Abstract
Roll-to-roll (R2R) hot embossing systems have been developed and are widely used in various industrial domains. These systems press and heat flexible films between a press roll and a back-up roll, as said films pass through the two rolls. In previous studies, a heating roll was used for heating. However, in this study, a hybrid roll for R2R hot embossing is conceptualized and developed. This R2R system can be used for generating fine patterns on large and continuous films. The hybrid roll of our system can cool and heat the films simultaneously, thus affording greater flexibility in process design. Thermal and structural analyses were performed for developing the hybrid roll. In addition, a hybrid roll was designed based on analytical results. Experiments were conducted for measuring the performance of the developed hybrid roll.