Bi-material additively manufactured protective masks and related methods

Abstract

To prevent a coating from bridging over a blocking material, thus reducing or preventing cracking in the rest of the coating.SOLUTION: A protective mask (100) for a part (102) is provided. In the protective mask (100), the part (102) includes a plurality of openings (104) in a surface (106) thereof. The protective mask (100) includes a mounting member (120) at least partially within each of at least two of the openings (104). Each mounting member (120) includes a water-soluble material (160). A masking member (130) couples the at least two mounting members (120). The masking member (130) includes a non-water-soluble material (162). Each mounting member (120) includes a first plurality of integral layers of the water-soluble material (160), and the masking member (130) includes a second plurality of integral layers of the non-water-soluble material (162). The protective mask (100) can be made by a two-material additive manufacturing system (150). A related method is also provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to part manufacturing, and more particularly to a protective mask for covering an opening in a surface of a part. The protective mask includes two components, one of which is made from a water-soluble material, both of which are formed by additive manufacturing. [Background technology]

[0002] Industrial parts may undergo various processes after manufacture to finish the part. In one example, the part may be subjected to shot peening, in which a peening material, such as metal shot, is impinged on the surface of the part. In another example, the part may be coated with a protective layer to protect the underlying material from the harsh environment in which the part is used. For example, a thermal barrier coating (TBC) may be applied to the exterior surface of a turbine rotor blade to protect the turbine rotor blade from high temperatures during use.

[0003] Some components may have openings in their surfaces that need to be protected during post-forming processing. For example, a turbine rotor blade may have cooling passages, i.e., various internal cooling circuits that vent to the exterior surface of the component through openings in the surface of the component. The cooling passages may be provided to cool the internal structure in which they reside and / or to form a cooling film across the exterior surface of the component.

[0004] Various mechanisms are used to protect the openings. In some cases, removable material, such as a plug, can be provided in or over the openings to prevent them from filling up when a coating is applied thereover, for example. Removable materials prevent coatings from entering the openings, but they increase manufacturing time and complexity because the removable material and / or the coating over it must eventually be removed. For example, each opening requires removal of the blocking material, which can be time-consuming. Furthermore, coatings are typically applied over the blocking material but must be removed from above to expose the blocking material and / or the opening. Because the coating straddles the blocking material, removing the coating can cause extensive cracking in the remaining portion of the coating, such as the TBC, which can render the part unusable or require extensive additional processing. Removing the blocking material after the peening process can be particularly difficult if the blocking material is bonded to the part material by the process. Other approaches use blocking mechanisms, such as overhangs, to protect the openings. In some cases, the overhangs are removed, presenting similar challenges as for removable blocking materials. In other cases, the overhangs remain as an integral part of the part. In this latter case, the complexity of the part increases and part performance may be sacrificed to accommodate the overhang. Regardless of the approach, current processes for protecting openings in the surface of a part can be challenging in that forming and / or removing the protective mask alone can be quite complicated.

[0005] Additive manufacturing (AM) encompasses a wide variety of processes that produce parts by the buildup of successive layers of material rather than by the removal of material. As such, additive manufacturing can create complex geometric shapes without the use of tools, molds, or fixtures of any kind, and with little or no material waste. Rather than machining a component from a solid billet of material, and then cutting and discarding most of it, additive manufacturing uses only the material needed to form the component. Thus, many industrial parts, such as turbine rotor blades, are produced by additive manufacturing. Advances in additive manufacturing have led to systems that can print using two different materials. Summary of the Invention

[0006] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a protective mask for a part, the part having a plurality of openings on a surface thereof, the protective mask comprising: mounting members at least partially within each of at least two of the plurality of openings, each mounting member comprising a water-soluble material; and a masking member connecting the at least two mounting members, the masking member comprising a water-insoluble material, each mounting member comprising a first plurality of integral layers of a water-soluble material and the masking member comprising a second plurality of integral layers of a water-insoluble material.

[0007] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides an additive manufactured (AM) structure comprising: a part having a plurality of openings in a surface thereof; a protective mask for the part, the part having a plurality of openings in a surface thereof, the protective mask comprising: mounting members at least partially within each of at least two of the plurality of openings, each mounting member comprising a water-soluble material; and a masking member connecting the at least two mounting members, the masking member comprising a water-insoluble material, each mounting member comprising a first plurality of integral layers of a water-soluble material and a second plurality of integral layers of a water-insoluble material, each mounting member and masking member being formed using at least two material additive manufacturing systems.

[0008] A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a method including: first sequentially dispensing a water-soluble fluid material in a predetermined path, layer by layer, to selectively generate attachment members at least partially within at least two of a plurality of openings in a surface of a component; and second sequentially dispensing a water-insoluble fluid material in a predetermined path, layer by layer, to selectively generate a masking member that connects the at least two attachment members.

[0009] The exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are designed to solve the problems described herein and / or other problems not discussed.

[0010] These and other features of the present disclosure will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating various embodiments of the disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an additive manufacturing (AM) structure including a protective mask on a part according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a close-up side view of an AM structure including a protective mask on a part according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of an AM structure including a protective mask on a part according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 10A-10C are side views of steps for sequentially forming a mounting member of a protective mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1A-1C are side views of steps for sequentially forming masking members of a protective mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of a step of applying a coating to an AM structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of a step of shot peening an AM structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of a step of dissolving an attachment member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] It should be noted that the drawings of the present disclosure are not necessarily to scale. The drawings are intended to illustrate only typical aspects of the present disclosure and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In the drawings, like numbers represent like elements between the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] As an initial matter, a clear explanation of the present technology requires the selection of specific terminology when referring to and describing related components. Common industry terminology is used and utilized as much as possible consistent with its accepted meaning. Unless otherwise noted, such terminology should be given a broad interpretation consistent with the context of this application and the scope of the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will recognize that in many cases, a particular component may be referred to using several different or overlapping terms. What may be described herein as a single component may include multiple components and may be referred to as consisting of multiple components in another context. Alternatively, what may be described herein as including multiple components may be referred to elsewhere as a single component. As noted below, certain descriptive terms may be used regularly herein. The terms "first," "second," and "third" may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to indicate the location or importance of individual components.

[0014] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprise" and / or "comprising," as used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or sets thereof. "Optional" or "optionally" means that the subsequently-stated event or circumstance may or may not occur, and the description includes instances in which the event occurs and instances in which it does not occur.

[0015] When an element or layer is referred to as "on," "engaged," "connected," or "coupled" to another element or layer, it can be directly on, engaged, connected, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. Conversely, when an element is referred to as "directly on," "directly engaged," "directly connected," or "directly coupled" to another element or layer, there may not be intervening elements or layers. Other terms used to describe relationships between elements should be interpreted similarly (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent to" versus "directly adjacent to," etc.). As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0016] As described above, the present disclosure provides a protective mask for a component, the component having a plurality of openings in a surface thereof. The protective mask includes an attachment member at least partially within each of at least two of the plurality of openings. Each attachment member includes a water-soluble material. The masking member connects the at least two attachment members. The masking member includes a water-insoluble material. Each attachment member includes a first plurality of integral layers of a water-soluble material, and the masking member includes a second plurality of integral layers of a water-insoluble material. The protective mask can be fabricated by a two-material additive manufacturing system. Related methods are also provided.

[0017] Additive manufacturing (AM) encompasses a wide variety of processes that produce components by building up successive layers of material rather than by removing material. As such, AM can create complex geometric shapes without the use of any kind of tools, molds, or fixtures, and with little or no material waste. Rather than machining a component from a solid billet of material, cutting away and discarding most of it, AM uses only the material needed to form the component. Additive manufacturing techniques typically involve obtaining a three-dimensional computer-aided design (CAD) file of the component to be formed, electronically slicing the component into layers, e.g., 18-102 micrometers thick, and creating a file with a two-dimensional image of each layer, including vectors, images, or coordinates. This file can then be loaded into a preparation software system that interprets the file so that the component can be built by different types of AM systems. 3D printing, rapid prototyping (RP), and direct digital manufacturing (DDM) are additive manufacturing forms in which layers of material are selectively dispensed and, for example, sintered, formed, deposited, etc. to form components.

[0018] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, advances in 3D printing, and more specifically, multi-head extruder additive manufacturing technology, have proven advantageous for forming protective masks. This technology is sometimes referred to, among other things, as fused deposition modeling (FDM). In these additive manufacturing processes, an object is built by selectively dispensing a fluid in a predetermined path, layer by layer. The part and / or the dispensing head(s) can move in the XY direction. The part and / or the dispensing head(s) can also move vertically to accommodate the build. The material used can be, for example, a thermoplastic polymer in fluid form, a ceramic, or the like. As each layer is created, each two-dimensional slice of the part shape hardens. The material can be allowed to harden naturally or can be hardened using, for example, cooling, heating, or ultraviolet light exposure.

[0019] The protected part can be formed by traditional subtractive techniques, but it can also be constructed using additive manufacturing. For example, in metal powder additive manufacturing techniques such as direct metal laser melting (DMLM) (also known as selective laser melting (SLM)), metal powder layers are sequentially melted together to form the part. More specifically, fine metal powder layers are uniformly dispensed onto a metal powder bed using an applicator, which then sequentially melts them. Each applicator is equipped with an applicator element in the form of a lip, brush, blade, or roller made of metal or plastic material, carbon fiber, or rubber, which spreads the metal powder evenly onto the build platform. The metal powder bed can be moved along a vertical axis. The process takes place in a processing chamber with a precisely controlled atmosphere. As each layer is formed, each two-dimensional slice of the component's geometry can be fused together by selectively melting the metal powder. Melting can be performed with a high-power melting beam, such as a 100-watt ytterbium laser, which completely welds (melts) the metal powder to form solid metal. The melting beam is moved in the XY direction using scanning mirrors and is strong enough to completely weld (melt) the metal powder to form a solid metal. With each subsequent two-dimensional layer, the metal powder bed may be lowered, and the process repeated until the component is fully formed.

[0020] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view and FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged, partial side view of a protective mask 100 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. As described above, the protective mask 100 protects a component 102 during post-component processing, such as heat treatment, coating, surface finishing, etc. The component 102 includes a plurality of openings 104 in its surface 106. The component 102 may include any now-known or later-developed industrial component. In one non-limiting example, the component 102 may include a turbine rotor blade including various internal cooling circuits (see, e.g., FIG. 3 ) that ventilate an exterior surface, e.g., the surface 106, of the component through cooling passages. The cooling passages may be provided to cool internal structures within the component and / or to form a cooling film across the surface 106 of the component 102. While not required, as shown in the example of FIG. 1 , the openings 104 may be located in a seat 110 on the surface 106 of the component that extends from another surface 112 of the component. The openings 104 may have any cross-sectional shape at the surface 106, such as circular, elliptical, polygonal (such as square, rectangular, trapezoidal), diffuser-shaped, etc., and may extend into the part 102 in any direction relative to the surface 106. The openings 104 may be spaced equally or non-equidistantly across the surface 106, for example. The part 102 may be formed using any now known or later developed technique. In one non-limiting example, the part 102 may be formed by additive manufacturing, such as DMLM or SLM. Because these processes are well known, the details of their processing will not be described in detail other than to state that the process includes providing a metal powder bed in a processing chamber and sequentially fusing layers of metal powder on the metal powder bed to produce the part 102 with the openings 104.

[0021] Continuing with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the protective mask 100 may include a mounting member 120 at least partially within each of at least two of the plurality of openings 104. The mounting member 120 may extend into each opening 104 to any necessary extent to maintain its position in each opening 104 in use. The mounting member 120 may be applied to as few as two openings 104. In FIG. 2, two mounting members 120 are shown in the openings 104, while in FIG. 1, 24 mounting members 120 are shown in the openings 104. In certain embodiments, each opening 104 may include a mounting member 120 at least partially therein, such that the mounting members 120 are similarly spaced across the surface 106 between which the openings 104 are spaced. As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting members 120 may optionally extend outward from each opening 104 along the surface 106 of the part 102. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the mounting members 120 may cover a portion 122 of the surface 106. The attachment member(s) 120 can have any desired height from the surface 106. For example, the attachment member(s) 120 can have a height that is greater than the expected thickness of the coating(s) 170 ( FIG. 6 ) applied to the part 102 to prevent the coating(s) 170 from spanning over the attachment member(s) 120 and / or the masking member 130 (described herein) and to reduce or eliminate cracking of the coating(s) 170 that may occur when the protective mask 100 is removed.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each mounting member 120 comprises a water-soluble material, i.e., capable of dissolving in water. The water-soluble material may include any now known or later developed water-soluble polymer, ceramic, etc., that can withstand the environment of treatments applied to the protective mask 100 with it in place. In one non-limiting example, the water-soluble material may include a water-soluble ceramic that can withstand heat treatments, coating treatments such as the application of TBC, and shot peening of the surface 106, among others.

[0023] The protective mask 100 may also include a masking member 130 that connects the at least two mounting members 120. In contrast to the mounting members 120, the masking member 130 comprises a water-insoluble material, i.e., it does not dissolve in water. The water-insoluble material may include any now known or later developed water-insoluble material, such as, but not limited to, a polymer or ceramic, that can withstand the environment of the processing applied to the protective mask 100 after curing. In addition, the water-insoluble material should have sufficient structural strength to maintain its position and that of the mounting members 120.

[0024] The masking member 130 can take any form of structure capable of connecting the attachment members 120 together and at least partially covering the attachment members 120. In one non-limiting example, the masking member 130 can include a first member 132 connected to a corresponding one of the at least two attachment members 120 and a second member 134 connecting each of the first members 132 together. The first member 132 can include any structure capable of connecting the dissimilar materials of the first member 132 and the attachment members 120 together. The first member 132 can also include any structure that facilitates removal, e.g., "snap-off," of the protective mask 100, for example, by means of a pry point and / or a gripping position. While shown in FIG. 2 as having surface-to-surface contact, as shown in FIG. 3, the first member 132 and / or the attachment members 120 can have interacting structures 136 that connect them together, such as, but not limited to, male-female interfaces, bonding materials, etc. The masking member 130, and more particularly, the first member 132 of the masking member 130, covers at least a portion of each mounting member 120. In Figures 1 and 2, the masking member 130 covers most, if not all, of the mounting members 120. However, as shown in Figure 3, the masking member 130 may leave a portion 138 of the mounting member 120 exposed. This latter configuration may be desirable, for example, when the material of the mounting members 120 is less expensive than the material of the masking member 130 and the material of the mounting members 120, while exposed, can withstand the processing environment without being damaged.

[0025] 1-3 also show an additive manufacturing (AM) structure 140 comprising the part 102 and the protective mask 100.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can include forming at least two mounting members 120 and masking member(s) 130 using at least two material additive manufacturing (AM) systems 150. The AM system 150 can include any currently known or later-developed additive manufacturing system capable of printing with two materials, e.g., a water-soluble material for the mounting member 120 and a water-insoluble material for the masking member 130. In one non-limiting example, the AM system 150 can be based on FDM technology as described herein. As shown, the AM system 150 can include dual dispensing heads 152, although a single dispensing head capable of handling both materials may also be possible. As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 , the method can include first sequentially dispensing a water-soluble fluid material 160 in a predetermined path, layer by layer, to selectively generate at least partially the mounting members 120 (shown partially fabricated) within at least two of the plurality of openings 104 in the surface 106 of the part 102. As used herein, "dispensing" includes any method by which the AM system 150 creates a layer, such as, but not limited to, layout, backpressure spraying, deposition, sintering, etc. Additionally, "fluid" indicates that the material generally does not have a fixed shape and readily yields to external pressure, e.g., a liquid or paste.

[0027] FIG. 5 illustrates a second, sequential dispensing step of a water-insoluble fluid material 162 in a predetermined path, layer by layer, to selectively generate a masking member 130 (shown partially fabricated) that joins at least two mounting members 120. As will be appreciated, at least a portion of the AM system 150 and / or part 102 can move horizontally to create layers as dispensing occurs. It will also be appreciated that the AM system 150 and / or part 102 may move vertically between layers to accommodate the growth of the AM structure 140. The mounting members 120 may be fully completed before starting the masking member 130, or, if the AM system 150 allows, both members 120, 130 may be formed simultaneously, e.g., with material variations within a given layer. As a result of additively manufacturing the mounting members 120 and masking members 130, each mounting member 120 includes multiple integral layers of water-soluble material, and the masking member 130 includes multiple integral layers of water-insoluble material.

[0028] As described herein, prior to the first sequential dispensing step, the part 102 may be formed by additive manufacturing. For example, the part 102 may be made by another AM system, such as a DMLM machine, that provides a metal powder bed in a processing chamber and sequentially melts layers of metal powder on the metal powder bed to produce the part 102 with the opening 104.

[0029] 6 and 7 illustrate exemplary treatments that may be applied to a component 102 having a protective mask 100 applied thereto. However, the exemplary processes are only two of many that may be applied to a component 102 having a protective mask 100 thereon. FIG. 6 illustrates the application of coating(s) 170 onto the component 102, for example, by thermal spraying or other suitable technique. As shown, the attachment member(s) 120 prevent the coating 170 from entering the opening 104. As previously mentioned, the attachment member(s) 120 may have a height from the surface 106 selected to be greater than the expected thickness of the coating(s) 170 ( FIG. 6 ) applied to the component 102. In this manner, the attachment member 120 may reduce or prevent the coating(s) 170 from straddling the attachment member(s) 120 and / or masking member 130, reducing or eliminating cracking of the coating(s) 170 that may occur upon removal of the protective mask 100. The coating(s) 170 may include any now known or later developed coating, such as, but not limited to, paint(s), thermal barrier coating(s), environmental coating(s), etc. FIG. 7 illustrates the application of shot peening to the part 102. As shown, the attachment member 120 prevents shot material 172, e.g., metal shot, from entering and damaging the opening 104. The masking member 130 covers at least a portion of the attachment member 120 to protect the attachment member 120 during shot peening, for example, if the attachment member 120 is made of a material that cannot withstand shot peening. It should be understood that the shot peening of FIG. 7 may be applied before the coating of FIG. 6 .

[0030] FIG. 8 illustrates exposing the mounting member 120 (FIGS. 6-7) to water 180 to remove the mounting member 120 and release the masking member 130. The mounting member 120 may be exposed to water 180 in any manner, such as by delivering a stream of water over the mounting member 120, immersion, spraying, etc. In either case, exposure to water 180 dissolves the water-soluble material of the mounting member 120, leaving only one remaining portion shown in FIG. 8. Once at least most of the mounting member 120 has been removed, the masking member 130 is freed, i.e., falls off or can be easily removed. The masking member 130 can be discarded or, if possible, reused. As shown in FIG. 8, there is no damage or material within the opening 104 that could prevent its intended operation.

[0031] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a one-piece printed two-material protective mask 100 with a “washable” attachment member 120 that allows the remaining portion of the masking member 130 to easily fall off. The protective mask 100 can be easily removed by gravity and / or the peel-off and gripping points provided by the first member 132 of the masking member 130. As described above, the one-piece attached protective mask 100 is useful for processing the part 102. In particular, the protective mask 100 eliminates expensive machining and / or cleaning of the openings 104, reducing the risk of damaging the opening geometry during, for example, shot peening. The protective mask 100 also significantly reduces labor costs, as well as plant and equipment costs, compared to electrochemical machining (ECM), laser drilling, or ablation, which would otherwise be required to clean and / or repair the openings 104. The mounting member 120 can be configured to prevent the coating from crossing the protective mask, thus reducing or preventing cracking of the remaining portion of the coating, e.g., the TBC, which could render the part unusable or require extensive additional processing.

[0032] Approximate language, as used throughout this specification and claims, can be applied to modify any quantitative expression that can be allowed to vary without resulting in a change in the basic function involved. Thus, values ​​modified by one or more terms such as "approximately," "about," and "substantially" are not limited to the exact value specified. In at least some instances, approximate language may correspond to the precision of the instrument used to measure the value. Herein and throughout this specification and claims, range limitations are combinable and / or interchangeable, and unless otherwise indicated by context and language, such ranges are identified and include all subranges encompassed therein. "About," as applied to a particular value in a range, applies to both endpoints and can indicate + / - 10% of the stated value(s), unless specifically dependent on the precision of the instrument used to measure the value.

[0033] The corresponding structure, material, acts, and equivalents of all means-plus-function or step-plus-function elements in the following claims are intended to encompass any structure, material, or acts for performing that function in combination with other specifically claimed claim elements. The description of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. The present embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles and practical application of the disclosure and to enable others skilled in the art to understand the disclosure in its various embodiments with various modifications as suited to the particular uses envisioned. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 100 Protective Masks / 2-Material Protective Masks 102 parts 104 Opening 106 Surface 110 Pedestal 112 Surface 120 Mounting material 122 Part of the surface 130 Masking material 132 First Component 134 Second Component 136 Interaction structure 138 Part of the mounting member 140 Additive Manufacturing (AM) Structures 150 Additive Manufacturing (AM) Systems 152 Dual Dispensing Head 160 Water-soluble fluid materials 162 Water-insoluble fluid materials 170 Coating 172 Shot Materials 180 water

Claims

1. A protective mask (100) for a part (102), the part (102) having a plurality of openings (104) in a surface (106) thereof, the protective mask (100) comprising: an attachment member (120) at least partially within each of at least two of the plurality of openings (104), each attachment member comprising a water-soluble material (160); a masking member (130) for connecting at least two of said mounting members (120), said masking member (130) comprising a water-insoluble material (162); Equipped with each mounting member (120) comprising a first plurality of integral layers of said water-soluble material (160) and said masking member (130) comprising a second plurality of integral layers of said water-insoluble material (162); The water-soluble material (160) dissolves in water to facilitate removal of the masking member (130).

2. 2. The protective mask (100) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings (104) are spaced across the surface (106), each opening (104) including a mounting member (120) at least partially therein.

3. The protective mask (100) of claim 1, wherein the mounting members (120) extend outwardly from their respective openings (104) along the surface (106) of the component (102).

4. 2. The protective mask (100) of claim 1, wherein the masking members (130) comprise first members (132) coupled to corresponding ones of the at least two mounting members (120) and second members (134) coupling each of the first members (132) together.

5. 10. The protective mask (100) of claim 1, wherein the at least two mounting members (120) and the masking member (130) are formed using at least two material additive manufacturing systems (150).

6. 2. The protective mask (100) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings (104) are disposed in a pedestal (110) on the surface (106) of the part (102) that extends from another surface (112) of the part (102).

7. The protective mask (100) of claim 1, wherein the masking member (130) exposes at least a portion (138) of each mounting member (120).

8. An additive manufactured (AM) structure (140), comprising: a part (102) having a plurality of openings (104) in a surface (106) thereof; A protective mask (100) comprising: an attachment member (120) at least partially within each of at least two of the plurality of openings (104), each attachment member (120) comprising a water-soluble material (160); a masking member (130) for connecting at least two of said mounting members (120), said masking member (130) comprising a water-insoluble material (162); Equipped with Each mounting member (120) includes a first plurality of integral layers of said water-soluble material (160), and each masking member (130) includes a second plurality of integral layers of said water-insoluble material (162). fruit, each mounting member (120) and said masking member (130) is formed using at least two material additive manufacturing systems (150); The water-soluble material (160) dissolves in water, facilitating removal of the masking member (130). An additive manufactured (AM) structure (140) comprising:

9. The AM structure (140) of claim 8, wherein the masking member (130) exposes at least a portion (138) of each mounting member (120).

10. 9. The AM structure (140) of claim 8, wherein the plurality of openings (104) are spaced across the surface (106), each opening (104) including a mounting member (120) at least partially therein.

11. The AM structure (140) of claim 8, wherein the mounting members (120) extend outwardly from respective openings (104) along the surface (106) of the component (102).

12. 9. The AM structure (140) of claim 8, wherein the masking member (130) comprises first members (132) coupled to corresponding ones of the at least two mounting members (120), and second members (134) coupling each of the first members (132) together.

13. first sequentially dispensing a water-soluble fluid material (160) in a layer-by-layer manner in a predetermined path to selectively create attachment members (120) at least partially within at least two of the plurality of openings (104) in the surface (106) of the component (102); a second sequential dispensing of a water-insoluble fluid material (162) in a layer-by-layer manner and in a predetermined path to selectively create a masking member (130) that bonds at least two of said attachment members (120); A method comprising:

14. Prior to the step of first sequentially distributing, providing a metal powder bed in a processing chamber; sequentially fusing layers of metal powder on the metal powder bed to produce the part (102) with the plurality of openings (104); 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

15. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising applying a coating (170) onto the component (102), wherein the at least two mounting members (120) prevent the coating (170) from entering the at least two of the plurality of openings (104).

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