My initial reaction was the same as John's and Elaine's, but I hesitated
to respond, not being a professional injection molder. Besides, it seemed
to me that injection molding of a thin, soft material might be overkill.
Perhaps blow molding or vacuum forming of another thermoplastic of some
sort would be less energy intensive and would be an easier application of RP
technology for mold forming. For breathable materials, you would need to
use a material that is porous, but is also strong. You might be able to lay
strengthening fibers in a matrix of such a material as well, or blow such
fibers into the mold. The people that use Kevlar or Goretex might be
interested. On the other hand, how many people are willing to pay for their
own set of molds for customized clothing? NASA? NASCAR? PGA?
Brock Hinzmann
Technology Navigator
SRI Consulting
a subsidiary of SRI International
bhinzmann@sric.sri.com
http://future.sri.com
John German wrote:
>Joseph,
>
>I think you are confusing the materials you mentioned above. From an
>injection molders stand point, nylon and polystyrene are thermoplastics,
>that when injected into a mold, form a rigid plastic part. Not to be
>confused with the polystyrene and nylon materials used in the clothing
>industry. Fabric and thermoplastic resins aren't quite the same. I am
not
>aware of any technology that can injection mold fabric into a tool.
>
>later,
>John
>
>
>
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