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| Hydroforming Hy.tech's Hydro-form process differs from other embossing methods in both process and tooling. In a conventional embossing or debossing process, matching male and female die sets are used to form the material. As the male die projections apply first pressure to the unsupported material, they immediately create un-equalized strains in the substrate material which can distort the form shape and cause registration shift. The principle behind Hydro-forming is the elimination of one-half of the die set and replacing it with a hydraulic fluid cell assembly that has a diaphragm type face. The hydraulic fluid cell is the active compressive "counter die" in all cases. This single side tool system allows materials to be pin registered to the exact image transfer on the die plate. The diaphragm has an elastomer face which prevents any mis-strikes, and applies hydrostatically equalized pressure to minimize distortion. 
ADVANTAGES OF HYDRO-FORM EMBOSSING: MINIMUM DISTORTION TO THE MATERIAL Hydro-forming presents hydrostatically equalized holding forces to the entire die surface area and substrate before actual forming into the die cavity contour occurs. These "blank holding" forces applied first to the non-embossed flat areas allows the embossed area material to be stretched-formed into the cavity instead of gathering around the male die projections and being forced or pinched into the female tool. REGISTRATION Because hydro-forming uses a one sided tool that is created directly from photo art or CAD data, it allows a much more accurate embossing registration from art to tool than traditional spreads and chokes. Secondly, pin registration is used rather than edge guiding to achieve precise, consistent alignment between the embossing tool and the graphics. NO HEAT Hydro-forming is an ambient temperature process. The thermal expansion and compensation problems that are associated with a thermal forming process are not present. Tooling temperature damage to the inking systems is totally eliminated. LEAST DESTRUCTIVE TO THE MATERIAL The counter die, an elastomer diaphragm, will not harm polymer substrates or cause damaging mis-strikes at the die. Furthermore, tests have shown that hydro-forming imparts the lowest amount of destructive forming forces to the substrate as compared to having two metal tools (dies) impact and compress to cause forming. COMPLICATED EMBOSSING/DEBOSSING SHAPES Because a one-sided tool system is used, many unique embossing applications are possible with hydro-forming that could not be achieved by conventional methods. Some examples include forming tactile devices in the graphic overlay, angular bends and dual-level forms, and deep drawing shapes 20 or more times the material thickness.
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