MXPA06001768A - - Google Patents

Description

PLASTIC COATING FORMATION PROCESS FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is concerned with an improved method for forming relatively thin plastic liners or coatings from a mold surface using infrared heating and evaporative cooling. More particularly, the method is concerned with the efficient manufacture of thin thermoplastic covers or linings used as the outer surface for automotive interior trim products such as instrument panels, door panels, headrests, console covers, doors for air bags, glove compartment doors and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For many decades, the process for forming thin thermoplastic liners on a mold surface has evolved, driven primarily by cost and weight objectives. Prematurely, the nickel / nickel / copper electrophoretic molds were filled with a predetermined charge of liquid plastic and rotated through a gas-heated furnace and a water atomizing section to produce covers which were subsequently filled with the foam urethane and used as armrests for vehicle and the like. Usually, the apparatus used to produce these covers was a series of multi-arm spindles that were graduated between filling, heating, cooling and separation stations. U.S. Patent 4,898,697 issued to Forton, which is concerned with such an apparatus, is assigned in common to the assignee of the present invention and is included herein by reference. As the demand for soft interior trim or trim products for automotive interiors increased in the 1950s and 1960s, larger parts such as instrument panels developed. This led to a process of "hollow molding" as opposed to rotational molding, wherein the liquid plastisol was pumped into a pre-heated electroformed mold to coat (gel against) the surface of the mold. Any excess plastisol is drained before the mold is indexed to the melting and cooling stations. These large electroformed nickel tools could not be easily rotated in several axes due to their size or need to be, as the products moved relatively long and flat. This led to an over and under-conveyed process that required a large number of molds - electroformed (10-30) to be used in order to fill a continuously moving production line. Here, either gas-heated burners or induction heating coils that resemble the contour of the mold and the final product were used to provide heat at stations for gelling and melting the plastic. This transport process also limited the number of forms of molds that could be processed without the modification of the installation to basically one, since the heating apparatus was shape specific. U.S. Patent 3,728,429, which is concerned with such an apparatus, is commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is included herein by reference. Due to the space requirements of the line with transport and the cost of using many electroformed molds, a modular hollow process was developed. Thus, a single electroformed mold was rotated around its main axis in a single sensation and the heat and cooling supplied thereto. Stainless steel tubing was welded to the back side of the electroformed mold and the hot or cold heat transfer noise was recirculated through the tubes to heat and cool the mold and the liquid plastisol contained in the mold. Cleaning was difficult to maintain in this process since the thicker sections of the plastic skin, particularly drips and slides of excess liquid plastisol were emptied, they remained unmelted and transferred to both the station operator and adjacent decks. U.S. Patents 5,106,285 issued to Preston and 4,389,177 and 4,217,325 issued to Colby which are concerned with such an apparatus are commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention and are included herein by reference. Powder hollow formations for PVC as well as other thermoplastics (TPU, TPE, TPO, ASA, etc.) evolved immediately to minimize waste in the hollow process and produce linings of more uniform thickness. Here, only a defined thickness of powder near the molten heated mold surface and the unmelted powder itself was returned to a powder box for future use. This modular process resulted in the need for fewer molds and allowed rapid mold changes. An additional difficulty with the welded stainless steel tubes over the electroforming molds was short mold life. The thermal stresses at which the nickel mold was exposed during the welding of the tubes to the mold resulted in cracking of the mold. To solve this, alternative means of heating the mold were explored. The immersion of the electroform into a fluidized bed (US Pat. No. 4,946,663 issued to Takamatsu) or to a heat transfer medium used. Induction heating (US Patent 3,315,016 issued to Wersosky, et al., Commonly assigned and incorporated herein by reference) and microwave heating methods have been noted. A hybrid method using a robot - and multiple stations - is disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,755,333 issued to Gray (assigned in common and incorporated herein by reference). More popular was a modular processing apparatus in which a mold box was used to enclose the back side of the nickel electrophores mold and heated gas heated air was made to strike through high speed tubes on the back side of the electroformed mold to provide rapid heating cycles (or external ambient air cooling). U.S. Patent 4,623,503 issued to Anestis, et al., Which is concerned with such an apparatus is assigned in common to the assignee of the present invention and is included herein by reference. U.S. Patent Nos. 6,019,390 and 6,082,989 issued to McNally and 6,013,210 issued to Gardner describe variations of this process. In relatively cold weather, cycles of the order of four minutes could be obtained. However, to move to the next level of cycle improvement, some of the disadvantages of this device need to be overcome. The hot air that hits the back of the electroformed mold was at such a pressure that the nickel mold would flex and eventually crack due to fatigue. The modular processing apparatus evolved into a large-edge pedestal with a high-gas-heated burner and many meters of pipe that supply hot and cold air. This apparatus had to be isolated and resulted in inefficient heating and cooling. Environmental noise and heat pollution also became issues for station operators. What is needed is a process that provides fast cycle times, uses lower cost energy and requires a relatively inexpensive installation. In addition, the process should heat and cool only the mold and plastic liner material it contains and accommodate the use of lightweight and thin molds. Moreover, this must be an environmentally compatible process with little noise and heat wasted, using a process device that can be converted from one form of mold / product to another quickly to reduce the process shutdown time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention addresses the deficiencies of the prior art by providing an efficient lining formation process using light weight metal molds heated via infrared (IR) energy and preferably cooled by means of evaporation via an atomization of water / air mist. Since the IR energy is preferably directed to the back side of the mold using heating elements that are contoured to match or correspond to the shape of the mold, little heat and any heating of the conduit equipment and other peripheral equipment is wasted as well as the Surrounding environmental area is eliminated. Since the molds are not subjected to other stresses (air pressures, etc.) than their own weight, thinner and therefore more uniform electroformed molds can be used, further decreasing the cycle time and any propensity to stress cracking. Alternatively, the annular surface of the mold containing the plastic cover material can also be heated. Evaporative cooling, using the latent heat of vaporization of water (or other fluid) provides a significant reduction in the cooling time, which is further improved by the more uniform thinner electroform, by the elimination of any pipe necessary for cooling and by atomization of water spray. Alternatively, any material that changes phase or state in the temperature range in the process described herein can be used to cool the mold.

An additional embodiment includes the use of heat absorption / emissivity as a means to adjust or balance the heat input to various areas of the electroformed mold. The use of black paint on the back side of the mold facing the IR heaters can help to heat the thicker mold sections faster or inversely lighter shades of paint (gray) can slow down the heating of thin mold sections or reduce the thickness of the plastic lining formed in the null area, saving material and reducing the need to cut excess waste. Improved heat balance is possible via this method of painting several shades of gray on the back side of the mold and can lead to a more uniform coating luster, reducing the need for post-painting. The improved heat distribution is also critical to improve the molding of a liner of uniform thickness since many of the newer powder thermoplastics such as TPU, TPE and TPO can have a very different melting point. In another embodiment, which uses infrared heating, there is now technology to make thermoplastic materials more sensitive or conducive to heating by IR energy through the use of additives that improve the heat absorptivity of thermoplastic materials, also reducing the cycle time. This aspect is employed when IR heating is directed on the open side of the cover to the plastic as it is solidifying in the mold. A material such as carbon black can be added to the thermoplastic material to improve its heat absorptivity. The molding process can be organized in a variety of ways, by using an envelope and subtransporter that retains a number of molds or in a modular manner, but preferably by using 3-4 stations and a robot to manipulate the pre-mold. heating (A) to molding (B) and back to heating for melting - (A), then cooling (C) and separation as shown in the accompanying drawings. Thus, the present invention is concerned with a method for producing plastic articles comprising preheating a metal mold having a mold contour using infrared energy from infrared energy heating elements that are formed to match the contour of the mold to set a molding temperature, mold plastic material over the preheated metal mold, melt the plastic using infrared energy, cool the metal mold by contacting the metal mold with a material that changes phase or state and remove the molded plastic article from the mold of metal. Furthermore, the present invention is concerned with a method for producing plastic articles, comprising a metal mold which is placed in a first heating station, wherein a metal mold having a mold contour is preheated using infrared energy of heating elements of infrared energy that are formed to coincide with the contour of the mold to establish a molding temperature, place the mold in a second station and mold the plastic material on the preheated metal mold, place the mold in the first station and melting the plastic using infrared energy, placing the mold in a third station and cooling the metal mold by contacting the metal mold with a material that changes phase or state, placing the mold in a fourth station and removing the article of molded plastic in the metal mold. In the form of apparatus, the present invention is concerned with an apparatus for molded products such as plastic articles comprising: (i) a metal mold for receiving the molded plastic material, the mold having a mold contour; (ii) infrared heaters for heating the mold to a desired molding temperature, the infrared heaters include infrared heating elements formed to match the contour of the mold and (iii) a cooling device for feeding a material that changes phase or state .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES These and other objects, aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the consideration of the description of the invention and the attached figures in which: Figure 1 is a flow chart describing the stages of the process of the present invention. Figure 2 is an exemplary schematic drawing of a sequence of processes according to the present invention. Figure 3 is a sectional view of the contoured heating apparatus of the present invention. Figure 4 is a sectional view of the contoured cooling apparatus of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITY As indicated above, Figure 1 is a flow diagram illustrating the process steps used in the invention to produce plastic liners for automotive decorative applications. A thin electroformed nickel mold is preheated using electric infrared heaters and when the mold reaches the preferred powder molding temperature for the specific plastic powder that is processed, the mold is filled with the powder, using a powder box that It is held on the face of the mold and when it is inverted, it fills the cavity of the mold with the powder. Then the mold is rotated, generally around its main axis, to allow the powder to come into contact with the exposed internal surface of the electroformed mold and melt on this heated surface. Next, the mold / powder box combination is inverted and any unmelted powder is allowed to fall back into the dust box which is then released and retracted. Then the mold can be subjected to additional IR heat to melt the plastic layer on the surface of the mold. Then the mold is atomized with a fine mist of water and air to cool its surface to the desired separation temperature. Once the separation temperature is reached, the cooled solid liner is removed and the next cycle is started. Liquid thermoplastic formulations such as plastisols or organisols can be processed in a similar manner. In addition, multiple plastic materials can be cast in a stratified or non-stratified (ie, adjacent) arrangement to provide unique properties or produce cost (particularly in support layers where rectification can be used). Figure 2 illustrates this process in greater detail. While shown herein as basic apparatus stations, the apparatus may take the form of a moving line or degradation, a robot manipulator and multiple stations (as disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,759,333 issued to Gray and incorporated herein). by reference) or any other sequence that is consistent with Figures 1 and 2, which includes the molding of multiple layers of plastic, multiple types of plastic and foamed thermoplastic layers to form liners or covers. More particularly, a metal mold preferably of nickel and more preferably of electroformed nickel, is formed having the surface pattern (grain, texture, decoration) and desired contour for the final automotive cover or liner. Preferably, this electroformed mold is of a. relatively uniform thickness between 0.127 cm and 1.016 cm (0.050 inches and 0.400 inches), more preferably between and including 0.254 cm - 0.381 cm (0.100 inches - 0.150 inches), to minimize the weight of the nickel to be heated and cooled and to minimize the internal tensions in the mold. Thinner molds are possible depending on their shape and ability to support their own weight and that of the powder which must fill the mold and properly coat the surface of the mold to make a complete and uniform lining. In addition, other metal mold compositions can be used, which include but are not limited to nickel-copper, beryllium-copper, stainless steel, etc. Electric IR heaters are preferred, such as those available from Convectronics in Haverville, Massachusetts, as the energy source in the molding process as they are not noisy, do not emit gaseous contamination and are easily formable, allowing the heating elements to be contoured to closely match each external contour of specific mold. The aiming of a time duration of about one minute to heat the combined mold and powder mass covering its surface at the molding temperature, approximately 47 Watts / inch2 of energy are necessary. As long as wavelengths of 0.7 to 1000 microns (the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum) can be used, it has been found that the most desirable infrared wavelengths are 2.1-3.0 microns in order to generate a sufficient output temperature 690.5-1093.3 ° C (1235-2000 ° F) to still provide a reasonable life of the heating element and minimize potential safety hazards. The use for example of a 267-volt three-phase power heater capable of generating an output of 47 Watts / inch2 produces a consistent operating output temperature of 788 ° C (1450 ° F). However, in the broad context of this invention, it may be preferred to use infrared heating elements capable of generating at least about 20 Watts / inch2, more preferably at least 30 Watts / inch2, still more preferably at least 40 Watts / inch2 and in a more preferred embodiment, in the range of 45-55 Watts / inch2. Tubular IR heating elements of approximately 0.9525 cm (3/8 inch) in diameter, manufactured from an Inconel outer sleeve and an Inconel wire element packed with magnesium oxide inside the Inconel sleeve, provide the desired energy. The tubular heaters were provided with cold ends which simplified assembly and fiber washers were used to seal each end of the sleeve to allow moisture to be ventilated. The tubular heaters were bent with a pattern to conform closely to the back side of the electroformed mold and spaced 0.0254 cm to 12.7 cm (0.01 inches to 5 inches) from the back surface of the mold, but preferably 2.54 cm-7.62 cm (1-3 inches) of the surface of the mold. The tubular heaters are additionally spaced about 2.54-7.62 cm (1-3 inches) running along the mold to uniformly cover the surface of the mold to be heated. The spacing of tubes may be in a lateral, longitudinal, diagonal pattern or any other pattern that provides a relatively uniform coverage of the back side of the mold. The shorter elements provide less issues with the thermal expansion in the heating. A thermocouple can be installed on the front surface of the mold at a point of the average mold thickness to detect the temperature and control the tubular heating elements. The thermocouple is preferably embedded in the mold by drilling a hole and planting the end of the wire using silver solder. To correct any problem with "crossfire" (the problem of one heating element facing another and driving the opposite heater beyond its set point), each heating element was equipped with a thermocouple and controlled independently using a solid state relay coupled with a voltage regulator. Alternatively, adjacent heating elements can be connected in series and detected with a single thermocouple. By connecting a thermocouple to each heating element, if a heating element begins to bypass the adjacent heating element, the thermocouple alerts the solid-state controller that is programmed to reduce the voltage to that heating element, preventing burning. Thus, a heating arrangement that produces a uniform and consistent temperature is providedIt is specific to each mold shape and is portable in such a way that it can be easily changed when a new mold form is used. Consequently, a more desirable source of heating is provided that has no moving parts and without the potential contamination issues of noise, heat and smoke.

To further balance the heat absorbed by the preferably electroformed mold in order to produce a more uniform liner thickness or cover, especially in complex and notch shapes, the use of blackbody absorption / emissivity is resorted to. Black paint capable of withstanding the temperatures found in the process was applied to the back side of the mold to aid in heat transfer. Nickel has an emissivity of 0.11 while a glossy black paint surface having an emissivity of about 0.86 provides much greater IR heat absorption. Since the plastic liner or cover that is formed should be as uniform as possible, usually about 0.0635 cm-0.1016 cm (0.025-0.040 inches) thick and in order to use as little dust as possible to mold each cover, a heat balance of the mold is necessary. This is usually carried out using thermographic techniques first, to provide a uniform mold temperature to adjust the shape of the heating elements as well as the distance of the back surface of the mold and the power level applied to each heating element. Next, the covers are molded and sectioned and measured as to thickness every inch and so on in the x and y planes to produce a cover preferably between 0.0635-0.01016 cm (0.025-0.040 inches thick). It has been found that a fine adjustment of the heat balance and therefore cover thickness can also be carried out by means of the application of different shades of gray scale paint to the back of the mold surface. Particularly in areas of the mold which are thin (due to the complex geometry of the shape that is electroformed) and in "waste" areas where little or no liner or cover is desired, as could be obtained by hole trimming in the final product or along peripheral edges, light colored shades of gray paint can be applied to produce the absorbed heat (and consequently the cover thickness formed due to the fusion of less dust). In addition, more uniform mold temperatures result in a more uniform luster and color readings of the molded liner surface at the end eliminating or reducing the need to post-paint the formed article. Figure 3 is a sectional view of the heating apparatus of the present invention. An electroformed nickel mold 10 is placed under an IR heating apparatus 20. The IR heating elements 14 preferably run in a parallel arrangement along the length (alternatively the width) of the mold and are contoured to follow the surface of the mold spaced by up to a few inches to provide uniform heat. The preferred heating apparatus further comprises an outer frame 12 for supporting a reflection shield 16 for containing the energy and directing it toward the surface of the mold and a wool insulation layer K18. This provides a lightweight heating apparatus that is easy to change when a different mold form to be used is desired and a correspondingly different shaped array of heating elements is required. To provide a rapid cooling cycle, phase change cooling or change of state, such as evaporative cooling, is preferably used, since it takes advantage of the latent heat absorbed by a phase change of the cooling means. This reduces the problems previously encountered using ambient air for cooling, especially during extremes of seasons (summer heat). In order to minimize the inconvenience of flooding the mold with water, the electroformed mold containing the molded cover was sprayed with air at a pressure of approximately 10 pounds / inch2 to atomize forced cooled water through atomization nozzles (such as Binks). or DeVilbis). As shown in Figure 4, the atomization nozzles were arranged in an adjustable pattern that approximates the contour of the mold to ensure uniformity of cooling. These nozzles can be adjusted using thermographic techniques also to ensure uniform cooling of the liner before separating it from the mold. An air-to-water cooling system that uses an air overpressure tank to maintain a high constant volume high pressure supply was provided. Figure 4 is a sectional view of the evaporative cooling apparatus. A frame 22 was constructed to follow the shape of the mold that allowed rows of nozzles 24 to be installed along its length and width. The nozzles 24 are preferably adjusted to be evenly spaced and a consistent distance from the mold 10, including its ends, to provide uniform and rapid cooling. Alternatively, the nozzles can be concentrated in an area of greater heat accumulation, which may require additional cooling in order to optimize the cycle time. When atomizing a fine mist of microatomized air and water, the surface of the water will be exposed promoting evaporation and will result in little kneaded. A robot manipulates the mold of the heating station (A) after preheating (see Figure 2), to the molding station (B), back to the heating station (A) for the melting and finally to the cooling station (C). having the atomization nozzles for cooling in a separate station (C) of the heating (A) allows a longer nozzle life without clogging. It is also possible to treat the cooling water in terms of algae, bacteria and scaling to maintain the condition of the atomization nozzles and to keep the mold surface clean. While not required, it is preferred to provide cold water to cool the mold / consistent cycle times regardless of the season. Turning now to Figure 2, the sequence of the process will be described. An electroformed nickel mold is placed under an IR heating unit in station A, described in Figure 2 in position 1, in an inverted form wherein the back side of the mold has been painted black to optimize absorptivity. The IR heating elements which have been contoured to resemble the back side of the electroformed mold preferably direct the infrared energy to the back side of the mold (see Figure 3). A thermocouple is attached to the surface of the mold cavity. When the mold reaches the optimum molding temperature for the specific thermoplastic that is molded (thermoplastic urethane, polyvinyl chloride, thermoplastic elastomer, thermoplastic olefin, acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylic, combinations and alloys thereof and the like), the mold it is moved to a molding station B as shown in Figure 2 in position 2, where it is attached to a powder box containing the thermoplastic powder. As the powder / mold box combination is rotated about its main axis, the powder comes into contact with the hot mold surface and melts to form a uniform plastic layer. After rotation of 20 seconds or approximately, the mold is inverted in such a way that any excess powder falls into the powder box, which is then separated from the mold and retracted. The electroformed mold is then moved back to the IR heating station A, shown in position 3 in the Figure 2, to complete the melting process (generally a mold temperature of approximately 204.41 ° C (400 ° F) (depending on the specific powder or liquid plastic that is molded). The mold is then moved to a cooling station C, shown in Figure 2 at position 4, where a mist of water and air is atomized either onto one or the other or both of the front and rear surfaces to cool the mold at a separation temperature of approximately 60-65.5 ° C (140-150 ° F) (approximately 30-60 seconds). After reaching the separation temperature, the plastic cover is removed from the mold in station B, shown in Figure 2 in position 5 and a new cycle is started. In the instance where multiple layers of plastic (re-ground, foamed, different colors, properties or compositions of materials) can be molded in stratified or adjacent arrangement, in the mold, after preheating, it can be connected sequentially to multiple boxes of powder followed by multiple treatment cycles to melt stratified plastic material or without successively stratifying on the surface of the mold. Alternatively, a fourth molding station (second molding station) can be added to the physical layout. Accordingly, it has been established that in the context of the present invention, a priority of plastic materials can be molded in an accelerated processing environment. For example, the time for molding the first plastic material and the second plastic material is less than 3.0 minutes, as a consequence of the use of the IR heating elements that provide the ability to rapidly alter the temperature of the mold. Specifically, it has been found that the mold can be preheated in about 80 seconds (more generally 1-2 minutes), cool a first material in about 20 seconds (more generally 10-40 seconds), return the mold to the preheating station for heating to a second temperature for a second plastic material in a period of about 15 seconds (more generally 10-45 seconds) and molding the second plastic material, again, in a period of about 20 seconds (more in general 10-45 seconds). While operative cooling is preferred in the present, any process using latent heat (which requires phase or state changes) is acceptable, such that in addition to water, similar materials such as liquid nitrogen, dry ice (C02), etc. and combinations thereof may find use. The nozzle pattern of the termination can be optimized by contouring the physical nozzle arrangement to resemble the contour of the mold and accommodate any variations in mold thickness. Thus, it can be seen that the invention provides a new and improved method for producing thin plastic liners or covers from a liquid or powder molding process. By employing electric infrared heating, a simplified process that requires fewer molds and much less conduits and transportation devices and that emits significantly less noise and waste heat into the environment is obtained. In addition, a heat equilibrium method to provide uniform mold temperature and more uniform cover thickness and gloss uniformity is revealed using black body absorptivity. The process can find particular use in countries where electricity is cheaper than propane or oil as a source of process heating. In addition, the use of latent heat of vaporization or sublimation is revealed to provide cycles of mold elements significantly faster which contributes to faster total cycle times, reducing the number of molds and mold stations required to produce high volumes of cover . The process as described herein is not limited to the production of thin plastic articles for use in automotive applications, but may also find use in any field in industry where a thin plastic layer can be solidified on a surface of the mold, in which are included but not limited to toys, shoes, medical goods, etc. The descriptions and drawings illustratively summarize the currently preferred embodiments of the invention. The descriptions and drawings are intended to describe these modalities and not limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that still other modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the foregoing teachings as long as they remain within the scope of the following claims. Accordingly, in the scope of the claims, the invention can be practiced in another manner as the description and drawings specifically show and describe.

Claims (30)

1. CLAIMS 1. A method for producing plastic articles, characterized in that it comprises: preheating a metal mold having a contour of the mold that uses infrared energy of heating elements by infrared energy that are formed to coincide with the metal contour to establish a molding temperature; molding the plastic material on the preheated metal mold; melt the plastic using infrared energy; cool the metal body by contacting the metal mold with a material which can change phase or condition; Remove the molded plastic article from the metal mold. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the infrared energy heating elements that are formed to match the contour of the mold are spaced 0.0254 cm to 12.7 cm (0.01 inches to 5.0 inches) from the mold. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the mold has a thickness between about 0.127 cm and 1.016 cm (0.050 inches and 0.400 inches). 4. • The method according to claim 1, characterized in that infrared energy is supplied from electric infrared heating elements. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the infrared energy of the infrared heating elements provides a uniform temperature to the metal mold. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the plastic article removed from the mold has a thickness of 0.0254 cm to 0.1016 cm (0.01 inches to 0.040 inches). The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the infrared heating elements supply at least about 20 watts / square inch. 8. The method of compliance with the claim 7, characterized in that the heating elements operate in the temperature range of 204.41 ° C - 1093.3 ° C (400 ° F -2000 ° F). 9. The method of compliance with the claim 8, characterized in that the heating elements operate in the temperature range of 690.5-954.4 ° C (1275 ° F -1750 ° F). The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the metal mold is coated with a paint to affect the absorption of infrared energy. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the paint is selectively applied to the mold to selectively locate the absorption of the infrared energy. 12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the state or phase change employs latent heat. 13. The method according to the claim 12, characterized in that the change of state or phase is vaporization. 14. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the change of state or phase is sublimation. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooling of the metal mold by contacting the metal mold with a material that can change phase or state comprises cooling by atomization of the mold with a mist of air and water. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooling of the metal mold by contacting the metal mold with a material that can change phase or state comprises a combination of vaporization and sublimation. 17. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the plastic material is a thermoplastic or thermoformable. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that the plastic is from the group comprising urethane, vinyl, olefin, acrylic, acrylonitrile, butadiene, styrene, thermoplastic elastomer, polysulfone, polyimide, polyphenylene oxide, polyamide, epoxy and combinations thereof. 19. The method according to the claim 1, characterized in that the mold of the plastic material on the preheated metal mold surface comprises the molding of a plurality of plastic materials. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that the plurality of plastic materials include different polymeric compositions, plastic materials with different properties, plastic materials having different colors, plastic foamed materials and plastic regrind. 21. A method for producing plastic articles, comprising a metal mold that is positioned in a first heating station, wherein a metal mold having a mold contour is preheated using infrared energy of the heating elements by energy infrared that are formed to match the mold to set a molding temperature; characterized in that it comprises: positioning the mold in a second station and molding plastic material on the preheated metal mold; position the mold in the first station and melt the plastic using infrared energy; positioning the mold in a third station and cooling the metal mold by contacting the metal mold with a material which can change phase or state; position the mold in a fourth station and remove the molded plastic article from the metal mold. 22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that the mold is positioned in the first, second, third and fourth stations using a robot. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that the molding of the plastic material on the preheated mold surface comprises molding a plurality of thermoplastic materials. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that the molding of a plurality of plastic materials comprises molding a fourth plastic material followed by positioning the mold in the first heating station to preheat the molding and mold a second plastic material. 25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that the time for the molding of the first plastic material and the second plastic material is less than 3.0 minutes. 26. An apparatus for molding products, such as plastic articles, characterized in that it comprises: (i) a metal mold for receiving a molded plastic material, the mold has a mold contour, (ii) infrared heating elements for heating the mold to a desired molding temperature, the infrared heating elements include infrared heating elements formed to match the contour of the mold; (iii) a cooling device to feed a material which can change phase or state. 27. The apparatus according to claim 26, characterized in that the infrared heating elements comprise electric infrared heating elements. 28. The metal mold according to claim 26, characterized in that the mold comprises a nickel electroform. 29. The cooling device according to claim 26, characterized in that the cooling device comprises atomization nozzles. 30. The apparatus according to claim 26, characterized in that it includes a robotic device and wherein the apparatus includes stations for heating to a desired molding temperature, molding of the thermoplastic material and a station for cooling, wherein the mold is selectively positioned in the station for heating, molding and cooling.