How to Measure the Tilting of a Thermoforming Mould?

Thermoforming moulds are useful for a wide variety of applications in industries ranging from medical devices to food packaging. Its advantages include its ease of manufacture, low cost, and uniform thickness. However, it does not provide good dimensional control over the molded part. In addition, the temperature of the thermoforming process can affect the thermal resistance of the mold. This is because it involves a heated film of plastic being applied to the mould. After the sheet is cooled down, the molded part is removed from the mould.

To measure the tilting of mould parts, there are several methods. One method records the distance between a first mould part and a second mould part and indicates the difference between the measured value and the reference distance. Another method uses two or more sensors, each measuring the pressure in a cylindrical space. There are other methods that use optical or inductive sensors to do the same thing.

Some of the benefits of using sensors to measure the tilting of mould parts include convenience and accuracy. In fact, if the sensor is permanently mounted to one mould part, the tilting of the mould part can be determined without having to remove the mould from the forming station. If the measuring device is an external device, it can be disposed on the thermoforming machine.

Other methods use an acoustic signal or optical signal to alert the user to a critical tilting. For example, a warning signal may be triggered when the measurement device determines that there is a significant deviation from the measured distance. A warning signal can also be triggered when the measurement device determines the difference between the measured distance and the reference distance.

Regardless of the type of measurement, recording at least one measured value is important. This can be done in the form of a numerical value, a degree value, or a distance value. Furthermore, the measuring device can be comprised of at least two sensors arranged in a row, spaced apart from each other.

Further methods involve a communication interface that can be used to transmit measurement data to a PC, a tablet, or a smartphone. Using this interface, the measured value can be transmitted continuously. Alternatively, the measured value can be transmitted at a specified time interval.

A further method of the invention involves measuring the pressure in a cylindrical space of a ther-moforming mould. Depending on the pressure, different corner regions of the ther-moforming mould can be measured and conclusions about the tilting of mould parts can be drawn.

Thermoforming moulds can be used to produce cups shaped articles from heated films of plastic. In addition to being cheap, thermoforming provides high strength-to-weight ratios, a uniform thickness, and ease of assembly. While thermoforming has a large number of applications, it does not provide good dimensional control. Consequently, there is a need to develop an improved method for measuring and determining the tilting of the mould parts.