Abstract: A tool for manufacturing a multi-colored plastic automotive part, such as a door panel, is manufactured using multiple molding shots without opening the mold between each shot. The door panel comes out finished with no scuffing, warping, or shrinkage. The process for manufacturing the panel includes selectively locating spacers within the tool to a first position and then injecting a first material. The parting line is held closed while the spacers are then advanced to a second position so as to set the inner insert to a desired second shot wall thickness position. A second shot of material is then introduced into the rear of the injection unit through an opening in the first shot part. The process can be repeated for additional colors and materials to create a multi-colored or even multi-material final assembly. Once the part is cured, it is ejected and the process is complete.

Abstract: A retro-reflective sign is formed of a lens plate bearing indicia and having a front face and a rear face. The rear face is formed with a plurality of adjacent cube corner configurations having central axes, which configurations may reflect light rays approximately parallel to incoming light rays. The front face can be formed with adjacent rows of prisms that are saw-tooth shaped in cross-section. The prisms overlap the configurations and are shaped to bend incoming light rays towards the axes of their respective overlapped configurations and to re-bend the reflected light rays parallel to the incoming light rays. The lens plate is bowed so that its front face is convex and its rear face is concave. A rearwardly bowed support plate covers the rear face of the lens plate and the two plates are secured together along their peripheral edges for rigidifying the sign. The rear plate may be sufficiently light transparent to pass some light therethrough to backlight the indicia on the front plate.

Abstract: A multiple axes electroform is created by first locating a plurality of reflex or optical pins and a mold matrix that extends generally parallel to a first axis. A second mold matrix is created by loading into a fixture yet another set of pins that are generally parallel to a second axis. Electroforms are then made from each mold matrix. The resulting electroforms are then placed into yet another fixture whereby a third electroform is made. The third electroform is then placed into a final fixture where a master electroform is made which will be used in the tooling that is used to injection mold the final automotive lens assembly.