Pulp molding tool set, method and transfer screen for 3D manufacturing

Abstract

According to an example, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may have instructions stored thereon that may cause a processor to: obtain a digital model of a transfer screen to be 3D manufactured. The processor may also determine the placement of holes in the digital model, wherein the transfer screen will be mounted on a transfer mold via an attachment mechanism and will engage the surface of a wet portion formed on a corresponding forming screen. The forming screen may have a first shape, and the transfer screen may have a second shape complementary to the first shape, and the position of the hole may be determined to allow liquid to be drawn from the wet portion when vacuum pressure is applied to the transfer mold. The processor may further modify the digital model of the transfer screen to include the hole at the determined placement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a printing system. Background Art

[0002] Various types of products can be made from pulp material. In particular, a pulp molding die including a main body and a mesh can be immersed in a pulp material, and the material in the pulp can form the shape of the main body and the mesh. The main body and the mesh can have the desired shape of the product to be formed. The complexity of the shape of the product to be formed depends largely on the accuracy with which the mesh can be crafted. The main body and the mesh can include many holes for liquid to pass through, wherein the holes in the mesh can be significantly smaller than the holes in the main body. During the formation of the product, a vacuum force can be applied by the pulp molding die, which can cause the material in the pulp to be sucked onto the mesh and form a shape that matches the shape of the pulp molding die. The material can be removed from the mesh and can be cured, for example, by drying, to have a desired shape. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided on which machine-readable instructions are stored, which instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: obtain a digital model of a transfer screen to be manufactured by a three-dimensional (3D) manufacturing system and a corresponding forming screen; determine the placement of a plurality of holes in the digital model of the transfer screen, wherein the transfer screen will be mounted on a transfer mold via an attachment mechanism and will engage a surface of a wet portion formed on the corresponding forming screen, wherein the forming screen has a first shape and the transfer screen has a second shape complementary to the first shape, and wherein the placement of the plurality of holes is determined to allow liquid to be sucked from the wet portion when vacuum pressure is applied to the transfer mold; and modify the digital model of the transfer screen to include the plurality of holes at the determined placement, wherein the transfer screen includes a plurality of surfaces, and wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: determine the placement of the plurality of holes so that the suction force is substantially evenly distributed across the plurality of surfaces of the transfer screen when vacuum pressure is applied to the transfer mold.

[0004] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a pulp molding tool set is provided, comprising: a forming mold having a first plurality of holes; a forming screen to be mounted on the forming mold, the forming screen having a first plurality of holes, wherein when vacuum pressure is applied to the forming mold during formation of a wet portion on the forming screen, liquid from the slurry will be sucked through the holes in the forming screen and the holes in the forming mold; a transfer mold having a plurality of holes; and a transfer screen to be mounted on the transfer mold, the transfer screen having a plurality of holes and including a plurality of surfaces, wherein when vacuum pressure is applied to the transfer mold to dewater the wet portion, at least some of the liquid in the wet portion will be sucked from the wet portion through the holes in the transfer screen and the holes in the transfer mold, wherein the holes are positioned so that pressure is applied substantially evenly across the plurality of surfaces, wherein at least the forming screen and the transfer screen are manufactured by a three-dimensional 3D manufacturing system.

[0005] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for three-dimensional (3D) manufacturing is provided, comprising: causing a 3D-manufactured forming screen to be immersed in a slurry containing a liquid and material elements; causing vacuum pressure to be applied through the 3D-manufactured forming screen so that some of the material elements gather into a wet portion on the 3D-manufactured forming screen; causing the 3D-manufactured forming screen and the wet portion to be moved out of the slurry; causing a 3D-manufactured transfer screen to be moved to engage with the wet portion, wherein the 3D-manufactured forming screen has a first shape and the 3D-manufactured transfer screen has a second shape complementary to the first shape; causing the 3D-manufactured transfer screen to move away from the 3D-manufactured forming screen while vacuum pressure is applied through multiple holes in the 3D-manufactured transfer screen so that the wet portion is removed from the 3D-manufactured forming screen and becomes engaged with the 3D-manufactured transfer screen, wherein the holes are positioned so that pressure is applied substantially evenly across multiple surfaces of the 3D-manufactured forming screen; and causing vacuum pressure to continue to be applied through the 3D-manufactured transfer screen to remove additional liquid from the wet portion.

[0006] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a transfer screen is provided, comprising: a main body; and a plurality of holes extending through the main body, wherein the main body and the plurality of holes are to be manufactured by a three-dimensional 3D manufacturing system, wherein the main body is to be mounted on a transfer mold so that the plurality of holes are in liquid communication with the holes in the transfer mold, and wherein when vacuum pressure is applied to the transfer mold, liquid is sucked from the wet portion through the plurality of holes, and after the wet portion is formed on a forming screen by a slurry containing liquid and material elements, the main body contacts the wet portion to dehydrate the wet portion, wherein the plurality of holes are placed at determined positions in the main body so that when vacuum pressure is applied through the plurality of holes via the holes in the transfer mold, the vacuum pressure is applied substantially evenly across the main body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Features of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the following accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like elements, and in which:

[0008] Figure 1 A block diagram of an example computer readable medium having stored thereon computer readable instructions for modifying a digital model of a transfer screen to include a plurality of holes at determined locations is shown;

[0009] Figure 2 A diagram including an example processor that can execute a program stored in a digital model of a transfer screen is shown. Figure 1 Computer readable instructions on the example computer readable medium shown in to generate a modified digital model;

[0010] Figure 3A and 3B depicts cross-sectional side views of an example forming tool and an example transfer tool, respectively;

[0011] Figure 3C Shows Figure 3A and 3B A cross-sectional side view of the example forming tool and the example transfer tool depicted in during removal of a wet part from the example forming tool by the example transfer tool;

[0012] Figure 3D Shows Figure 3B an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of an example transfer tool shown in ; and

[0013] Figure 4 A flow chart of an example method for forming a wet end on an example 3D manufactured forming screen and transferring the formed wet end to an example 3D manufactured transfer screen is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] For simplicity and illustrative purposes, the present disclosure is described by referring primarily to examples. In the following description, many specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent that the present disclosure can be practiced without limitation to these specific details. In other examples, some methods and structures are not described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure.

[0015] Throughout this disclosure, the terms "a" and "an" are intended to mean at least one of the specified elements. As used herein, the term "comprising" means including but not limited to, and the term "including" means including but not limited to. The term "based on" means based at least in part on.

[0016] Disclosed herein is a computer-readable medium that may include instructions that may cause a processor to determine placement of a plurality of holes in a digital model of a transfer screen, wherein the transfer screen is to be mounted on a transfer mold via an attachment mechanism. The transfer screen may also engage a surface of a wet portion formed on a corresponding forming screen, wherein the forming screen has a first shape and the transfer screen has a second shape complementary to the first shape, and wherein the positions of the plurality of holes may be determined to allow liquid to be sucked from the wet portion when vacuum pressure is applied to the transfer mold. The processor may also modify the digital model of the transfer screen to include the plurality of holes at the determined placement.

[0017] Also disclosed herein is a pulp molding tool set, which may include a forming mold and a forming screen to be mounted on the forming mold. When vacuum pressure is applied to the forming mold during the formation of the wet portion on the forming screen, liquid from the slurry can be sucked through the holes on the forming screen and the holes in the forming mold. The pulp molding tool set may also include a transfer mold having a plurality of holes and a transfer screen to be mounted on the transfer mold. The transfer screen may include a plurality of holes, wherein when vacuum pressure is applied to the transfer mold to dehydrate the wet portion, at least some of the liquid in the wet portion will be sucked from the wet portion through the holes in the transfer screen and the holes in the transfer mold. In addition, in some examples, at least the forming screen and the transfer screen can be manufactured by a three-dimensional (3D) manufacturing system, and in other examples, the forming mold and the transfer mold can also be manufactured by a 3D manufacturing system.

[0018] Further disclosed herein is a method for forming a wet portion on a 3D-made forming screen and transferring the formed wet portion to a 3D-made transfer screen. In particular, for example, a processor may cause the 3D-made forming screen to be immersed in a slurry containing a liquid and material elements, and when the 3D-made forming screen is immersed in the slurry, a vacuum pressure is applied through the 3D-made forming screen to cause some of the material elements to aggregate (agglomerate) into a wet portion on the 3D-made forming screen. The processor may also cause the 3D-made forming screen and the wet portion to be moved out of the slurry, and cause the 3D-made transfer screen to be moved to engage with the wet portion, wherein the 3D-made forming screen has a first shape, and the 3D-made transfer screen has a second shape complementary to the first shape. The processor may further cause the 3D manufactured transfer screen to move away from the 3D manufactured forming screen while vacuum pressure is applied through the plurality of holes in the 3D manufactured transfer screen so that the wet end is removed from the 3D manufactured forming screen and becomes engaged with the 3D manufactured transfer screen. In addition, the processor may cause vacuum pressure to continue to be applied through the 3D manufactured transfer screen to remove additional liquid from the wet end.

[0019] Still further disclosed herein is a transfer screen that may include a body and a plurality of holes extending through the body, wherein the body and the plurality of holes are to be manufactured by a 3D manufacturing system. In addition, the body is to be mounted on a transfer mold so that the plurality of holes are in liquid communication with the holes in the transfer mold. When vacuum pressure is applied to the transfer mold, liquid is to be drawn from the wet portion through the plurality of holes, and after the wet portion is formed on the forming screen by a slurry comprising liquid and material elements, the body contacts the wet portion to dehydrate the wet portion.

[0020] Through implementation of features of the present disclosure, a transfer screen can be designed and manufactured to be complementary in shape to a forming screen on which a wet portion can be formed. The holes in the transfer screen can be deterministically placed so that, for example, suction pressure is substantially evenly distributed across the contact surface of the wet portion when vacuum pressure is applied through the transfer screen. In one aspect, the substantially even distribution of suction pressure across the contact surface of the wet portion can enable greater levels of suction pressure to be applied to the wet portion without damaging the wet portion or reducing damage caused to the wet portion. For example, a sufficient level of suction pressure can be applied to the wet portion so that some of the liquid is removed from the wet portion.

[0021] By removing some of the liquid from the wet section, such as dehydrating the wet section, the amount of energy and / or time used to dry the wet section when the wet section undergoes drying can be significantly reduced. In addition, the application of vacuum pressure through the holes of the transfer screen can cause the material elements at the surface of the wet section in contact with the transfer screen to have a greater density than the material elements near the center of the wet section. Therefore, the wet section can resist warping during the drying of the wet section (e.g., in an oven) due to the greater level of symmetrical shrinkage provided by the denser surface, which can match the similar denser surface caused during the formation on the opposite (forming) side of the wet section. In addition, the surface can be relatively smoother than when the wet section is allowed to dehydrate without applying pressure to the wet section surface. In addition, by dehydrating the wet section when the wet section is engaged with the transfer screen, rather than waiting for the wet section to dehydrate when engaged with the forming screen, the forming screen can be used to form the next wet section more quickly, which can increase the speed and throughput at which the wet section can be manufactured.

[0022] By applying a more evenly distributed pressure to the wet portion surface via the transfer screen, a wet portion having substantially vertical walls can be formed when suction pressure is applied across the entire portion or a majority of the surface, and thus sufficient force can be applied to remove such a wet portion from such a forming mold. Additionally, the increased and / or more evenly distributed pressure can enable details to be embossed onto the surface of the wet portion in contact with the transfer screen. That is, the transfer screen can include features on the transfer screen that correspond to the raised or lowered details of the details, such as embossed logos, embossed textures, embossed text, etc., and when pressure is applied across the surface of the wet portion, the features can be embossed into the surface of the wet portion. In some examples, the transfer screen can be removably mounted to the transfer mold so that the transfer screen can be easily mounted to and removed from the transfer mold. In these examples, multiple transfer screens with different features can be easily replaced so that different details are formed onto the wet portion.

[0023] First reference Figure 1 , 2 and 3A-3C. Figure 1 A block diagram of an example computer readable medium 100 on which computer readable instructions may be stored for modifying a digital model 204 of a transfer screen 206 to include a plurality of holes at determined locations is shown. Figure 2 A diagram 200 is shown including an example processor 202 that may execute computer readable instructions stored on the example computer readable medium 100 on a digital model 204 of a transfer screen 206 to generate a modified digital model 220 . Figure 3A and 3B depicts cross-sectional side views of an example forming tool 300 and an example transfer tool 320, respectively, and Figure 3C 300 and an example transfer tool 320 are shown in cross-sectional side views during removal of the wet portion 302 from the example forming tool 300 by the example transfer tool 320. It should be understood that Figure 1 The example computer readable medium 100 depicted in Figure 2 The example processor 202 depicted in FIG. 1 and / or in FIG. 2 respectively. Figures 3A-3C The example forming tool 300 and the example transfer tool 320 depicted in the drawings may include additional properties, and some of the properties described herein may be removed and / or modified without departing from the scope of the example computer-readable medium 100, the example processor 202, and / or the example forming tool 300 and the example transfer tool 320.

[0024] The computer readable medium 100 may have computer readable instructions 102-106 stored thereon, and a processor (such as Figure 2 The instructions may be executed by a processor 202 (depicted in FIG. 1 ). The computer-readable medium 100 may be an electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical storage device that contains or stores executable instructions. The computer-readable medium 100 may be, for example, a random access memory (RAM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a storage device, an optical disk, etc. In general, the computer-readable medium 100 may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium, where the term "non-transitory" does not encompass transitory propagating signals.

[0025] The processor 202 can obtain, decode and execute the instructions 102 to obtain the digital model 204 of the transfer screen 206 to be manufactured by the three-dimensional (3D) manufacturing system 208. The processor 202 can also obtain the corresponding digital models 210-214 of the transfer mold 322, the forming screen 308 and / or the forming mold 306. Each of the digital models 204, 210-214 can be a 3D computer model of a corresponding one of the transfer screen 206, the transfer mold 322, the forming screen 308 and / or the forming mold 306, such as a computer-aided design (CAD) file, or other digital representations of these components. In addition, the processor 202 can obtain (or equivalently, access, receive, etc.) the digital models 204, 210-214 from a data repository (not shown) or some other suitable source. In some examples, the digital models 204, 210-214 can be generated using a CAD program or another suitable design program.

[0026] According to an example, and as discussed in more detail herein, the forming tool 300 and the transfer tool 320 can be employed when manufacturing the wet end 302 from a slurry 304 of a liquid and material elements. In some examples, the liquid can be water or another type of suitable liquid, wherein a pulp material (e.g., paper, wood, fiber crops, bamboo, etc.) can be mixed into the slurry 304. The material elements can be, for example, fibers of the pulp material.

[0027] Processor 202 may retrieve, decode, and execute instructions 104 to determine placement of plurality of holes 328 in digital model 204 of transfer screen 206, wherein plurality of holes 328 are to be formed in the body of transfer screen 206. Figure 3B As shown in , the transfer screen 206 can be mounted on the transfer mold 322 via an attachment mechanism (not shown), and the transfer mold 322 can include a plurality of holes 326. The attachment mechanism can be any suitable type of mechanical structure that can enable the transfer screen 206 to be removably mounted to the transfer mold 322. The transfer screen 206 can also engage the surface of the wet portion 302 formed on the corresponding forming screen 308 during the transfer of the wet portion 302 from the forming screen 308. Figure 3CAs shown in , the forming screen 308 can have a first shape, and the transfer screen 206 can have a second shape that is complementary to the first shape. Therefore, multiple sides of the transfer screen 206 can contact multiple sides of the wet section 302 formed on the forming screen 308.

[0028] According to an example, the holes 328 in the transfer screen 206 can have properties, such as size and / or shape, such that when vacuum pressure is applied through the holes 328, the pressure can be applied to the wet portion 302 as described herein. For example, the holes 328 can be positioned and can have certain properties so that the pressure is applied uniformly across multiple surfaces of the wet portion 302. As other examples, the holes 328 can be positioned and can have certain properties so that sufficient pressure can be applied across multiple surfaces of the wet portion 302 to draw liquid from the wet portion 302 without, for example, damaging the wet portion 302. In one aspect, by applying substantially uniform pressure across multiple surfaces of the wet portion 302, the transfer screen 206 can be employed to remove a wet portion 302 having a substantially vertical surface. In this regard, when the wet portion 302 is removed from the forming screen 308, at least one of the multiple surfaces of the transfer screen 206 can extend substantially vertically (e.g., having substantially zero draft).

[0029] The processor 202 can determine where the holes 328 will be positioned in the transfer screen 206 to allow liquid to be drawn from the wet end 302 when the transfer screen 206 is mounted to the transfer mold 322 and vacuum pressure is applied to the transfer mold 322. The processor 202 can determine the hole 328 positions that can result in, for example, uniform application across the surface of the transfer screen 206 by testing previously manufactured transfer screens 206 and transfer molds 322, by modeling transfer screens 206 with various properties, and the like. In addition, the processor 202 can employ a packing operation to determine where the holes 328 will be placed in the transfer screen 206. As an example, the processor 202 can implement a packing algorithm that can allow the maximum number of holes 328 to be added to the transfer screen 206 while allowing the transfer screen 206 to have a certain level of mechanical strength, such as to prevent weak points. In this example, the algorithm can be a sphere or ellipsoid packing algorithm, or other suitable algorithm for determining the placement of the holes 328.

[0030] According to an example, the processor 202 may determine the location of the holes 328 based on the properties (e.g., shape and / or size) and / or location of the holes 326 in the forming mold 322. In these examples, the processor 202 may obtain the digital model 210 of the transfer mold 322, wherein the transfer mold digital model 322 may include the plurality of holes 326, or the plurality of holes 326 will be added to the transfer mold digital model 210 in an algorithmic manner. In addition, the processor 202 may determine the placement of the plurality of holes 328 in the transfer screen 206 with respect to liquid flow characteristics that are predicted to occur through the plurality of holes 326 in the transfer mold 322. That is, based on how the liquid is predicted or modeled to flow through the holes 326 in the transfer mold 322, the holes 328 may be deterministically placed so that the flow through the holes 328 is substantially uniform across the transfer screen 206. This may include, for example, placing some holes 328 at a higher density level at some locations of the transfer screen 206, while some locations of the transfer screen 206 may not include holes 328.

[0031] In addition, and if Figure 3D As shown in , a plurality of structural features, such as pillars 330, may be provided between surfaces of the transfer mold 322 and the transfer screen 206, which are respectively adjacent and facing each other, to enable liquid to flow laterally between the transfer mold 322 and the transfer screen 206. Since some of the holes 328 in the transfer screen 206 are not directly aligned with the holes 326 in the transfer mold 322, the channels 332 formed by the structural features 330 may enable liquid to flow through those holes 328 other than the holes 328 directly aligned with the corresponding holes 326 in the transfer mold 322. Therefore, the channels 332 may enable pressure to be applied through a greater number of holes 328 while enabling the space between the transfer screen 206 and the transfer mold 322 to be relatively small (e.g., minimized), and thus enable liquid to flow through a greater number of holes 328. The structural features 330 may be formed on the transfer screen 206 and / or the transfer mold 322.

[0032] In examples where structural features 330 are provided between the transfer screen 206 and the transfer mold 322 to form the channel 332 , the processor 202 may also determine the location of the aperture 328 based on the predicted liquid flow in the channel 332 .

[0033] The processor 202 may retrieve, decode, and execute the instructions 106 to modify the digital model 204 of the transfer screen 206 to include the holes 328 at the determined placements, thereby generating a modified transfer screen digital model 220. The processor 202 may also send the modified transfer screen digital model 220 to the 3D manufacturing system 208, where the 3D manufacturing system 208 will manufacture the transfer screen 206 having the plurality of holes 328 at the determined placements. In particular, the processor 202 may send the modified transfer screen digital model 220 to a controller or processor of the 3D manufacturing system 208, which may process or otherwise use the modified transfer screen digital model 220 to manufacture the transfer screen 206. In other examples, the processor 202 may be a controller or processor of the 3D manufacturing system 208.

[0034] In some examples, processor 202 may be part of device 201, which may be a computing system such as a server, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, etc. Processor 202 may be a semiconductor-based microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and / or other suitable hardware devices. Device 201 may also include a memory, which may have computer-readable instructions (also referred to as computer-readable instructions) stored thereon, and processor 202 may execute these instructions. The memory may be an electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical storage device that contains or stores executable instructions. The memory may be, for example, a random access memory (RAM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a storage device, an optical disk, etc. The memory, which may also be referred to as a computer-readable storage medium, may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, where the term "non-transitory" does not cover transient propagation signals.

[0035] 3D manufacturing system 208 can be any suitable type of additive manufacturing system. Examples of suitable additive manufacturing systems can include systems that can use a curable binder (e.g., a heat or UV curable binder) sprayed onto a build material, ink sprayed onto a build material, selective laser sintering, stereolithography, fused deposition modeling, etc. In a specific example, 3D manufacturing system 208 can form transfer screen 206 by combining and / or melting build material particles together. In any of these examples, the build material particles can be any suitable type of material that can be used in a 3D manufacturing process, such as metal, plastic, nylon, ceramic, alloy, etc. In general, higher function / performance transfer screens 206 can be those with the smallest hole size to block smaller size fibers, and therefore some 3D manufacturing system technologies may be more suitable for generating transfer screens 206 than other technologies.

[0036] According to an example, the processor 202 can modify the transfer screen digital model 204 to add features to the transfer screen digital model 204 so as to impart details into the wet portion 302 during the extraction of liquid from the wet portion 302. These features can be portions (e.g., protrusions) that can be raised above the nominal surface of the transfer screen digital model 204, portions (e.g., depressions) that can be lower than the nominal surface of the transfer screen digital model 204, and / or combinations thereof. In addition, the hole 328 can extend through some or all of these portions. The details can include 3D logos, 3D text, predefined 3D textures, predefined 3D patterns, combinations thereof, and the like. In these examples, the processor 202 can send the modified transfer screen digital model 220 to the 3D manufacturing system 208, and the modified transfer screen digital model 220 includes features for imparting details into the wet portion 302.

[0037] According to an example, the processor 202 may also obtain a digital model 212 of a forming screen 308 to be manufactured by the 3D manufacturing system 208. The forming screen digital model 212 may include a plurality of holes 312, or a plurality of holes 312 may be added to the forming screen digital model 212 in an algorithmic manner. In these examples, the forming screen 308 may be mounted on the forming mold 306 via an attachment device (not shown). The attachment device may be any suitable type of mechanical structure that enables the forming screen 308 to be removably mounted to the transfer mold 322. In addition, the wet portion 302 may be formed by the slurry 304 on the forming screen 308 by the application of vacuum pressure through the forming mold 306, as discussed in more detail herein. In addition, the transfer screen 206 will engage the wet portion 302 during the removal of the wet portion 302 from the forming screen 308, as also discussed in more detail herein.

[0038] Reference now Figures 3A-3C . Figure 3A A cross-sectional side view of a forming tool 300 is shown, wherein a portion of the forming tool 300 has been depicted as being placed within a volume of slurry 304 . Figure 3B A cross-sectional side view of a transfer tool 320 that may remove the wet portion 302 from the forming screen 308 is shown. Figure 3C A cross-sectional side view of the forming tool 300 and the transfer tool 320 is shown during removal of the wet end 302 by the transfer tool 320 from the forming tool 300. The forming tool 300 and the transfer tool 320 may together form a pulp moulding tool set.

[0039] like Figure 3A As shown in , the forming tool 300 may include a forming die 306 and a forming screen 308, wherein the forming screen 308 may cover the forming die 306. Figure 3B As shown in , transfer tool 320 may include transfer mold 322 and transfer screen 206. In some examples, forming screen 308 and transfer screen 206 may be manufactured by 3D manufacturing system 208. Forming mold 306 and transfer screen 322 may also be manufactured by 3D manufacturing system 208.

[0040] In some examples, the forming die 306 and / or the transfer die 322 can be removably mounted to a corresponding support structure (not shown) so that, for example, the forming die 306 can be moved independently of the transfer die 322. In addition, the forming die 306 and the forming screen 308 can be manufactured to have a shape into which the wet portion 302 can be molded when formed on the forming screen 308. Likewise, the transfer die 322 and the transfer screen 206 can be manufactured to have a shape that can engage multiple surfaces of the wet portion 302 formed on the forming screen 308. The transfer screen 206 can have a shape that is complementary to the shape of the forming screen 308.

[0041] As shown, the forming die 306 can be formed to have a relatively greater thickness than the forming screen 308, and the transfer die 322 can be formed to have a relatively greater thickness than the transfer screen 206. In some examples, the transfer screen 206 and the forming screen 308 can have the same or similar thickness, and / or the transfer die 322 and the forming die 306 can have the same or similar thickness. The greater thickness of the forming die 306 and the transfer die 322 can make the forming die 306 and the transfer die 322 significantly more rigid than the forming screen 308 and the transfer screen 206. The forming die 306 can provide structural support for the forming screen 308, and the transfer die 322 can provide structural support for the transfer screen 206.

[0042] In some examples, different versions of forming screens 308 can be mounted to forming dies 306 to form wet ends 302 with different details. For example, a first forming screen 308 can include a first feature that can be embossed onto the wet end 302 as a first detail, and a second forming screen 308 can include a second feature that can be embossed onto the wet end 302 as a second detail, where the first feature and the second feature can be a logo, a desired texture, text, a design, etc. In this regard, different details can be added to the wet end 302 by using different forming screens 308 while using the same forming die 306, which can simplify the formation of wet ends 302 with various details.

[0043] Likewise, different versions of the transfer screen 206 can be mounted to the transfer mold 322 to emboss different details onto a surface (or surfaces) of the wet portion 302. For example, the first transfer screen 206 can include a first feature that can be embossed onto the wet portion 302 as a first detail, and the second forming screen 308 can include a second feature that can be embossed onto the wet portion 302 as a second detail. The first detail and the second detail can also include a logo, a desired texture, a predefined pattern, text, a design, and the like. In this regard, different details can be added to the wet portion 302 by using different transfer screens 206 while using the same transfer mold 322, which can also simplify the formation of a wet portion 302 with various details. In some examples, the features on the transfer screen 206 can be complementary versions of the features on the forming screen 308, so that, for example, a common detail can be formed on two opposing surfaces of the wet portion 302.

[0044] The forming die 306 and / or the forming screen 308 may include an attachment mechanism (or attachment means) for enabling the forming screen 308 to be mounted to the forming die 306. Likewise, the transfer die 322 and / or the transfer screen 206 may include an attachment mechanism (or attachment means) for enabling the transfer screen 206 to be mounted to the transfer die 322. In either case, the mechanism may include mechanical fasteners, detents, etc., to enable the forming screen 308 to be removably mounted to the forming die 306, and / or to enable the transfer screen 206 to be removably mounted to the transfer die 322. The mechanism for mounting the forming screen 308 to the forming die 306 and / or the transfer screen 206 to the transfer die 322 may be a quick release mechanism to enable the forming screen 308 and / or the transfer screen 206 to be easily released from the respective forming die 306 and transfer die 322. This may facilitate replacement of the forming screen 308 and / or the transfer screen 206 for maintenance purposes and / or for screens 308 , 206 having different characteristics employed in the formation of the wet end 302 .

[0045] Also like Figures 3A-3C As shown in , each of the forming mold 306, the forming screen 308, the transfer mold 322, and the transfer screen 206 may include respective holes 310, 312, 326, 328 that may extend completely through the respective top and bottom surfaces of the forming mold 306, the forming screen 308, the transfer mold 322, and the transfer screen 206. The holes 312, 328 in the forming screen 308 and the transfer screen, respectively, may be significantly smaller than the holes 310, 326 in the forming mold 306 and the transfer mold 322, respectively. In addition, a plurality of structural features, such as support posts 330 (e.g., support posts 331, 332, and support posts 333) may be provided between the transfer mold 322 and the transfer screen 206, respectively, that are adjacent and face each other, and between the surfaces of the forming mold 306 and the forming screen 308. Figure 3D ) to enable liquid to flow laterally between the forming die 306 and the forming screen 308 and between the transfer die 322 and the transfer screen 206. Since some of the holes 312 in the forming screen 308 may not be directly aligned with the holes 310 in the forming die 306, and some of the holes 328 in the transfer screen 206 may not be directly aligned with the holes 326 in the transfer die 322, the channels 332 formed by the structural features can enable liquid to flow through those holes 312, 328 other than the holes 312, 328 that are directly aligned with the corresponding holes 310, 326.

[0046] Although not shown, the forming tool 300 can be in communication with a plenum to which a vacuum source can be connected so that the vacuum source can apply vacuum pressure through the holes 310, 312 in the forming die 306 and the forming screen 308. When vacuum pressure is applied through the holes 310, 312, some of the liquid in the slurry 304 can be sucked through the holes 310, 312 and can flow into the plenum, as represented by arrows 314. When the liquid flows through the holes 310, 312, the forming screen 308 can prevent the material elements in the slurry 304 from flowing through the holes 312. That is, the holes 312 can have a sufficiently small size, such as a diameter or width, which can enable the liquid to flow through the holes 312 while preventing the material elements from flowing through the holes 312. In one aspect, the diameter or width of the holes 312 can be sized based on the size of the material elements (e.g., fibers) in the slurry 304. As a specific example, the holes 312 can have a diameter of approximately 0.6 mm. The holes 328 in the transfer screen 206 may also have similar diameters. However, in some examples, the holes 328 (as well as the holes 312) may have irregular shapes, as may occur during a 3D manufacturing process.

[0047] After a period of time, which may be a relatively short period of time (e.g., about a few seconds, less than about one minute, less than about five minutes, etc.), the material elements may accumulate on the forming screen 308. In particular, the material elements in the slurry 304 may accumulate and compress onto the forming screen 308, thereby accumulating and compressing into the wet portion 302. The wet portion 302 may take the shape of the forming screen 308. In addition, the thickness and density of the wet portion 302 may be affected by the type and / or size of the material elements in the slurry 304, the length of time that vacuum pressure is applied when the forming mold 306 and the forming screen 308 are placed within the volume of the slurry 304, and the like. That is, for example, the longer the vacuum pressure is applied when the forming mold 306 and the forming screen 308 are partially immersed in the slurry 304, the wet portion 302 may be formed to have a greater thickness.

[0048] After a predefined period of time, for example, after a wet portion 302 having desired properties has been formed on the forming screen 308, the forming die 306 and the forming screen 308 can be removed from the volume of slurry 304. For example, the forming die 306 can be mounted to a movable mechanism that can be moved away from the volume of slurry 304. In some examples, the movable mechanism can be rotated relative to the volume so that the rotation of the movable mechanism can cause the forming die 306 and the forming screen 308 to be removed from the volume of slurry 304. In other examples, the movable mechanism can be moved laterally relative to the volume of slurry 304. When the forming die 306 and the forming screen 308 are removed from the volume, some of the excess slurry 304 may come off the wet portion 302. However, the wet portion 302 can have a relatively high concentration of liquid.

[0049] After the wet portion 302 is formed on the forming screen 308 and the forming screen 308 and the wet portion 302 are removed from the volume of the slurry 304, the transfer tool 320 can be moved so that the transfer screen 206 can contact the wet portion 302 on the forming screen 308. That is, for example, the transfer die 322 can be attached to a movable mechanism (not shown), wherein the movable mechanism can move the transfer die 306 and the transfer screen 206 toward the forming screen 308. In some examples, the transfer tool 320 can be moved so that the transfer screen 206 contacts the wet portion 302 before the wet portion 302 is dewatered while on the forming screen 308, for example, within a second or a few seconds of the wet portion 302 being removed from the volume of the slurry 304. In one aspect, the transfer tool 320 may engage the wet portion 302 relatively quickly after it is formed, which may enable the transfer tool 320 to relatively quickly remove the wet portion 302 and enable the forming tool 300 to be inserted into the volume of the slurry 304 to form the next wet portion 302 .

[0050] Additionally, the transfer tool 320 can be in communication with a plenum to which a vacuum source can be connected such that the vacuum source can apply vacuum pressure through the holes 326, 328 while the wet end 302 is in contact with the transfer screen 206. The vacuum source can be the same or a different vacuum source to which the forming tool 300 can be in communication. When vacuum pressure is applied through the transfer tool 320, the vacuum pressure applied by the forming tool 300 can be terminated or reversed (e.g., applied in the opposite direction).

[0051] Figure 3CA state is shown in which the transfer tool 320 may be in the process of removing the wet portion 302 from the forming screen 308. In particular, in this figure, the transfer screen 206 has been moved into contact with the wet portion 302, and vacuum pressure has been applied to the wet portion 302 through the transfer screen 206. In addition, while vacuum pressure is being applied to the wet portion 302, the transfer tool 320 may be moved away from the forming tool 300 (or the forming tool 300 may be moved away from the transfer tool 320) to pull the wet portion 302 away from the forming screen 308. To further facilitate removal of the wet portion 302 from the forming screen 308, air pressure may be applied by the forming tool 300, as indicated by arrow 334. As a result, the wet portion 302 may be biased toward the transfer tool 320, rather than toward the forming tool 300. When the wet portion 302 is biased toward the transfer tool 320, the transfer tool 320 can be moved away from the forming tool 300 so that the transfer tool 320 can remove the wet portion 302 from the forming tool 300. Figure 3C In the embodiment, the forming tool 300 and the transfer tool 320 have been removed from their Figure 3A and 3B However, it should be understood that the transfer die 322 can remove the wet portion 302 from the forming screen 308 when the forming tool 300 and the transfer tool 320 are in other orientations.

[0052] like Figure 3B As shown in , the transfer screen 206 may include holes 328 across multiple surfaces of the transfer screen 206. In some examples, the holes 328 may be deterministically positioned in the transfer screen 206 so that pressure is substantially uniformly applied across the transfer screen 206 when vacuum pressure is applied. Therefore, pressure may be substantially uniformly applied across the surface of the wet portion 302 in contact with the transfer screen 206. This may prevent increased pressure from being applied at specific locations on the surface of the wet portion 302, which may prevent the wet portion 302 from being damaged by the application of pressure to the wet portion 302 by the transfer screen 206. Additionally, this may enable the transfer tool 320 to remove a wet portion 302 having a surface (or surfaces) extending vertically or substantially vertically (e.g., zero taper) from the forming screen 308, since the pressure may be sufficient to overcome friction and other forces applied to the wet portion 302 by the forming screen 308.

[0053] When the wet portion 302 contacts the transfer screen 206, the wet portion 302 may include some of the liquid from the slurry 304. Additionally, when vacuum pressure is applied through the holes 326, 328, some of the liquid in the wet portion 302 may be drawn through the holes 326, 328 and may flow into the plenum chamber, as represented by arrow 314. In one aspect, the application of vacuum pressure through the holes 326, 328 may dehydrate the wet portion 302 by removing some of the liquid from the wet portion 302. Thus, when the wet portion 302 undergoes drying, such as in an oven, the amount of energy and / or time used to dry the wet portion 302 may be significantly reduced.

[0054] On the other hand, the application of vacuum pressure through the holes 326, 328 can cause the material elements at the surface of the wet end 302 in contact with the transfer screen 206 to have a greater density than the material elements closer to the center of the wet end 302. As a result, the wet end 302 can resist warping during drying of the wet end 302 (e.g., in an oven) due to the greater level of symmetrical shrinkage provided by the denser surface that matches the similarly dense surface on the forming screen 308 side of the wet end 302. Additionally, the surface can be relatively smoother than when the wet end 302 is allowed to dehydrate without applying pressure to the surface of the wet end 302.

[0055] When liquid flows through the holes 326, 328, the material elements in the wet end 302 can be prevented from flowing through the holes 328 in the transfer screen 206. That is, the holes 328 can have a sufficiently small size, such as a diameter or width, which can prevent the material elements from flowing through the holes 328 while enabling the liquid to flow through the holes 328. In one aspect, the diameter or width of the holes 328 can be sized based on the size of the material elements (e.g., fibers) in the slurry 304.

[0056] According to an example, the holes 310, 312 can be positioned in the forming die 306 and the forming screen 308, respectively, and can have properties such as size and / or shape so that the wet portion 302 can be formed to have predefined characteristics. For example, the holes 310, 312 can be positioned and can have certain properties so that the wet portion 302 is formed to have a desired thickness (or multiple thicknesses) throughout the wet portion 302. As a specific example, the holes 310, 312 can be positioned and can have certain properties so that the thickness of the wet portion 302 is consistent throughout the wet portion 302. As another example, the holes 310, 312 can be positioned and can have certain properties so that the wet portion 302 is formed without having an area whose thickness is below a certain threshold thickness (e.g., a thickness such that a weak point may be formed in the wet portion 302). Similarly, the holes 310, 312 can be positioned and can have certain properties so that the wet portion 302 is formed to have a defined area that is thicker than other areas of the wet portion 302.

[0057] In some examples, the location and / or properties of the holes 310, 312, 326, and / or 328 may be determined by implementation of an algorithm that may be executed by the processor 202. For example, the algorithm may be a binning algorithm that may allow the maximum number of holes 310, 312, 326, and / or 328 to be added while providing the forming die 306, the forming screen 308, the transfer die 322, and / or the transfer screen 206 with a certain level of mechanical strength, such as to prevent weak points. In this example, the algorithm may be a sphere or ellipsoid binning algorithm, or other suitable algorithm for determining the placement of the holes 310, 312, 326, and / or 328.

[0058] As another example, the algorithm may be a binning algorithm that may uniformly position similarly sized holes 310 across the forming die 306 and / or uniformly position similarly sized holes 312 across the forming screen 308. In this example, the processor 202 may execute the algorithm to place the array of holes 310 across the flattened version of the forming die 306, or to place the array of holes 312 across the flattened version of the forming screen 308. Similarly, the binning algorithm may position similarly sized holes 326 across the transfer die 322, and / or to position similarly sized holes 328 across the transfer screen 206. In this example, the processor 202 may execute the algorithm to place the array of holes 326 across the flattened version of the transfer die 322, or to place the array of holes 328 across the flattened version of the forming screen 308.

[0059] By placing the holes 310, 312, 326, and / or 328 across the flattened version, the processing resources and / or time consumed to arrange the holes 310, 312, 326, and / or 328 can be reduced compared to the processing resources and / or time consumed to implement other types of binning algorithms, which may be more computationally intensive than the algorithm of this example. In any aspect, after placing the holes 310, 312, 326, and / or 328, the processor 202 can cause the digital model 204, 210-214 of the forming die 306, the forming screen 308, the transfer die 322, and / or the transfer screen 206 to include a curved portion or multiple curved portions.

[0060] Now go to Figure 4 , shows a flow chart of an example method 400 for forming a wet portion 302 on an example 3D manufactured forming screen 308 and transferring the formed wet portion 302 to an example 3D manufactured transfer screen 206. It should be understood that Figure 4 The method 400 depicted in the embodiment may include additional operations, and some of the operations described therein may be removed and / or modified without departing from the scope of the method 400. For illustration purposes, reference is also made to Figure 1-3D The description of method 400 is made based on the features described in Figure 2 The processor 202 depicted in FIG. 1 may use Figure 2-3D The elements depicted in may be used to perform some or all of the operations included in method 400.

[0061] At box 402, the processor 202 may cause a three-dimensional (3D) manufactured forming screen 308 to be immersed in a slurry 304 containing a liquid and material elements. At box 404, the processor 202 may cause vacuum pressure to be applied through the 3D manufactured forming screen 308 to cause some of the material elements to gather into a wet portion 302 on the 3D manufactured forming screen 308. At box 406, the processor 202 may cause the 3D manufactured forming screen 308 and the wet portion 302 to be removed from the slurry 304. For example, the 3D manufactured forming screen 308 may be mounted on a forming die 306, which itself may be mounted on a movable mechanism, wherein the movable mechanism may be rotatable and / or laterally movable.

[0062] At block 408, the processor 202 may cause the 3D manufactured transfer screen 206 to be moved into engagement with the wet end 302, wherein the 3D manufactured forming screen 308 may have a first shape and the 3D manufactured transfer screen 206 may have a second shape that is complementary to the first shape. Figure 3C, the 3D manufactured forming screen 308 and the 3D manufactured transfer screen 206 can have similar shapes such that multiple surfaces of the 3D manufactured transfer screen 206 can contact multiple sides of the wet portion 302. According to an example, the processor 202 can move the 3D manufactured transfer screen 206 to contact the wet portion 302 after the formation of the wet portion 302 on the 3D manufactured forming screen 308 so that the wet portion 302 retains substantially all of the liquid from when the wet portion 302 was formed on the 3D manufactured forming screen 308.

[0063] At block 410, the processor 202 may move the 3D manufactured transfer screen 206 away from the 3D manufactured forming screen 308 while vacuum pressure is applied through the plurality of holes 328 in the 3D manufactured transfer screen 206 so that the wet end 302 is removed from the 3D manufactured forming screen 308 and becomes engaged with the 3D manufactured transfer screen 206. Figure 3C As shown in , the transfer tool 320 can be moved away from the forming tool 300 , or the forming tool 300 can be moved away from the transfer tool 320 to separate the wet end 302 from the forming screen 308 .

[0064] At block 412, the processor 202 can cause vacuum pressure to continue to be applied through the 3D fabricated transfer screen 206 to remove additional liquid from the wet portion 302. As discussed herein, the application of vacuum pressure to the wet portion 302 can cause the wet portion 302 to have certain properties and can also enable the wet portion 302 to be dried relatively quickly and with relatively less energy. After vacuum pressure has been applied to the wet portion 302 to dehydrate the wet portion 302, the transfer tool 320 can move the wet portion 302 to a conveyor and / or an oven so that the wet portion 302 can be further dried.

[0065] According to an example, after the wet portion 302 is removed from the forming screen 308, the processor 202 may cause the 3D manufactured forming screen 308 to be immersed in the slurry 304. In addition, the processor 202 may cause vacuum pressure to be applied through the 3D manufactured forming screen 308 to form another wet portion 302 from the slurry 304 on the 3D manufactured forming screen 308, while the vacuum force continues to be applied through the plurality of holes 328 in the 3D manufactured transfer screen 206 to cause some of the additional liquid in the wet portion 302 to be removed from the wet portion 302. As discussed herein, the 3D manufactured transfer screen 206 may include features (such as depressions and / or protrusions) having certain shapes that will impart details into the wet portion 302 during the removal of the additional liquid from the wet portion 302. The details may be a set of depressions and / or a set of protrusions having predefined details, which may include a logo, text, a predefined texture, a predefined pattern, a combination thereof, and the like.

[0066] These features may be provided on one or more surfaces of the 3D transfer screen 206. Likewise, similar types of features may be provided on one or more surfaces of the 3D forming screen 308. In this regard, various details may be added to either or both sides of the wet end 302 during the formation and transfer of the wet end 302. In some examples, the 3D transfer screen 206 and the 3D forming screen 308 may include features that may be mirrored versions of each other.

[0067] After vacuum pressure has been applied to the wet end 302 to dehydrate the wet end 302, the transfer tool 320 can move the wet end 302 to a conveyor belt and / or an oven so that the wet end 302 can be further dried.

[0068] Some or all of the operations set forth in method 400 may be included as a utility, program, or subroutine in any desired computer-accessible medium. In addition, method 400 may be embodied by a computer program, which may exist in various forms. For example, method 400 may exist as computer-readable instructions, which may include source code, object code, executable code, or other formats. Any of the above may be embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0069] Examples of non-transitory computer readable storage media include computer system RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, and magnetic or optical disks or tapes.Thus, it is to be understood that any electronic device capable of performing the functions described above can perform those functions listed above.

[0070] While described in detail throughout the entirety of the present disclosure, representative examples of the present disclosure have utility over a wide range of applications, and the above discussion is not intended to and should not be construed as limiting but rather is provided as an illustrative discussion of aspects of the present disclosure.

[0071] What has been described and illustrated herein are examples of the present disclosure along with some of its variations. The terms, descriptions, and drawings used herein are set forth by way of illustration and are not intended to be limiting. Many variations are possible within the scope of the present disclosure, the scope of which is intended to be defined by the following claims and their equivalents, in which all terms are intended to be used in their broadest reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium having machine readable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor causes the processor to: Obtaining a digital model of a transfer screen to be manufactured by a three-dimensional 3D manufacturing system and a corresponding forming screen; determining a placement of a plurality of holes in a digital model of a transfer screen, wherein the transfer screen is to be mounted on a transfer mold via an attachment mechanism and is to engage a surface of a wet end formed on the corresponding forming screen, wherein the forming screen has a first shape and the transfer screen has a second shape complementary to the first shape, and wherein the placement of the plurality of holes is determined to allow liquid to be drawn from the wet end when vacuum pressure is applied to the transfer mold; and modifying the digital model of the transfer screen to include the plurality of holes at the determined placements, wherein the transfer screen comprises a plurality of surfaces, and wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: The placement of the plurality of holes is determined to cause a suction force to be substantially evenly distributed across the plurality of surfaces of the transfer screen when vacuum pressure is applied to the transfer mold. 2 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of surfaces of the transfer screen extends substantially vertically.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: A digital model of the transfer mold is obtained, the digital model of the transfer mold including, or the plurality of holes are to be algorithmically added to the digital model of the transfer mold, wherein the placement of the plurality of holes is determined with respect to liquid flow characteristics predicted to occur through the plurality of holes in the transfer mold.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: A digital model of a shaped screen to be manufactured by a 3D manufacturing system is obtained, the digital model of the shaped screen including a plurality of holes, or a plurality of holes are to be added to the digital model of the shaped screen in an algorithmic manner, wherein: The forming screen will be mounted on the forming die via the attachment means and the wet end will be formed from the slurry on the forming screen by the application of vacuum pressure through the forming die; as well as The transfer screen will engage the wet end during its removal from the forming screen.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: The digital model of the transfer screen is modified to add features to the digital model to impart detail into the wet end during pumping of liquid from the wet end, wherein the detail includes a logo, text, a predefined texture, a predefined pattern, or a combination thereof.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: The modified digital model of the transfer screen is sent to a 3D manufacturing system, wherein the 3D manufacturing system will manufacture the transfer screen having the plurality of holes at the determined placements.

7. A pulp molding tool set comprising: a forming die having a first plurality of holes; a forming screen to be mounted on the forming die, the forming screen having a first plurality of holes, wherein when vacuum pressure is applied to the forming die during formation of the wet end on the forming screen, liquid from the slurry will be drawn through the holes in the forming screen and the holes of the forming die; a transfer mold having a plurality of holes; as well as a transfer screen to be mounted on the transfer die, the transfer screen having a plurality of holes and comprising a plurality of surfaces, wherein when vacuum pressure is applied to the transfer die to dewater the wet end, at least some of the liquid in the wet end will be drawn from the wet end through the holes in the transfer screen and the holes in the transfer die, wherein the holes are positioned so that pressure is applied substantially evenly across the plurality of surfaces, At least the forming screen and the transfer screen are manufactured by a three-dimensional 3D manufacturing system.

8. A pulp molding tool set according to claim 7, wherein the forming mold and the transfer mold are to be connected to a vacuum source, and wherein the vacuum source will cause vacuum pressure to be applied through holes in the forming mold to produce suction during the formation of the wet part on the forming screen, and will cause vacuum pressure to be applied through the transfer screen during the dewatering of the wet part.

9. A pulp molding tool set according to claim 7, wherein the holes in the forming screen have properties that will cause the wet end to be formed to have the desired characteristics, and wherein the holes in the transfer screen have properties that will cause the wet end to be removed from the forming screen and dewatered without damaging the wet end.

10. The pulp molding tool set of claim 7, wherein the transfer screen includes features to impart details into the wet end during the extraction of liquid from the wet end, wherein the details include an embossed logo, embossed text, a predefined embossed texture, a predefined embossed pattern, or a combination thereof.

11. A pulp moulding tool set according to claim 10, wherein the features are mirrored versions of the features on the forming screen.

12. A pulp molding tool set according to claim 10, wherein the forming screen will be mounted on the forming mold via an attachment device, and the attachment device enables the forming screen to be removed from the forming mold, and the transfer screen will be mounted on the transfer mold via an attachment mechanism, and the attachment mechanism enables the transfer screen to be removed from the transfer mold.

13. A method for three-dimensional (3D) manufacturing, comprising: causing the 3D-manufactured shaped screen to be immersed in a slurry comprising a liquid and material elements; causing vacuum pressure to be applied through the 3D fabricated forming screen to cause some of the material elements to gather into a wet portion on the 3D fabricated forming screen; allowing the 3D-fabricated forming screen and the wet end to be removed from the slurry; causing a 3D manufactured transfer screen to be moved into engagement with the wet end, wherein the 3D manufactured forming screen has a first shape and the 3D manufactured transfer screen has a second shape complementary to the first shape; causing the 3D manufactured transfer screen to move away from the 3D manufactured forming screen while vacuum pressure is applied through a plurality of holes in the 3D manufactured transfer screen so that the wet end is removed from the 3D manufactured forming screen and becomes engaged with the 3D manufactured transfer screen, wherein the holes are positioned such that pressure is applied substantially uniformly across multiple surfaces of the 3D manufactured forming screen; as well as Vacuum pressure was allowed to continue to be applied through the 3D fabricated transfer screen to remove additional liquid from the wet end.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: After formation of the wet end on the 3D formed screen, a 3D fabricated transfer screen is moved into contact with the wet end such that the wet end retains substantially all of the liquid from when the wet end was formed on the 3D fabricated forming screen.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: The 3D-manufactured shaped screen is immersed in the slurry; as well as Vacuum pressure is applied through the 3D manufactured forming screen to form another wet section from the slurry on the 3D manufactured forming screen, while the vacuum pressure continues to be applied through multiple holes in the 3D manufactured transfer screen to remove some of the additional liquid in the wet section from the wet section.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the 3D manufactured transfer screen includes features that impart details into the wet end during removal of the additional liquid from the wet end, wherein the details include an embossed logo, embossed text, a predefined embossed texture, a predefined embossed pattern, or a combination thereof.

17. A transfer screen comprising: main body; as well as a plurality of holes extending through the body, wherein the body and the plurality of holes are to be manufactured by a three-dimensional 3D manufacturing system, wherein the body is to be mounted on a transfer mold so that the plurality of holes are in liquid communication with holes in the transfer mold, and wherein when vacuum pressure is applied to the transfer mold, liquid is drawn from the wet end through the plurality of holes, and after the wet end is formed on a forming screen from a slurry comprising liquid and material elements, the body contacts the wet end to dewater the wet end, wherein the plurality of holes are positioned at determined locations in the body such that when vacuum pressure is applied through the plurality of holes via the holes in the transfer mold, the vacuum pressure is applied substantially evenly across the body.

18. The transfer screen of claim 17, wherein the transfer screen includes features to impart detail into the wet end during pumping of liquid from the wet end, wherein the detail includes an embossed logo, embossed text, a predefined embossed texture, a predefined embossed pattern, or a combination thereof.

Images