There is provided a new and improved master manufacturing method, master, and optical body enabling more consistent production of optical bodies having a desired haze value, the master manufacturing method including: forming a first micro concave-convex structure, in which an average cycle of concavities and convexities is less than or equal to visible light wavelengths, on a surface of a base material body that includes at least a base material; forming an inorganic resist layer on the first micro concave-convex structure; forming, on the inorganic resist layer, an organic resist layer including an organic resist and filler particles distributed throughout the organic resist; and etching the organic resist layer and the inorganic resist layer to thereby superimpose and form on the surface of the base material a macro concave-convex structure and a second micro concave-convex structure.

There is provided a new and improved master manufacturing method, master, and optical body enabling more consistent production of optical bodies having a desired haze value, the master manufacturing method including: forming a first micro concave-convex structure, in which an average cycle of concavities and convexities is less than or equal to visible light wavelengths, on a surface of a base material body that includes at least a base material; forming an inorganic resist layer on the first micro concave-convex structure; forming, on the inorganic resist layer, an organic resist layer including an organic resist and filler particles distributed throughout the organic resist; and etching the organic resist layer and the inorganic resist layer to thereby superimpose and form on the surface of the base material a macro concave-convex structure and a second micro concave-convex structure.

An assembly useful for thermoforming a dental aligner from polymer sheet material includes (a) a custom dental model having a planar bottom surface and a receptacle formed in said planar bottom surface; and (b) a reusable die removably received in said receptacle.

The invention relates to a scaled-up master for imprinting of micro- and nano-structures, the master being made-up from a plurality of tile-shaped master units, wherein the plurality of tile-shaped master units making-up the master comprises tile-shaped master units having a non-hexagonal shape wherein adjoining edges of neighbouring master units are parallel with each other and wherein the master units forming the master are arranged such that the splice lines between the master units only have junctions between master units where at most three corners of neighbouring master units are brought together. The invention further relates to a flexible stamp for imprinting of micro- and nano-structures, the flexible stamp being copied from such scaled-up master. Also an imprinted product is claimed which is copied from the flexible stamp.

The present invention relates to micro-/nanostructured compound-eye arrays and fabrication method thereof, and discloses a fabrication method and applications for the molded polymer parts with the micro-/nanostructured compound-eye arrays on their surfaces, which exhibit both hydrophobicity and light trapping. The fabrication method for the molded polymer parts with the micro-/nanostructured compound-eye arrays includes following steps. A flexible microlens array template is assembled; the flexible microlens array template is fixed on an injection mold cavity, and a polymer part with microlens arrays distributing on its surface is molded by using injection molding; the microlens arrays on the molded polymer part are imprinted onto the surface of an ultra-pure aluminum foil, nanopores are formed on its surface via anode oxidation, and so an aluminum template with negative micro-/nanostructured compound-eye arrays is fabricated; the aluminum template is fixed on an injection mold cavity, and a polymer part with micro-/nanostructured compound-eye arrays distributing on its surface is molded by using injection molding. The dual-level compound-eye arrays (orderly distributed convex semi-sphere microlens and densely distributed nanopillars) are developed on the surface of the molded polymer part, which exhibits both hydrophobicity and light trapping.

A method is provided for manufacturing a mold for injection molding, especially for injection molding of optical components of automotive lighting devices. The method includes at least the following steps: providing a mold body, laser milling a pattern into a surface of the mold body, and coating the surface of the mold body by electroless nickel plating.

In a method for producing an implant from a biocompatible silicone, a 3D mathematical model of an implant to be produced is used to create a 3D model of a casting mold for the implant as a negative. The casting mold is produced from a polymeric material through an additive manufacturing process and coated through vapor deposition of a coating material from the parylene family at least in a region that comes into contact with the biocompatible silicone to be cast. A platinum-catalyzed 2-component thermosetting silicone as the biocompatible silicone for the implant is introduced into a mold cavity of the coated casting mold, with a residence time of the implant in a patient's body of more than 29 days. The casting mold is heated to vulcanize the biocompatible silicone, and after cooling down the vulcanized implant is demolded from the casting mold.

In a method for producing an implant from a biocompatible silicone, a 3D mathematical model of an implant to be produced is used to create a 3D model of a casting mold for the implant as a negative. The casting mold is produced from a polymeric material through an additive manufacturing process and coated through vapor deposition of a coating material from the parylene family at least in a region that comes into contact with the biocompatible silicone to be cast. A platinum-catalyzed 2-component thermosetting silicone as the biocompatible silicone for the implant is introduced into a mold cavity of the coated casting mold, with a residence time of the implant in a patient's body of more than 29 days. The casting mold is heated to vulcanize the biocompatible silicone, and after cooling down the vulcanized implant is demolded from the casting mold.

The present invention relates to a material system for 3D printing, to a 3D printing process using a lignin-containing component or derivatives thereof or modified lignins, to soluble moldings that are produced by a powder-based additive layer manufacturing process and to the use of the moldings.

The present invention provides a metal mold and the method of making the metal mold for casting directional gecko-inspired adhesives that require deep, slanted features and an undercut wedge structure. The durable metal mold can be used for high quantities. In one example, compression molding is used to mass produce the adhesives. What normally takes 24 hours to produce now with compressing molding takes 5 minutes. Compression molding allows us to increase daily production from 1 adhesive patch to thousands per day.