Forming die for manufacturing printed circuits

A forming die for use in manufacturing a network of supported electrically conductive paths, having an electrically conductive lamina supported on a dielectric substrate,

• said conductive lamina being formed in a non-planar pattern defining desired electrically conductive paths at least at a first level, areas of unwanted waste conductive material at a second level, and flow control grid features located in the areas of waste conductive material and spaced from the desired conductive paths by the waste conductive material;
• said die comprising;
• a forming surface defining conductive path forming features for forming the conductive lamina into said conductive paths, and defining flow control grid forming features for forming the conductive lamina into said flow control grid features, said grid forming features being spaced from said conductive path forming features and being sized, shaped and arranged for controlling the flow of the substrate, as the lamina is being formed, to relieve compression stresses and to fill any voids created during forming, to insure that the substrate supports the lamina at desired levels.