Method of manufacturing a mold with conformal cooling passages

A method for forming a conformal cooling passage in a part-producing mold, said conformal cooling passage having an inlet and an outlet, said method comprising:

• creating a series of interconnected open channels in a molding surface of a mold of interest, said channels substantially conforming to the contour of said molding surface;
• placing a bridging weld within each channel, said bridging weld comprising a series of connected weld beads, said bridging weld spanning and sealing each channel and located at some distance from a bottom of each channel so as to form an enclosed cooling passage at the bottom thereof;
• filling a remaining volume of each channel above said bridging weld by welding to close each channel;
• and
• shaping a weld-filled portion of each channel to conform to said molding surface surrounding that channel.

A part-producing mold having improved cooling capabilities, comprising:

• at least one conformal cooling passage located subjacent to a molding surface to be cooled, said at least one conformal cooling passage formed from:
• a series of interconnected open channels placed in a molding surface of said mold, said channels substantially conforming to the contour of said molding surface,
• a bridging weld located within each channel, said bridging weld comprising a series of connected weld beads, said bridging weld spanning and sealing each channel and located at some distance from a bottom of each channel so as to form an enclosed cooling passage at the bottom thereof, and
• a plurality of weld beads that solidly fill a remaining volume of each channel above said bridging weld to close each channel, said weld beads at an open end of each channel shaped to conform to said molding surface of said mold surrounding that channel;
• an inlet associated with said at least one conformal cooling passage for receiving pressurized cooling fluid from a source thereof;
• and
• an outlet associated with said at least one conformal cooling passage for expelling cooling fluid to a heat removal device after said cooling fluid has passed through said at least one conformal cooling passage.