公开(公告)号：US20210402659A1

公开(公告)日：2021-12-30

申请号：US17297363

申请日：2019-11-26

Applicant: EDGE EMBOSSING, INC.

Inventor： Brian Alexander SMITH ,  Andrew Evan KAMHOLZ ,  Cameron John HARRIS ,  Hootan FARHAT

IPC: B29C45/26 ,  B29C43/52 ,  B29C43/36

Abstract: Thermoplastic forming tools and assemblages are provided for forming thermoplastic components. In particular, thermoplastic forming tools and assemblages are provided for forming thermoplastic components having precision micro-scale features and reproducible macro-scale dimensions. The thermoplastic forming assemblages can include at least a bottom tool and a top tool having a rigid tool body and an elastomer layer conformally coating at least a portion of both rigid tool bodies. The bottom and top tool can be so dimensioned that, when in the closed position, they define a cavity forming the thermoplastic component. The rigid tool bodies provide the reproducible macro-scale dimensions in the thermoplastic component, while the elastomer layers form and release the precision micro-scale features in the thermoplastic component when formed. Tool-forming structures are also provided for making thermoplastic forming tools and assemblages, as well as methods of making the thermoplastic forming tools, and methods of use for forming thermoplastic components.

公开(公告)号：US20230330915A1

公开(公告)日：2023-10-19

申请号：US18008402

申请日：2021-06-03

Applicant: EDGE EMBOSSING, INC.

Inventor： Brian Alexander SMITH ,  Andrew Evan KAMHOLZ ,  Cameron John HARRIS ,  Hootan FARHAT ,  Jacob Thomas TRUEB ,  Courtney Ann MCLOUD ,  Meghan Ashley HEMOND

IPC: B29C59/02 ,  B29C33/40 ,  B29C33/42

CPC classification number: B29C59/022 ,  B29C33/405 ,  B29C33/424 ,  B29C2059/023 ,  B29K2905/02 ,  B29K2883/00 ,  B29K2101/12

Abstract: A variety of thermoplastic parts are provided with precise micro-scale features and long-range macro-scale reproducibility. By combining the advantages of rigid tool molding and soft tooling into a hybrid tooling, complex and challenging microfeatures can be created in thermoplastic parts with remarkable positional accuracy and reproducibility. The parts described herein can demonstrate orders of magnitude smaller inter-part variations and order of magnitude smaller variations with respect to a master part as compared to conventional hard and soft tooling methods. In some aspects, a plurality of thermoplastic parts having precision micro-scale features and reproducible macro-scale dimensions are provided wherein the precision micro-scale features on each part comprise at least one challenging microfeature; and wherein a mean normalized displacement of the micro-scale features is about or less when measured between the parts in the plurality of thermoplastic parts.