A seamless, embossed or cast substrate is formed using a seamless sleeve having a seamless surface relief formed thereon and configured to slide over an cylindrical base in an embossing or casting assembly. The substrate is a flat web, foil, or film of, for example, paper, polyester, polypropylene, metal or other elongated flat material. The surface relief can be applied through interfering ablation, non-interfering ablation, ink jet printing, or other techniques wherein a seamless surface relief is formed onto the seamless sleeve. A method of making a seamless, embossed or cast substrate includes expanding a diameter of a seamless sleeve having a seamless surface relief formed thereon, sliding the expanded seamless sleeve onto a cylindrical base, allowing the diameter of the seamless sleeve to contract around the cylindrical base, and conveying a substrate through the embossing or casting assembly and embossing or casting the seamless surface relief into the substrate.

Embodiments of the disclosure set forth an embosser for a die. The embosser includes a frame having two sides. The embosser includes a handle and a roller body. The roller body includes a first roller in contact with the die and a second roller. In response to the handle being moved toward the roller body to a first handle position, the first roller is moved toward a first edge of the die and the second roller is in contact with the die. In response to the handle being moved toward the roller body to a second handle position from the first handle position, the first roller and the second roller remain in contact with the die and further press the die.

A method is described herein for attaching an adhesive label to a plastic object such that upon removal of the adhesive label substantially no adhesive residue is left-behind on the plastic object. In an example, the method can include applying a textured pattern to a portion of a plastic object to provide a textured surface on the plastic object. The textured pattern can be applied post molding of the plastic object. The method can include attaching to the textured surface an adhesive label.

A method for thermal compensation during an additive manufacturing process. In some aspects, the method may include receiving, at a CNC machine, information relating to a material used in the additive manufacturing process, wherein the received information includes at least a Coefficient for Thermal Expansion (CTE) for the material. The method may further include modifying a distance of travel for a first pre-programmed tool path based on at least the Coefficient for Thermal Expansion (CTE).

The invention relates to a press plate 1 or endless belt comprising a body with a stamping surface 2 and at least one external surface 4 which is provided not for stamping, wherein the press plate 1 or endless belt is equipped with an RFID transponder 6 which has a memory. A data record which identifies the press plate 1 or endless belt or use and/or manufacturing data of the press plate 1 or endless belt is stored in the memory. The acquisition of use and/or manufacturing data permits the storage of a precise history of a press plate 1 or endless belt and wireless transmission of this history to a receiver. On the basis of the use data, billing can be carried out which depends not only on the duration of use but also on the press strokes actually carried out.

A die and counter die system for impressing a relief pattern onto a substrate, including at least one male die including a contact surface and defining a relief pattern, a compressible counter film including a base layer, a contact layer disposed opposite the contact surface of the at least one male die and spaced therefrom, and a compressible layer disposed between the base layer and the contact layer and attached thereto. The contact layer is featureless in a region thereof opposing the relief pattern on the at least one male die. The compressible counter film has a compressibility, in a direction perpendicular to a broad face of the compressible counter film, in the range of 5-30% at 1.35 MPa. The system further includes a compression mechanism adapted to move the at least one male die and the compressible counter film towards one another in an operative mode.

A die and counter die system for impressing a relief pattern onto a substrate, including a male die film and at least one female die. The female die includes a female-die contact surface including at least one cavity defining the relief pattern. The male die film includes a flexible male-die contact surface which is featureless in a region thereof opposing the relief pattern on the at least one female die. The system further includes a compression mechanism adapted, when the substrate is disposed between the male die contact surface and the female die contact surface, to move the male die film and the at least one female die towards one another so as to impress the relief pattern on the substrate.

A method for manufacturing a laminate panel, where in a first step a press element is manufactured showing a surface relief. In a second step by means of the press element a relief is formed in a surface of the laminate panel, where the surface relief of the press element is provided with protrusions, which during pressing form recesses in the surface of the laminate panel. The recesses imitate wood pores. When manufacturing the press element, at least a number of the protrusions is made elongate and as such are formed substantially or essentially by a machining treatment with rotating cutting tools.

A craftwork accessory may provide a portable and/or easy-to-use tool to help users accurately and repeatedly apply stamp impressions and the like to items such as cardstock. The accessory may include a base portion, one or more elevated side portions and cover portion. The side portions may define a workspace for arranging the item. The cover portion may be movably attached to the base portion or a side portion, for example, by one or more hinges. In operation, the item and stamp may be aligned in the workspace and the cover portion may be pressed onto the stamp to stick the stamp to the cover portion. The cover may then be opened, the stamp may be inked, and the cover portion may be closed and pressed onto the item to stamp the item. The accessory may include alignment indicia on the base portion, side portions and/or cover portion to facilitate placement of the item and/or stamp. The accessory may also include fastening mechanisms, such as magnetic elements, to facilitate placement of the item and/or stamp.

A formed sheet metal material and methods, tools and apparatus for forming the sheet metal material in which a pattern of projections and depressions are cold worked in a first portion and, simultaneously, indicia is embossed in a second portion of the sheet material. The cold worked portion is formed with the projections and depressions configured and distributed such that lines drawn on a surface of the formed sheet material between adjacent rows of projections and depressions are not rectilinear. The indicia is indicative of the alignment between the tools.