Plastic skin molding process incorporating areas of different color, materials or surface texture involves progressive removal of templates to leave spaces which are filled with different materials

摘要

Templates(14,15,16,17) are positioned in a heated mold(4) and plastic powder, granules or fluid are cast on to form a base layer(18). Tool movement disperses the plastic around the templates and the mold is then cooled. Selected templates(14,17) are removed, the mold reheated and a second plastic(20) added and dispersed to fill spaces left by removal of templates. Templates(14-17) may be held on the mold(4) by a magnetic force(19), which is applied from the back side of the mold until templates are removed. Vacuum or mechanical fasteners may alternatively be used to hold templates in position. Templates may include magnetizable particles embedded in an elastic, high temperature resistant, plastic matrix. Particles may be included in an a core layer between facing layers with no particles. When plastic powder is used to form a molded skin this is sintered in the mold to form a layer. Use of fluid polymer produces a coherent flowable or viscous layer. An independent claim is included for the process equipment which includes a mold with templates(14,15,16,17) at least one of which is made partly or wholly of a magnetizable material.