This disclosure concerns a master model for the production of a mold, comprising: (a) a first part, a second part comprising a textured surface; wherein the first part and the second part are connected.

Examples of design element placement on 3D surfaces are described herein. In some examples, a three-dimensional (3D) mesh of a 3D surface is converted to a two-dimensional (2D) surface. In some examples, placement of design elements on the 2D surface is determined to maximize density of the design elements while satisfying a minimum separation distance between the design elements. In some examples, the design element placement on the 2D surface is converted to the 3D surface.

A mold for rubber article with a rubber forming part formed by sintering of a metal powder can be simply and easily improved. The mold for rubber article includes; a rubber forming part to mold a rubber article, while being in contact with the rubber article in a contact part, and a holding part to hold the rubber forming part. The rubber forming part is formed by sintering of the metal powder. At the time of casting of the holding part, a part or the whole of parts except for the contact part of the rubber forming part is cast in the holding part, so that the holding part and a cast-in part of the rubber forming part cast in the holding part are joined to each other.

In exemplary implementations of this invention, a nozzle sprays foam, layer by layer, to fabricate a fabricated object according to a CAD model, and a subtractive fabrication tool removes material from the fabricated object according to a CAD model. The fabricated object comprises a mold or an interior form. The foam may be low-density, high strength and fast-curing. The foam may be used for large-scale 3D printing. For example, the foam may be used to 3D print molds for walls of homes. The foam molds may be left in place, after casting concrete in the molds, to serve as insulation. Or for example, the foam may be used to 3D print on site an internal form for a large wind turbine blade. The wind turbine blade may then be produced on site by depositing fiberglass on the outside of the internal form.

The present application describes a system for curing moldable material. The system comprises an energy source, a mold, and/or other components. The mold comprises internal mold surfaces forming a mold cavity. The mold is formed from one or more materials configured to absorb electromagnetic radiation emitted by the energy source. The mold has a hot zone and a cold zone. The hot zone and the cold zone have the one or more materials thereof comprising at least one different physical characteristic so that the hot zone and the cold zone absorb the electromagnetic radiation at different rates and/or in different amounts. The hot zone absorbs more electromagnetic radiation than, and/or electromagnetic radiation faster than, the cold zone.

According to some aspects, a method is provided of casting an object from a mold, the method comprising obtaining a mold comprising a hollow shell of rigid material, the material comprising a thermoset polymer having a plurality of pores formed therein, providing a metal and/or ceramic slurry into an interior of the mold, exposing at least part of the mold to a low pressure environment so that a net flow of gas is produced from the interior of the mold into the low pressure environment. According to some aspects, a method of forming a porous mold is provided. According to some aspects, a photocurable liquid composition is provided, comprising a liquid photopolymer resin, particles of a solid material, in an amount between 30% and 60% by volume of the composition, and a water-soluble liquid.

According to some aspects, a method is provided of casting an object from a mold, the method comprising obtaining a mold comprising a hollow shell of rigid material, the material comprising a thermoset polymer having a plurality of pores formed therein, providing a metal and/or ceramic slurry into an interior of the mold, exposing at least part of the mold to a low pressure environment so that a net flow of gas is produced from the interior of the mold into the low pressure environment. According to some aspects, a method of forming a porous mold is provided. According to some aspects, a photocurable liquid composition is provided, comprising a liquid photopolymer resin, particles of a solid material, in an amount between 30% and 60% by volume of the composition, and a water-soluble liquid.

A tire mold capable of improving the efficiency in mold production and tire production without compromising the aesthetic quality and performance of a tire after cure-molding. To that end, the tire mold has a hole that penetrates from the molding surface for molding a rubber article to the back surface, a core member that is disposed inside the hole and forms an air discharge flow channel annular in cross section extending along the extension direction of the hole between itself and the hole wall forming the hole, and an interlinking part for interlinking the hole wall and the core member.

Techniques for generating a support structure for an object are provided. In some embodiments, one or more regions of the object are identified as one or more regions to which mechanical support is to be provided and one or more support points within at least a first region of the one or more regions are identified. A support structure may be generated for the object that comprises one or more support tips coupled to the object at the one or more support points, where the support tips being generated based at least in part on a direction normal to the surface of the object at the respective support point. Techniques for providing visual feedback to a user relating to an amount of support that a support structure is expected to provide during fabrication are also provided.

A laminate (110) of polypropylene films (100), a luggage shell (120) constructed of the laminate (110), a method (200) of making the laminate (110), and a method (280) of making the luggage shell (120) are provided. The films (100) include a core (102) and at least one outer layer (104). The laminate (110) includes a plurality of films (100). The laminate (110) may be formed by laminating a plurality of films 100 under predetermined pressure, temperature, and time conditions. The shell (120) may be formed by deep drawing a sheet of laminate (110) while applying heat and tension to the laminate (110).