The invention provides a method for manufacturing a 3D item (10), wherein the 3D item (10) comprises an outer layer (210) and a support structure (220) with cavities (230), wherein the outer layer (210) at least partly encloses the support structure (220), and wherein the method comprises: (a) a 3D printing stage comprising 3D printing with fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printable material (201) the outer layer (210) and the support structure (220) and at least partly filling the cavities (230) with a filler material (204); and (b) a post-treatment stage comprising post treating at least part of the outer layer (210) for reducing surface roughness.

Methods of making metal objects are provided. These methods generally involve adding a metal powder slurry into a sacrificial mold, such as a mold made by three dimensional printing, and heating the slurry/mold mixture. The heating steps may include curing the slurry to make a green part inside the mold, debinding to burn off the mold and binder to make a brown part, sintering, and hot isostatic pressing. Metal products, such as aircraft engine parts, are also provided.

An apparatus for the manufacture of an object, the apparatus having a print bed, a stencil, a heater arranged to heat the stencil, and a squeegee. The stencil comprises one or more apertures and is positionable over the print bed. The squeegee is movable to spread a printing material across the stencil and to thereby force printing material through the stencil aperture(s). One or both of the stencil and the print bed is movable to adjust the spacing between the stencil and the print bed.

Processes and material compositions are disclosed for applying polymer additive manufacturing to producing press dies, such as for sheet metal forming. As disclosed in various embodiments, material compositions comprise a thermoplastic, a first filler having low aspect ratio particles and a second filler having high aspect ratio. In at least one embodiment, composites according to the disclosed teachings have a compressive modulus greater than 3500 MPa and a compressive strength greater than 70 MPa, such that the composites have sufficient mechanical properties for press tooling and are amenable to extrusion-type additive manufacturing processes. In at least one embodiment, the use of the disclosed composites with additive manufacturing enables reduced overall mass of tooling by inclusion of voids inside the die.

An additive manufacturing method includes removing material from a sheet to create a plurality of individual layer segments formed, placing at least two first layer segments adjacent to each other at the same height to form a first layer having a hollow interior, the at least two first layer segments defining a first portion of an exterior of a part, and placing at least one second layer segment above the at least two first layer segments to form a second layer having a hollow interior, the at least one second layer segment defining a second portion of the exterior of the part. The method includes attaching the first layer to the second layer and removing material from the first layer and from the second layer to form the part having a continuous surface that extends along the first layer and the second layer.

The disclosure provides for a process for manufacturing a tread molding element configured to mold at least a portion of a tire tread, the process comprising the following successive steps of providing a first tread molding element that can be a 3D-printed element made of a plastic composition A; forming a reverse mold of the first tread molding element, wherein the reverse mold is made of a plastic composition B comprising one or more elastomers; heating the reverse mold to a temperature above 50° C. when the first tread molding element is a 3D-printed element made of a plastic composition A; and casting a second tread molding element from the reverse mold to obtain a second tread molding element; wherein the second tread molding element is made from a plastic composition C comprising one or more thermosetting resins.

A method for producing three-dimensional molded parts by means of layering, the moisture content of the build material mixture being able to be regulated.

We disclose a component of an injection molding tool that includes a one piece side of a mold built up by additive manufacturing using a polymer, the side of the mold defining part of an injection cavity. The side of the mold further includes an injection port coupled to the injection cavity and a heating fluid manifold separated from the injection cavity by a heat transfer wall. The heat transfer wall is reinforced against pressure in the injection cavity by a backing of engineered supports. Inlet and outlet ports are coupled to the heating fluid manifold, configured to channel a thermally conductive fluid into and out of the heating fluid manifold. Additional additive manufacturing features and material properties are described. Complementary methods of manufacturing also are disclosed.

Dry adhesives and methods for forming dry adhesives. A method of forming a dry adhesive structure on a backing material, comprises: forming a template backing layer of energy sensitive material on the backing material; forming a template layer of energy sensitive material on the template backing layer; exposing the template layer to a predetermined pattern of energy; removing a portion of the template layer related to the predetermined pattern of energy, and leaving a template structure formed from energy sensitive material and connected to the substrate via the template backing layer.

A method for closing an injection mold for manufacturing a revolution part made of composite material, the mold including a mandrel supporting a fiber preform and angular sectors comprising an annular base to come into contact with the fiber texture, the annular base extending between first and second side edges along a circumferential direction. The method includes successive positioning and fixing the angular sectors on the mandrel, the annular base of each sector compacting the fiber preform portion present oppositely, the side edges of the annular base of each angular sector being in contact with the side edges of the annular base of the adjacent sectors. Before the positioning and fixing of the angular sectors on the mandrel, strip s are placed on the exposed surface of the fiber preform, each strip covering an area of the fiber preform located facing a junction area between two adjacent angular sectors.