Sacrificial plastic mold with electroplatable base

A method for making a sacrificial plastic mold having an electroplatable backing comprised of a porous metal substrate, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) placing a porous metal substrate on the upper surface of a polymeric substrate comprised of a thermoplastic material;
• b) heating the substrates to a temperature effective to soften the thermoplastic material;
• c) placing the patterned surface of an embossing tool on the porous metal substrate and pressing the embossing tool into the softened polymeric substrate, whereby the thermoplastic material flows through the porous metal substrate and conforms to the patterned surface of the embossing tool;
• and
• d) removing the embossing tool.

A method for making a sacrificial plastic mold having an electroplatable backing comprised of a porous metal substrate, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) placing a polymeric substrate comprised of a thermoplastic material on the upper surface of a porous metal substrate;
• b) heating the substrates to a temperature effective to soften the thermoplastic material;
• c) placing the patterned surface of an embossing tool on the thermoplastic substrate and pressing the embossing tool into the softened substrate, whereby the thermoplastic material flows into the porous metal substrate and conforms to the patterned surface of the embossing tool;
• and
• d) removing the embossing tool from the combined plastic and metal substrates.

A method for making a sacrificial plastic mold having an electroplatable backing comprised of a porous metal substrate, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) placing a porous metal substrate on the surface of a patterned tool contained within an injection molding cavity;
• b) heating a polymeric substrate comprised of a thermoplastic material to a temperature effective to soften the material sufficiently to allow injection molding thereof;
• c) injecting the thermoplastic material into the injection molding cavity so that the material conforms to the patterned surface of the patterned tool;
• and
• d) removing the combined plastic and metal substrates from the injection molding cavity.