2. Hot stamping process

The hot-stamping technique involves producing multiple copies of a metal mold, thereby providing a simple way to obtain polymer components with identical structures. This process consists of three steps (Figure 2 ). Simply place a plastic sheet between two heated metal plates, and then, once the thermoplastic material has softened sufficiently, press the two plates together. One or both of the plates may have microstructured surfaces. Finally, after the plastic material has cooled, the resulting component can be removed from the mold.