Method for making a finally shaped forming tool and forming tool made by same

Abstract

The forming tool has a structured forming surface having a high surface quality and uniform structure so that it accurately produces a predetermined structure in substrate. To avoid the great expense and effort associated with final shaping of the forming tools from blocks or rounded bodies made by forging or by a HIP method with subsequent machining, first a glass or plastic mold ( 1 ) is made with a molding surface for forming the structured forming surface of the forming tool, which is the negative of the structured forming surface for the forming tool with predetermined dimensions and surface quality in accordance with specifications of the structured forming surface of the forming tool; then the molding surface is coated with at least one coating material selected specifically according to the specifications to form a cladding body ( 2 ) in the glass or plastic mold, next the cladding body ( 2 ) with the structured forming surface is released from the glass or plastic mold ( 1 ) and bonded to a base body with a non-structured surface of the cladding body ( 2 ) in contact with the base body to form the forming tool with the structured forming surface.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method for making a finally shaped forming tool with a structured forming surfaces having a uniform surface structure, said method comprising the following steps: 
 a) making a glass or plastic mold ( 1 ) having a molding surface for forming the structured forming surface of the forming tool, said molding surface being a negative of the structured forming surface for the forming tool with predetermined dimensions and a surface quality in accordance with specifications of the structured forming surface of the forming tool;    b) coating the molding surface of the glass or plastic mold ( 1 ) with at least one material selected specifically according to said specifications for the structured forming surface of the forming tool so as to form a cladding body ( 2 ) in the glass or plastic mold, the cladding body being provided with the structured forming surface of the forming tool,    c) releasing the cladding body ( 2 ) with the structured forming surface from the glass or plastic mold ( 1 ); and    d) bonding the cladding body to a base body with a non-structured surface of the cladding body ( 2 ) in contact with the base body to form the finally shaped forming tool with the structured forming surface.    
     
     
         2 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising making said mold by structuring a plastic body by means of a lithographic method  
     
     
         3 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising making said mold by structuring a glass or plastic body by means of a mechanical process.  
     
     
         4 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising making said mold by structuring a glass or plastic body by means of a thermal method.  
     
     
         5 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the coating of the molding surface of said mold occurs by means of a thermal spraying method.  
     
     
         6 . The method as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said thermal spraying method comprises a flame spraying method.  
     
     
         7 . The method as defined in  claim 6 , wherein said flame spraying method comprises a high velocity oxide fuel flame spraying method.  
     
     
         8 . The method as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said thermal spraying method comprises a plasma spraying method.  
     
     
         9 . The method as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said plasma spraying method comprises a vacuum plasma spraying or low pressure plasma spraying method.  
     
     
         10 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said coating of the molding surface of the glass or plastic mold comprises spraying a single phase material on the molding surface.  
     
     
         11 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said coating of the molding surface of the glass or plastic mold comprises spraying a material combination in a layered structure or to provide a material gradient.  
     
     
         12 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the coating of the molding surface of the mold takes place to provide a coating thickness of from 100 μm to 5 mm.  
     
     
         13 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the coating of the molding surface of the mold takes place to provide a coating thickness of up to 20 mm.  
     
     
         14 . The method as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the coating of the molding surface takes place by a thermal spraying method to form a coating member and further comprising reinforcing or building up said coating member by a bonding process.  
     
     
         15 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said cladding body ( 2 ) released from said mold ( 1 ) is combined with said base body ( 3 ) by mechanical means to form said forming tool.  
     
     
         16 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said cladding body ( 2 ) released from said mold ( 1 ) is combined as a part of a hot-isostatic-press capsule with another material by means of a hot-isostatic-press process to form the forming tool.  
     
     
         17 . A finally shaped forming tool with a forming surface, said forming tool comprising a base or supporting body ( 3 ;  4 ;  5 ) and a cladding body ( 2 ) bonded to the base or supporting body, said cladding body ( 2 ) being separately formed from said base or supporting body with said forming surface.  
     
     
         18 . The finally shaped forming tool as defined in  claim 17 , wherein said forming surface is uniformly structured.  
     
     
         19 . The finally shaped forming tool as defined in  claim 17 , wherein said cladding body ( 2 ) has a thickness of up to 20 mm and is mechanically bonded with the base or supporting body.  
     
     
         20 . The finally shaped forming tool as defined in  claim 17 , wherein cladding body ( 2 ) has a thickness of from 100 μm to 5 mm and is part of a hot-isostatic-press capsule and is combined with another material by means of a hot-isostatic-press process or by bonding to form the forming tool.  
     
     
         21 . The finally shaped forming tool as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the cladding body is formed by a method comprising thermal spraying.