Blow Molding & Injection Molding Combined in One Process

摘要

A novel process and a new material combined to produce one of the more unusual entries among the finalists for the SPE Automotive Innovation Awards last fall. The application was an intercooler air duct for the 2008 Volkswagen Tiguan 2L diesel engine. The duct is suction blow molded; in the past, the attachment brackets were injection molded and then welded onto the duct body, involving three separate steps. Rochling Automotive of Germany and Duncan, S.C., developed a one-step process called Jectbonding, involving simultaneous blow and injection molding. A small injection unit mounted on the blow molding tool injects four attachment points via a runner system, using air inflation of the duct tube to withstand the injection pressure. The result is said to be 20% stronger bond and greater consistency than with welding, plus time savings, since it all happens within a 60-sec cycle.