Flow molding means and method
AssigneeAllied Resin Corporation
InventorsPaul J. Wiley, Robert Davis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Thermosetting molds are formed with electrically conductive surfaces for use in high frequency energy flow molding of sheet materials. Preferably the mold of this invention has a highly electrically conductive layer preferably in an epoxy gel coat carrying electrically conductive particles of gold, silver or platinum and positioned over a compatible epoxy mold body. A vacuum molding technique is used to obtain good surface definition in surface molding.
Claims8
A method of flow molding to form a surface texture on a sheet material,
- said method comprising,
- positioning a mold on an electrode of a high frequency flow molding apparatus, said mold defining a body, a mold base and a mold outer surface carrying means for transferring a surface configuration to a sheet to be molded,
- said mold body being formed of a rigid thermosetting resin material and having an electrically conductive layer forming a continuous path from said base to said means, said path being formed by a plurality of finely divided, uniformly dispersed metal surfaced particle fillers, with the metal selected from the group consisting of gold, silver and platinum,
- and arranging a sheet to be molded, adjacent said mold means and backed by a second electrode of said high frequency molding apparatus,
- applying heat and pressure to said sheet to be molded to cause transfer of said surface configuration to said sheet to be molded with said electrically conductive layer acting to prevent heat buildup in said mold.
In a method of flow molding wherein a mold and sheet to be flow molded are positioned between a pair of platens and the platens are brought together to mold said sheet with a surface configuration, the improvement comprising,
- said mold comprising a mold body, a mold base and a mold outer surface carrying means for transferring a surface configuration to said sheet to be molded, said mold body being formed of a rigid thermosetting plastic material and having an electrically conductive layer forming a continuous conductive path from said base to said means, said path being formed by a plurality of finely divided, uniformly dispersed, metal surfaced particles with the metal selected from the group consisting of gold, silver and platinum and said conductive layer having a volume resistivity of from 1 .times. 10.sup..sup.-3 to 1 .times. 10.sup..sup.-5 ohms-cm at 20.degree.C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.