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2012

Report: Summer Training


M K Engineering Works
66-A, Shahzada Bagh, Industrial Area, Delhi-110035, India This is the report of summer training/internship done at M K Engineering works, New Delhi. The training was done after 4th semester examinations for 6 weeks.

Presented by: Pushpinder Singh Arora, Roll no. - 11914803610 Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology PSP Area, Plot No. 1, Sector-22, Rohini, Delhi-110086

Table of Contents
2D Scanning _________________________________________________________________ 6 3D Scanning _________________________________________________________________ 6 Designing of dies _____________________________________________________________ 8 Die sizes ____________________________________________________________________ 9 The various components that are used in the process are: ___________________________ 10 Computers__________________________________________________________________ 10
Some of the elements of this code are given below: _____________________________________ 10

DNC _______________________________________________________________________ 11 The VMC ___________________________________________________________________ 11


Construction: ____________________________________________________________________ 12
Chuck: __________________________________________________________________________________ 12

The functioning of VMC: ___________________________________________________________ 12 Various options given on control panel of machine are: __________________________________ 13

CUTTERS used: ______________________________________________________________ 13 Cutting Fluid ________________________________________________________________ 14 Materials used for dies: _______________________________________________________ 14 Various equipment that used are- _______________________________________________ 15 Drills ______________________________________________________________________ 15 Usage of drills _______________________________________________________________ 15 Reaming ___________________________________________________________________ 16 Tapping ____________________________________________________________________ 16 Chuck______________________________________________________________________ 16 Counter sinking ______________________________________________________________ 16 Lettering ___________________________________________________________________ 16 The EDM ___________________________________________________________________ 17
Basic Principle ____________________________________________________________________ 17

Construction of machine ______________________________________________________ 18 The Plate Matching Process ____________________________________________________ 18 The Copper Electrode Process __________________________________________________ 18

Tools ______________________________________________________________________ 19 The Pantograph Milling Machine _______________________________________________ 20 Construction ________________________________________________________________ 21 Operation of the machine _____________________________________________________ 21 Making of template __________________________________________________________ 21 Cutters used for Pantograph ___________________________________________________ 22 Lathe machine ______________________________________________________________ 22 The main parts of the lathe: ___________________________________________________ 22 Various accessories for lathe machine: ___________________________________________ 23 The tool used: _______________________________________________________________ 23 Operation __________________________________________________________________ 24 Polishing of the dies __________________________________________________________ 24 Etching of die _______________________________________________________________ 24 Electroplating _______________________________________________________________ 25

Table of Figures
Figure 1 The Microscanner ........................................................................................................................... 6 Figure 2 ......................................................................................................................................................... 7 Figure 3 Coordinate system of the micro scanner ........................................................................................ 7 Figure 4 VMC ............................................................................................................................................... 11 Figure 5 Bed Ways....................................................................................................................................... 12 Figure 6 Ball Cutter ..................................................................................................................................... 13 Figure 7 A Drill ............................................................................................................................................. 15 Figure 9 Tap Drill holder.............................................................................................................................. 16 Figure 8 Reamer .......................................................................................................................................... 16 Figure 10 Setup for EDM (BS Raghuwanshi, Workshop Technology, Vol. 2.) ............................................. 17 Figure 11 A hand held electric engraver ..................................................................................................... 19 Figure 12 Pantograph Mill........................................................................................................................... 20 Figure 13 Lathe machine ............................................................................................................................. 22 Figure 14 Various angles of a SPCT ............................................................................................................. 23 Figure 15 SPCT............................................................................................................................................. 23 Figure 16 A plastic injection nozzle ............................................................................................................. 24

The Company
M K E engineering Works is a company that is manufacturing moulds and dies for the last 40 years. It is situated in Shahzada Bagh near Inderlok Metro station, New Delhi. The company mainly deals with PVC, EVA footwear moulds and also manufactures moulds for PVC straps. The company is headed by Mr. Manish Sharma, and has a workforce of around 30 personnel. The company can be segregated into various departments: The designing department This is the place where the whole process of die making starts. It contains equipment for scanning of prototypes like regular 2d scanner and micro scanner which is used for 3d scanning. Next comes the designing part which is done on CAD/CAM software. The part is sent for CAM work which continues to VMCs. Vertical Milling Centers(VMC) machines The design sent by the design dept is fed into a computer and to DNC. This then goes to VMC machine where the whole design is etched on the die block. The whole process is automatic. Drilling, shaping etc. These processes are done on the finished die for making holes for matching, planing etc. Spark Erosion Process This process is done on EDM which fines the design which was etched by VMC. This machine is also used for matching of upper and lower dies of one design. Manual finishing work Work on sides of dies is done by hand. Pantograph machines are used to speed up work and cut gates. Lathes are also used for cutting special components indulge in dies Etching and Electroplating These processes are done at another facility, outside the factory, before dispatching die to the customer.

The Designing & Scanning Process


2D Scanning
The scanning process is done in order to obtain 2D images of a prototype sole. Front view and side view. This prototype is prepared by cutting and fitting soles and outer sides of soles. This image is used by designers for making a pattern on the 3D model. This 2D scan is not always required, though it serves great purposes in software like AutoCAD. For 2D scanning, a regular scanner is used which is attached to a computer. Front (face) view and side view is scanned. The scanned file is stored in regular formats like .jpeg which is accessible through the network in the office.

3D Scanning
3D scanning is done by a specialized device called micro scribe digitizer.

Figure 1 the Microscanner

The model shown above is the same as used in the company: micro scribe G2, form the company called emicroscribe. A series of optical encoders inside each of the five joints help a microchip in the base dynamically calculate the position of the stylus tip in 3D space. It is a digital component which uses optical signals at joints to calculate the various relative angles at them with respect to the origin. The origin is shown in the figure:

Figure 2 Figure 3 Coordinate system of the micro scanner


Default origin (0, 0, 0 point) is set directly below the center of the base joint axis, flush with the bottom of the base plate.

It connects to the computer through USB and sends data to it on pressing the foot pedal or hand switch which then calculates the position of the tip in the 3D space. The tip is placed on the desired point to be mapped/ digitized, and the button is pressed. The model is digitized layer by layer or what the package call them- levels.

An example is set: Layer 1- the ground level is mapped

Layer 2- contour of the upper edge Layer 3- contour of the insole leaving spaces for the strap to fit in Layer 4- lower edge, providing the bending with it Layer 5- bottom edge Layer 6- the surface/insole, which is scanned as a skeleton providing the depth at places Layer 7- logo and holes for strap After micro scanner has finished its work, a special file in the computer is generated with an extension of .igs and it is called an IGES file. This file contains the model as it was scanned and can be exported to CAD/CAM software like DELCAM, VISICAM etc. This file will provide the basic structure for designing.

Designing of dies
After scanning process, the designing process starts. Designer retrieves the IGES file from the LAN and imports in the software. Then, contours are created through the points in various layers usually by using curve creation, which we call in AutoCAD or Pro/E as SPLINE. Then, by using surfacing work, a model of the slipper is prepared. Like by adding quilts b/w different levels/layers and by generating surface inside a closed curve. This results in a basic solid shape of the slipper. Then various patterns or decorations on the footwear are given by using pattern and projection commands, by trimming excess things. The model is duly checked and any deviations are thoroughly reconsidered. VISICAM is used for this modeling process. Another designer retrieves this completed model and prepares it for CAM operations. This is done on DELCAM software. Here, dimensions are controlled and various sizes are created by scaling, as we usually have in footwear. This thing is arranged in patterns of six or eight, mirrored and copied. This results in a sort of array that will be the actual shape of the die. The model is then sent to the person operating the CAM operations, who is responsible for the virtual creation of the mould. It is same as a mould is created outside a part in Pro/MOLD module of Pro/E. Here, parting line is set, logos are etched and numbers are etched on the different dies. And most importantly, the code for the VMCs to operate is generated. From here, this design is sent to VMC machines for actual cutting by generating a code.

Straps are also designed likewise. Straps designed are scaled and printouts are taken on thick ivory sheets, which will be cut from the paper and then attached to the prototype for fitting check.

Die sizes
Actual die sizes for EVA polymer dies are lot smaller than the actual product. This is due to the fact that EVA plastic expands 1.6 times after injection has been done. So this allowance is given to the dies. PVC does not expand on setting; instead it shrinks approx. 1%.

The Cutting Process


The design made by the computers is meant for CNC machines which cut the billets to make the dies. CNC means computerized numerical control. The machines used are milling machines called VMCs. VMC machines are used for cutting of dies based on design from the softwares.

The various components that are used in the process are:


Computers DNC Vertical milling centers Carbide tipped cutters Cutting fluid

Computers
The computers get the design via pen drive. This design carries a computer code generated by the software. This code is re checked by the operator and a few changes are made if necessary. This code contains information concerning the movements of the table, spindle rotation etc. This is a universal code that means it can work on all machines.

Some of the elements of this code are given below:


M00 M01 M03 M04 M05 M06 M07 M08 M09 M12 M13 M14 M22 M24 M25 M30 M50 M58 M68 Program stop optional stop spindle start CW (clockwise) spindle start CCW spindle stop tool change oil mist on coolant pump on coolant pump off floor clean pump spindle CW and coolant spindle CCW and coolant Index 4th axis clamp 4th axis unclamp program end Air blow H.P. Pump on conveyor forward

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M69 M86 M98 M99

conveyor stop ATC cycle continue call sub program sub program end

These elements occur in code.

DNC
The code goes to a box which serves the purpose of DNC. DNC stands for Direct Numerical Control or Distributed Numerical Control. Definition of DNC: It is a common manufacturing term for networking CNC machine tools. On some CNC machine controllers, the available memory is too small to contain the machining program (for example machining complex surfaces), so in this case the program is stored in a separate computer and sent directly to the machine, one block at a time. If the computer is connected to a number of machines it can distribute programs to different machines as required. Usually, the manufacturer of the control provides suitable DNC software. However, if this provision is not possible, some software companies provide DNC applications that fulfill the purpose. DNC networking or DNC communication is always required when CAM programs are to run on some CNC machine control. The purpose of the box is: It is serial port protector and diagnostics device. It comes in versions, It can make simulations, It provides facilities like stating work from the point it was left. This is essentially important in the case when either the tool fails or the power fails.

The VMC

Figure 4 VMC

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VMC stands for vertical milling center, which is a type of CNC milling machine. It means that it performs its operations automatically and is governed by computers. CNC stands for computerized numerical control. For CNC machines there is always a need of generating a program. In CNC operated machines, there is no or little need of direct involvement of the operator. All the work is done by the computer. The operator only has to present to check the progress of the job and to check for faults during operation. Also, those bits of machining which are not involved in the code are made by hand by the operator. The VMC is housed in a large case made of metal and glass. This serves the purpose of shielding the operator against fluid and providing a floor for draining off the fluid and chips after the job has been made.

Construction:
There are telescopic bed ways inside the machine, on which the clamping table is fixed.

Figure 5 Bed Ways

On the clamping table, a plate is placed, onto which the die billet will be clamped. Other things that the machine consists of is the column on which chuck and cutter are housed. There is a motor which rotates a step cone pulley, which in turn rotates its counterpart. From here, the chuck rotates and thus the cutter. Chuck: The chuck used in the machine is pneumatic chuck. A button is provided for loading and unloading of the cutter.

The functioning of VMC:


The cutter in VMCs is held pneumatically in its chuck. As stated earlier, bed ways are given x & y feed and the cutter is given the z direction feed. There is a display on the machine, which shows the simultaneous positions of x, y and z positions of the cutter during operation. There is also a provision of remote control which is used for hand feed. It has a dial for feed and buttons for engagement of x, y and z with the dial.

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The cutter starts rotating and moves to its start position. From there it cuts into the billet. The process is multi pass. For certain areas, larger cutter may be used and for others, smaller end cutters may be used on the same machine. For making one job, more than 1 machine may be used. For calibrating the coordinate systems of two machines, a hole is cut into the plate and then the machines x &y coordinates are set to zero. Z is not required for calibration. So on the next machine, the spindle will be bought to the hole and coordinates will be set to zero. A pressure dial is also placed on the column for calibrating purposes. The machine may take several hours for machining out intricate designs.

Various options given on control panel of machine are:


Edit DNC AUTO MDI JOG Rapid Zero

These options describe from where the signals will be coming from. Spindle speed adjustment is also provided. For hard materials, low speeds are used, for Al etc, higher speeds can be used. There is an adjustment which is called axis lock. This can lock the working axes i.e. x, y or z. Ex. Z can be locked when surface is being machined. This checks any accidental axial movement while hand feeding.

CUTTERS used:
For roughing work, 12mm carbide cutter is used. Larger face cutters are used for smoothing the surface of the billet. For finishing, ball cutters are used, their edges are rounded and they contain small wheels, 3 or 4 in number. Small 2/4/6 mm cutters are used to cut intricate designs or details on dies. These are made of carbide and are ground on bench grinders in the factory.

Figure 6 Ball Cutter

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Cutting Fluid
Cutting fluid used is cutting oil + water. The use of this is: To wash away chips from the job and table. To avoid chips from sticking/adhering to flutes of the cutter. To provide a sink for the heat generated during cutting process.

Materials used for dies:


Aluminum is most commonly used material for manufacturing of EVA injection dies. However, various grades of steel are also used in this for this. Copper is also used for making electrodes for the dies. These electrodes will be used for the spark erosion process on EDM. It will be described later.

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The Drilling Process


The radial drilling machine is used for the drilling work, having movements- rotation of work table, and vertical movement of the same. Drilling is required to drill holes in the die for the purpose of fitting/matching of dies. Threaded holes are made at the backside of die in order to hold them during molding process and shift their position.

Various equipment that used are drills, reaming tool, tap tool for threading, Files etc.

Drills
Drills are the tools that are used for drilling work. Their main purpose is to make a hole in the metal billet. This, they do by cutting the metal at their points and removing the chips from their flutes. A drill can be of two types: twist drill and flat/spade drill. Out of these, twist drills are most common. The main purpose of a drill to have flutes is to easily facilitate the removal of long chips that are formed. Drills are made of High Speed Steel as well as Carbide compounds.
Figure 7 A Drill

Usage of drills
A drill has a small stock of metal at its end called the tang. This tang is the thing that fits into the work holding device. Apart from it, the shank of drill is tapered, which facilitates its fitting. There is a motor that runs the pulley drive. This drive rotates the spindle onto which the drill chuck is attached. A sleeve is provided over the spindle which provides a method for pressing the drill down during operation. Here a rack and pinion setup is used.

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Reaming
Reaming is an after operation of drilling. Reaming is done for bringing the hole to its accurate size and to give it a good surface finish.

Figure 8 Reamer

Tapping
Tapping is the operation for making threads in the hole cut by drill. As explained earlier, tapping is done for the purposes of holding the die. A special tool called tap is used for this purpose. It is a tool similar to the drill but with threading on it instead of flutes. The drill size has to be smaller than the tap tool. Drill size=tap size-(2* depth of thread) In the factory, tapping is done by hand. The tool holder for holding the tap is shown in the figure.

Figure 9 Tap Drill holder

Chuck
The drill chuck used is the regular tapered chuck. The tang of the drill can be fitted to it. Reamer can be attached likewise.

Counter sinking
Counter sinking is also done on bigger threaded holes. This is done by using the drill only. Drill is allowed to graze over the surface, resulting in a counter sunk shape.

Lettering
Lettering is also done to keep track of the dies. A number of punches with letters and numbers embossed on them are hammered on the side of die, stating the company, size etc. This can also be done by pantograph machines.

Fitting of Dies
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Core and cavity matching is the work of the fitting section. In the fitting section, male and female components are matched. This is done either manually or by spark erosion machines. Spark erosion machines, electric discharge machines (EDM), are special machines that come under the category of ZNC. Here, no computer generated program is required, but the operation is still automatic. There are two operations done on these EDMs. Matching of two die plates, Making the design fine by using copper electrodes. These electrodes are in the shape of the mould itself. These are made using VMCs as explained earlier.

The EDM
The spark erosion machining or electrical discharge machining (EDM) is an unconventional machining process. Removal of material takes place due to erosion caused by electric sparks. The process can be used for machining any material that is a conductor of electricity. A dielectric medium is always used in this process. Ex. - EDM oil, kerosene etc.

Basic Principle

Figure 10 Setup for EDM (BS Raghuwanshi, Workshop Technology, Vol. 2.)

The general setup for EDM process is shown above. The main parts involved in the process are the work piece and the tool. In our observation, work piece is the die which is being machined and the tool is a special copper pattern which is made on the VMC for this specific purpose only. That is called an electrode. Graphite can also be used in place of copper. There is a gap that is maintained between the work piece and the electrode known as the spark gap. This gap is filled with the dielectric liquid, which is constantly flowing through the machine. When a suitable voltage is applied b/w the two, electric breakdown takes place and the spark directly impinges on the work piece. This causes some particles to get eroded or even vaporized as the

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temperature developed is around 10,000 C. These particles come out due to electromagnetic forces into the liquid and get away from the w/p due to flow of the liquid. The erosion happens on both the w/p and the electrode but in w/p it is far greater than the latter. This is due to the fact that the electrode is subjected to compressive forces due to electric and magnetic fields.

Construction of machine
EDM consists of a control panel, a tub for immersion, a vertical column to which electrode is fixed. Buttons and controls for adjusting x, y and z position are also provided. Operator manually shifts the position of the column and fits the electrode or die into its place. The spark process requires a current from 8 to 17 Amps, and a voltage of full 220 alternating volts.

The Plate Matching Process


In this process, lower plate is immersed into the oil. The upper plate is attached to the vertical column to make it electrode. Both are then brought together and current is switched on. Sparking happens b/w the two surfaces and they over time get properly fitted together. This takes about 8-10 hours on single die.

The Copper Electrode Process


This process is used to fine finish the die's interior surface and design. The electrode used for this process is made up of copper. This is attached to the electrode holder of the machine. The work piece is immersed into the oil and this copper (as it is named) is moved to it. Again, the current is switched on and the fine design is etched into the surface. The operator gets to know when the process is finished by observing the position of z. It continually digs into the die. A fixed limit for z is taken and machine is turned off after that. Minor die elements like number of the soles may also be etched by this machine. This process takes about 3 hours for a single die. The EDM is also used to etch the dies sizes onto them.

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Engraving Process
After the machining has been done on EDMs, it is time for engraving of designs on dies cavities and cores. One may ask that engraving of design is already done by the VMC but, as previously stated, the VMCs are unable to etch the designs on the sides of the cavity. Also there may be some elements that are to be added afterwards. Side designs cannot be achieved by EDM machines so the work is done conventionally.

Tools
The tools used in this process are engravers with ball nose cutters at their tips. Work benches are provided for workers to work on and these tools are suspended from overhead electric supplies. Workers can get hold of these and start engraving designs on the cavities. The engraving process is also done manually by hand. They use chisel and hammer for removing excess material from the sides and to put up a specific design. The engravers engrave fine lines on the side, machine out eccentricities; remove extra material that may be left after cutting or casting. They also make designs that they think may suit the final product. If not approved, these can easily be chipped off. Cutters used in this process are ball nose cutters. Both HSS and carbide cutters are used for this work. Carbide is generally used for steels and HSS for aluminum.

Figure 11 A hand held electric engraver

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Assembly of the Dies/Moulds


Assembly of mould covers the last part of the process which involves etching and polishing of moulds. These involve machines like lathes, pantographs, super-finishing etc. Pantograph machines are used for engraving work and to etch lines and grooves on the surface of cavity and die. These lines are and grooves are made so that during fitting process, both plates fit together efficiently.

The Pantograph Milling Machine


A pantograph is basically a mechanical linkage connected in form of parallelograms, in which, movement of one point produces an identical movement in another point in the linkage. As such, the design generated by the second point is an exact trace of the original design, scaled to some ratio.

Figure 12 Pantograph Mill

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The pantograph can be successfully adapted for milling process. The pantograph milling machine, as shown above, is a special type of vertical milling machine. This machine is used to cut contours which are to be traced by some template. This thing helps a lot in mass production of parts. Like the operators have to cut grooves that are same for all the dies. So only one type of template is required and only the die needs to be replaced. The process is fast enough for batch production.

Construction
The basic parts of this machine are shown in the above drawing. There are two clamping tables, one for the template and second for the job. Then, there is the mechanical linkage, one vertex of which is projected. It is here the cutter and the follower of template is attached. There are two movements available to the machine- the cross feed and vertical feed. The y direction feed is taken care of by the linkage as it has got 2 dimensional movements. There are movements in 3D in some special pantographs also for special purpose jobs. There is a motor that is attached in the backside of the machine. This motor drives the step cone pulley which is at right side to it. This pulley, in turn, drives the spindle onto which, the cutter is screwed. A belt drive is used for this. Various speeds can be attained depending on different materials and feeds.

Operation of the machine


The rotation of cutter is started by switching on the motor. The follower is the grazed over the template. This results in the cutter cutting the desired shape on the die. The depth of cut is provided by the vertical feed screw during operation. The template is usually of a definite scale to that of the actual job. Usually the ratio taken is 1.7 or 2.

Making of template
As mentioned above, the template is made by the operators. For this purpose, the positions of cutter and the follower are exchanged and belt drive is transferred. Now, plywood blank is kept at the template table and the die at other table. The operator estimates the tool path for the contour to be cut and grazes the follower over that position. This results in the cutting of the plywood in the desired shape and scale. Carbide cutters are required for this.

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Cutters used for Pantograph


There is a variety of cutters that are required for various jobs. 2 mm cutters are used for cutting of grooves Bigger cutters are used for cutting of gates on the dies.

The small cutters are ground on bench grinders.

Lathe machine
The lathe machine is a machine tool that does machining work on radially symmetrical jobs. This is a very versatile machine tool that can drill, turn, face, taper turn etc. In the factory, lathe machines are used for turning of nozzles for the injection purposes.

Figure 13 Lathe machine

The main parts of the lathe:


Headstock

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Tailstock Bed Lead screw Guides Apron Saddle Cross feed table Tool post The motor Various drives and gears

Various accessories for lathe machine:


Work holding devices like 3 jaw chuck, 4 jaw chuck, magnetic, pneumatic chucks etc. Live center and dead centers. For taper turning, taper turning attachment. For drilling, drilling attachment for tail stock etc.

The tool used:


For lathe machine, tool used is a single point cutting tool (SPCT).

Figure 14 various angles of a SPCT

Figure 15 SPCT

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Operation
The lathe machine is set on automatic feed (using the lead screw) after the operator sets the tool at the point where the cut has to be made. The nozzle is made by step turning the stock.

Figure 16 A plastic injection nozzle

The operations done are as usual.

Polishing of the dies


Polishing of dies is done by circular polishing wheels. These wheels are coated with sandpaper. The sandpaper is cut into a strip and is then glued to this wheel. The wheel is made of a soft material. Its diameter is small around 40 mm. it is fixed to a rotating spindle which is hand held. It is moved all over the die. A lot of metal dust is shed and what results is a high gloss finish.

Etching & Electroplating


Before dispatching the dies to customer, two processes, namely etching and electroplating are done on the dies. Etching process is used to give a definite texture to the metal like grainy texture. Electroplating is used for protecting the metal against corrosion. After these processes, the die is finally ready to be used in the plastic molding process.

Etching of die

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The etching of metals is an ancient process. This process can be used for a wide variety of purposes. These can range from artistic uses to above mentioned industrial purpose, as well as is used for making printing plates. The above mentioned process is used for etching pattern or texture on the metal. The negative of it will be transferred to the sole when it will be molded. This is achieved through a number of steps. The various elements used in this process are: negative film, etchant (acid), equipment for holding etc. A negative of the texture is used in this process to provide a stencil for etching. This negative is in the form of a polycarbonate film which is about 0.3 mm thick. It has the texture on it. After placing this film on the metal surface, it is exposed to an acid. It is also called an etchant. The acid eats up the metal where the negative has the pattern on it. The result is a textured pattern on the metal.

Electroplating
Electroplating is the process of depositing a thin layer of some metal on the die in order to give it some desired properties like wear and corrosion resistance, luster etc. In electroplating process, the die is made the cathode (negative). From here, the current passes on to the solution/electrolyte. The other metal which has to be deposited over the die is made the anode (positive) and the setup is something like shown in the figure.

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