Deep learning approaches and systems are described to control the process of casting physical objects. A neural network, operating on one or more processors of a server or distributed computing resources and maintained in one or more data storage devices, is trained to recognize relationships between the target digital representation and the resulting metal parts that are cast, and a number of specific approaches are described herein to overcome technical issues in relation to misalignments between reference points, among others. These deep learning approaches are then used for generation of command or control signals which modify how the casting process is conducted. Command or control signals can be used to modify how a cast mold is made, to modify environmental variables, to modify manufacturing parameters, and combinations thereof.

Deep learning approaches and systems are described to control the process of casting physical objects. A neural network, operating on one or more processors of a server or distributed computing resources and maintained in one or more data storage devices, is trained to recognize relationships between the target digital representation and the resulting metal parts that are cast, and a number of specific approaches are described herein to overcome technical issues in relation to misalignments between reference points, among others. These deep learning approaches are then used for generation of command or control signals which modify how the casting process is conducted. Command or control signals can be used to modify how a cast mold is made, to modify environmental variables, to modify manufacturing parameters, and combinations thereof.

A mold (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention is a mold which is formed by additive manufacturing. The mold includes: a heat medium channel (10) for a heat medium to flow through, the heat medium channel being provided inside the mold; a medium introduction port (4) at which the heat medium is to be introduced into the mold; a medium discharge port (5) at which the heat medium is to be discharged out of the mold; and a buffer layer (20) located between a mold surface (1a) and the heat medium channel. The buffer layer includes a low-melting percentage portion (21) having a lower melting percentage than does any portion inside the mold other than the buffer layer.

A mold (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention is a mold which is formed by additive manufacturing. The mold includes: a heat medium channel (10) for a heat medium to flow through, the heat medium channel being provided inside the mold; a medium introduction port (4) at which the heat medium is to be introduced into the mold; a medium discharge port (5) at which the heat medium is to be discharged out of the mold; and a buffer layer (20) located between a mold surface (1a) and the heat medium channel. The buffer layer includes a low-melting percentage portion (21) having a lower melting percentage than does any portion inside the mold other than the buffer layer.

A manufacturing method includes providing a material that includes a plurality of particles and a binder that is uncured. The method also includes forming a first article from the material including curing the binder to bind a collection of the particles together into the first article. Furthermore, the method includes encasing at least a portion of the first article with an outer member. The outer member defines an internal cavity that corresponds to the first article. Additionally, the method includes heating the outer member and the first article to melt the collection of particles into a molten mass within the internal cavity of the outer member. Moreover, the method includes solidifying the molten mass within the outer member to form a second article. The second article corresponds to at least a portion of the internal cavity of the outer member.

A manufacturing method includes providing a material that includes a plurality of particles and a binder that is uncured. The method also includes forming a first article from the material including curing the binder to bind a collection of the particles together into the first article. Furthermore, the method includes encasing at least a portion of the first article with an outer member. The outer member defines an internal cavity that corresponds to the first article. Additionally, the method includes heating the outer member and the first article to melt the collection of particles into a molten mass within the internal cavity of the outer member. Moreover, the method includes solidifying the molten mass within the outer member to form a second article. The second article corresponds to at least a portion of the internal cavity of the outer member.

A method for producing a mold segment component of a vulcanizing mold for a pneumatic vehicle tire for forming at least one profile block or a region structured in a block-like manner of an altogether curved tread, with a tread outer surface, which mold segment component is built up by means of an additive process, such as selective laser melting, by layer-by-layer planar application and melting of a metal powder on a planar building plate (10) together with a bottom part (7b) and mold elements, such as lamellae (4) and/or microlamellae (11) and/or ribs and/or regions of ribs, wherein mold elements delimit or run around mutually adjacent mold area elements (12) of the bottom part (7b) which have outer surfaces (12a) forming a region of the tread outer surface.

In the additive build-up operation, the mold area elements (12) are each additively built up with a unitary planar outer surface (12a) or with two to three planar outer surfaces (12a) running in a stepped manner in relation to one another, wherein all of the outer surfaces (12a) of the mold area elements (12) run parallel to one another and, with respect to the building plate (10), are surfaces at different levels such that the mutual arrangement of the outer surfaces (12a) of the mold area elements (12) largely approximates to the curvature of the region to be formed of the tread outer surface.

A manufacturing method includes providing a material that includes a plurality of particles and a binder that is uncured. The method also includes forming a first article from the material including curing the binder to bind a collection of the particles together into the first article. Furthermore, the method includes encasing at least a portion of the first article with an outer member. The outer member defines an internal cavity that corresponds to the first article. Additionally, the method includes heating the outer member and the first article to melt the collection of particles into a molten mass within the internal cavity of the outer member. Moreover, the method includes solidifying the molten mass within the outer member to form a second article. The second article corresponds to at least a portion of the internal cavity of the outer member.

A manufacturing method includes providing a material that includes a plurality of particles and a binder that is uncured. The method also includes forming a first article from the material including curing the binder to bind a collection of the particles together into the first article. Furthermore, the method includes encasing at least a portion of the first article with an outer member. The outer member defines an internal cavity that corresponds to the first article. Additionally, the method includes heating the outer member and the first article to melt the collection of particles into a molten mass within the internal cavity of the outer member. Moreover, the method includes solidifying the molten mass within the outer member to form a second article. The second article corresponds to at least a portion of the internal cavity of the outer member.

An additive manufacturing device (AMD) for manufacturing objects through deposition of superposed layers of material in a granulate or powder form, the AMD comprising: a hydraulic cylinder; a mold for sealable attachment to the hydraulic cylinder; a material deposition station having an outlet for depositing the material in the mold layer-by-layer; a heating element; and a compressor. Between the deposition of one or more layers of material in the mold, the mold and the hydraulic cylinder are sealably attached to form a pressure container, the compressor injects gas in the container to increase a pressure within the pressure container and the heating element provides heat within the pressure container to further increase the pressure and to perform sintering or high-temperature synthesis of the material while submitting the material to the pressure.