Article, process and assembly for forming a rigid article encapsulating an oriented glass strand substrate
A process and assembly for producing a two stage injection molded article encapsulating an oriented glass strand mat substrate. A rotary press is incorporated into the injection mold assembly and which enables repetitive repositioning of an intermediate injection molded article into a second mold defining cavity for second stage molding and simultaneous with first stage molding of a subsequent glass strand composite positioned within the first mold cavity.
1. A process for producing a plasticized article, said process comprising the steps of:
providing a mold cavity to include a first stationary and platen supported mold half and a second opposing and movable platen supported mold half;
configuring each of the mold halves with a pair of opposing cavity defining surfaces which, upon closing, define first and second cavities;
providing a previously formed planar sheet constructed of a plurality of elongated glass strands and placing the sheet within a first of the cavity defining surfaces of the first stationary platen prior to closing of the mold halves in order to conform the planar sheet to the first cavity defining surface;
injecting a first volume of a thermoplastic material through the movable platen supported mold half and into the first cavity in order to fill the first cavity and to imbed and partially encapsulate an exposed surface of the planar sheet of glass strands;
reopening the mold halves so as to cause the partially encapsulated glass strands to be retained against the movable platen supported mold half;
rotating the movable platen supported mold half into communication with the second cavity defining surface in the stationary mold half; and
reclosing the mold halves and subsequently injecting a second volume of thermoplastic material through the stationary platen supported mold half into the second cavity in order to fill an additional volume within the second cavity and to completely encapsulate the planar sheet of glass strands to create the article.
2. The process as described in claim 1 , further comprising the step of arranging a further previously formed planar sheet containing a plurality of elongated glass strands within a repositioned first cavity surface of the movable platen, following the step of opening the mold halves after the first injection of material and prior to rotating the movable mold half.
3. The process as described in claim 1 , further comprising the step of pre-coating or pre-encapsulating the previously formed sheet containing the plurality of elongated glass strands prior to placing into the first cavity surface of the stationary platen and prior to the first injection of material.