Forming Mold Cavities

This invention relates to the forming of miniature mold cavities for molding small features integral with a base sheet, and has particular application to the production of touch fasteners and the like.

Touch fastener products have arrays of miniature fastener elements (for instance, hook-shaped or mushroom-shaped elements) extending from a common base. Typically, in order to be capable of engaging a loop fiber or another fastener element, these fastener elements have overhanging "crooks", such as the hook portion of a hook-shaped element or the underside of the head of a mushroom-shaped element. These crooks snag and retain loop fibers, for instance, to form a fastening, but can be challenging to mold in their fully functional form in non-opening mold cavities.

One solution for continuously molding such fastener elements for touch fasteners and other products was disclosed by Fischer in U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,028. In commercial implementations of his solution, a cylindrical, rotating mold roll is composed of a large number (e.g., thousands) of thin, disk-shaped mold plates and spacer plates which are stacked concentrically about a central barrel. Extending inwardly from the periphery of the mold plates are cavities for molding the hook elements. These mold cavities are composed of contoured mold surfaces in the mold plates in combination with flat side surfaces of adjoining spacer plates. To produce mold plates for current production machines, each contoured mold surface is typically formed by electro-discharge machining (EDM) methods.

We have realized that extremely small mold cavity surfaces can be accurately formed at reasonable cost by controllably building up mold material in patterned layers, such as by plating techniques.

The invention features a method of producing a multiplicity of cavities extending from a common surface, for molding a plastic product having a multiplicity of features integrally molded with and extending from a product base. The method includes depositing multiple layers of plating material on a workpiece in a predetermined pattern selected to produce a desired mold cavity shape, and forming, with the plating material, mold surfaces for defining a multiplicity of feature-shaped mold cavities extending from a common surface.

In some cases, the cavities each have a crook for molding a fastener element, such as a hook-shaped fastener element, with an engageable crook portion.

Preferably, the cavities are constructed to mold features of less than about 0.050 inch in total height, more preferably less than about 0.025 inch in total height, as measured from the product base.

The workpiece can, for instance, comprise at least part of a mold for molding a plastic fastener product.

The method can include the steps of applying a masking material to selected portions of the workpiece to produce masked surfaces, depositing a layer of the plating material to the workpiece to surfaces other than the masked surfaces, and removing the masking material from the masked surfaces to expose unplated surfaces of the workpiece.

In some cases the workpiece comprises a flat plate, the plating material being deposited on one broad side of the plate to form mold surfaces at an edge thereof, for defining mold cavities extending from the edge. The plating material can be deposited to form one side of a mold cavity, another side of the cavity being defined by a surface of an adjoining plate. The deposited plating material can be machined to remove an outer portion thereof to provide a flat surface for abutting an adjoining mold part.

The plating material, in some embodiments, defines fully-formed mold cavities, each extending from an innermost portion to a base portion at an outer surface of the plating, the layers of deposited plating material defining, in order of deposition, the cavities from their innermost portions to their base portions. The workpiece can comprise a flexible belt.

The overall thickness of the multiple layers of plating material is preferably between about 0.001 inch and 0.015 inch, more preferably between about 0.002 inch and 0.007 inch, even more preferably about 0.004 inch.

In some embodiments the workpiece comprises a master, the method further comprising the step of removing the master from the plating to form a mold for molding a plastic fastener product. The master can have fastener elements, such as hook-shaped fastener elements, extending from a surface of the product base. Sometimes the method includes depositing a layer of metal, such as copper, on the master before depositing the plating material.

The mold can include a cylindrical mold sleeve with fully-formed mold cavities extending inward from its outer surface.

Preferably the mold has an overall thickness of between about 0.005 inch and 0.250 inch, most preferably about 0.150 inch.

In some embodiments, the plating material is deposited directly on the master in an electroless plating process. The plating is, in some configurations, a porous material adapted to permit cavity venting therethrough under molding pressure.

In some embodiments, the multiplicity of features are fastener elements extending from the product base in given directions, with at least some of the fastener elements (in some instances, all of the fastener elements) extending in the axial direction of the mold sleeve. The fastener elements extending in the axial direction of the mold sleeve may be arranged in rows, with the fastener elements of alternating sets of rows extending in opposite directions.

Preferably, the multiplicity of features are arranged in an array extending about the entire circumference of the mold sleeve.

In some configurations, the multiplicity of features are arranged in rows which spiral about the circumference of the mold sleeve.

The invention also features a method of producing a multiplicity of cavities extending from a common surface of a mold, for molding a fastener product having an array of fastener elements integrally molded with and extending from a product base. The method comprises depositing multiple layers of plating material on a workpiece in a predetermined pattern selected to produce desired mold cavity shapes, including building up the plating material to a sufficient thickness to encompass and form mold surfaces within the thickness of the plating.

According to another aspect of the invention, a mold is provided for molding a plastic product having features integrally molded with and extending from a product base. The mold includes a stratum of mold material having an outer surface and composed of multiple layers of plating material deposited in a predetermined pattern. The stratum of mold material defines therewithin a multiplicity of mold surfaces comprising the plating material in an as-deposited state. The mold surfaces are arranged to form mold cavities extending inwardly from the outer surface of the stratum of mold material for molding an array of features integral with a base formed by the outer surface of the stratum. The mold is preferably constructed to mold a fastener element with an engageable crook portion.

The stratum of mold material is preferably between about 0.001 inch and 0.015 inch.

The mold can be constructed to rotate to continuously produce a product in strip form, and can be in the form of a mold roll or a mold belt, for instance.

In some embodiments, the mold includes a flat plate, the plating material being disposed on one broad side of the plate to form mold surfaces at an edge thereof for defining mold cavities extending from the edge. The mold can include a multiplicity of such flat plates stacked together along a common axis.

In some cases the mold roll is composed of a cylindrical mold sleeve with fully-formed mold cavities extending inwardly from its outer surface. The mold sleeve preferably has an overall thickness of between about 0.005 inch and 0.250 inch, and can have an outermost layer containing copper.

In some instances, the plating material includes nickel, and can be sufficiently porous to vent cavity air under molding pressures.

By "plating material" we mean metal-containing material that is deposited as a thin, free-form layer upon a surface, such as by electroplating, electroless plating, sputtering or vapor deposition, for examples.

Molds produced according to the invention can be very cost-effective, as multitudes of very accurate and extremely small mold surfaces can be simultaneously formed without precise machining of each individual mold surface. Molds with fully-formed mold cavities enclosed and defined by multiple layers of plating material can be readily produced in thin, semi-disposable sleeve or belt form, easily replaced and providing high rates of heat transfer from the mold cavities, thus enabling high production speeds.

These and other advantages and features will be understood from the following description, drawings and claims.

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a molding system employing a mold roll.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a mold roll, illustrating a first construction.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of a mold plate with mold surfaces at the peripheral edge of the plate.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of a section of a mold plate about a mold surface.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a sequence of steps for forming mold surfaces in a mold plate.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged edge view of a workpiece being plated to form mold surfaces.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of a radial cross section of the outer portion of a second mold roll construction.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a plastic master with hooks extending from a base.

FIG. 8A is an enlarged view of one of the hooks of FIG. 8.

FIG. 9 illustrates the master of FIG. 8 rolled inside a split housing in preparation for plating.

FIG. 10 shows the hook of FIG. 8A with a thin layer of metal applied.

FIG. 11 shows the assembly of FIG. 9 after plating its inner surface.

FIG. 11A shows the hook of FIG. 10 with multiple layers of plating applied.

FIG. 11B illustrates the plated structure of a single-layer mold sleeve.

FIG. 12 shows the finished mold sleeve with the split housing removed.

FIG. 13 shows the mold sleeve assembled to a cooling sleeve to form a sleeve assembly.

FIG. 14 shows the sleeve assembly mounted on a mold roll, with the master removed to expose mold cavities in the mold sleeve.

FIG. 15 schematically illustrates a molding system employing a mold belt.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the mold belt of FIG. 15, showing its construction.

FIGS. 17A through 17C illustrate various fastener element arrangements.

FIG. 18 shows a fixtured master composed of multiple cross-machine strips of hook product, ready for plating, to produce the fastener element arrangement of FIG. 17A.

FIG. 19 is a view of a portion of the surface of a mold roll with multiple mold sleeves.

FIG. 1 illustrates a molding system using a mold roll 10 for the production of fastener elements for touch fastener products. The process and basic machine shown are in accordance with the Fischer techniques as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,775,310, 4,794,028 and 4,872,243, which are hereby incorporated by reference as if they were fully set forth.

The mold roll 10 has miniature fastener shaped mold cavities about its periphery for forming fastener projections on an extruded strip-form touch fastener product 12. Mold roll 10 comprises many annular, thin mold plates of, for instance, 10 to 12 inch diameter, held together as a stack. Heat-softened synthetic resin 14 is forced into the cavities under pressure at nip 16, between mold roll 10 and pressure roll 18. In a continuous process, the fastener projections at least partially solidify in the mold cavities, and are then pulled out of the cavities in area 20 after the product has cooled to a temperature at which the projections have solidified sufficiently to be pulled intact out of their mold cavities, remaining integral with the base sheet of the product. The projections are pulled out of mold roll 10 by passing the product around an idler roll 22, and from there to a takeup assembly 24.

Referring to FIG. 2, a multiplicity of individual mold plates 26 of mold roll 10 are aligned and stacked axially around a common shaft 28. Plates 26 are held together under axial compression by an array of tie rods 30 extending through aligned holes in the stack of plates, running parallel to shaft 28 and tensioned by threaded nuts 32 at each end.

As seen in FIG. 3, mold plates 26 have mold surfaces 42 formed at their peripheral edges, on at least one side of each plate. Mold surfaces 42, in combination with a planar side surface of an adjacent plate, define fastener-shaped mold cavities at the peripheral surface of the assembled mold roll. Coolant holes 43 extend through plates 26 near mold surfaces 42 for circulating coolant to control the temperature of the mold surfaces. Also shown is a portion of a tie rod hole for compressing the stack of plates.

Referring also to FIG. 4, the side of mold plate 26 with mold surfaces 42 comprises a plating 44 having a thickness, t, of about the depth of the mold surface. The mold surfaces are formed within the plating. Mold surfaces 42 are formed by building up plating 44, in successive layers, on a disk-shaped plate blank 48. Plate blank 48 is a metal plate of thickness t.sub.b (of, e.g., 0.006 inch), having outer and inner diameters, and tie rod and coolant holes, corresponding to the finished mold plate 26. One preferred material for plate blank 48 is 17-7 stainless steel.

A method of building up plating 44 on a plate blank is illustrated in the flow chart of FIG. 5, with reference to the fragmentary, enlarged plate cross-section of FIG. 6. First the workpiece (i.e., plate blank 48) is provided with a clean surface for receiving photoresist and plating. Photoresist material 50 is then applied to the surface of workpiece 48 and cured. A master mask, with cutouts in the positions of the finished hook cavities, is prepared and placed against the photoresist-covered surface of the plate blank on which mold surfaces 42 are to be formed. The photoresist material is subsequently developed and rinsed to leave photoresist deposits only in those areas of the plate blank to be left unplated (e.g., the area of the final hook cavities). The plate blank surface is then plated by known plating methods, which may include electroless (i.e., auto-catalytic) plating or electro-plating, for example, to build up a layer of plating 52 on the exposed surface of workpiece 48. Details of how to prepare and apply photoresist materials to a workpiece surface can be found in Photochemical Machining, published in 1993 by ASM International in Materials Park, Ohio. Plating techniques are further discussed in the Modern Plastics Encyclopedia, 1984-85 version, published by McGraw Hill.

After plating 52 is formed, photoresist material 50 is removed, typically with an appropriate solvent. To build up a sufficient depth of plating 52, it may be necessary to repeat the step of plating several times. When forming mold surfaces of varying depth, it may be necessary to repeat the steps of applying and developing photoresist material 50 and plating, leaving a slightly different area of the surface of workpiece 48 exposed in each plating step (similar to progressive altitude outlines in a topographical map) to form a final mold surface approximating a smooth curve. The accuracy of the approximation will improve with thinner plating layers. For instance, a plating 52 of 0.004 inch thickness can be formed with eight successive plating steps, each step adding a layer of 0.0005 inch. Electroless plating is particularly suitable for multiple, very thin layerings, as it tends to deposit very even layer thicknesses, unaffected by field variations at corners or other surface discontinuities. When plating 52 has been sufficiently formed, all photoresist material 50 from the repeated masking steps is removed.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, plating tends to form slightly rounded corners 54 at the edges of the plated regions. In some applications, such rounded corners will not be undesirable, and may even form advantageously sharp features when adjoining a flat surface, for snagging loop fibers, for instance. In applications where necessary, additional plating depth may be built up such that the plated mold plate may be surface ground to provide square corners at the edges of plating 52.

Referring now to FIG. 7, in another embodiment full mold cavities are formed by plating. Unlike the embodiment previously described, in which the mold cavities were defined, in part, by the flat surface of an adjoining mold plate, all surfaces that define mold cavity 60 (and even the outer base-forming surface of the mold roll) are formed by plating. Instead of comprising a multitude of thin, stacked plates, mold roll 62 has an outer mold sleeve 64 which defines fastener-shaped mold cavities 60. Mold sleeve 64 is held in tight contact with a cooling sleeve 66 having cooling passages 68 extending along its outer surface. Coolant is circulated along passages 68, in direct contact with the inner surface of mold sleeve 64. In this manner, cooling is provided very close to mold cavities 60, resulting in very good control of mold cavity temperatures and high heat transfer rates for running faster line speeds.

As illustrated by the dashed lines in FIG. 7, mold sleeve 64 is made up of several layers of plating. The mold sleeve can be formed to be very thin, having a radial thickness of, for instance, 0.020 inch or less. Mold roll 62, other than for the mold and cooling sleeves, is of typical construction, having a central barrel and appropriate hardware to hold the mold and cooling sleeves and to circulate the cooling fluid, such that mold roll 62 may function as mold roll 10 in the machine of FIG. 1.

One method of forming mold sleeve 62 is sequentially illustrated in FIGS. 8 through 12. Referring first to FIGS. 8 and 8A, a plastic master 70 is provided in strip form, having a base 72 with an upper surface 74 from which hooks 76, or other desired protrusions to be molded, extend. For illustration, only portions of surface 74 are shown with hooks.

Referring also to FIG. 9, master 70 is rolled lengthwise into a loop, such that its two ends meet, and is held in a rigid, split sleeve 78. Sleeve 78 has an internal groove of a depth about equal to the thickness of master base 72, such that upper surface 74 of master 70 and inner surface 80 of sleeve 78 form a continuous, cylindrical surface, interrupted only by hooks 76. Inner surface 80 of sleeve 78 may be polished, or otherwise coated or treated, such that its adherence with plating is minimized. (Alternately, master 70 may be formed wider than shown, with hook-less edge regions on either side, such that it covers the entire inner surface 80 of the split sleeve.) A thin layer of copper 82 (FIG. 10), or other suitable metallic plating for use on polymer, is applied to the inner surface 80 of the sleeve, coating upper surface 74 and hooks 76 of the plastic master in preparation for electroplating. When necessary, the plastic surfaces of master 70 to be plated must first be conditioned, such as by chemical etch treatment, for proper deposit of the copper layer. The copper layer may be applied by sputtering or vapor deposition (i.e., vacuum metallizing) processes as described in the Modern Plastics Encyclopedia, 1984-85 edition, published by McGraw Hill and incorporated herein by reference. The copper-layered surfaces are then electroplated to form mold sleeve 64 of several, thin layers of plating about hooks 76 (FIGS. 11 and 11A). After plating, the inner diameter of mold sleeve 64 is ground to form a cylindrical, smooth surface 84 represented by the dashed line in FIG. 11A. Split ring 78 is then removed (FIG. 12), and the mold sleeve is mounted on cooling sleeve 66 (FIG. 13), e.g., by a controlled sweat fit. With the mold sleeve solidly mounted, master 70, hooks and all, is stripped from the mold sleeve and the sleeve assembly is assembled to mold roll 62 (FIG. 14), leaving closed cavities 60 extending inward from openings in the outer diameter of the mold sleeve.

Alternatively, electroless nickel plating techniques may be employed to form mold sleeve 64 in one extended plating step rather than by successive layers, producing the structure illustrated in FIG. 11B. As with the electroplated sleeve, the inner diameter is preferably ground or otherwise machined to remove runout and provide good diameter tolerances for further assembly. The thickness t.sub.s of the finished mold sleeve 64' in FIG. 11B is about 0.150 inch, and may take two to three weeks to plate.

Porous electroless nickel enables the air trapped in the mold cavities of the sleeve during molding to escape through the cavity walls under molding pressure, helping the resin to completely fill the cavities. Such porous nickel has been successfully used in injection molds for venting trapped air.

In use, mold sleeves and their associated cooling sleeves are readily interchanged with other sleeve assemblies for efficient retooling of a mold line. Worn mold sleeves are discarded or recycled, and are simply replaced with new sleeves, greatly reducing the amount of machine down time associated with cleaning and repairing thousands of mold plates. Residual resin in the mold cavities may be removed by heating the sleeve and molding a short run with a high temperature resin to pull the residual resin from the cavities.

Although master 70 is illustrated with hook-shaped features that are all generally aligned to extend along the length of the master, the above-described process enables the production of fastener products having fastener elements arranged in various directions, as desired. For instance, hooks are readily formed to extend along the length of the mold roll (i.e., in the cross-machine direction), or arranged such that some hooks face in a variety of different directions, to provide the overall desired shear and peel properties of the fastener product. Masters having such multiply-oriented fastener elements can be formed, for instance, by stereolithographic or injection molding techniques. Once the master is formed, it may be reused to produce several mold sleeves, depending on how well its fastening elements retain their shape while being removed from the finished sleeve.

FIGS. 17A through 17C illustrate some of the variety of hook configurations enabled by the invention. In FIG. 17A, for instance, groups 110 of rows of hooks 76 are arranged in alternating cross-machine directions. In this case, the hook master used to form the mold sleeve consists of several short lengths of strip-form hook product 112 laid side-by-side about the inner surface 80 of the plating fixture (FIG. 18). The master hook strips may be adhered to the inner fixture diameter or held in place by vacuum assist. In FIG. 17B, the rows of hooks 76 are set at a bias angle .alpha. to the machine direction. This arrangement may be produced by spiralling one continuous length of hook product about the inside of the plating fixture, for instance. In FIG. 17C, machine direction rows of hooks 76a are provided in combination with cross-machine direction rows of hooks 76b by appropriately arranging strips of hook product into the plating fixture. Extensively more intricate patterns of hooks or other shapes of fastener elements may be produced by stereolithographically producing a plastic master.

The above sleeve-form mold roll construction diminishes alignment issues, particularly ring-to-ring misalignment which can result in uneven product base thickness and can thereby restrict the minimum base thickness achievable with some ring production techniques. The outer diameter of the plated mold sleeve may be ground after being mounted to a cooling sleeve or a mandrel, thereby providing a highly accurate running surface for forming the base of the fastener.

Multiple mold sleeves 62 may be mounted concentrically along a single cooling sleeve or mandrel to produce a mold roll 10', as shown in FIG. 19. In this manner, splitting channel rings 114 (rings with a larger outer diameter) may be arranged between the mold sleeves to produce splitting channels in the finished product. In one configuration, mold sleeves of about 1.5 to 2.0 inches in length are separated by splitting channel rings to form a single fastener product.

Any differences in the thermal expansion of the mold sleeve material and the material of the cooling sleeve or mandrel upon which it is mounted should be considered when determining the diametric interference fit of the sleeve. Sweat fits may be employed as required.

Besides cylindrical mold sleeves, the above techniques may be employed to produce flexible mold belts to simulate a larger diameter mold roll for greater cooling capacity and higher production rates. For example, FIG. 15 illustrates an arrangement for molding a fastener product with a mold belt 90 trained about a driven roll 92 in place of mold roll 10 in FIG. 1. Mold belt 90 has mold cavities 94, similar to those previously described, at its outer surface, and is also trained about an auxiliary roll 96 near a belt cooling system 98. The overall length of the mold belt is much greater than the circumference of driven roll 92.

Referring to FIG. 16, cavities 94 in mold belt 90 are formed by multiple layers of plating 100 applied in successive steps to a belt-form workpiece 102. The material of workpiece 102 and plating 100 are preferably selected to have about the same stiffness for surviving the small amount of flexure that occurs as the belt revolves about the rolls. As described above, a photoresist material is applied to the surface of the workpiece to mask areas not to be plated. The thickness of each plating layer is controlled to be about the same as the thickness of the associated masking layer of photoresist material. In successive stages, alternating steps of applying photoresist material and plating the workpiece progressively form fastener-shaped cavities 94, with the last plating layer forming the outer surface 104 of the finished mold belt.

In a similar manner, mold belt 90 may be formed as a flat, strip-form member and subsequently formed into a belt by joining the two ends of the strip, for example, by electron beam welding.

Mold belts can provide rapid machine retooling, as the mold belt may be replaced without removing any of the main rolls in the machine stack.

Besides having direct applicability to the continuous formation of fastener products, the above methods are also useful for producing fixed molds for the injection molding of discrete fastener products, as well as for continuous or discrete molding of other products with very small, protruding features, such as artificial grass or textured wall coverings.

These and other embodiments and features are within the scope of the following claims.