A method of fabricating a vacuum barrier system includes fabricating a soluble forming mandrel, laying up composite material over the soluble forming mandrel, and applying a forming mandrel vacuum bag over the composite material and curing the composite tooling material to form a cured composite bag carrier. The method also includes de-bagging and trimming the cured composite bag carrier.

A method for forming a three-dimensional object by extruding ink droplets from ink-jet heads includes forming an inner build region of the object. A colored region is formed outside of the inner build region so as to color the object. A support region is formed outside of the colored region so as to support the object while the object is being formed. An intermediate region is formed between the inner build region and the colored region. The intermediate region is formed in such a manner that affinity between the intermediate region and the inner build region and affinity between the intermediate region and the colored region are higher than affinity between the colored region and the support region.

A method of printing a three-dimensional object is provided. The method includes selectively dispensing, layer by layer, one or more materials to form the three-dimensional object; selectively dispensing, layer by layer, one or more materials to form a support construction for the three-dimensional object; selectively dispensing, layer by layer, one or more materials to form a rigid exterior construction around at least part of the support construction, the rigid exterior having substantially similar strength and elasticity to the three-dimensional object; and forming a release construction around the rigid exterior construction, the release construction being between the rigid exterior construction and the three-dimensional object.

Some embodiments of the invention may be related to a system and method of printing a three-dimensional (3D) object and a support construction for the 3D object. The system may include a printing unit and a supply system for supplying a body material and a support material to the printing unit. The system may further include a controller be configured to: generate 3D cross sectional digital data comprising a set of horizontal slices, to manipulate the 3D digital data to create a set of shifted slices by performing vertical shifts between body regions and support regions of a same horizontal slice to create printing digital data and to control the printing unit to deposit, in layers, the body material and the support material based on the printing digital data, wherein in a single scan, droplets of the support material and droplets of the body material travel different distances.

A method for forming a three-dimensional object by extruding ink droplets from ink-jet heads includes forming an inner build region of the object. A colored region is formed outside of the inner build region so as to color the object. A support region is formed outside of the colored region so as to support the object while the object is being formed. An intermediate region is formed between the inner build region and the colored region. The intermediate region is formed in such a manner that affinity between the intermediate region and the inner build region and affinity between the intermediate region and the colored region are higher than affinity between the colored region and the support region.

Systems and methods for casting solid propellants include a mandrel for forming geometric features in a perforation of a propellant grain. In various embodiments, the mandrel includes a frangible portion that is removed from the propellant grain after the propellant grain has cured around the mandrel. A second portion of the mandrel may be left behind in the propellant grain. The mandrel may include a support structured disposed in the through hole of the mandrel. The support structure may include a plurality of longitudinal channels for directed exhaust gasses through the mandrel upon ignition of the propellant grain.

A contact lens manufacturing method for removing a contact lens from a pair of molds, the contact lens being produced by polymerizing a monomer included in the pair of molds which are obtained by assembling a lower mold for forming a front curve of the contact lens and an upper mold for forming a base curve of the contact lens, the method including: (A) a first peeling step to peel the contact lens from the lens formation surface of the upper mold; (B) a separation step to separate the contact lens from the lens formation surface of the upper mold; (C) a second peeling step to peel the contact lens whose periphery sticks to the lens formation surface of the lower mold; and (D) a third peeling step to peel the contact lens, whose periphery has been peeled, from the lens formation surface of the lower mold.

A method of printing a three-dimensional object is provided. The method includes selectively dispensing, layer by layer, one or more materials to form the three-dimensional object; selectively dispensing, layer by layer, one or more materials to form a support construction for the three-dimensional object; selectively dispensing, layer by layer, one or more materials to form a rigid exterior construction around at least part of the support construction, the rigid exterior having substantially similar strength and elasticity to the three-dimensional object; and forming a release construction around the rigid exterior construction, the release construction being between the rigid exterior construction and the three-dimensional object.

Methods and apparatuses for making multiple three-dimensional objects from multiple solidifiable materials are shown and described. In accordance with the method, the objects are designed with variable removable support heights along the build axis so that each object has an interface between first and second materials that is the same height from the build platform. The technique simplifies the process of producing multiple three-dimensional objects from multiple solidifiable materials which may have different build axis heights of first and second finished object sections so that the sources of solidifiable materials need only be switched once during the building of multiple objects.

A method of forming channels within a substrate includes: (a) molding a sacrificial component directly into the substrate; (b) igniting the sacrificial component to cause a deflagration of the sacrificial component, thereby forming a channel in the substrate; and (c) cleaning the channel in the substrate to remove byproducts of the deflagration of the sacrificial component. The sacrificial component includes a combustible material with a protective shell, and the substrate includes a polymeric material.