Method of producing tools and dies

• US 6,279,425 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1999
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edmond Burton Cicotte
• Original Assignee: Edmond Burton Cicotte
• Inventors: Cicotte, Edmond Burton
• Primary Examiner(s): Watts, Douglas D.
• Application Number:
  US09/438,832
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 761/071, 727/09
• US Class Current: 76/107.1
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 37/20 Making tools by operations not covered by a single other subclass
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/24 dies B21C3/18, B21C25/10, B21D37/20 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/565 Consisting of shell-like structures supported by backing material
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 72/709 Superplastic material

Abstract

A method of producing a tool or die from a model that includes producing a rigid mold from the model, forming a die shell of the model from a sheet of material in close conforming relationship over the rigid mold, and applying a reinforcing substrate to the die shell on a side of the die shell opposite that of the rigid mold. The applying step is performed while the die shell is still in close conforming relationship with the rigid mold, thereby forming the tool or die from the reinforcing substrate and die shell.

Claims

1. A method of producing a tool or die from a model, said method comprising the steps of:

producing a rigid mold from said model;

forming a die shell of said model from a sheet of material in close conforming relationship over said rigid mold; and

applying a reinforcing substrate to said die shell on a side of said die shell opposite that of said rigid mold, said applying step being performed while said die shell is still in close conforming relationship with said rigid mold, said applying step thus forming said tool or die from said reinforcing substrate and said die shell.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said producing step comprises:

surface mapping said model to generate surface map data; and

machining said rigid mold using said surface map data of said surface mapping step.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said surface mapping step further includes digitally manipulating said surface map data for thickness compensation.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said surface mapping step is performed using CNC probing technology.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said surface mapping step is performed using a digital data set from a CAD model.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said machining step is performed on said rigid mold, and said rigid mold comprises a ceramic material.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said forming step further comprises the step of superplastically forming said sheet of material over said rigid mold.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said sheet of material comprises a titanium alloy.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said forming step comprises the step of explosion forming said sheet of material over said rigid mold.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said forming step comprises the step of hydro-forming said sheet of material over said rigid mold.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of stripping said tool or die from said rigid mold.

12. A method of producing a matching die set from a model to produce a series of parts, said method comprising the steps of:

producing a positive and negative rigid mold from said model;

forming a negative and positive die shell, said forming step including forming said negative die shell from a sheet of material in close conforming relationship with said positive rigid mold, said forming step further including forming said positive die shell from another sheet of material in close conforming relationship with said negative rigid mold; and

applying a negative and positive reinforcing substrate to said negative and positive die shell respectively, said applying step including applying said negative substrate to said negative die shell on a side of said negative die shell opposite that of said positive rigid mold, said applying step being performed while said negative die shell is in close conforming relationship with said positive rigid mold, said applying step forming a negative die from said negative reinforcing substrate and said negative die shell, said applying step further including applying said positive reinforcing substrate to said positive die shell on a side of said positive die shell opposite that of said negative rigid mold, said applying step being performed while said positive die shell is in close conforming relationship with said negative rigid mold, said applying step forming a positive die from said positive reinforcing substrate and said positive die shell, said positive and negative die forming said matching die set.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said producing step comprises:

casting a solidifying material over said model to form a negative mold;

filling said negative mold with a hardenable material to form said positive rigid mold;

machining a layer off said model; and

casting a hardenable material over a model to form said negative rigid mold.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said producing step comprises:

surface mapping said model to generate surface map data;

manipulating said surface map data to compensate for the thickness of each part of said series of parts, thereby resulting in manipulated surface map data.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said producing step further comprises:

making a positive pattern using said surface map data;

casting a solidifying material over said positive pattern to form a negative mold;

introducing a hardenable material into said negative mold to form said positive rigid mold;

making a negative pattern using said manipulated surface map data;

casting a solidifying material into said negative pattern to form a positive mold; and

pouring a hardenable material over said positive mold to form said negative rigid mold.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said producing step comprises:

making a negative expendable pattern from said surface map data;

coating said negative expendable pattern with a series of ceramic slurry layers to form a positive ceramic shell;

firing said negative expendable pattern and said positive ceramic shell to cure said positive ceramic shell and vaporize said negative expendable pattern to form said positive rigid mold;

making a positive expendable pattern using said manipulated surface map data;

coating said positive expendable pattern with a series of ceramic slurry layers to form a negative ceramic shell; and

firing said positive expendable pattern and said negative ceramic shell to cure said negative ceramic shell and vaporize said positive expendable pattern to produce said negative rigid mold.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said producing step comprises:

generating by stereolithography a negative prototype mold using said surface map data;

introducing a hardenable material to said negative protoype mold to form said positive rigid mold;

generating by stereolithography a positive protoype mold using said manipulated surface map data; and

introducing a hardenable material to said positive prototype mold to form said negative rigid mold.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said producing step comprises:

making an expendable positive pattern using said surface map data;

lost-material casting said positive rigid mold from said expendable positive pattern;

making an expendable negative pattern using said manipulated surface map data; and

lost-material casting said negative rigid mold from said expendable negative pattern.

19. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said forming step comprises the step of superplastically forming said sheet of material to said positive and negative rigid molds.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said sheet of material is composed of a titanium alloy.

21. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

stripping said positive and negative die shells from said positive and negative rigid molds.

22. A tool or die made by the method as claimed in claim 12.

23. A method of producing a negative die from a model to produce a series of parts, said method comprising the steps of:

producing a positive rigid mold from said model without using a compensating layer of material;

forming a negative die shell of said model from a sheet of material in close conforming relationship over said positive rigid mold; and

applying a reinforcing substrate to said negative die shell on a side of said negative die shell opposite that of said positive rigid mold, said applying step being performed while said negative die shell is still in close conforming relationship with said positive rigid mold, said applying step thus forming said negative die from said reinforcing substrate and said negative die shell.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said producing step comprises:

casting a solidifying material over said model to form a negative mold; and

filling said negative mold with a hardenable material to form said positive rigid mold.

25. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said producing step comprises:

surface mapping said model to generate surface map data; and

manipulating said surface map data to compensate for the thickness of each part of said series of parts, thereby resulting in manipulated surface map data.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said surface mapping step further includes digitally manipulating said surface map data for thickness compensation.

27. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said producing step further comprises:

making a positive pattern using said surface map data;

casting a solidifying material over said positive pattern to form a negative mold; and

introducing a hardenable material into said negative mold to form said positive rigid mold.

28. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said producing step comprises:

making a negative expendable pattern from said surface map data;

coating said negative expendable pattern with a series of ceramic slurry layers to form a positive ceramic shell; and

firing said negative expendable pattern and said positive ceramic shell to cure said positive ceramic shell and vaporize said negative expendable pattern to form said positive rigid mold.

29. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said producing step comprises:

generating by stereolithography a negative prototype mold using said surface map data; and

introducing a hardenable material to said negative prototype mold to form said positive rigid mold.

30. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said producing step comprises:

making an expendable positive pattern using said surface map data; and

lost-material casting said positive rigid mold from said expendable positive pattern.

31. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said forming step comprises the step of superplastically forming said sheet of material to said positive rigid mold.

32. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said forming step comprises the step of explosion forming said sheet of material to said positive rigid mold.

33. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said forming step comprises the step of hydroforming said sheet of material to said positive rigid mold.

34. A method of producing a positive die from a model, said method comprising the steps of:

producing a negative rigid mold from said model without using a compensating layer of material;

forming a positive die shell of said model from a sheet of material in close conforming relationship over said negative rigid mold; and

applying a reinforcing substrate to said positive die shell on a side of said positive die shell opposite that of said negative rigid mold, said applying step being performed while said positive die shell is still in close conforming relationship with said negative rigid mold, said applying step thus forming said positive die from said reinforcing substrate and said positive die shell.

35. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein said producing step comprises:

machining a layer off said model; and

casting a hardenable material over said model to form said negative rigid mold.

36. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein said producing step comprises:

surface mapping said model to generate surface map data; and

manipulating said surface map data to compensate for the thickness of each part of said series of parts, thereby resulting in manipulated surface map data.

37. The method as claimed in claim 36, wherein said surface mapping step further includes digitally manipulating said surface map data for thickness compensation.

38. The method as claimed in claim 36, wherein said producing step further comprises:

making a negative pattern using said surface map data;

casting a solidifying material into said negative pattern to form a positive mold; and

introducing a hardenable material over said positive mold to form said negative rigid mold.

39. The method as claimed in claim 36, wherein said producing step comprises:

making a positive expendable pattern from said surface map data;

coating said positive expendable pattern with a series of ceramic slurry layers to form a negative ceramic shell; and

firing said positive expendable pattern and said negative ceramic shell to cure said negative ceramic shell and vaporize said positive expendable pattern to form said negative rigid mold.

40. The method as claimed in claim 36, wherein said producing step comprises:

generating by stereolithography a positive prototype mold using said manipulated surface map data; and

introducing a hardenable material to said positive prototype mold to form said negative rigid mold.

41. The method as claimed in claim 36, wherein said producing step comprises:

making an expendable negative pattern using said manipulated surface map data; and

lost-material casting said negative rigid mold from said expendable negative pattern.

42. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein said forming step comprises the step of superplastically forming said sheet of material to said negative rigid mold.

43. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein said forming step comprises the step of explosion forming said sheet of material to said negative rigid mold.

44. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein said forming step comprises the step of hydroforming said sheet of material to said negative rigid mold.