IP Library › Granted Patent US 12678867
Granted Patent B2
US 12678867 · App. 18/620,209 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Injection molding tool and a method of forming an injection molding tool

Inventors: Victor A. Johnson (Royal Oak, MI); Bhaskara Rao Pamarthi (Commerce Township, MI); Robert A. Chanko (South Lyon, MI); Ryan Mowery (Sparta, MI); Chad M. Bross (Pickney, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B23C3/28B29C45/2602
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12678867
App. No.
18/620,209
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of forming an injection molding tool, the method includes milling at least one channel into a tool body. Each channel includes a bottom surface that is at a predefined distance from a top surface of the tool body, and two opposing walls extending from the bottom surface of the channel to the top surface of the tool body. A first wall of the two opposing walls is at a first angle relative to the bottom surface of the channel, and a second wall of the two opposing walls is at a second angle relative to the bottom surface of the channel. A distance between the first wall and the second wall increases from the bottom surface of the channel to the top surface of the tool body, and at least one wall of the two opposing walls has a curvature.

Claims (42)

1 . A method of forming an injection molding tool, the method comprising:

positioning a blank on a mount;

securing the blank to the mount;

milling at least one channel into the blank to form a tool body, each channel including a bottom surface that is at a predefined distance from a top surface of the tool body, the at least one channel further including two opposing walls extending from the bottom surface of the channel to the top surface of the tool body, a first wall of the two opposing walls being at a first angle relative to the bottom surface of the channel, and a second wall of the two opposing walls being at a second angle relative to the bottom surface of the channel, wherein a distance between the first wall and the second wall increases from the bottom surface of the channel to the top surface of the tool body, and wherein at least one wall of the two opposing walls has a curvature.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the curvature of the at least one wall of the two opposing walls is tangent to the bottom surface of the channel, and wherein the curvature of the at least one wall of the two opposing walls has a radius between of 0.2 mm and 0.5 mm.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the curvature of the at least one wall of the two opposing walls is tangent to the top surface of the tool body, and wherein the curvature of the at least one wall of the two opposing walls has a radius between of 0.25 mm and 0.5 mm.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined distance between the bottom surface of the channel and the top surface of the tool body is between 0.45 and 0.55 mm.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first angle of the first wall is between 50 and 60 degrees relative to the bottom surface of the channel.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second angle of the second wall is between 35 and 45 degrees relative to the bottom surface of the channel.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the distance between the first wall and the second wall at the bottom surface is between 0.5 mm and 0.6 mm.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one channel tool body includes at least two channels, and wherein the distance between the second wall of a first channel and the first wall of a second channel at the top surface of the tool body is between 2 mm and 3 mm.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

applying a first acid resistant coating to the tool body;

removing the first acid resistant coating from a portion of the tool body;

performing a first acid wash;

removing the first acid resistant coating from the tool body; and

performing a second acid wash.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the portion of the tool body is the at least one channel in the tool body.

11 . A tool for injection molding, the tool comprising:

at least one milled channel including;

a bottom surface that is at a predefined distance from a top surface of the tool; and

two opposing walls extending from the bottom surface of the channel to the top surface of the tool, a first wall of the two opposing walls being at a first angle relative to the bottom surface of the channel, and a second wall of the two opposing walls being at a second angle relative to the bottom surface of the channel,

wherein a distance between the first wall and the second wall increases from the bottom surface of the channel to the top surface of the tool, and wherein at least one wall of the two opposing walls has a curvature.

12 . The tool of claim 11 , wherein the curvature of the at least one wall of the two opposing walls is tangent to the bottom surface of the channel, and wherein the curvature of the at least one wall of the two opposing walls has a radius between of 0.2 mm and 0.5 mm.

13 . The tool of claim 11 , wherein the curvature of the at least one wall of the two opposing walls is tangent to the top surface of the tool, and wherein the curvature of the at least one wall of the two opposing walls has a radius between of 0.2 mm and 0.5 mm.

14 . The tool of claim 11 , wherein the predefined distance between the bottom surface of the channel and the top surface of the tool is between 0.45 and 0.55 mm.

15 . The tool of claim 11 , wherein the first angle of the first wall is between 50 and 60 degrees relative to the bottom surface of the channel.

16 . The tool of claim 11 , wherein the second angle of the second wall is 35 and 45 degrees relative to the bottom surface of the channel.

17 . The tool of claim 11 , wherein the distance between the first wall and the second wall at the bottom surface is between 0.5 mm and 0.6 mm.

18 . The tool of claim 11 , wherein the at least one channel includes at least two channels, and wherein the distance between the second wall of a first channel and the first wall of a second channel at the top surface of the tool is between 2 mm and 3 mm.

19 . A method of forming an injection molding tool, the method comprising:

positioning a blank on a mount;

securing the blank to the mount;

milling at least one channel into the blank to form a tool body, each channel including a bottom surface that is between 0.45 and 0.55 mm from a top surface of the tool body, the at least one channel further including two opposing walls extending from the bottom surface of the channel to the top surface of the tool body, a first wall of the two opposing walls being at an angle between 50 and 60 degrees relative to the bottom surface of the channel, and a second wall of the two opposing walls being at an angle between 35 and 45 degrees relative to the bottom surface of the channel,

wherein a distance between the first wall and the second wall increases from the bottom surface of the channel to the top surface of the tool body, the distance between the first wall and the second wall at the bottom surface is between 0.5 mm and 0.6 mm, and

wherein at least one wall of the two opposing walls includes a first radius that is tangent to the top surface of the tool body and a second radius that is tangent to the bottom surface of the channel the first radius and the second radius are between 0.2 and 0.5 mm.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

applying a first acid resistant coating to the tool body;

removing the first acid resistant coating from the at least one channel of the tool body;

performing a first acid wash;

removing the first acid resistant coating from the tool body; and

performing a second acid wash.