Moulding system

Abstract

Disclosed is a moulding system for providing a hollow moulded fibre product, the moulding system comprising: a first mould comprising first and second mould parts separable from one another along a first split plane wherein, when the first mould is placed in a closed position, in which the first and second mould parts abut one another, the first and second mould parts define a first mould cavity therebetween, the first mould configured to provide a hollow moulded fibre product precursor, and a second mould comprising third and fourth mould parts separable from one another along a second split plane wherein, when the second mould is placed in a closed position in which the third and fourth mould parts abut one another, the third and fourth mould parts define a second mould cavity therebetween, the second mould configured to receive the hollow moulded fibre product precursor in the second mould cavity and to provide the hollow moulded fibre product from the hollow moulded fibre product precursor, wherein a width of the first mould cavity, in a direction across the first split plane, is smaller than a width of the second mould cavity, in a direction across the second split plane.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A moulding system for providing a hollow moulded fibre product, the moulding system comprising: 
 a first mould comprising first and second mould parts separable from one another along a first split plane wherein, when the first mould is placed in a closed position, in which the first and second mould parts abut one another, the first and second mould parts define a first mould cavity therebetween, the first mould being configured to provide a hollow moulded fibre product precursor; and   a second mould comprising third and fourth mould parts separable from one another along a second split plane wherein, when the second mould is placed in a closed position in which the third and fourth mould parts abut one another, the third and fourth mould parts define a second mould cavity therebetween, the second mould being configured to receive the hollow moulded fibre product precursor in the second mould cavity and to provide the hollow moulded fibre product from the hollow moulded fibre product precursor,    wherein a width of the first mould cavity, in a direction across the first split plane, is smaller than a width of the second mould cavity, in a direction across the second split plane.   
     
     
         2 . The moulding system of  claim 1 , wherein the width of the first mould cavity is at least 0.25% smaller than the width of the second mould cavity. 
     
     
         3 . The moulding system of  claim 1 , wherein the width of the first mould cavity is not more than 6% smaller than the width of the second mould cavity.  
     
     
         4 . The moulding system of  claim 1 , wherein the first mould cavity has a first depth at a predetermined distance from an uppermost surface of the first mould cavity, the first depth being in a direction normal to the first split plane, and the second mould cavity has a second depth at the predetermined distance from an uppermost surface of the second mould cavity, the second depth being in a direction normal to the second split plane, and  
       wherein the first depth is equal to the second depth. 
     
     
         5 . The moulding system of  claim 1 , wherein the first mould cavity is of the same size and shape as the second mould cavity, except for the width of the first mould cavity being smaller than the width of the second mould cavity. 
     
     
         6 . A moulding system for providing a hollow moulded fibre product, the moulding system comprising: 
 a first mould comprising first and second mould parts separable from one another along a first split plane, wherein, when the first mould is placed in a closed position, in which the first and second mould parts abut one another, the first and second mould parts define a first mould cavity therebetween, the first mould being configured to provide a hollow moulded fibre product precursor;    a second mould comprising third and fourth mould parts separable from one another along a second split plane, wherein, when the second mould is placed in a closed position in which the third and fourth mould parts abut one another, the third and fourth mould parts define a second mould cavity therebetween, the second mould being configured to receive the hollow moulded fibre product precursor in the second mould cavity and to provide the hollow moulded fibre product from the hollow moulded fibre product precursor, and   a transferrer configured to move the hollow moulded fibre product precursor from the first mould to the second mould,   wherein the first mould cavity is dimensioned to give the hollow moulded fibre product precursor a precursor width that is smaller than a width of the second mould cavity in a direction across the second split plane, and    wherein the transferrer is configured to place the hollow moulded fibre product precursor in the second mould cavity in an orientation in which the precursor width of the hollow moulded fibre product precursor is aligned with the second split plane.   
     
     
         7 . The moulding system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second mould is configured to hold the third and fourth mould parts together with a pressure of at least 15 bar. 
     
     
         8 . A method of providing a hollow moulded fibre product with a mould defining a mould cavity having a mould width in a direction across a split plane of the mould, the method comprising: 
 placing a hollow moulded fibre product precursor in the mould cavity, the hollow moulded fibre product precursor having a precursor width in the direction across the split plane of the mould, the mould width being greater than the precursor width; and   with the hollow moulded fibre product precursor in the mould cavity, increasing the precursor width in the direction across the split plane of the mould by urging the hollow moulded fibre product precursor against the mould, thereby to provide the hollow moulded fibre product from the hollow moulded fibre product precursor.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , comprising increasing the precursor width in the direction across the split plane of the mould by at least 0.25%.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , comprising increasing the precursor width in the direction across the split plane of the mould by no more than 6%. 
     
     
         11 . A moulding system controller configured to cause a moulding system to perform the method of  claim 8 . 
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory storage medium storing machine-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a moulding system controller, cause the processor to cause a moulding system to perform the method of  claim 8 . 
     
     
         13 . A receptacle manufacturing line comprising the moulding system of  claim 1  for providing the hollow moulded fibre product and apparatus for performing at least one additional process on the hollow moulded fibre product to provide the receptacle. 
     
     
         14 . A receptacle produced by the process comprising: 
 providing hollow moulded fibre product with a mould defining a mould cavity having a mould width in a direction across a split plane of the mould;   placing a hollow moulded fibre product precursor in the mould cavity, the hollow moulded fibre product precursor having a precursor width in the direction across the split plane of the mould, the mould width being greater than the precursor width; and   with the hollow moulded fibre product precursor in the mould cavity, increasing the precursor width in the direction across the split plane of the mould by urging the hollow moulded fibre product precursor against the mould, thereby to provide the hollow moulded fibre product from the hollow moulded fibre product precursor.