Bipolar Pulse Electroforming in Precision Mold Tooling of Nonmetal Mandrel

Electroforming is the use of electrodeposition of metal onto a master that is subsequently separated from the deposit to produce a metal shell. The ability to manufacture complex parts to close tolerances and cost effectively has meant that electroforming has applications both in precision mold tooling. Because of simplifying technical process and shortening molding cycles, electroforming is also a rapid manufacturing technology. Bipolar pulsed current electroforming is known to result in better precision and surface finish. In this paper, bipolar pulse current electroforming is introduced. Experiments on nickel electroforming in nonmetal mandrel have been done. The results indicated bipolar pulse current could improve the quality and precision further, reduce internal stress further.