Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet conveying roller, which effectively reduces the amount of paper dust accumulated on its outer peripheral surface to thereby suppress sheet transportation failure. The sheet conveying roller includes a nonporous tubular elastic member (1). The elastic member (1) has a plurality of recesses (6) or a plurality of through-holes (8) equidistantly arranged in a center axis (L1) direction thereof and equidistantly arranged in a circumferential direction thereof, and each having an opening having a round plan shape in an outer peripheral surface (2) thereof, wherein the recesses (6) each have a constant depth as measured thicknesswise of the elastic member (1), wherein the through-holes (8) each extend thicknesswise through the elastic member (1). A production method includes forming the elastic member by vulcanizing a rubber composition in a vulcanization mold having projections corresponding to the recesses or the through-holes.

Abstract: An example provides a method including sputtering a metal catalyst onto a substrate, exposing the substrate to a solution that reacts with the metal catalyst to form a plurality of pores in the substrate, and etching the substrate to remove the plurality of pores to form a recess in the substrate.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for producing a duplicate of a nano-pattern texture of a surface of an object through electroforming using an imprint mold comprises selecting the object having the nano-pattern texture, disposing the selected object and pretreating a surface of the object by washing, drying and then forming a nano-thin film thereto to block transfer of impurities, metallizing a surface of the plastic mold through, e.g., vapor deposition, spraying, and wet silver mirror reaction, and performing a first electroforming of the surface of the plastic mold, and repeating to thus manufacture a plurality of metal module master molds.

Abstract: A nanostructure die with a concavely curved nanostructured die surface for seamless embossing of at least one peripheral ring of a jacket surface of an embossing roll in a step-and-repeat process and an embossing roll for continuous embossing of nanostructures with an embossing layer, which has been applied on a body of revolution, with a jacket surface with at least one peripheral ring which is made seamless at least in the peripheral direction and which is embossed in the step-and-repeat process. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method and a device for producing such an embossing roll for continuous embossing of nanostructures as well as a method for producing such a nanostructure die and a method for producing an embossing substrate.

Abstract: A golf club head is provided having a club body and a contact plate secured to the club body. The contact plate defines at least a portion of a striking surface having a plurality of striking surface grooves. The contact plate is formed using an electroforming process.

Abstract: The invention relates to improvements in methods of making security features, in particular electrotype security features. The electrotype for forming an image during a paper making process comprises a mesh to which is attached at least one image forming element.

Abstract: The lithographic printing plate support includes an aluminum plate and an anodized film formed on the aluminum plate and micropores extend in the anodized film in a depth direction from its surface opposite from the aluminum plate. Each of the micropores includes a large-diameter portion having a predetermined shape and a small-diameter portion having a predetermined shape. The lithographic printing plate support has excellent scratch resistance and is capable of obtaining a presensitized plate which exhibits excellent on-press developability and enables a lithographic printing plate formed therefrom to have a long press life, and excellent deinking ability in continued printing and after suspended printing.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of duplicating a nano-pattern texture of the surface of an object through electroforming using an imprint mold, including selecting the object having the surface texture to be duplicated; disposing the selected object and pre-treating the surface thereof; nano-imprinting the surface of the pretreated object, thus duplicating it on a plastic mold; metallizing the surface of the plastic mold through vapor deposition, and performing electroforming, thus manufacturing metal module master molds; trimming the edges of the metal module master molds, performing micro-processing, connecting the metal module master molds, and then performing electroforming, thus manufacturing a large-area metal unit master mold; and electroforming the metal unit master mold, thus producing a duplicate having the surface texture, thus exhibiting an effect in which the skin of a selected natural object can be duplicated on metal having a uniform thickness.

Abstract: Durable replication tools are disclosed for replication of relief patterns in desired media, for example in optical recording or data storage media. Methods of making such durable replication tools are disclosed, including recording and developing a relief pattern on a selected surface of a support cylinder, creating a durable layer with a complementary relief replica of the pattern, separating the durable layer from the support cylinder. Apparatus are disclosed for fabricating such replication tools, including systems and apparatus for recording a desired relief pattern on a surface of a support cylinder. Also disclosed are electro deposition cells for forming a durable tool sleeve having a desired relief pattern. The replication tool relief features may have critical dimensions down to the micron and nanometer regime.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of duplicating a nano-pattern texture of the surface of an object through electroforming using an imprint mold, including selecting the object having the surface texture to be duplicated; disposing the selected object and pre-treating the surface thereof; nano-imprinting the surface of the pretreated object, thus duplicating it on a plastic mold; metallizing the surface of the plastic mold through vapor deposition, and performing electroforming, thus manufacturing metal module master molds; trimming the edges of the metal module master molds, performing micro-processing, connecting the metal module master molds, and then performing electroforming, thus manufacturing a large-area metal unit master mold; and electroforming the metal unit master mold, thus producing a duplicate having the surface texture, thus exhibiting an effect in which the skin of a selected natural object can be duplicated on metal having a uniform thickness.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a method for forming vertical conductive structures by electroplating. Specifically, a template structure is first formed, which includes a substrate, a discrete metal contact pad located on the substrate surface, an inter-level dielectric (ILD) layer over both the discrete metal contact pad and the substrate, and a metal via structure extending through the ILD layer onto the discrete metal contact pad. Next, a vertical via is formed in the template structure, which extends through the ILD layer onto the discrete metal contact pad. A vertical conductive structure is then formed in the vertical via by electroplating, which is conducted by applying an electroplating current to the discrete metal contact pad through the metal via structure. Preferably, the template structure comprises multiple discrete metal contact pads, multiple metal via structures, and multiple vertical vias for formation of multiple vertical conductive structures.

Abstract: A system for exposing a flexographic printing plate with light includes a light-providing subsystem and a reflector around the light-providing subsystem. The reflector includes a body and a plurality of miniature mirrors on an interior of the body arranged to reflect light generated by the light-providing subsystem to exit the reflector at angles integrated between 0 degrees and a selected angle, such as 30 degrees. As a result, the shoulder angles of features on the flexographic printing plate are controlled within a selected range of angles, such as 0 to 30 degrees.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making a polymeric printhead having one or more pins for fluid transfer and printing, including the steps of forming a positive mold of the printhead using a bulk micromachining process, forming a negative mold of the printhead from the positive mold using an electroforming process, and forming the printhead from a polymeric material in the negative mold, the polymeric printhead being operative for fluid transfer and/or printing. Also, printheads and pins, holders and dispensing trays microfabricated from a polymeric materials for fluid transfer and printing.

Abstract: A mandrel for electroforming printing screens, the mandrel comprising: a mandrel plate onto which metal is to be deposited to form a printing screen, the mandrel plate including a main deposition surface onto which metal is to be deposited to define a main body of the printing screen, at least one pair of edge sections at opposed edges of the main deposition surface which include edge deposition surfaces which extend out of a plane defined by the main deposition surface onto which metal is to be deposited to define attachment elements of the printing screen, and corner sections at respective corners of the deposition surface; non-conductive elements, as edge elements, which are disposed at the edge sections such as to define an extent of the edge sections; and non-conductive elements, as corner elements, which are disposed at the corner sections such as to shield the same and define an extent of the main deposition surface at the corner sections.

Abstract: In a method of producing a photosensitive planographic printing plate according to the present invention, a web is coated with a coating solution, and a coating solution film thus formed is rapidly dried. For this drying, fresh air is blown onto the web W heated with a heat roll such that the air is blown parallel to the coating solution film. The coating solution film can thereby be prevented from changing its thickness due to an air stream during drying, while the coating solution film can be rapidly dried. Accordingly, the coating solution film can be dried before the film is leveled, to form a coating layer having uniform thickness.

Abstract: A Ti alloy for a positive electrode for electrocoagulation printing contains, as a weight percentage, 28.0 to 35.0% of Al, 0.1% or less of C, 0.05% or less of N, 0.3% or less of O, and Ti. The Ti alloy may further contain one or more elements selected from the group consisting of 0.5 to 15.0% of Nb, 0.5 to 15.0% of Ta, 0.1 to 1.0% of Hf, 0.1 to 1.0% of Zr, 1.0 to 6.0% of W, 1.0 to 6.0% of Mo, 0.5 to 6.0% of Cr, 0.5 to 6.0% of Mn, 0.5 to 6.0% of V, 0.1 to 1.0% of Si, and 0.005 to 0.10% of B, by weight. A positive electrode for electrocoagulation printing has a surface composed of a Ti alloy containing Al.

Abstract: A method for fast thickening electroforming stamper, in which a substrate is placed in an electroforming tank and electroforming to form a first electroforming layer on the face of the substrate. A first thickening material is connected with a face of the first electroforming layer distal from the substrate. The first thickening material, the first electroforming layer and the substrate together form a combination body. After the substrate is separated from the first electroforming layer, at least the first electroforming layer and the first thickening material together form a stamper.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy plate for a planographic printing plate capable of being provided with a satisfactory roughed surface by electrolytic etching. The aluminum alloy plate contains 0.1 to 0.6% of Fe, 0.01 to 0.2% of Si, 5 to 150 ppm of Cu, and balance of Al and unavoidable impurities and has a surface layer portion formed of a metastable phase dispersion layer in which metastable phase AlFe-based intermetallic compound particles are dispersed. The metastable intermetallic compound particles each act as a starting point for pits. The alloy plate is formed with a roughed surface which is reduced in unetching and uniformly formed with pits, by electrolytic etching.

Abstract: An inkjet printer nozzle plate having a non-wetting surface of uniform thickness and an orifice wall of tapered contour, and method of making the nozzle plate. In the method a metal masking layer is deposited on a glass substrate, the masking layer having an opening therethrough for passage of light only through the opening. Next, a negative photoresist layer is deposited on the masking layer, the negative photoresist layer being capable of photochemically reacting with the light. A light source passes light through the substrate, so that the light also passes only through the opening in the form of a tapered light cone. This tapered light cone will define the tapered contour of a nozzle plate orifice wall to be formed. The negative photoresist layer photochemically reacts with the light only in the light cone to define a light-exposed region of hardened negative photoresist.

Abstract: The invention is a method for the fabrication of an imprint tool master. The process begins with a metallic substrate. A layer of photoresist is placed onto the metallic substrate and a image pattern mask is then aligned to the mask. The mask pattern has opaque portions that block exposure light and “open” or transparent portions which transmit exposure light. The photoresist layer is then exposed to light transmitted through the “open” portions of the first image pattern mask and the mask is then removed. A second layer of photoresist then can be placed onto the first photoresist layer and a second image pattern mask may be placed on the second layer of photoresist. The second layer of photoresist is exposed to light, as before, and the second mask removed. The photoresist layers are developed simultaneously to produce a multi-level master mandrel upon which a conductive film is formed. A tool master can now be formed onto the conductive film.

Abstract: The invention relates to platinum electroforming and platinum electroplating capable of preparing a deposited platinum material having high hardness and increased thickness and size utilizing an electrolyte bath comprising at least one compound selected from the group consisting of chloroplatinic acid, chloroplatinates of alkali metals, hydrogen hexahydroxoplatinate, and hexahydroxoplatinates of alkali metals, 2-100 g/l as platinum; a hydroxylated alkali metal, 20-100 g/l; and a soluble carboxylate.

Abstract: To prepare a screen printing stencil, a pattern of resist, having a complementary design to the final screen printing stencil, is applied to a conductive mandrel. A patterned layer is electroformed onto the exposed surface of the mandrel such that the layer corresponds to the exposed orifices of the pattern of resist. The resulting screen printing stencil can have an overgrowth geometry or a straight-wall geometry depending on the type of photoresist employed, and can be used in the electronic substrate fabrication and electronic assembly industries.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a stamper includes the steps of coating a flat surface of a substrate with photosensitive material; directing light to a specified position on the photosensitive material to expose it; developing the photosensitive material to make a minute photoresist pattern; etching the substrate to a specified depth with a mask of the photoresist pattern; removing the photoresist as the mask to make a glass master; arbitrarily forming a first nickel layer on a surface of the glass master; forming an intermediate layer of a metal having a smaller linear expansion coefficient than nickel over the first nickel layer; forming a second nickel layer on the intermediate layer to form a conductive film having a two- or three-stratum structure; arbitrarily subjecting the whole substrate to a process to make nickel passive; forming an electroformed layer on the conductive film by an electroforming process; and separating the conductive film from the glass master.

Abstract: To prepare a screen printing stencil, a pattern of resist, having a complementary design to the final screen printing stencil, is applied to a conductive mandrel. A patterned layer is electroformed onto the exposed surface of the mandrel such that the layer corresponds to the exposed orifices of the pattern of resist. The resulting screen printing stencil has raised edges surrounding orifices. The raised edges are placed against a surface of a substrate to be printed in use of the stencil. The screen printing stencil can be used for printing substrates in the electronic substrate fabrication and electronic assembly industries.

Abstract: A method of making a die and the die itself for establishing through embossing or micro-embossing a seamless pattern, preferably a holographic pattern, on a decorative medium such as a metallized film is provided. A cylindrical embossing or micro-embossing die is provided with a layer of an embossable material, preferably pure silver, a silver alloy or any other suitable embossable material. The cylindrical die is an integral member in which a pattern is recombined thereon by a step and repeat embossing or micro-embossing process as opposed an intricate lathe-type machine-turning operation, and can thus accept, carry and maintain complex patterns with the integrity required for producing a repeating holographic pattern.

Abstract: The invention relates to platinum electroforming and platinum electroplating capable of preparing a deposited platinum material having high hardness and increased thickness and size. The platinum electroforming or electroplating bath comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of chloroplatinic acid, chloroplatinates of alkali metals, hydrogen hexahydroxoplatinate, and hexahydroxoplatinates of alkali metals, 2-100 g/l as platinum and a hydroxylated alkali metal, 20-100 g/l.

Abstract: An electroforming process is used to prepare an electroformed metal layer on the inside surface of a female mandrel to form an electroform with a hollow interior. A device may be positioned within the hollow interior of the electroform, and the interior is filled with a filling material. The electroform may then be separated from the mandrel by a force applied to the device positioned within the filling material.

Abstract: A metal foil made by electroforming from a master pattern with the interposition of a negative form, and serving as packing for sheet guiding cylinders and/or drums of rotary printing machines, including a substantially planar member having one flat face and an opposite face with a textured surface structure corresponding to an upper side of the master pattern, the upper side of the master patten having been roughened by a jet treatment and coated with a levelling galvano-layer in order to eliminate undercuts, the master pattern per se, and method of manufacture.