Fibre-moulding facility for producing moulded parts made of fibre material degradable in an environmentally friendly fashion

Abstract

A fiber molding system for manufacturing molded parts made from environmentally friendly, degradable fiber material using a fiber molding process is disclosed. The system includes at least one first pulp reservoir; a suction tool attached to a movement unit, which as a multi-tool comprises a plurality of suction heads, each with a three-dimensionally shaped suction head suction side adapted to a contour of the molded part to be molded, and which is designed to use at least a first partially immersing of the suction tool into the first pulp and sucking the fiber material onto the respective suction head suction sides of the suction heads using negative pressure from the first pulp to form the molded part in the suction heads; an output unit for outputting the final molded part, and a control unit adapted to carry out the method on the fiber molding system.

1 - 44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . A method for forming molded parts, comprising:
 providing at least one first pulp as a liquid solution with an environmentally friendly, degradable fiber material in at least one first pulp reservoir;   at least partially immersing a suction tool into the first pulp, wherein the suction tool is a multi-tool having a plurality of suction heads, each suction head having a three-dimensionally shaped suction side that is adapted to a contour of a molded part to be formed by the suction head;   applying a negative pressure on the suction tool to suck fiber material from the first pulp onto the suction sides of the suction heads and form molded parts corresponding to the shapes of the suction sides;   dispensing the molded parts from the suction tool; and   applying one or more functional layers on surfaces of the molded parts.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising applying a coating made of fiber material on the surfaces of the molded parts. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising, after forming the molded parts, pre-molding at least one of the molded parts by applying a prepressing pressure to the molded part. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising hot pressing the molded part after applying the prepressing pressure. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the hot pressing is performed at a pressure and a temperature that are higher than a pressure and a temperature of the pre-molding. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising conditioning the surfaces of the molded parts prior to applying the functional layers. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein conditioning the surfaces of the molded parts includes one or more of: smoothing the surfaces and spraying a filling material on the surfaces. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein conditioning the surfaces of the molded parts includes coating the surfaces with a wax. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein coating the surfaces with the wax includes applying the wax to the surfaces with a temperature treatment. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising doping at least one of the functional layers with an active substance, wherein the active substance diffuses out of the at least one functional layer during use of the molded parts. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein applying one or more functional layers on surfaces of the molded parts includes:
 providing at least one second pulp as a liquid solution in at least one second pulp reservoir;   at least partially immersing the suction tool into the second pulp, wherein the suction tool includes at least one molded part from the first pulp; and   applying a negative pressure on the suction tool to suck fiber material from the second pulp onto the suction sides of the suction heads and form second molded parts.   
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the surface of at least one molded part that is coated is an outer surface of the at least one molded part. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the surface of at least one molded part that is coated is an inner surface of the at least one molded part. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein at least one functional layer is a wax. 
     
     
         59 . A system for forming molded parts, comprising
 at least one first pulp reservoir containing at least one first pulp as a liquid solution with an environmentally friendly, degradable fiber material;   a movement unit;   a suction tool attached to the movement unit, wherein the suction tool is a multi-tool having a plurality of suction heads, each suction head having a three-dimensionally shaped suction side adapted to a contour of a molded part to be molded by the suction head, and wherein the suction side is configured to form the molded part during application of negative pressure in the suction head while the movement unit at least partially immerses the suction head in the first pulp;   an application station, wherein the application station is configured to apply one or more functional layers on surfaces of the molded parts formed by the suction tool;   an output unit configured to output the molded parts from the suction tool; and   a control unit configured to control the movement unit, the suction tool, and the application station.   
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 59 , further comprising:
 a pre-molding station for pre-molding the molded part, wherein the pre-molding station is configured to apply a pre-pressing pressure on the molded part at room temperature.   
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 59 , further comprising:
 a hot-pressing station for hot-pressing the molded part, wherein the hot-pressing station is configured to apply a pressure at a hot-pressing temperature.   
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 59 , further comprising:
 a conditioning station for conditioning a surface of the molded part before applying the functional layers.   
     
     
         63 . The system of  claim 59 , wherein the application station includes at least one second pulp reservoir containing at least one second pulp, wherein the movement unit is configured to move the suction tool such that the suction head of the suction tool is at least partially immersed in the second pulp while the molded part from the first pulp is on the suction head to apply the functional layers to the molded part. 
     
     
         64 . The system of  claim 59 , wherein the application station is configured to apply at least one functional layer as a wax on an inner surface of at least one of the molded parts formed by the suction tool.