TW201424977A - Mixed material rapid mold and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A rapid mold is manufactured according to a prototype workpiece and can be used to make duplicates of the prototype workpiece. The prototype workpiece surface has a prototype structure. The rapid mold comprises a backing base and an impression template. The backing base is made of a metal and formed of a through hole and also comprises a base wall and a surrounding wall. The base wall and the surrounding wall collectively define a recess communicating with the through hole. The impression template is made of a mixture of metal powder and colloid and comprises an impression section and a filling section. The impression section is received in the recess, and has a first surface that forms an impression structure complementary to the prototype structure and a second surface contacting the base wall. The filling section is coupled to the impression section and is received in the through hole. With the arrangement of the backing base, the effect of heat transfer and the structural strength of the mold can be improved, the manufacturing process of the rapid mold can be simplified, and deformation of the impression template can be suppressed.

Description

Mixed material rapid mold and manufacturing method thereof

The present invention relates to a mold, and more particularly to a rapid tooling (RT) comprising a metal structure and a metal resin structure.

Rapid prototyping (RP) is a production technology that can quickly produce prototypes. By the concept of "layer processing", the three-dimensional prototype objects are divided into multiple layers along an axis in the design stage. The sheets are then fabricated into individual sheets according to predetermined design specifications, and the sheets are sequentially stacked and bonded together to produce the desired prototype. Compared with traditional mold-forming technology, rapid prototyping technology requires short processing time and low cost, so it is common in product development, small-scale trial production or short-term rapid mass production.

Rapid Tooling (RT) is a technology that can produce new molds in a short period of time, which is an extension of Rapid Prototyping Technology (RP). Among them, the rapid mold of Epoxy resign composite is a temporary mold commonly used in product development, which processes a mixture of metal powder (such as aluminum powder) and resin into a desired mold through a reversal process. It can be used in subsequent hot stamping processes.

The method for producing the conventional metal resin rapid mold will be described below.

1(A) and 1(B). First, a prototype workpiece 92 is surrounded by a plurality of mold frames 91 and defines a space for filling the glue. Here, the prototype workpiece 92 is exemplified by a Fresnel lens made of glass, and the lens structure on the surface thereof is opened toward the potting space.

Refer to Figure 1 (C). Next, a colloid (e.g., silicone) is poured into the potting space to form a first template 93 having a surface structure complementary to the prototype workpiece 92. Subsequently, the mold frame 91 is removed and the first template 93 is separated from the surface of the prototype workpiece 92 for later use.

Refer to Figure 1 (D). This step is similar to the foregoing step. First, the first template 93 is surrounded by the mold frame 91, and a second template 94 having a surface structure complementary to the first template 93 is formed through a glue forming step, and then the mold frame 91 is removed and The second template 94 is removed for use.

Refer to Figure 1 (E) and Figure 1 (F). Similarly, this step first surrounds the second template 94 through the mold frame 91 and fills the metal resin therein, and forms an imprint template 95 having a surface structure complementary to the second template 94 through a potting molding step.

Through the above steps, the surface structure complementary to the prototype workpiece 92 can be formed by the transfer of the second template 94 on the surface of the imprint template 95. Therefore, when the hot stamping process is performed, a replica workpiece (not shown) having a surface structure equivalent to the prototype workpiece 92 can be reproduced by the imprint template 95 made of a metal resin.

However, the above metal resin rapid mold (i.e., the imprint template 95) has several problems in the manufacturing process and structure. First, in the manufacturing process, the assembly and disassembly steps of the mold frame 91 are required to be performed many times, which takes a lot of time. Secondly, the preparation of the imprint template 95 requires a heating and curing process, which tends to cause the imprint template 95 to be deformed, thereby affecting the surface flatness and subsequent accuracy for the hot imprinting step. Thirdly, the material of the imprint template 95 is a metal resin, which has low heat conductivity and low material strength, so The thermal effect and structural strength are poor, which is not conducive to the hot stamping.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a rapid mold which is simple in production, is not easily deformed, has good heat conduction effect, and has good structural strength.

Thus, the rapid mold of the present invention is produced according to a prototype workpiece for replicating the finished product of the prototype workpiece. The prototype workpiece includes an opposite first surface and a second surface, the first surface of the prototype workpiece forming a prototype structure. The rapid mold includes a backing seat and an imprint template.

The backing seat is at least partially made of metal and has a consistent aperture and includes a base wall and a surrounding wall. The base wall has an opposite first surface and a second surface. The surrounding wall extends from the first surface of the base wall away from the base wall and cooperates with the base wall to define a groove communicating with the through hole.

The embossing template is housed in the backing seat, at least partially made of a mixture of metal powder and colloid, and includes an embossing portion and a filling portion. The embossing portion is received in the recess and has an opposite first surface and a second surface. The first surface of the embossed portion forms an embossed structure complementary to the prototype structure of the prototype workpiece, the second surface of the embossed portion being interposed between the first surface thereof and the first surface of the base wall. The filling portion is coupled to the embossing portion and at least partially disposed in the through hole of the backing seat.

Preferably, the second surface of the embossing portion is in contact with the first surface of the base wall, and the embossed portion has an area size that completely matches the groove.

Preferably, the through hole of the backing seat is formed on the base wall and penetrates the first surface and the second surface of the base wall.

Preferably, the through hole is located at a center of symmetry of the base wall.

Preferably, the height of the surrounding wall is twice the thickness of the embossed portion.

Preferably, the material of the backing seat is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, iron and copper.

Preferably, the surrounding wall is further away from the surface of the base wall to form a stripping groove that communicates with the groove.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing the aforementioned mold.

Thus, the method of manufacturing the rapid mold of the present invention is made according to a prototype workpiece. The prototype workpiece includes an opposite first surface and a second surface, the first surface of the prototype workpiece forming a prototype structure. The manufacturing method comprises the following steps: (A) preparing a backing seat at least partially made of metal, the backing seat comprising a base wall and a surrounding wall, the base wall and the surrounding wall cooperate to define a groove; B) placing the prototype workpiece in the groove of the backing seat, and opening the prototype structure of the prototype workpiece away from the base wall, and then forming a one in the backing seat by a glue forming technique a first template, the first template is formed through the prototype workpiece to form a first structure complementary to the prototype structure; (C) the first template and the prototype workpiece are taken out from the backing seat, and then the first Forming a template in the recess of the backing seat, and opening the first structure of the first template away from the base wall, and then forming a second template in the backing seat by a glue forming technique Passing the second template through the first template to form a second structure complementary to the first structure; (D) removing the first template and the second template from the backing seat, and on the backing The seat makes a through hole connecting the groove, and then the second template is placed on the back The groove base, so that the second junction of the second template a structure facing the base wall and spaced apart from the base wall, such that the second template cooperates with the backing seat to define a pair of chambers that should be in a second configuration and communicate with the through holes; and (E) perfuse through the through holes a mixture comprising a metal powder and a colloid in the chamber to form an imprint template, and the imprint template is passed through the second template to form an imprint structure complementary to the second structure, and then the second template is self-contained The backing seat is taken out.

Preferably, the base wall, the first template, the second template and the imprint template each have an opposite first surface and a second surface, and the surrounding wall of the backing seat is disposed on the base wall a surface, the first structure is formed on the first surface of the first template, the second structure is formed on the first surface of the second template, and the embossed structure is formed on the first surface of the embossing template The second surface of the prototype workpiece is in step (B) against the first surface of the base wall, and the first surface of the first template is in contact with the first surface of the prototype workpiece; in the step (C) a second surface of a template is against the first surface of the base wall, and a first surface of the second template is in contact with the first surface of the first template; and the first of the imprint template is in the step (E) The surface is in contact with the first surface of the second template.

Preferably, the prototype workpiece, the first template, the second template and the imprint template have an area size that completely matches the groove.

Preferably, the through hole is formed at a center of symmetry of the base wall of the backing seat.

Preferably, the height of the surrounding wall of the backing seat is twice that of the prototype workpiece, the first template, the second template and the imprint template.

Preferably, the material of the backing seat is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, iron and copper.

Preferably, the first template and the second template are made of silicone or resin.

Preferably, after step (E), a step (F) is further included: a stripping groove is formed in the surrounding wall of the backing seat away from the base wall to communicate with the groove.

The effect of the invention is that, by the arrangement of the backing seat, it is not necessary to repeatedly disassemble the mold frame in the manufacturing process of the rapid mold, which can simplify the production process of the rapid mold. In addition, the backing seat is made of metal and has excellent thermal conductivity and material strength, which facilitates the execution of hot stamping and enhances the overall structural strength of the rapid mold. Furthermore, the imprint template is fabricated in the backing seat to suppress deformation and maintain its flatness, and to improve the accuracy of the hot stamping process.

The foregoing and other technical aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments.

Referring to Figures 2, 3 and 5, a preferred embodiment of the rapid mold 1 of the present invention is shown. The rapid mold 1 comprises a metal backing base 2 and a metal resin stamping template 3, which is produced according to a prototype workpiece 4, and the replica of the prototype workpiece 4 can be reproduced by hot stamping or the like ( Not drawn in the figure).

The prototype workpiece 4 includes an opposite first surface 41 and a second surface 42 and forms a prototype structure 43 on its first surface 41. In this embodiment, the prototype workpiece 4 is exemplified by a Fresnel lens made of glass material. Therefore, the prototype structure 43 herein refers to a microstructure for collecting light on the surface of the Fresnel lens. However, the prototype mold 4 that the quick mold 1 of the present invention can be matched with is not limited thereto.

The backing seat 2 is made of a metal material, and the cost of the material and the ease of processing are preferably aluminum, iron, copper, but not limited thereto. The backing seat 2 includes a base wall 21 and a surrounding wall 22. The base wall 21 has an opposite first surface 211 and a second surface 212 and defines a through hole 213 extending through the first surface 211 and the second surface 212. The surrounding wall 22 extends from the first surface 211 of the base wall 21 away from the base wall 21 and cooperates with the base wall 21 to define a recess 23 communicating with the through hole 213. In addition, two stripping grooves 222 are formed around the wall 22 and also on the surface 221 thereof away from the base wall 21.

The embossing template 3 is housed in the backing seat 2, and is made of a metal powder (such as aluminum powder) mixed with a metal resin, and includes an embossing portion 31 and a filling portion 32. The embossing portion 31 is received in the recess 23 of the backing seat 2 and has an opposite first surface 311 and a second surface 312, the first surface 311 of which forms a prototype structure 43 complementary to the prototype workpiece 4. The embossed structure 313 is capable of producing a replica of the prototype workpiece 4 by thermal imprinting or the like; the second surface 312 is in contact with the first surface 211 of the base wall 21. The filling portion 32 is disposed in the through hole 213 of the backing seat 2 and is coupled to the embossing portion 31, which is a structural feature caused by the molding of the embossing template 3 through the through hole 213, and the process will be followed by a manufacturing process. Explain.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the rapid mold 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4 and related drawings.

Steps S1, S2: Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, first, a piece of metal material (the aluminum material in this embodiment) is excavated to have an area equivalent to the prototype workpiece. A groove 23 of 4 is used to prepare a metal backing seat 2. Preferably, the depth of the groove 23 is twice the thickness of the prototype workpiece 4, and the final finished rapid mold 1 can be turned out to have the same area and thickness as the duplicated product of the prototype workpiece 4.

Next, the prototype workpiece 4 is placed in the recess 23 of the backing seat 2 such that its second surface 42 contacts the first surface 211 of the base wall 21 and its prototype structure 43 is opened away from the base wall 21. Then, the colloid (this embodiment is silicone, but resin can also be used) is poured into the groove 23 of the backing seat 2 by a potting technique to form a first template 5. The first template 5 is a temporary template for forming the imprint template 3, the thickness of which is equivalent to the prototype workpiece 4, and includes an opposite first surface 51 and a second surface 52, and is formed on the first surface 51 to be complementary to the prototype workpiece. The first structure 53 of the prototype structure 43 of 4. Due to the use of silicone or resin, the first structure 53 can be accurately complemented to the prototype structure 43 of the prototype workpiece 4, and the manufacturing method of the present invention can be applied to the development of the high precision rapid mold 1.

Steps S3, S4: Referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, continuing the foregoing steps, the first template 5 and the prototype workpiece 4 are first sequentially taken out from the recess 23 of the backing seat 2. Next, the first template 5 is placed in the recess 23 such that its second surface 52 abuts against the first surface 211 of the base wall 21 and its first structure 53 is opened away from the base wall 21. Then, a second template 6 of a silicone material is produced in the backing seat 2 through the aforementioned potting molding technique. The second template 6 is also a temporary template for making the imprint template 3, the thickness is equal to the prototype workpiece 4, the first template 5, and includes an opposite first surface 61 and a second surface 62, and on the first surface thereof. 61 forming a first structure complementary to the first template 5 The second structure 63 of 53. That is, the surface topography of the second structure 63 of the second template 6 is equivalent to the prototype structure 43 of the prototype workpiece 4.

Preferably, before the second template 6 is fabricated, the release agent may be applied to the first surface 51 of the first template 5 to subsequently separate the two.

Steps S5, S6: Referring to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the foregoing steps are continued. First, the second template 6 and the first template 5 are sequentially taken out from the recess 23 of the backing seat 2. Next, a through hole 213 is bored in the center of symmetry of the base wall 21 of the backing seat 2. Further, the second template 6 is placed in the recess 23 of the backing seat 2 such that its second structure 63 faces the base wall 21 and is spaced from the base wall 21, and its second surface 62 is flush with the surrounding wall 22. It is away from the surface 221 of the base wall 21. Accordingly, the second template 6 can cooperate with the backing seat 2 to define a chamber 24 that communicates with the through hole 213. Finally, a metal resin containing a metal powder and a colloid is poured into the chamber 24 through the through holes 213 to form an imprint template 3. The thickness of the imprint template 3 is equal to that of the prototype workpiece 4, the first template 5 and the second template 6, and is formed on the first surface 311 by the surface of the second template 6 to be complementary to the prototype workpiece 4. The embossed structure 313 of the prototype structure 43 can be fabricated by the technique of hot pressing and the like.

Steps S7, S8: Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 11, the foregoing steps are continued. First, the second template 6 is taken out of the recess 23 of the backing seat 2. Next, the imprint template 3 of the rapid mold 1 is subjected to a thermosetting treatment through a heating process. Finally, a stripper groove 222 is formed around the surface 221 of the wall 22 to facilitate removal of the replicated product of the prototype workpiece 4 after the subsequent hot stamping process is completed.

In the manufacturing process of the rapid mold 1 of the present invention, the first template 5, the second template 6 and the imprint template 3 are defined by the backing seat 2 as in the above steps S1 to S8. The shape and position, so the mold frame can be disassembled without reversing, and the production process can be simplified. In addition, the imprint template 3 made of a metal resin is installed in the metal backing base 2, and is not easily deformed by deformation even when the temperature is raised, and can maintain excellent flatness and improve the accuracy of the imprint process. Furthermore, the metal backing seat 2 has good thermal conductivity and material strength, which can improve the heat dissipation effect and structural strength of the rapid mold 1, and is advantageous for the hot stamping process.

Refer to Figure 12. Further, the imprint template 3 can also be designed to include a plurality of protrusions 314. In the manufacturing manner, when the through holes 213 are formed in the step S5, the protrusions 314 are reworked into the backing seat 2 to form a recessed structure such as a dovetail groove or a groove (not labeled), and is poured in step S6. Formed after the metal resin. Since the protruding portion 314 is embedded in the backing seat 2, the adhesion and bonding of the imprinting template 3 to the backing seat 2 can be improved, and the durability thereof can be improved. However, the shape and position of the protruding portion 314 herein are for illustrative purposes only, and may be elastically adjusted as needed, and are not limited thereto.

The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of the invention is not limited thereto, that is, the simple equivalent changes and modifications made by the scope of the invention and the description of the invention are All remain within the scope of the invention patent.

1‧‧‧Quick mold

2‧‧‧ Backing seat

21‧‧‧ base wall

211‧‧‧ first surface

212‧‧‧ second surface

213‧‧‧through holes

22‧‧‧ Around the wall

221‧‧‧ surface

222‧‧‧Mold release slot

23‧‧‧ Groove

24‧‧‧ chamber

3‧‧‧ Imprint template

31‧‧‧ Imprinting Department

311‧‧‧ first surface

312‧‧‧ second surface

313‧‧ embossed structure

314‧‧‧Protruding

32‧‧‧ Filling Department

4‧‧‧Prototype artifacts

41‧‧‧ first surface

42‧‧‧ second surface

43‧‧‧Prototype structure

5‧‧‧ first template

51‧‧‧ first surface

52‧‧‧ second surface

53‧‧‧First structure

6‧‧‧ second template

61‧‧‧ first surface

62‧‧‧ second surface

63‧‧‧Second structure

S1~S8‧‧‧ Process steps

1(A) to 1(F) are schematic views illustrating a conventional method for fabricating a metal resin rapid mold; and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the rapid mold of the present invention; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating the fabrication process of the rapid mold of the present invention; Figures 5 through 11 are schematic views illustrating the fabrication process of the rapid mold of the present invention; and Figure 12 is a rapid formation of the protruding portion Schematic of the mold.

1‧‧‧Quick mold

2‧‧‧ Backing seat

221‧‧‧ surface

222‧‧‧Mold release slot

3‧‧‧ Imprint template

Claims (15)

A rapid mold produced by a prototype workpiece for replicating a finished product of the prototype workpiece, the prototype workpiece comprising an opposite first surface and a second surface, the first surface of the prototype workpiece forming a prototype structure, The rapid mold comprises: a backing seat, at least partially made of metal and having a constant hole, and comprising a base wall having an opposite first surface and a second surface, and a surrounding wall, the first wall a surface extending away from the base wall and cooperating with the base wall to define a groove communicating with the through hole; and an imprint template accommodated in the backing seat, at least partially composed of metal powder and colloid The mixture is formed and includes an embossed portion received in the recess and having an opposite first surface and a second surface, the first surface of the embossed portion forming a complementary to the prototype workpiece An embossed structure of the prototype structure, the second surface of the embossed portion is interposed between the first surface thereof and the first surface of the base wall, and a filling portion is coupled to the embossing portion and at least partially disposed thereon In the through hole of the backing seat. The rapid mold of claim 1, wherein the second surface of the embossing portion is in contact with the first surface of the base wall, and the embossed portion has an area size that completely coincides with the groove. The rapid mold of claim 1, wherein the through hole of the backing seat is formed on the base wall and penetrates the first surface and the second surface of the base wall. The rapid mold of claim 3, wherein the through hole is located at a center of symmetry of the base wall. The rapid mold of claim 1, wherein the height of the surrounding wall is twice the thickness of the embossed portion. The rapid mold of claim 1, wherein the material of the backing seat is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, iron, and copper. The rapid mold of claim 1, wherein the surrounding wall is further formed with a stripping groove that communicates with the groove. A rapid mold manufacturing method is produced according to a prototype workpiece comprising an opposite first surface and a second surface, the first surface of the prototype workpiece forming a prototype structure, the manufacturing method comprising the following steps: (A Preparing a backing seat at least partially of a metal material, the backing seat comprising a base wall and a surrounding wall, the base wall and the surrounding wall cooperating to define a groove; (B) placing the prototype workpiece on Forming a prototype structure of the prototype workpiece in a direction away from the base wall, and then forming a first template in the backing seat by a potting molding technique to make the first template Forming a first structure complementary to the prototype structure through the prototype workpiece; (C) removing the first template and the prototype workpiece from the backing seat, and then placing the first template on the backing seat In the groove, and opening the first structure of the first template away from the base wall, and then by filling Forming a second template in the backing seat, the second template is passed through the first template to form a second structure complementary to the first structure; (D) the first template and the second The template is taken out from the backing seat, and a through hole communicating with the groove is formed in the backing seat, and then the second template is placed in the groove of the backing seat, so that the second template is The second structure faces the base wall and is spaced apart from the base wall, such that the second template cooperates with the backing seat to define a pair of chambers that should be in the second structure and communicate with the through holes; and (E) through the through holes Depositing a mixture comprising a metal powder and a colloid in the chamber to form an imprint template, and passing the imprint template through the second template to form an imprint structure complementary to the second structure, and then the second template Remove from the backing seat. The method of manufacturing a rapid mold according to claim 8, wherein the base wall, the first template, the second template and the imprint template each have an opposite first surface and a second surface, the backing seat a surrounding wall is disposed on the first surface of the base wall, the first structure is formed on the first surface of the first template, and the second structure is formed on the first surface of the second template, the embossed structure Forming on the first surface of the imprint template; in step (B), the second surface of the prototype workpiece is against the first surface of the base wall, and the first surface of the first template is in contact with the prototype workpiece a first surface; the second surface of the first template is in contact with the first surface of the base wall, and the first surface of the second template is in contact with the first surface of the first template; Step (E) The first surface of the imprint template is in contact with the first surface of the second template. The method of manufacturing a rapid mold according to claim 8, wherein the prototype The first template, the second template and the area size of the imprint template completely match the groove. The method of manufacturing a rapid mold according to claim 8, wherein the through hole is formed at a center of symmetry of a base wall of the backing seat. The method of manufacturing a rapid mold according to claim 8, wherein the height of the surrounding wall of the backing seat is twice that of the prototype workpiece, the first template, the second template, and the imprint template. The method of manufacturing a rapid mold according to claim 8, wherein the material of the backing seat is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, iron, and copper. The method for manufacturing a rapid mold according to claim 8, wherein the first template and the second template are made of silicone or resin. The method of manufacturing a rapid mold according to claim 8, wherein the step (E) further comprises a step (F) of: forming a communication with the groove around the surface of the backing seat away from the base wall; Demoulding groove.