Quick mold change arrangement for injection molding machines

摘要

A quick mold change arrangement positions and retains a mold tool in an operational mode in a mold press without the use of hydraulics. The tool is equipped with common quick change plates, and using an overhead crane is transported to the mold press and aligned in a vertical plane by rollers and guide rails. It is in its final alignment position when it rests on custom stop blocks and is retained by spring loaded clamp plates. The clamp plates are quickly seated by tightening screw-type fasteners with a tool such as an air impact wrench. The clamp plates prevent the mold tool from becoming mispositioned and damaged thereby or from creating a safety hazard. Horizontal tie bars in the mold press are also protected by the guide rails and rollers thereby preventing damage to these tie bars and resultant mold press down time. In addition, not only are mold tools quickly changeable but the mold press positioning and alignment details are also quickly changeable permitting non quick change tooling to be easily installed and removed from the mold press.