CA2548158A1 - A tool and a method for creating the tool - Google Patents

A tool and a method for creating the tool Download PDF

Info

Publication number
CA2548158A1
CA2548158A1 CA002548158A CA2548158A CA2548158A1 CA 2548158 A1 CA2548158 A1 CA 2548158A1 CA 002548158 A CA002548158 A CA 002548158A CA 2548158 A CA2548158 A CA 2548158A CA 2548158 A1 CA2548158 A1 CA 2548158A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
tool
sectional member
laminated
thin layer
sectional
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA002548158A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Mark Manuel
Thomas Greaves
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Floodcooling Technologies LLC
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority claimed from PCT/US2003/035832 external-priority patent/WO2005065769A1/en
Publication of CA2548158A1 publication Critical patent/CA2548158A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23PMETAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS
    • B23P15/00Making specific metal objects by operations not covered by a single other subclass or a group in this subclass
    • B23P15/24Making specific metal objects by operations not covered by a single other subclass or a group in this subclass dies
    • B23P15/246Laminated dies

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Mounting, Exchange, And Manufacturing Of Dies (AREA)

Abstract

A method 10 and a laminated tool 31 which is created by the method 10 and which is formed by the selective coupling or attachment of sectional members, such as members 14, 16. The formed tool 31 includes a finished surface 36 which is formed by the selective deposition of material 30 onto surface 22.

Description

A TOOL AND A METHOD FOR CREATING THE TOOL
Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to a tool and to a method for creating a tool and more particularly, to a laminated tool which may be efficiently created, which has desirable attributes, and which .reliably and cost effectively produces items having a desired configuration.
Background of the Invention A tool is used to selectively create a tangible item or good having a desired shape, size, and/or having certain other desired attributes and properties. One tool creation strategy requires the use of a "block" of steel or another type of relatively hard material which is selectively "worked" or formed into a desired tool. While this approach does allow a tool to be selectively created, it is relatively time consuming, inefficient, and costly.
. In order to address the drawbacks associated with the foregoing tool creation strategy, a laminated tool creation strategy is frequently used and requires the selective creation of various sectional members or "sections" which are made to cooperatively form the desired tool. One non-limiting example of such a lamination strategy is found WO 2005/065769 PCT/US2003/035832 , within United States Patent Number 5,031,483 ("the '483 patent") which issued on June 16, 1991 and which is fully and completely incorporated herein by reference, word for word and paragraph for paragraph. While this lamination strategy does allow a tool to be quickly and efficiently created, it has many drawbacks. By way of example and without limitation, typical and desired types of tool steels (which are commonly used to create tooling) may usually not be available to. be used in an overall lamination process, due to certain inherent features or properties that prevent such steels from being efficiently cut into 'sections or selectively bonded or attached to other formed sections. Therefore, in many cases, alternative and undesirable or "inferior" materials must be used for laminate tool construction, thereby causing the produced tool to have undesired properties and characteristics.
While, in many instances, these alternative materials may perform satisfactorily throughout the life of the prototype or production tool, in many other instances, there may be a need for a more robust,~hardened tool steel surface or a highly polished class "A" type of "working"
surface which is not provided by these alternate materials.
Thus, in these cases, the tool created by use of this lamination strategy does not generally have the required 2' working surface and does not perform in a satisfactory or desired manner.
Further, the use of a lamination process may itself actually prevent the creation of such a highly polished class "A" working surface, since such a working surface is cooperatively formed by the ,selective coupling of each of the individual sections and, in many cases, by~ a bonding material which respectively resides between each adjacently coupled pair of attached sectional members and which forms part of the working surface_ Particularly, the absence of homogeneous material, such as a tool forming type steel, having desired and homogeneous properties, with which to form such a working surface, actually prevents the formed working service from being formed in the desired manner and ZS prevents the formed working surface from producing a tool having the desired characteristics.
Further, a prototype tool is often initially built in order to ensure or verify that the designed tool does, in fact, produce an item having a desired size, shape or other configuration, to create design specifications which are used to produce the final "production .tool", and to ascertain the need to modify the initial design before the time and expense of'creating a final production tool is realized. Using this approach a minimum of two tools are typically required (i.e., a first or "prototype" tool and a second or "production" tool) having a.desired design and configuration. The use of this first prototype tool undesirably~increases overall manufacturing/production cost and the needed or required time to produce a final desired product.
The present invention overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of tool design and creation and, by way of example and without limitation, allows for the creation of a laminated tool which has a relatively long working life and a desirably finished working surface, and which obviates the need to initially create and use a prototype tool as part of an overall process to create a "finished" or "production" tool, thereby reducing production cost and decreasing the time needed to design and produce a desired product.
Summary of the Invention It is a first non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide a tool which ~bvercomes some or all of the previously. delineated drawbacks of prior laminated tools.
It is a second non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide a method for creating a tool which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior tool creation methods.
It is a third non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide a laminated tool which hay a relatively long-working life.
It is a fourth non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide a laminated tool,which has a working surface with a desirable finish.
It is a fifth non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide a laminated tool which may be quickly and efficiently formed.
It is a sixth non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide a method by which a prototype tool may be used to efficiently create a production or "finished"
tool.
According to a first non-limiting aspect of the present invention, a laminated tool is provided.
Particularly, the laminated tool has a first portion which is created from a first material; and a tool creation surface which is formed from a second material.
According to a second, non-limiting aspect of the present invention, a tool is provided which is made by the process of creating a first sectional member; creating a second sectional member; attaching the first sectional member to the second sectional member; and placing a relatively thin layer of material upon a working surface of the second sectional member.
According to a third non-limiting aspect of the present~invention, a method is provided for forming a tool comprising the. steps of forming a first sectional member;
forming a second sectional member; coupling the first S sectional member to the second sectional member; and attaching a certain material to one surface of the second sectional member.
According to a fourth non-limiting aspect of the present invention, a method for creating a tool is provided. Particularly, the method includes the steps of creating a prototype tool having a working surface; and 'depositing material upon the working surface, thereby forming a tool.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and by reference to the following drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a schematic process diagram of the tool creation methodology of the preferred embodiment of the invention.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Eaebodiment of the Invention Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a process schematic diagram 10 which illustrates the tool creation methodology of the preferred embodiment of the invention.
Particularly, tool creation methodology 10 includes a first step 12 in which various sectional members, such as sectional members 14, 16, are created, according to the geometric requirements of the desired tool which is to be i0 produced by the methodology 10.
As should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the manner in which each such sectional member, such as members 14, 16, are created is dependent upon the particular lamination tool creation strategy which is employed by a user of the invention and by the requirements of the tool which is to be created. It should be realized by those of ordinary skill in the art, that the present invention is not limited to a particular type of laminated tool creation strategy or for use with a particular type of tool. For example, the sections, such as sections 14, 16, may be created in accordance with the teachings of the '483 patent, with the teachings of the "prior art" which is described within the '483 patent, or with any other lamination tool creation process, including those proprietary process which have been developed by the Applicant.
Step 13 follows step 12 and, in this step 13, th'e created sectional members, such as members 14, 16, are 5-- selectively coupled or bonded together. Step 18 follows step 13 and, in this step 18, the created and then coupled or bonded sectional members, such as members ~14-, 16 cooperatively form an unfinished tool 20 having an unfinished working or item creation surface 22.
Particularly, in one non-limiting embodiment, each of the sections, such as sectional members 14, 16, are first created and then desirably coupled (by use of a bonding material or other mechanical attachment member) to form a desired unfinished or prototype tool. Alternatively, each sectional member, once formed, is promptly attached to another sectional member, thereby sequentially "building up" a tool which is formed by the methodology 10. At the conclusion of the process step 18, a laminate tool 20 is formed. It should be noted that fihe term "laminate tool"
has a very specific meaning in the tooling art and within this Application. Particularly, the term "laminate tool"
means a tool with a working surface 22 or a working surface which is formed by several dissimilar types of materials (e.g., a bonding agent and the material used to form the sectional members, such as members 14, 16). Further, it should be appreciated that tool 20 comprises a "prototype tool" and that the term "prototype tool" also means or refers to any tool which has a relatively short "working life" (e. g., the time in which the tool may form items having a desired size, shape, or other attributes). It should.be appreciated that the sectional members, such as~
sectional members 14, 16, may be formed from such materials as various steels, aluminums, and/or copper or from substantially any other material which is desired by the user .
After the tool 20 is.formed, step 18 is followed by step 24 in which a second material 30 is deposited upon the unfinished working surface 22. Particularly, this second material 30 may selectively comprise nickel, titanium, D-2, S-7, H-13, or P-20 tool steels or other materials including various other relatively hard steels acceptable .for tooling. Moreover, these materials, such as material 30, may be applied to the working surface 22 by a variety of deposition or material application techniques. By way of example and~without limitations, a liquid store 32 of the second material 30 may be physically .transferred 37 from the liquid store 32 to create a new surface 36 over surface 22. Particularly, a user of the methodology of the invention, selectively "sprays" the surface 22 with the second material 30 until a relatively thin layer of the second material 30 substantially covers the surface 22 creating a new surface 36. In the most preferred embodiment of~the invention, the second material 30 is applied until it is deposited upon the surface 22 to about a thickness of about .0005 inches to about-one quarter of an inch (about .0127 millimeters to about 6.35 millimeters). However, it should be appreciated that the thickness may vary as desired and that, in other non-limiting embodiments, the thickness of the deposited material 30 may not be uniform upon the surface 22. For example and without limitation, certain second materials 30, such as nickel may have a thickness which is about .0005 inches to about .002 inches (about .0127 millimeters to about .051 millimeters).
In one non-limiting embodiment, thermal transfer from 15~ surface 36 into tool 26 andlor other heat sink rapidly cools surface 36. The rapid cooling causes the deposited material 30 to form a "fine grain structure" without the need for subsequent heat treating. Alternatively, the tool 2 6 may be cooled before the material 30 is applied to it, thereby increasing the thermal gradient between the newly applied surface 36 and the tool 26 to more rapidly cool the applied material 30. Alternatively, the material 30 may be applied by a laser. deposition process or by any ether available process, including, but not limited to plating.
l0 Step 24 may be followed by an additional step (not shown) of machining the surface, formed by the homogeneous and selectively deposited material 30, should the applied/deposited material 30 not have the desired thickness or a desired finish. The methodology 10 ends with step 29 in which a "finished tool" 31 is created.
Hence, it should be appreciated that the foregoing methodology 10 also allows a prototype tool 20 to be quickly and efficiently modified to create a production l0 type tool 31, thereby reducing overall production costs and that the foregoing process or methodology 10 further allows a finished tool 31 to be formed from a "laminated tool"
(e. g., a tool which is created by the use of a lamination process) while having a desired finished surface 36 which i5 allows the finished tool 31 to have a relatively long working life while producing tangible items having a desired size, shape, and other attributes.
It is. to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction and method which has been 20 illustrated and discussed above, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from 'the spirit and the scope of the inventions as are delineated in the following claims.

Claims

What is Claimed Is:

(1) A laminated tool having a first portion which is created from a first material and a tool creation surface which is formed from a second material.

(2) The laminated tool of Claim 1 wherein said second material has a relatively thin thickness which is about .0005 inches to about one quarter of an inch.

(3) The limited tool of Claim 2 wherein said second material is titanium.

(4). The laminated tool of Claim 2 wherein said first material is copper.

(5) The laminated tool of Claim 2 wherein said first material is stainless steel.

(6) The laminated tool of Claim 2 wherein said first material is aluminum.

(7) The laminated tool of Claim 2 wherein said second material is tool steel.

(8) The laminated tool of Claim 1 wherein said second material is nickel. having a thickness of about .0005 inches to about .002 inches.

(9) A tool which is made by the process of creating a first sectional member; creating a second sectional member;
attaching said first sectional member to said second sectional member; and placing a relatively thin layer of metal material upon a surface of said second sectional member.

(10) The tool of Claim 9 wherein said relatively thin layer of material is sprayed upon said surface of said second sectional member by the use of a nozzle assembly.

(11) The tool of Claim 9 wherein said relatively thin layer of material is deposited upon said. surface of said second sectional member by laser deposition.

(12) The tool of Claim 9 wherein said relatively thin layer of material is deposited upon said surface of said second sectional member by plating.

(13) The tool of Claim 9 wherein said second sectional member is copper.

(14) The tool of Claim 9 wherein said thin layer of material. is titanium.

(15) The tool of Claim 9 wherein said thin layer of material is tool steel.

(16) The tool of Claim 9 wherein said thin layer of material is nickel.

(17) The tool of Claim 9 wherein said relatively thin layer of material has a thickness from about .0005 inches to about one quarter of an inch.

(18) The tool of Claim 9 wherein said first sectional member is bonded to said second sectional member.

(19) A method for forming a tool comprising the steps of:

forming a first sectional member;
forming a second sectional member;
coupling the first sectional member to said second sectional member; and attaching a certain metal material to one surface of said second sectional member.

(20) The method of Claim 19 wherein said step of attaching said certain metal material to said one surface of said second sectional member comprises the step of depositing said certain metal material upon said second sectional member.

(21) The method of Claim 19 wherein said step of attaching said certain metal material to said one surface of said second sectional member comprises the step of spraying said certain material upon said second sectional member.

(22) The method of Claim 19 wherein said certain material is titanium.

(23) The method of Claim 19 wherein said certain material comprises nickel.

(24) The method of Claim 19 wherein said certain material comprises tool steel.
CA002548158A 2003-12-04 2003-12-04 A tool and a method for creating the tool Abandoned CA2548158A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2003/035832 WO2005065769A1 (en) 2002-11-07 2003-12-04 A tool and a method for creating the tool

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2548158A1 true CA2548158A1 (en) 2005-07-21

Family

ID=36889440

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002548158A Abandoned CA2548158A1 (en) 2003-12-04 2003-12-04 A tool and a method for creating the tool

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1694401A4 (en)
CA (1) CA2548158A1 (en)

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5031483A (en) * 1989-10-06 1991-07-16 W. R. Weaver Co. Process for the manufacture of laminated tooling
JPH10235439A (en) * 1997-02-25 1998-09-08 Toyota Motor Corp Manufacture of forming die, and forming die
DE19900597A1 (en) * 1998-12-01 2000-06-08 Fraunhofer Ges Forschung Sheet metal forming tool and method for its production
WO2002098624A1 (en) * 2001-06-05 2002-12-12 Mikro Systems Inc. Methods for manufacturing three-dimensional devices and devices created thereby

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1694401A4 (en) 2011-01-12
EP1694401A1 (en) 2006-08-30

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US20150053291A1 (en) Method for manufacturing a fluid routing component by layer-wise buildup
EP3461568B1 (en) A production method of bathroom hardware shells
US20020165634A1 (en) Fabrication of laminate tooling using closed-loop direct metal deposition
US7195223B2 (en) System and a method for cooling a tool
US10589504B2 (en) Lamination manufacturing method for large-size and complex-structure metal components
US20110159138A1 (en) Blow mold for molding a container
CA2558010A1 (en) Powdered metal multi-lobular tooling and method of fabrication
CN106239835B (en) A kind of manufacturing method of the smooth surface mold insert of injection mold
US20050121112A1 (en) Fabrication of customized, composite, and alloy-variant components using closed-loop direct metal deposition
US7338717B2 (en) Tool and a method for creating the tool
JP6162217B2 (en) Laser support tool production and repair method
CA2548158A1 (en) A tool and a method for creating the tool
US7278197B2 (en) Method for producing a tool
WO2005119081A1 (en) Method and product for manufacturing brake pads
US11642820B2 (en) Tool for plastic injection molding and method for manufacturing the tool
JP6124023B2 (en) Mold for molding and manufacturing method thereof
US20190270137A1 (en) System and methods for manufacturing regeneratively cooled rocket thrust chamber nozzles
JP2020099999A (en) Hot runner nozzle, mold for injection molding, manufacturing method for plastic molding products, and manufacturing method for hot runner nozzle
JP2006082983A (en) Method for manufacturing glass substrate of information recording medium and manufacturing apparatus using the method
CN110834088A (en) Method for manufacturing frame structure frame of electronic equipment
CN217121747U (en) Additive manufacturing supporting mechanism and printing model
JP3320930B2 (en) Mold for resin molding
TW200414994A (en) A tool and a method for creating the tool
JP3255690B2 (en) Optical element molding die and manufacturing method
KR20050051014A (en) Manufacturing method for grinding and cutting tool

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
EEER Examination request
FZDE Dead