more efficient because this allows for faster cycle times. However, this is not always true because crystalline materials require the opposite: a warmer mold and lengthier cycle time

Optimal process settings are critical to influencing the cost, quality, and productivity of plastic injection molding. The main trouble in injection molding is to have a box of good plastics parts contaminated with scrap. For that reason process optimization studies have to be done and process monitoring has to take place. To have a constant filling rate in the cavity the switch over from injection phase to the holding phase can be made based on a cavity pressure level.


Having a stable production window the following issues are worth to investigate:

The Metering phase can be optimized by varying screw turns per minute and backpressure. Variation of time needed to reload the screw gives an indication of the stability of this phase.

Injection speed can be optimized by pressure drop studies between pressure measured in the Nozzle (alternatively hydraulic pressure) and pressure measured in the cavity. Melted material with a lower viscosity has less pressure loss from nozzle to cavity than material with a higher viscosity. Varying the Injection speed changes the sheer rate. Higher speed = higher sheer rate = lower viscosity. Pay attention increasing the mold and melt temperature lowers the viscosity but lowers the sheer rate too.

Gate seal or gate freeze / sink mark / weight and geometry studies have the approach to prevent sink marks and geometrical faults. Optimizing the high and duration of applied holding pressure based on cavity pressure curves is the appropriate way to go. The thicker the part the longer the holding pressure applied. The thinner the part the shorter the holding pressure applied.

Cooling time starts once the injection phase is finished. The hotter the melted plastics the longer the cooling time the thicker the part produced the longer the cooling time.

Molding trial


When filling a new or unfamiliar mold for the first time, where shot size for that mold is unknown, a technician/tool setter usually starts with a small shot weight and fills gradually until the mold is 95 to 99% full. Once this is achieved a small amount of holding pressure will be applied and holding time increased until gate freeze off (solidification time) has occurred. Gate solidification time is an important as it determines cycle time, which itself is an important issue in the economics of the production process.[36] Holding pressure is increased until the parts are free of sinks and part weight has been achieved. Once the parts are good enough and have passed any specific criteria, a setting sheet is produced for people to follow in the future. The method to setup an unknown mold the first time can be supported by installing cavity pressure sensors. To see how much the cavities are filled the pressure in the cavity gives a good indication for. Once the mold is set up the first time modern monitoring systems can save a reference curve of the cavity pressure. With that it is possible to reproduce the same part quality on another molding machine within a short setup time.

Mold Design

Standard two plates tooling – core and cavity are inserts in a mold base – "Family mold" of 5 different partsThe mold consists of two primary components, the injection mold (A plate) and the ejector mold (B plate). Plastic resin enters the mold through a sprue in the injection mold, the sprue bushing is to seal tightly against the nozzle of the injection barrel of the molding machine and to allow molten plastic to flow from the barrel into the mold, also known as cavity The sprue bushing directs the molten plastic to the cavity images through channels that are machined into the faces of the A and B plates. These channels allow plastic to run along them, so they are referred to as runners. The molten plastic flows through the runner and enters one or more specialized gates and into the cavity geometry to form the desired part.
The amount of resin required to fill the sprue, runner and cavities of a mold is a shot. Trapped air in the mold can escape through air vents that are ground into the parting line of the mold. If the trapped air is not allowed to escape, it is compressed by the pressure of the incoming material and is squeezed into the corners of the cavity, where it prevents filling and causes other defects as well. The air can become so compressed that it ignites and burns the surrounding plastic material. To allow for removal of the molded part from the mold, the mold features must not overhang one another in the direction that the mold opens, unless parts of the mold are designed to move from between such overhangs when the mold opens (utilizing components called Lifters).
Sides of the part that appear parallel with the direction of draw (The axis of the cored position (hole) or insert is parallel to the up and down movement of the mold as it opens and closes) are typically angled slightly with (draft) to ease release of the part from the mold. Insufficient draft can cause deformation or damage. The draft required for mold release is primarily dependent on the depth of the cavity: the deeper the cavity, the more draft necessary. Shrinkage must also be taken into account when determining the draft required.[18] If the skin is too thin, then the molded part will tend to shrink onto the cores that form them while cooling, and cling to those cores or part may warp, twist, blister or crack when the cavity is pulled away.
The mold is usually designed so that the molded part reliably remains on the ejector (B) side of the mold when it opens, and draws the runner and the sprue out of the (A) side along with the parts. The part then falls freely when ejected from the (B) side. Tunnel gates, also known as submarine or mold gate, is located below the parting line or mold surface. The opening is machined into the surface of the mold on the parting line. The molded part is cut (by the mold) from the runner system on ejection from the mold. Ejector pins, also known as knockout pin, is a circular pin placed in either half of the mold (usually the ejector half) which pushes the finished molded product, or runner system out of a mold.
The standard method of cooling is passing a coolant (usually water) through a series of holes drilled through the mold plates and connected by hoses to form a continueous pathway. The coolant absorbs heat from the mold (which has absorbed heat from the hot plastic) and keeps the mold at a proper temperature to solidify the plastic at the most efficient rate.
To ease maintenance and venting, cavities and cores are divided into pieces, called inserts, and sub-assemblies, also called inserts, blocks, or chase blocks. By substituting interchangeable inserts, one mold may make several variations of the same part.
More complex parts are formed using more complex molds. These may have sections called slides, that move into a cavity perpendicular to the draw direction, to form overhanging part features. When the mold is opened, the slides are pulled away from the plastic part by using stationary “angle pins” on the stationary mold half. These pins enter a slot in the slides and cause the slides to move backward when the moving half of the mold opens. The part is then ejected and the mold closes. The closing action of the mold causes the slides to move forward along the angle pins.
Some molds allow previously molded parts to be reinserted to allow a new plastic layer to form around the first part. This is often referred to as overmolding. This system can allow for production of one-piece tires and wheels.
2-shot or multi-shot molds are designed to "overmold" within a single molding cycle and must be processed on specialized injection molding machines with two or more injection units. This process is actually an injection molding process performed twice. In the first step, the base color material is molded into a basic shape. Then the second material is injection-molded into the remaining open spaces. That space is then filled during the second injection step with a material of a different color.
A mold can produce several copies of the same parts in a single "shot". The number of "impressions" in the mold of that part is often incorrectly referred to as cavitation. A tool with one impression will often be called a single impression(cavity) mold. A mold with 2 or more cavities of the same parts will likely be referred to as multiple impression (cavity) mold. Some extremely high production volume molds (like those for bottle caps) can have over 128 cavities.
In some cases multiple cavity tooling will mold a series of different parts in the same tool. Some toolmakers call these molds family molds as all the parts are related

Injection molding machines consist of a material hopper, an injection ram or screw-type plunger, and a heating unit.[2] They are also known as presses, they hold the molds in which the components are shaped. Presses are rated by tonnage, which expresses the amount of clamping force that the machine can exert. This force keeps the mold closed during the injection process. Tonnage can vary from less than 5 tons to 6000 tons, with the higher figures used in comparatively few manufacturing operations. The total clamp force needed is determined by the projected area of the part being molded. This projected area is multiplied by a clamp force of from 2 to 8 tons for each square inch of the projected areas. As a rule of thumb, 4 or 5 tons/in2 can be used for most products. If the plastic material is very stiff, it will require more injection pressure to fill the mold, thus more clamp tonnage to hold the mold closed.[10] The required force can also be determined by the material used and the size of the part, larger parts require higher clamping force.[11]


Mold
Mold or die are the common terms used to describe the tooling used to produce plastic parts in molding.
Traditionally, molds have been expensive to manufacture. They were usually only used in mass production where thousands of parts were being produced. Molds are typically constructed from hardened steel, pre-hardened steel, aluminium, and/or beryllium-copper alloy. The choice of material to build a mold from is primarily one of economics, steel molds generally cost more to construct, but their longer lifespan will offset the higher initial cost over a higher number of parts made before wearing out. Pre-hardened steel molds are less wear resistant and are used for lower volume requirements or larger components. The steel hardness is typically 38-45 on the Rockwell-C scale. Hardened steel molds are heat treated after machining. These are by far the superior in terms of wear resistance and lifespan. Typical hardness ranges between 50 and 60 Rockwell-C (HRC). Aluminium molds can cost substantially less, and when designed and machined with modern computerized equipment, can be economical for molding tens or even hundreds of thousands of parts. Beryllium copper is used in areas of the mold which require fast heat removal or areas that see the most shear heat generated.[12] The molds can be manufactured by either CNC machining or by using Electrical Discharge Machining processes