System And Method For Manufacturing A Honeycomb Body

Abstract

A system and method for manufacturing a honeycomb body is described provided. Said system having: a forming mold with a plurality of sub-molds, which are movable so that they can be opened and closed; a tightening mold for tightening said forming mold; rolling pin(s), which can be inserted into and pulled out of the inner volume of said forming mold and can rotate around a rotation axis; wherein said tightening mold has a shape that cooperates with the shape of said forming mold, so that an action of said tightening mold causes tightening of said forming mold.

1 . A system for manufacturing a honeycomb body, comprising:
 a forming mold with a plurality of sub-molds, which are movable so that they can be opened and closed; a tightening mold for tightening said forming mold;   rolling pin(s), which can be inserted into and pulled out of the inner volume of said forming mold and can rotate around a rotation axis;   wherein said tightening mold has a shape that cooperates with the shape of said forming mold, so that an action of said tightening mold causes tightening of said forming mold.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said tightening mold has a conical inner surface, which cooperates with a conical outer surface of said forming mold, and said tightening mold are displaceable in the axial direction. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said forming mold comprises four sub-molds. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said sub-molds can be closed to form a cylindrical, circumferential closed inner volume. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an ejecting part, which is movable in the axial direction so as to push the rolled-up honeycomb structure into a housing. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a rolling pin driving shaft, which supports one end of the rolling pin, and on which said ejecting part is arranged, such that said ejecting part is slidable on the rolling pin driving shaft. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a automatic feeding device for feeding said forming mold with foil stack to be rolled. 
     
     
         8 . A method for manufacturing honeycomb body, wherein the system of one of the above claims is applied, the method comprising the following steps:
 opening the forming mold;   introducing the foil stack into the space between the rolling pin;   rotating the rolling pins until the foil stack is fully rolled into the forming mold;   rotating the rolling pins while activating the tightening mold, with the action thereof causing the inner volume of the forming mold decreasing to a first value;   pulling the rolling pins out of the structure formed by the foil stack;   pushing the rolled-up honeycomb structure into a housing by means of the ejecting part.   
     
     
         9 . A method of  claim 8 , wherein a further step is provided between the step of pulling the rolling pins out and the step of pushing the rolled-up honeycomb structure into a housing, in which the tightening mold further functions so as to cause the inner volume of the forming mold decreasing to a second value.