FORMING FASTENER MOLD CAVITIES

摘要

An apparatus and electro-discharge machining method for making fastener-shaped mold surface (42) in mold plates (26) for making a mold (10) for molding a fastener product having an array of fastener elements. An electro-discharge is created between an electrode (52) and a stack of sheet-form blanks (46) of plate material such that material is removed from the blanks to produce mold plates, each mold plate having a series of fastener element-shaped mold surfaces extending inwardly from an outer edge of the plate. Extremely small tip radii (e.g., less than 0.001 inch) can be produced with the invention. Because a multitude of finished mold plates can be formed at once, the invention can be extremely cost effective in producing mold plates with accurately-formed mold surfaces.