Use of state-change materials in reformable shapes, templates or tooling

A method of making and using a tool having a surface portion characterized by a desired shape, the method comprising:

• providing a volume of a mixture in a formable state, the mixture having solid and liquid components wherein
• the solid component comprises a plurality of solid bodies, and
• the liquid component fills the interstices between the bodies, and includes an excess amount of liquid beyond an amount that would be needed to fill the interstices when the bodies are packed, the excess amount of liquid thus allowing the mixture to be in the formable state;
• causing a surface of the volume to assume the desired shape;
• extracting the excess amount of liquid to cause the mixture to transition from the formable state to a stable, force-resisting state where the bodies make nested, packed, interlocking or otherwise stable consolidated contact so that a portion of the volume has a stable surface portion characterized by the desired shape;
• subsequently conforming a body of formable material to the stable surface portion of the volume in order to impart a shape to the body of formable material that is complementary to the desired shape;
• and
• subsequently stabilizing the body of formable material so that the body retains the shape that is complementary to the desired shape.

A method of making a formed shape having a surface with a desired contour, the method comprising:

• providing a volume of a reversible state-change mixture in a stable force-resisting state, the mixture having solid and liquid components wherein
• the solid component comprises a plurality of uniform solid bodies which are geometrically ordered, packed and nested against one another, and
• the liquid component fills the interstices between the bodies;
• adding an additional quantity of the liquid component, referred to as the transition liquid, sufficient to provide a clearance volume between the bodies;
• exerting pressure forces on the liquid component so as to cause at least two slip-planes to form, within the clearance volume, between geometrically ordered bulk quantities of closely packed bodies in the mixture, thereby causing the mixture to transition to a formable state;
• conforming a surface of the volume to a surface of a pattern having the desired contour;
• extracting the transition liquid to cause the mixture to transition from the formable state to the stable state where the bodies make geometrically ordered, packed and nested contact, with the packed and abutted bodies acting as a solid fill which is resistant to externally imposed forces, thereby providing a stable surface portion of the volume that is complementary to the desired contour;
• subsequently conforming a surface of a body of formable material to the stable surface portion of the volume in order to impart the desired contour to the surface of the body of formable material;
• and
• subsequently stabilizing the body of formable material so that the surface of the body retains the desired contour, thereby defining the formed shape.

A method of making an object having a surface portion characterized by a desired shape comprising:

• providing a volume of a mixture in a formable state, the mixture having solid and liquid components wherein
• the solid component comprises a plurality of solid bodies, and
• the liquid component fills the interstices between the bodies, and includes an excess amount beyond an amount that would be needed to fill the interstices when the bodies are packed, the excess amount of liquid thus allowing the mixture to be in the formable state;
• causing a surface of the volume to assume a shape that is complementary to the desired shape;
• extracting the excess amount of liquid to cause the mixture to transition from the formable state to a stable, force-resisting state where the bodies make nested, packed, interlocking or otherwise stable consolidated contact so that a portion of the volume has a stable surface portion that is complementary to the desired shape;
• and
• subsequently using the stable surface portion of the volume as a mold to impart the desired shape to the surface portion of material forming the object.

A method of making a formed shape having a surface with a desired contour, the method comprising:

• providing a volume of a mixture in a formable state, the mixture having a solid component and a liquid-containing carrier component wherein
• the solid component comprises a plurality of solid bodies, and
• the carrier component fills the interstices between the bodies, and includes an excess amount of carrier beyond an amount that would be needed to fill the interstices when the bodies are packed, the excess amount of carrier thus allowing the mixture to be in the formable state;
• enclosing the volume in an envelope having an elastic surface;
• providing a template having a rigid surface with a contour complementary to the desired contour;
• sealing a perimeter of a surface of the envelope against a surface of the template along a path that surrounds the rigid surface with a contour complementary to the desired contour, thereby defining a sealed volume between the template and the envelope;
• extracting air that resides in the sealed volume while the mixture in the envelope is in the formable state so the envelope is forced to conform to the rigid surface with a contour complementary to the desired contour;
• and
• extracting the excess amount of carrier to cause the mixture to transition from the formable state to a stable, force-resisting state where the bodies make nested, packed, interlocking or otherwise stable consolidated contact so that a portion of the volume has a stable surface portion characterized by the desired shape.