Method and apparatus for producing detailed fabric applique

1. A method to produce a fabric applique, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a piece of high carbon non-stainless steel including

(i) more than 0.3% by weight carbon and

(ii) exterior surfaces having oxide layers;

(b) removing oxide layers from said exterior surfaces;

(c) forming a detailed pattern on said steel, said pattern comprising

(i) a plurality of intermediate cover portions not comprising photo resist and,

(ii) photo resist cover portions bounding said intermediate portions and having a width greater than the desired final thickness of a die cutting edge,

said photo resist cover portions having a thickness in the range of 0.0034 inch to 0.0055 inch;

(d) etching through said intermediate cover portions and etching said steel beneath said intermediate cover portions to produce

(i) in said steel beneath said intermediate cover portions a depth in the range of 0.027 inch to 0.035 inch,

(ii) a rounded die cutting edge, and

(iii) a safety die;

(e) promptly after said etching is completed removing said photo resist cover portions from said safety die;

(f) promptly after said photo resist cover portions are removed applying to said safety die a protective non-stick coating having a thickness in the range of 0.0008 to 0.0012 inch to round edges on said die and minimize corrosion of said safety die, said non-stick coating not sticking to fabric;

(g) providing a pair of spaced apart parallel rollers;

(h) providing a stack of a plurality of fabric sections to be cut by said safety die, each fabric section having a thickness of less than 0.010 inch;

(i) providing a thin metal plate having a thickness of at least 0.010 inch;

(j) providing a pair of polymer bounding sheets;

(k) forming a die cutting laminate package by sandwiching said die, said stack of fabric sections, and said metal plate between said polymer sheets with said

(i) fabric sections contacting and generally in registration with each other, and

(ii) cutting edge portions contacting one of said fabric sections;

(l) feeding said die cutting laminate package intermediate said rollers such that said rollers compress said laminate package and cause said rounded cutting edge portions to compress and cut through said stack of fabric sections to produce a plurality of detailed fabric pieces of equal shape and dimension; and,

(m) attaching each of said detailed fabric pieces to a substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 where said stack includes at least six fabric sections generally of equal shape and dimension and in registration with one another.