Detailed manufacturing process of luggage Vacuum Forming machine:
1. Core principle and function of the equipment
The luggage blister machine heats plastic sheets (such as ABS, PC, etc.) to a softened state, uses vacuum negative pressure to adsorb on the mold surface to form, and forms luggage shell or lining parts after cooling. Core functions include:
-Heating system: precise temperature control to soften materials
-Vacuum system: rapid adsorption and forming
-Cooling system: finalize and shorten production cycle
-Mold adaptation: compatible with complex luggage shapes
2. Detailed explanation of manufacturing process
1. Design stage
Structural design
Frame structure: high-strength steel (such as Q235) is used to weld gantry or four-column frames, and finite element analysis is required to ensure load-bearing and anti-deformation capabilities.
Heating system: infrared heating tube or ceramic heating plate layout design, with reflective plate to radiate heat evenly.
Vacuum system: calculate the vacuum pump flow (≥200 m³/h) and pipeline layout to ensure that the vacuum degree reaches above -0.08MPa within 5 seconds.
Cooling system: dual-mode design of air cooling (high-pressure fan) and water cooling (copper tube circulation), the cooling rate needs to reach 10℃/min.
Control system design
PLC programming: Delta series or Siemens S7-1200 as the core, integrated temperature PID control (±1℃ accuracy), vacuum timing, cooling linkage.
Human-machine interface: 10-inch touch screen to set parameters (heating time, vacuum holding, cooling time, etc.), support recipe storage function.
Mold design
Material selection: aluminum alloy (lightweight) or epoxy resin (complex shape), surface polished to Ra0.8μm finish.
Structural optimization: demoulding slope ≥3°, set 0.5mm deep exhaust groove and vacuum hole distribution density (1 hole per 10cm²)
2. Processing and manufacturing
Mechanical structure processing
Frame welding: CO₂ gas shielded welding, post-weld annealing treatment to eliminate stress, flatness error ≤0.1mm/m.
Heating plate processing: 6061 aluminum alloy CNC milling, surface spraying Teflon coating (thickness 50μm).
Vacuum cavity: 3mm thick 304 stainless steel laser cutting, argon arc welding sealing, pressure test ≥30 minutes without leakage.
Mold processing
CNC machining: three-axis linkage machining center engraving mold cavity, leaving 0.1mm polishing allowance.
Surface treatment: hard anodizing (film thickness 25μm) or chrome plating (5μm) to enhance wear resistance.
Electrical system integration
Wiring specifications: power line (4mm² shielded cable) and control line (0.75mm² twisted pair) are laid in separate slots.
Safety protection: emergency stop button (compliant with IEC 60204), grating sensor (detection range 0-2m).
3. Assembly and debugging
Mechanical assembly
1. Install the frame and adjust the level (level accuracy 0.02mm/m)
2. Assemble the lifting mechanism: synchronous belt drive with linear guide rail, repeat positioning accuracy ≤ 0.05mm
3. Integrated heating plate and thermocouple (K type, response time <1s)
System joint debugging
Vacuum test: No-load vacuum to -0.095MPa time ≤8 seconds
Temperature control test: From room temperature to 200℃ time ≤3 minutes, regional temperature difference ≤±2℃
Program verification: Simulated production cycle (heating 30s→molding 15s→cooling 20s) continuous operation for 24 hours without failure
4. Quality control and testing
Performance index detection
Molding accuracy: contour dimension error ≤±0.3mm (three-coordinate measurement)
Energy consumption test: single cycle power consumption ≤1.5kWh (including standby power consumption)
Noise control: operating noise ≤75dB(A) (measured at 1 meter away from the equipment)
Reliability verification
Continuous 72 hours full load test (mold temperature ≥180℃)
50,000 times opening and closing mold life test (cylinder no leakage)
III. Technical difficulties and solutions
1. Heating uniformity control
Use zone-by-zone segmented temperature control (independent PID for each zone)
Add infrared thermal imager to monitor temperature field in real time
2. Insufficient adsorption of complex curved surface
Add auxiliary ejection mechanism to the mold
Start the vacuum system in stages (pre-extraction first, then deep extraction)
3. Material rebound control
Optimize cooling gradient (air cooling first, then water cooling)
Design overpressure compensation structure of mold (+0.5mm margin)
IV. Equipment upgrade direction
Intelligent: Add machine vision inspection system (detect finished product defects)
Energy saving: waste heat recovery device (energy saving rate ≥15%)
Quick mold change: hydraulic clamping system (mold change time <5 minutes)
V. Application scenario example
Hard shell luggage: 2-3mm thick ABS sheet molding
The blister machine manufactured by the above process can achieve a production capacity of 50-60 standard bags per minute, and the yield rate can reach more than 98%. Equipment manufacturers need to provide operation training (including mold maintenance, parameter optimization, etc.) and 1 year core component warranty service.