Method for Producing an Arcuate Striking Faceplate of a Golf Club Head

Abstract

A method for producing an arcuate striking faceplate of a golf club head is provided to simplify current procedures for further reducing the manufacturing costs. The method includes a material preparation step including preparing a sheet material to be processed, with the sheet material including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a formation step including press-shaping the sheet material obtained from the material preparation step at least one time by at least one mold to shape the sheet material into an arcuate shape and to provide the first surface of the sheet material with uneven height; and a trimming step including using a lathe to mill the second surface of the sheet material obtained from the formation step to form a striking face and to provide the sheet material with uneven thickness, obtaining a striking faceplate for a golf club head.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing an arcuate striking faceplate of a golf club head comprising:
 a material preparation step including preparing a sheet material to be processed, with the sheet material including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;   a formation step including press-shaping the sheet material obtained from the material preparation step at least one time by at least one mold to shape the sheet material into an arcuate shape and to provide the first surface of the sheet material with uneven height; and   a trimming step including using a lathe to mill the second surface of the sheet material obtained from the formation step to form a striking face and to provide the sheet material with uneven thickness, obtaining a striking faceplate for a golf club head.   
     
     
         2 . The method for producing an arcuate striking faceplate of a golf club head as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lathe is a crank lathe when a longitudinal curvature of the striking faceplate to be produced is different from a lateral curvature of the striking faceplate to be produced. 
     
     
         3 . The method for producing an arcuate striking faceplate of a golf club head as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the formation step includes a rough mold formation step and a precision mold formation step, a mold having a simple curved face is used to press-shape the sheet material in the rough mold formation step, and a mold having a more precisely curved face is used to press-shape the sheet material in the precision mold formation step. 
     
     
         4 . The method for producing an arcuate striking faceplate of a golf club head as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising: a post treatment step after the trimming step, with the post treatment step including sandblasting the first surface and the striking face of the sheet material to remove oxides and/or impurities on the first surface and the striking face of the sheet material. 
     
     
         5 . The method for producing an arcuate striking faceplate of a golf club head as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the striking face has a radius of curvature in a range from 160 mm to 600 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The method for producing an arcuate striking faceplate of a golf club head as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one mold and the sheet material obtained from the material preparation step are heated before press-shaping in the formation step. 
     
     
         7 . The method for producing an arcuate striking faceplate of a golf club head as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the formation step further includes forming an anti-oxidation layer on each of the first and second surfaces of the sheet material before press-shaping the sheet material.