3D-printed tooling and methods for producing same

• Main Authors: Lakshman, Narender Shankar, Gunner, Jon Paul
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 26.10.2021
• Subjects: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY; ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OFTHREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVEAGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING,STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; ALLOYS; CASTING; CHEMISTRY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; METALLURGY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POWDER METALLURGY; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS; WORKING METALLIC POWDER; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

Techniques for 3-D printing a tooling shell for use in producing panels for a transport structure, such as an automobile, boat, aircraft, or other vehicle, or other mechanical structure, are disclosed. A 3-D printer may be used to produce a tooling shell containing Invar and/or some other material for use in molding the panels. A channel may be formed in a 3-D printed tooling shell for enabling resin infusion, vacuum generation or heat transfer. Alternatively, or in addition to, one or more hollow sections may be formed within the 3-D printed tooling shell for reducing a weight of the shell.