Abstract:
A method of producing a mold includes obtaining a master mold, the master mold including surface details; exposing a curable material to the surface details; and curing the curable material with the surface details. A mold includes a surface for molding a composite part, the surface including surface details, wherein the mold is made of phenolic material.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application incorporates by reference the following United States patents and United States patent applications: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/472,811, filed on May 16, 2012, and entitled “GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH FACE INSERT,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and with specific reference to the process of electroforming surface profiles; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/960,609, filed Dec. 19, 2007, and entitled “METHOD OF CREATING SCORELINES IN CLUB FACE INSERT” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and with specific reference to composite faces, cover layers, and use of polyurethane; and, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/111,715, filed May 19, 2011, and entitled “TEXTURED GOLF CLUB FACE” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and with specific reference to composite faces, cover layers, use of polyurethane, and microtexturing. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This application relates to manufacturing golf club faces. Specifically, this application relates to production of high-precision golf club faces. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Modern golf club heads—particularly driver-type golf club heads—are often designed to maximize distance. Various aspects of the golf club head may also be altered, including weight and placement of weight throughout the head, including reduction in thickness of various walls and components of the golf club head. However, golf club heads of the current design are limited by structural integrity. Some golf club designs may be light and include various placement of weight, but golf clubs may be limited in design by the ability to withstand multiple strikes with durability. As such, a weight threshold exists for golf club heads of a certain size below which the durability would be compromised. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    A method of producing a mold includes obtaining a master mold, the master mold including surface details; exposing a curable material to the surface details; and curing the curable material with the surface details. A mold includes a surface for molding a composite part, the surface including surface details, wherein the mold is made of phenolic material. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The features and components of the following figures are illustrated to emphasize the general principles of the present disclosure. Corresponding features and components throughout the figures may be designated by matching reference characters for the sake of consistency and clarity. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a front side view of a master mold in accord with one embodiment of the current disclosure. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the master mold of  FIG. 1  taken along line  2 - 2  as drawn in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the master mold of  FIG. 1  taken along line  3 - 3  as drawn in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4A  is a detail view of detail  4 A as indicated in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 4B  is a detail view of detail  4 B as indicated in  FIG. 4A . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a rear perspective view of the master mold of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of a mold assembly including the master mold of  FIG. 1  and a formed phenolic mold in accord with one embodiment of the current disclosure. 
           [0013]      FIG. 7A  is a front side view of a mold in accord with one embodiment of the current disclosure. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7B  is a cross-sectional view of the mold of  FIG. 7A . 
           [0015]      FIG. 7C  is a cross-sectional view of the mold of  FIG. 7A . 
           [0016]      FIG. 7D  is a detail view of the cross-section shown in  FIG. 7B . 
           [0017]      FIG. 7E  is a detail view of the detail shown in  FIG. 7D . 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a flow diagram illustrating a process in accord with one embodiment of the current disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    Disclosed is a golf club head including a composite face and associated methods, systems, devices, and various apparatus. It would be understood by one of skill in the art that the disclosed golf club head and associated systems, device, and apparatus are described in but a few exemplary embodiments among many. No particular terminology or description should be considered limiting on the disclosure or the scope of any claims issuing therefrom. 
         [0020]    Golf club heads of modern design are often designed with distance in mind. Particularly with respect to driver-type golf club heads, reduction in mass of the golf club head, coupled with maximum allowable Coefficient of Restitution (COR) of the golf club face, is a design goal. Metal wood type golf club heads are limited in size by the United States Golf Association (USGA) to 460 cubic centimeters maximum. It has become beneficial to provide a golf club head with maximum size at minimum weight, as the distance a golfer can hit a golf ball is often related to the weight of the golf club head. Additionally, even if minimum weight at maximum size is not a design goal, golf club designers may seek to move weight within the golf club head to achieve an exact location of the center of gravity (CG) of the golf club head. 
         [0021]    A certain amount of mass is necessary in any golf club head design because of the nature of golf club heads. Golf club heads are typically designed to withstand multiple strikes of a golf ball, and, as such, the minimum mass of those golf club heads are the amount necessary to produce a structurally sound golf club head. Such basic amount of weight is required mass. Any mass above the required mass is considered discretionary mass, as it may be removed or relocated as desired by the golf club designer to achieve various performance characteristics. 
         [0022]    Golf club heads with composite faces—such as the head disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/960,609, filed Dec. 19, 2007, and entitled “METHOD OF CREATING SCORELINES IN CLUB FACE INSERT”—include composite faces as one technological advance. Certain composites can be as strong as or stronger than titanium—the material that is typical among driver-type golf club heads—although such composites may be significantly lighter than titanium. Additionally, composites may provide a greater area of high COR across the face. More importantly, composites allow reduction of weight with similar performance to metals. As such, if a designer wishes to reduce or reposition weight in a golf club head, a composite face insert may allow the designer larger amounts of discretionary mass and reduced amounts of required mass. 
         [0023]    However, a major challenge faced by golf club designers utilizing composite face technology is not in design, but in manufacture. To maintain durability of composite faces, it sometimes becomes necessary to provide a coating or layer. In various embodiments—such as those described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/960,609—a cover layer of polyurethane may be used, although in various embodiments the coating or layer may be various materials, including epoxy and film adhesive, among others. Polyurethane covers may provide abrasion resistance but in some cases may still exhibit some abrasion. Even if abrasion is dramatically lessened by inclusion of a polyurethane cover, some abrasion may still exist and exhibit cosmetically. Additionally, various materials may create adverse spin effects if used on the golf club face. It becomes necessary to provide a coating or layer that can maintain the abrasion resistance and performance required for multiple golf shots while maintaining spin performance similar to metallic golf club heads. 
         [0024]    One solution to the problem is to provide a microtextured face as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/111,715, filed May 19, 2011, and entitled “TEXTURED GOLF CLUB FACE”. Such a solution allows the use of polyurethane but provides enhanced durability and prevents adverse spin effects. Additionally, the microtexture may reduce perceived damage to the user by effectively camouflaging any damage within a pattern. Microtextures may also be beneficial in various playing conditions so that the composite face may perform more like a metal face driver. Various microtexture profiles are possible and are used as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/111,715. To maintain a metallic performance while remaining within the USGA rules, it becomes necessary to provide such textures at high precision. Particularly with golf club faces including a microtexture as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/111,715, microtextures may approach precision on the order of a micrometer, which is also referred to as a micron (1 μm=1 micron=1×10 −6  m). As one of skill in the art would understand, typical molds to form such texture are equally precise. 
         [0025]    Machining molds to micron-level precision and accuracy with a conventional CNC milling approach is a time consuming and tedious task. To machine multiple molds with identical details so that every mold is the same (same dimensions of all surface textural details, same surface finish, and same reflectance) is extremely challenging. Some CNC shops can manufacture a mold to micron precision in about 8 hours. However, such molds often require reworking, as the level of precision required dictates very tight tolerances. Although the machining time of the initial mold is about 8 hours, many machine shops would struggle to produce two molds per week, and many machine shops may be incapable of creating repeatable molds from one tool to another. 
         [0026]    In order to bring a popular driver-type golf club head to market in as a golf club, it is estimated that between 80 and 100 molds are required. Based on the estimated output mentioned above, a high precision 5-axis CNC milling machine would need to produce molds continuously for an entire year, during which time no other use of this machine is allowed. Such an enormous effort threatens to make a significant impact on creativity, human fatigue, errors due to repetition, and resource planning. Additionally, such an effort can be particularly expensive in the form of materials costs including large percentages of scrap, high labor costs, and high tooling costs. Further, tooling can be somewhat variable from piece to piece, so the molds produced may not be precisely the same and may include substantial variations in some cases. 
         [0027]    As such, embodiments of the current disclosure provide a solution that allows the creation of high-precision molds capable of micron-level precision with reduced cycle times. The embodiments of the current disclosure are capable of creating molds in several minutes as compared to multiple hours or days using CNC. In various embodiments of the current disclosure, molds are capable of precise and nearly identical reproduction. Finally, materials costs are relatively inexpensive. 
         [0028]    In the current disclosure, high-precision molds are produced through one of two processes: electroforming and phenolic molding. 
         [0029]    A. Polyurethane Part Production 
         [0030]    To understand some requirements of a typical mold of the current disclosure, it is important to understand the requirements of at least one manufacturing process to create a polyurethane coating or layer as part of a composite face plate. 
         [0031]    To create a polyurethane coating or layer on a composite face plate, a composite face blank is exposed to polyurethane under pressure. Initially, the composite face blank is prefabricated via composite processing such as those discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/111,715 or via other methods known in the art. In practice, the procedure for fabricating the composite face blank may be incorporated into the manufacturing processes described herein, and nothing in this disclosure should be construed to limit manufacturing steps to only those described herein. 
         [0032]    The composite face blank is placed into a mold for molding the polyurethane. The polyurethane is applied to the composite face blank in the mold, and subject to 130° F. under 8 tons of force for 10 minutes. The mold is then released from the composite face plate including the composite face blank and polyurethane layer. 
         [0033]    The polyurethane is manufactured by combining prepolymer, urethane, and UV inhibitor. Initially, prepolymer is heated. When the prepolymer is mixed with urethane and UV inhibitor, the polyurethane has an 80-second gel time. In one process, the prepolymer, urethane, and UV inhibitor is mixed for 30 seconds to ensure thorough distribution of the parts throughout the mix. In another process, a dynamic static mixer may be used to reduce the mix time to as little as 6 seconds (mixing and distributing at 1 gram per second for 6 seconds). The polyurethane is injected into the mold and formed at 8 tons for 10 minutes to ensure proper adhesion and full curing. 
         [0034]    Given the requirements of the polyurethane part production, it is beneficial to create the mold of a material that can provide micron-level surface details while having sufficient durability to withstand 8-ton force in repeated cycles. Further, given the previously-described production demand requirements, it is beneficial to use a process for making the mold that can quickly and repeatedly produce molds of micron-level details. 
         [0035]    B. Phenolic Molding 
         [0036]    Phenolic molding provides precise reproduction of part geometries to micron-level precision at low cost. Certain phenolic materials are capable of withstanding 8-ton force upon repeated cycles without significant failure rates. Phenolic is capable of itself being molded to very precise surface details, including micron-level precision in some cases. Finally, the procedures described herein allow production of multiple molds with cycle times that are significantly faster than CNC production. 
         [0037]    To achieve the results desired as described above, multiple phenolic molds are created from one or a few master molds. The phenolic molds are used to create the polyurethane part, which is the composite face plate. Because the cycle times of creating phenolic molds is on the order of minutes, it is not an onerous task to produce sufficient numbers of molds to support production. 
         [0038]    A master mold  100  as seen in  FIG. 1  is produced to micron-level precision using CNC processing. The master mold  100  includes details that are substantially the same as the desired polyurethane part, although in various embodiments, the master mold  100  may be somewhat variant to account for thermal expansion and contraction in the various molding processes. For example, in one embodiment, the master mold  100  may have dimensions at 103% of the desired dimensions to account for thermal contraction. The master mold  100  of the current embodiment includes a mold surface  105  containing surface details  110 . In production of the phenolic mold, the mold surface  105  of the master mold  100  is in contact with phenolic material. Such contact allows reproduction of the intricate details of the surface profile. 
         [0039]    The master mold  100  is of a length  112  of about 165 mm and width  113  of about 110 mm. As seen with reference to  FIG. 2 , the master mold  100  is of a nominal thickness  114  of about 36 mm and a total thickness  116  of about 42.10 mm. With returning reference to  FIG. 1 , the master mold  100  includes a first region  122 , a second region  124 , and a third region  126 . In the current embodiment, each of the first region  122  and the second region  124  are disposed on outer ends of the master mold  100  with the third region  126  disposed between the first region  122  and the second region  124 . In the current embodiment, each of the first region  122  and the second region  124  are generally flat in nature and do not include curvature, although varying embodiments may include varying features as desired. The third region  126  includes a curvature as can be seen with references to  FIGS. 1-3 . In the current embodiment, the curvature of the third region  126  substantially matches a roll and bulge radius of the desired polyurethane part or composite face plate. In various embodiments, the roll radius is about 12 inches and the bulge radius is about 14 inches, although in various embodiments the roll may be 9 inches to 14 inches and the bulge radius may be 10 inches to 18 inches. It should be noted that concentric dotted circles shown in the center of  FIG. 1  are for reference and do not denote specific features found on the master mold  100 . 
         [0040]    The master mold  100  disclosed with respect to  FIG. 1  includes surface details  110  in a centrally-located region of the master mold  100 . In the current embodiment, the surface details  110  are included on the third region  126  only, although surface details  110  may extend outside the third region  126  in various embodiments. 
         [0041]    In the current embodiment, the surface details  110  are located within a first rim  132 . A second rim  134  generally follows the contour of the first rim  132  and is located within the first rim  132 . The first rim  132  includes a keyed corner  136  and the second rim  134  includes a keyed corner  138 , although keying features need not be limited to corners, and various embodiments may include various keying features. In the current embodiment, each of the first rim  132  and the second rim  134  are generally rectangular in shape, although various embodiments may include various shapes, including ovular shapes more closely associated with the shape of the surface details  110  or other various shapes. Each of the first rim  132  and the second rim  134  provides an angled surface to a trough  135  located therebetween. The surface details  110  in the current embodiment cover about ⅓ of the area inside the second rim  134 . 
         [0042]    The first rim  132 , second rim  134 , and trough  135  together form the shim mold  162 . The shim mold  162  sets a thickness of a shim  620  on a mold  600  (see  FIGS. 6 and 7A ). The shim  620  is discussed in more detail with reference to  FIG. 7A . 
         [0043]    Returning to  FIG. 1 , the master mold  100  includes a first widthwise locating feature  142 , a second widthwise locating feature  144 , a first lengthwise locating feature  146 , and a second lengthwise locating feature  148 . The locating features  142 , 144 , 146 , 148  provide a location of the center for machining so that tooling can be aligned properly. In the current embodiment, each locating feature  142 ,  144 ,  146 ,  148  is a linear trough, although various embodiments may include various locating features of various shapes and sizes. 
         [0044]    As seen with reference to  FIG. 2 , the mold surface  105  is of about constant radius, excepting various features located on the mold surface  105 . A plurality of upper grooves  210  and lower grooves  215  are shown. In the current embodiment, a characteristic time (CT) test pad  220  is located between the upper grooves  210  and the lower grooves  215 . In the current embodiment, grooves are located on either side of the CT test pad  220  in addition to being located above and below the CT test pad  220 . The CT test pad  220  is a break in grooves that allows measurement of characteristic time (CT). A notch  230  is shown in the view of the current embodiment. As seen with reference to  FIG. 3 , the master mold  100  is also of about constant radius, excepting various features located on the mold surface  105 , including those previously discussed. 
         [0045]    As seen with reference to  FIG. 4A , the surface details  110  located on the mold surface  105  include the upper grooves  210 , the lower grooves  215 , and a plurality of microgrooves  410  located between the various upper grooves  210 , lower grooves  215 , and on the CT test pad  220  between the upper grooves  210  and the lower grooves  215 . To prevent obstruction of the view, only one microgroove  410  is annotated in  FIG. 4A , although one of skill in the art would understand that each microgroove of the current embodiment is substantially the same profile and element  410  refers to each such microgroove. In various embodiments, non-uniform profiles may be used where advantages are presented by such profiles. 
         [0046]    The microgrooves  410  are shown in greater detail with reference to  FIG. 4B . Although the microgrooves  410  are located on a radius (as indicated above with reference to  FIG. 2 ), current views at the micron level may appear substantially flat. As previously noted, each microgroove  410  is substantially the same in the current embodiment. Each microgroove  410  includes a width  420  and a depth  430 . In the current embodiment, the microgrooves  410  form a stair-step pattern, with the depth of each microgroove  410  being deepest at an uppermost end  435  of each microgroove  410 . Each microgroove  410  becomes linearly shallower until its lowermost end  445 . At the lowermost end  445 , each microgroove  410  terminates and begins another microgroove  410  with a new uppermost end  435 . The pattern described above repeats until a groove such as upper groove  210  or lower groove  215  is encountered. Each groove ( 210 ,  215 ) is of a depth of about 0.10 mm and of a width of about 0.605 mm. Each microgroove  410  is of a depth  430  of about 18 μm and of a width of about 400 μm. In various embodiments, groove depths range from 0.07 mm to 0.13 mm, groove widths range from 0.585 mm to 0.625 mm. Microgroove depths range from about 14 μm to 22 μm. In various embodiments, microgroove depths range from 10 μm to 30 μm. In various embodiments, microgroove depths range from 1 μm to 40 μm. Microgroove widths range from 380 μm to 420 μm. In various embodiments, microgroove widths range from 300 μm to 500 μm 
         [0047]    A rear view of the master mold  100  is shown with reference to  FIG. 5 . Four ports  505   a,b,c,d  are seen located in a rear surface  510  of the master mold  100 . Additionally, the notch  230  is seen centrally located in the rear surface  510 . In various embodiments, the notch  230  may be threaded for handling. 
         [0048]    When the details described above are produced in a master mold  100 —typically via CNC—the master mold  100  includes details substantially the same as the desired composite face plate. As such, phenolic molds produced by the master mold  100  contain reverse details that are then re-reversed to create the composite face plate. 
         [0049]    To make the mold  600  (as seen in  FIG. 6 ) of the current embodiment, phenolic material (such as Plenco 2311, 2739, 4349, 6401, and 6553, available at Plastic Engineering Company, 3518 Lakeshore Road, P.O. Box 758, Sheboygan, Wis. 53082) is used. The phenolic material is supplied in powder form or flake form. To provide consistent amounts of phenolic material for processing, a mass of about 100-200 grams of phenolic material is compacted into a preform, although various masses may be utilized depending on the desired application and the desired dimensions of the mold  600 . Each preform is about three inches in diameter and about 1.5 inches in thickness. The phenolic material is compacted under 20 tons of force to form the preform. In varying embodiments, various materials may be used to achieve similar results, and the disclosure should not be construed to limit the procedures described herein to phenolic materials only. 
         [0050]    To create the mold  600  of the current embodiment, at least two preforms are placed into a mold structure  1610 . In varying embodiments, varying numbers of preforms may be used as needed. In varying embodiments, it may be desirable to place the phenolic material directly into the mold structure  1610  as opposed to preforming the phenolic material. The mold structure  1610  includes a mold base  615  and a wall structure  1620 . The mold base  615  and the wall structure  1620  are typically machined steel, although various embodiments may be various materials, including machined aluminum and various machined materials—including machined phenolic. The mold base  615  includes an edge portion  1622  and a central portion  1624  separated by a step  1626 . The central portion  1624  is sized about the same size at the desired dimensions of the mold  600 , which, in the current embodiment, is about the same as the master mold  100 . The wall structure  1620  includes a shell  632  that defines a cavity  634 . The cavity  634  is sized about the same as the master mold  100 , the desired dimensions of the mold  600 , and the central portion  1624 . As such, the shell  632  is sized to surround and to define the dimensions of the mold  600 . The master mold  100  and the mold structure  1610  together define the mold assembly  650 . 
         [0051]    Preforms are preheated to 210° F., and the mold assembly  650  is preheated to 315° F. with RF heating. However, various heating methods and temperatures may be used in various processes, including RF heating, oven heating, microwave heating, conduction, convection, and various other methods where applicable. Additionally, various temperatures between 200° F.-300° F. may be used. Phenolic material deforms to a paste-link consistency which can be flowed into the mold cavity to fill the microtextured master mold  100 . As such, the microtexture surface details can be molded into the phenolic material upon curing. 
         [0052]    When the preforms are placed into the cavity  634  of the mold structure  1610 , the master mold  100  acts as a plunger to compress the preforms and shape them to the desired structure. The master mold  100  compresses the preforms at about 14 tons force for cycles of 5-30 minutes. In various embodiments, forces between 10-25 tons, may be used. Additional RF heating may be included in the compression and processing of the preforms. In various embodiments, breathe cycles may be included as well to allow cyclical forming of the preforms into the mold  600 . In various embodiments, one to five breathe cycles may be included. The mold  600  is allowed a 5-minute cure in the mold assembly  650 . Finally, the mold assembly  650  is released and the mold  600  is completed. It should be noted that  FIG. 6  includes the exploded view of the mold  600  after completion of the forming process via compression in the mold assembly  650 . 
         [0053]    If continuously processed, the procedure above can produce about 3-6 molds per hour. However, various modifications to the process may reduce or increase cycle time. It should be noted that various modifications to the process are contemplated by this disclosure and are considered to be included therein. 
         [0054]    A view of the mold  600  is seen with reference to  FIGS. 7A-7E . As can be seen, the mold  600  includes its own surface details  610 . The shim  620  is also seen (as formed by the shim mold  162 ). The shim  620  provides an edge surrounding an area into which the polyurethane material is formed as described above. The shim  620  is of about constant thickness in the current embodiment, although various thicknesses may be utilized. Under pressure, the shim  620  sets an about constant thickness for the polyurethane material to be molded to the composite face blank. 
         [0055]    The mold  600  includes a first region  622 , a second region  624 , and a third region  626  generally corresponding to the first region  122 , the second region  124 , and the third region  126  on the master mold  100 . An ejection feature may be included in various embodiments of the mold  600  to allow separation of the molded composite face plate from the mold  600 . In the current embodiment, the ejection feature includes two ejection slots  625   a,b  arranged in the second region  624  and the first region  622 , respectively, although various arrangements may be used. The ejection slots  625   a,b  provide a region into which a tool may be inserted behind the composite face plate such that the composite face plate may be pried from the mold  600  if needed. In various embodiments, the ejection feature may include various mechanisms as known in the art for ejection. In the current embodiment, the ejection slots  625   a,b  are post-processed into the mold  600 —for example, by machining—although in various embodiments the ejection slots  625   a,b  may be features seen in the master mold  100  that become molded into the mold  600 . In the current embodiment, the ejection slots  625   a,b  extend beyond the shim  620  to allow any tool to pry beneath the composite face plate. In various embodiments, the ejection slots  625   a,b  may not extend beyond the shim  620 . For example, in embodiments where the composite face plate extends outside the shim  620  it may be possible to eject the composite face plate without an ejection slot  625   a,b  extending beyond the shim  620 . 
         [0056]      FIGS. 7B-7E  include various views of the mold  600 , including detailed views showing the surface details  610  of the mold  600  as being reproduced from the master mold  100 . With reference to  FIG. 7D , upper groove formations  710  can be seen as corresponding with the upper grooves  210  of the master mold  100 . Although not shown, lower groove formations correspond with lower grooves  215  of the master mold  100  as well. The detail view of  FIG. 7E  shows that the surface details  610  include microgrooves  810  corresponding to microgrooves  410  and having a width  720  and a depth  730  that is substantially the same as the width  420  and the depth  430 , although the orientation of the microgrooves  810  are reversed from microgrooves  410  due to molding. When forming the polyurethane layer of the composite face plate, microgrooves formed into the polyurethane are reversed from the microgrooves  810  such that they are substantially the same profile as microgrooves  410 . 
         [0057]    In general, the process of creating a composite face plate is described with reference to  FIG. 8 . In various embodiments, the master mold  600  is obtained as shown in step  851 . In various embodiments, the master mold  600  may be fabricated, obtained from a third party, or formed as part of the process. The master mold  600  is used to create the mold  100  as seen with reference to step  853  using the processes described above, among other processes known in the art. A composite face blank is obtained as shown with reference to step  855 . In various embodiments, the composite face blank may be fabricated, obtained from a third party, or formed as part of the process. Polyurethane or similar cover layer material is obtained as shown with reference to step  857 . Cover layer materials may be mixed locally to the process or may be prefabricated and cured with additional steps known in the art. In various embodiments, various material processing requirements may allow modification of the processes as described as would be understood by one of skill in the art. As shown with reference to step  859 , the composite face blank and polyurethane or cover layer material are combined with the mold  100  in the molding process. Following sufficient amounts of curing time under sufficient conditions as described herein, the composite face plate is formed as seen with reference to step  861 . In various embodiments, post processing may occur as seen with reference to step  863 . Such post processing may include trimming the composite face plate to final dimensions and cosmetic processing, among other steps. 
         [0058]    C. Electroforming 
         [0059]    Electroforming is a metal deposition process wherein a cathode and an anode, a master mold, are immersed in an electrolyte which allows dissolved cathode atoms to be deposited onto the master mold. In various embodiments, nickel (Ni) or nickel-cobalt (Ni—Co) may be used as a cathode, although various cathode materials may be used. After sufficient thickness is built up, the cathode deposition forms a shell that can be removed from the anode. In the current embodiment, the master mold anode can be used to form cathode shell molds. In various embodiments, the cathode shell molds provide sufficient strength and durability to withstand the polyurethane molding processes described above. 
         [0060]    Depending on thickness desired, typical cycle time is between 1 and 3 hours per part. In general the thickness of an electroformed part is on the order of 0.5-1.0 mm, and a support structure is often needed. This structure can be a machine metal stand, or a molded phenolic piece supported by a metal stand. 
         [0061]    The process of electroforming can be found in greater detail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/472,811, filed on May 16, 2012, and entitled “GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH FACE INSERT,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and with specific reference to the process of electroforming surface profiles. 
         [0062]    One should note that conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more particular embodiments or that one or more particular embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment. 
         [0063]    It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the present disclosure. Any process descriptions or blocks in flow diagrams should be understood as representing modules, segments, or portions of code which include one or more executable instructions for implementing specific logical functions or steps in the process, and alternate implementations are included in which functions may not be included or executed at all, may be executed out of order from that shown or discussed, including substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved, as would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the art of the present disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the present disclosure. Further, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover any and all combinations and sub-combinations of all elements, features, and aspects discussed above. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of the present disclosure, and all possible claims to individual aspects or combinations of elements or steps are intended to be supported by the present disclosure.