Microforming method and apparatus
AssigneeNorthwestern University
InventorsJian Cao, Anthony Swanson, Tiffany Davis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Method of forming depressions (e.g. dimples) in a sheet material to form a textured surface thereon involves pressing one or more tool tips into a metallic or non-metallic sheet material while the sheet material is supported by a support layer that is relatively softer (e.g. having a lower Young's modulus) than the sheet material so as to allow plastic deformation and reduce pile-up of raised displaced material of the sheet material at the edges of the depressions.
Claims22
A method of reducing pile-up around depressions formed in a sheet material, comprising relatively moving one or more tool tips and the sheet material toward one another to press the one or more tool tips into the sheet material to plastically deform the sheet material to form said depressions, one or more of said depressions having a depth dimension of 5 mm or less, while the sheet material is supported by a support sheet that is thicker than the sheet material and possesses a Young's modulus less than the sheet material, said support sheet reducing pile-up around the depressions as they are formed in the sheet material.
Apparatus for reducing pile-up around depressions as they are formed in a textured-surface on a sheet material, comprising one or more tool tips having a lateral tool tip dimension of 10 mm or less, a base spaced from the one or more tool tips, and a support sheet which is disposed on the base and on which the sheet material is supported, said support sheet being thicker than the sheet material and possessing a Young's modulus less than the sheet material, said one or more tool tips and said sheet material being relatively movable toward one another to press the one or more tool tips into the sheet material to plastically deform the sheet material to form said depressions while it is supported by the support sheet which reduces pile-up around the depressions formed in the sheet material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.