Abstract: A method and apparatus for laser engraving a three-dimensional pattern on a surface. A moveable laser head having a plurality of laser beams is provided. Preferably, the number of laser beams is four. Each beam is capable of being individually adjustably controllable.

Abstract: A method of model fabrication wherein a cast metal mold is coated with a low melting point metal alloy that is then over-coated with a nickel alloy by electro-deposition to provide a nickel shell mold that may be released from the base-model by melting the low melting point metal alloy. The method is particularly useful for producing thermoplastic elastomeric skins with a predetermined three-dimensional pattern molded thereon.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for laser engraving a three-dimensional pattern on a surface. A moveable laser head having a plurality of laser beams is provided. Preferably, the number of laser beams is four. Each beam is capable of being individually adjustably controllable. A carriage slideway is provided. The carriage slideway has a carriage axis whose length corresponds to the width of the roller that is to be engraved. The apparatus also has a laser slideway with an axis that is perpendicular to the carriage axis. The laser slideway is mountable to the carriage slideway such that the laser slideway is controllable to slide along the carriage axis slideway. The moveable laser head is mounted to the laser slideway such that the laser head is controllable to slide along the laser axis of the laser slideway. An indexing roller mechanism is provided when engraving rollers. When engraving flat surfaces, a second carriage slideway is substituted for the indexing roller mechanism.