Mechanical component having at least one fluid transport circuit

Abstract

A mechanical part useful in various fields of application including plastic and metal processing is produced using a computer-aided design process including a preliminary break-down of the body of the part into elementary strata, followed by manufacture of the elementary strata, and reconstruction of the part. During break-down of the part, at least one fluid transport circuit, which is designed and modeled beforehand, is broken down into elementary chambers ( 20 ) in accordance with the break-down of the part. The elementary chambers are produced in the elementary strata ( 7 i ) forming the part during manufacture of the strata, and the fluid transport circuit is reconstructed during superposition and assembly of the strata.

1 . A mold including a body having a fluid transport circuit comprised of a plurality of channels formed in the body at a predetermined distance spaced from a heat exchange surface associated with the body, and an isolating circuit comprised of a plurality of channels formed in the body at a predetermined distance spaced from the fluid transport circuit and coupled with the fluid transport circuit, wherein the body, the fluid transport circuit and the isolating circuit are formed as an assembly of a plurality of manufactured strata, wherein the fluid transport circuit and the isolating circuit are completely reconstructed during the assembly of the manufactured strata, wherein the plurality of elementary chambers are provided in a portion of the manufactured strata and are placed in fluid-tight communication, and wherein the plurality of elementary isolating chambers are provided in another portion of the manufactured strata and are placed in fluid-tight communication. 
     
     
         2 . The mold of  claim 1  wherein, following reconstruction of the manufactured strata, the fluid transport circuit forms a three-dimensional network of channels in the body of the mold which follow surface portions of the mold at a predetermined distance from the surface portions. 
     
     
         3 . The mold of  claim 1  wherein, following reconstruction of the manufactured strata, the fluid transport circuit forms a layer-shaped chamber in the body of the mold. 
     
     
         4 . The mold of  claim 1  wherein the isolating circuit is uniformly spaced from the fluid transport circuit. 
     
     
         5 . The mold of  claim 1  wherein the isolating circuit has a uniform thickness. 
     
     
         6 . The mold of  claim 1  wherein the fluid transport circuit includes a connection to a temperature regulating device. 
     
     
         7 . The mold of  claim 1  wherein interior portions of the fluid transport circuit include a plurality of transverse fins which provide mechanical reinforcement and which stir the fluid. 
     
     
         8 . The mold of  claim 7  wherein the transverse fins extend between opposing walls of the channels of the fluid transport circuit to provide the mechanical reinforcement. 
     
     
         9 . The mold of  claim 1  wherein the isolating circuit is comprised of a plurality of follower channels. 
     
     
         10 . The mold of  claim 1  wherein the isolating circuit forms a layer-shaped chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The mold of  claim 1  wherein the assembly of the manufactured strata forming the body, the fluid transport circuit and the isolating circuit is an assembly of bonded layers. 
     
     
         12 . The mold of  claim 11  which further includes a mechanical adhesive between the manufactured strata on regions of the body extending from the fluid transport circuit to outside portions of the mold, and an adhesive with a predetermined thermal conductivity on regions of the body extending from the fluid transport circuit to surface portions of the mold. 
     
     
         13 . The mold of  claim 1  wherein the fluid transport circuit is filled with a fluid selected from a group consisting of a heat exchange fluid, a thermal insulation fluid, a liquid material, a pulverulent material and a marking fluid. 
     
     
         14 . The mold of  claim 1 , wherein the mold is produced by a computer-aided design method including a preliminary step in which body portions of the mold are broken down into elementary strata, followed by steps including manufacture of the elementary strata to form the manufactured strata and reconstruction of the mold by superposing and assembling the manufactured strata. 
     
     
         15 . The mold of  claim 14 , wherein the computer-aided design method includes the steps of:
 defining the fluid transport circuit in the mold;   breaking down the fluid transport circuit into a plurality of elementary chambers as part of the break-down of the mold and during the break-down of the mold;   producing the elementary chambers in the manufactured strata during the manufacture of the manufactured strata; and   completely reconstructing the fluid transport circuit during the superposition and the assembly of the manufactured strata;   breaking down the isolating circuit coupled with the fluid transport circuit into elementary isolating chambers as part of the break-down of the mold and during the break-down of the mold;   producing the elementary isolating chambers in the manufactured strata during the manufacture of the manufactured strata, simultaneously producing the elementary chambers and the elementary isolating chambers during the manufacture of the manufactured strata; and   reconstructing the isolating circuit during the superposition and the assembly of the manufactured strata, simultaneously producing the fluid transport circuit and the isolating circuit.   
     
     
         16 . The mold of  claim 15 , wherein the method further includes the step of combining the elementary isolating chambers of the isolating circuit to form a thermal barrier between the fluid transport circuit and side and bottom portions of the mold.