# US 2022/0032508 A1 · Breakable three dimensional (3d) printed molds

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- Number: US 2022/0032508 A1
- Document ID: US20220032508A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/299,651
- Filed: 2018-12-17
- Published: 2022-02-03
- Earliest claimed: 2018-12-17
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Wei Huang; Gary J Dispoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220032508A1

## CPC

- B22F 5/007: {of moulds}
- B22F 3/11: Making porous workpieces or articles
- B22F 5/003: {Articles made for being fractured or separated into parts}
- B22F 10/14: by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder
- B22F 10/36: of energy beam parameters
- B22F 10/38: to achieve specific product aspects, e.g. surface smoothness, density, porosity or hollow structures
- B29C 33/448: {destructible (B29C33/52 takes precedence; in particular used in injection moulding B29C45/4457)}
- B29C 64/165: using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
- B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B33Y 50/00: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
- B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing
- B22F 5/10: of articles with cavities or holes, not otherwise provided for in the preceding subgroups
- B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
- B22F 2998/10: Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency
- B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Breakable three dimensional (3D) printed molds are disclosed. An example method for forming a mold having a cavity by creating a plurality of layers using an additive manufacturing process includes providing a build material; and controlling a fusion level of the build material separately for different layers of the plurality of layers to separately form the layers with a porosity corresponding to a target porosity.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for forming a mold having a cavity by creating a plurality of layers using an additive manufacturing process, the method comprising:
providing a build material; and
controlling a fusion level of the build material separately for different layers of the plurality of layers to separately form the layers with a porosity corresponding to a target porosity.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the fusion level includes controlling a contone level of at least one of a fusing agent or a detailing agent.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the fusion level includes controlling a heat transfer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the fusion level includes varying at least one of a binder agent or an energy level provided to the build material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the fusion level includes controlling an energy level provided to the build material.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the fusion level includes providing a detailing agent to the build material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the fusion level enables a porosity of the layer to between approximately 2 percent and 45 percent.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein after formation of the mold, further including:
providing a moldable material in the cavity of the mold to form a molded part; and
removing the mold from the mold part by breaking the mold from the molded part via a breakaway feature defined by the porosity of the mold.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the fusion level includes:
identifying a pattern of the mold to be formed via the additive manufacturing process;
distributing the build material on a support bed to define a first layer of the mold in accordance with the pattern;
dispensing a first amount of fusing agent on the build material;
dispensing a second amount of detailing agent on at least a portion of the build material or the fusing agent; and
applying an energy to the build material and fusing agent to solidify the first layer; and
defining the porosity of the first layer in accordance with the target porosity by varying at least one of: the first amount of the fusing agent; the second amount of the detailing agent; or the amount of the energy.

### Claim 10

A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:
receive an image representative of a 3D printed mold; and
determine a target porosity of the 3D printed mold;
for individual layers of the 3D printed mold:
determine an amount of build material to be dispensed by a build material dispenser of a 3D printer; and
define a porosity of the individual layers in accordance with the target porosity, by determining at least one of:
a first amount of a fusing agent to be dispensed by a fusing agent dispenser of the 3D printer;
a second amount of detailing agent to be dispensed by a detailing agent dispenser of the 3D printer on at least a portion of the build material or the fusing agent; or
an amount of energy to be applied to the build material, the fusing agent and the detailing agent, via an energy source of the 3D printer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 10 wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to instruct the fusing agent dispenser to dispense the determined first amount of the fusing agent, instruct the detailing agent dispenser to dispense the determined second amount of detailing agent, and instruct the energy source to apply the determined amount of energy to the build material, the fusing agent and the detailing agent.

### Claim 12

A workstation for printing a 3D printed mold via a plurality of layers, the workstation comprising:
a build material dispenser to dispense a build material on a support bed;
a fusing agent dispenser to dispense a fusing agent on the build material; and
a controller to:
receive a print command representative of the 3D printed mold;
determine a target porosity of the 3D printed mold; and
for individual layers of the 3D printed mold:
cause the build material dispenser to dispense the build material;
cause the fusing agent dispenser to dispense an amount of the fusing agent on the build material, the amount of the fusing agent corresponding to the target porosity; and
control an energy source to apply energy to the build material and the fusing agent to form the individual layers with a porosity that is based on the target porosity.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The workstation of claim 12, wherein the amount of the fusing agent is to cause the individual layers of the 3D printed mold to form as an under-fused powder layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The workstation of claim 12, wherein the porosity across a surface area or volume of the individual layers varies within a porosity range.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The workstation of claim 14, wherein the porosity range is between approximately 2 percent and 45 percent.