A first aspect of the invention relates to the manufacture of disparate workpieces by the process of injection molding using a single base tool. The tool is made up of cavity and core halves, and each half is made up of separate, removable/interchangeable, inserts which, when combined in a particular order, form the workpiece-forming surface. All or any number of the inserts may be replaced with other inserts to alter the workpiece-forming surface and allow a large number of differently shaped workpieces (i.e. having different surface features and shapes) to be formed from a single base tool. In another aspect of the invention, the inserts are connected to respective thermally conductive cavity and core mounting plates, which are in turn connected to respective cavity and core heating/cooling plates so that insert-mounting holes need not be made in the heating/cooling plates.

An injection mold, in particular for encapsulating rotors of electric machines, has a mold, wherein the mold has an arrangement of mold segments. The arrangement forms, along a longitudinal axis, a cavity for a component to be arranged. An exchange unit is provided, which is designed to remove at least one mold segment from and/or insert at least one mold segment into the arrangement, with the result that a size of the cavity can be changed.

A film material insert molding method, includes an intermediate part forming step of forming a first intermediate part having an edge extending radially outward, the edge being disposed at and near an outer peripheral end of a final shape of a film material, a transparent resin layer forming step of forming a second intermediate part including a transparent resin layer, by injection molding, on a front surface of the first intermediate part, with the edge of the first intermediate part being fixed, and a substrate resin layer forming step of forming an insert-molded article including a substrate resin layer, by injection molding, on a back surface of the second intermediate part, the substrate resin layer covering a surface of a radially outer end of the edge.

A hybrid mandrel for forming a composite part may comprise a core and a sleeve located around the core. The core may include a rigid material. The sleeve may comprise an elastomeric material. The part may be formed by locating the hybrid mandrel in an injection mold, depositing a molten resin around the hybrid mandrel, curing the molten resin; and removing the hybrid mandrel.

An injection mold, in particular for encapsulating rotors of electric machines, has a mold, wherein the mold has an arrangement of mold segments. The arrangement forms, along a longitudinal axis, a cavity for a component to be arranged. An exchange unit is provided, which is designed to remove at least one mold segment from and/or insert at least one mold segment into the arrangement, with the result that a size of the cavity can be changed.

An injection mold, in particular for encapsulating rotors of electric machines, has a mold, wherein the mold has an arrangement of mold segments. The arrangement forms, along a longitudinal axis, a cavity for a component to be arranged. An exchange unit is provided, which is designed to remove at least one mold segment from and/or insert at least one mold segment into the arrangement, with the result that a size of the cavity can be changed.

A hybrid mandrel for forming a composite part may comprise a core and a sleeve located around the core. The core may include a rigid material. The sleeve may comprise an elastomeric material. The part may be formed by locating the hybrid mandrel in an injection mold, depositing a molten resin around the hybrid mandrel, curing the molten resin; and removing the hybrid mandrel.

A film material insert molding method, includes an intermediate part forming step of forming a first intermediate part having an edge extending radially outward, the edge being disposed at and near an outer peripheral end of a final shape of a film material, a transparent resin layer forming step of forming a second intermediate part including a transparent resin layer, by injection molding, on a front surface of the first intermediate part, with the edge of the first intermediate part being fixed, and a substrate resin layer forming step of forming an insert-molded article including a substrate resin layer, by injection molding, on a back surface of the second intermediate part, the substrate resin layer covering a surface of a radially outer end of the edge.

A tool insert for the production of an object by an injection molding method, wherein the injection molding tool includes an insert frame and at least one lamination assembly having a plurality of individual laminations, wherein the at least one lamination assembly is inserted in the insert frame. In further aspects, the invention relates to a method and a system for producing an object having curved surfaces using the tool insert, and to an object which can be produced with the method. The system for producing an object comprises a tool insert and a sliding element. A basic idea of the invention is that curved surfaces can be introduced into the object in that the insert frame has curved surfaces and/or at least one distortion cushion is arranged between the insert frame and the at least one lamination assembly.

A system and manufactures are provided that augment various manufacturing processes by combining skinning techniques, for example from additive manufacturing methods, with modular substructures in order to provide cost and development time saving while not sacrificing end product material characteristics. Modular substructures provide a range of benefits from wide adaptability and reusability, to customized cooling channels within tooling systems. Manufacturing tooling areas afforded improvements span from stamping to injection molding.