Mold Tooling with Integrated Conformal Thermal Management Fluid Channels and Method

Method and device patents covering process for creating mold tooling (primarily injection mold) with conformal cooling channels and high thermal conductivity materials.

The tooling is extremely efficient at exchanging heat between the molded polymer and the cooling medium, which enables faster molding cycles. This method of producing conformal cooling channels fills the niche where 3-D freeform fabrication methods (e.g. DMLS) fail from resolution constraints (e.g. optical applications). Tooling produced by this process is applicable to molding of microstructures, micro- and macro-optics, thin-walled parts, microfluidics, cycled temperature (variotherm) molding applications, reflex optical elements, automotive exterior lighting, LED light guides, etc.

This process also produces tooling applicable to blow molding, rotational molding, vacuum forming, thermoforming, compression molding, and resin transfer molding.

This simple process utilizes long-standing mold-making practices, combined in a novel way. It requires no major capital expenditure for equipment not normally found in a conventional mold making shop.

Patents:
US 8,403,659 issued 2013-03-26   [MORE INFO]
US 7,731,830 issued 2010-06-08   [MORE INFO]

Type of Offer: Sale or Licensing



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