Direct Print Mold Reinforcement for Crack-Resistant Casting

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional mold manufacturing techniques for turbine components in gas turbine engines are time-consuming and limit resolution, leading to stress features that cause cracking or deformation, while additive manufacturing introduces flaws like cracking and deformation due to complex geometries and high thermal stresses.

Innovation Solution

Implementing external reinforcement features, such as external ribbing and gussets, using topological optimization to strengthen the mold design, which is manufactured via additive manufacturing, thereby improving structural integrity and reducing stress concentrations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If conventional mold manufacturing techniques are used, then manufacturing time is reduced, but mold strength and resolution are limited causing stress features that lead to cracking or deformation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemold strengthVSAvoidmold resolution

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses ceramic materials with composite structures in additive manufacturing to achieve both high strength and high resolution molds, eliminating the trade-off between these two parameters

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes manufacturing parameters by using additive manufacturing processes that enable complex geometries and internal structures, achieving superior strength and resolution compared to conventional techniques

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If additive manufacturing is used to manufacture molds, then manufacturing time is reduced, but stress features from complex geometries cause cracking or deformation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing speedVSAvoidmold reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by adding reinforcement features specifically in high-stress areas of the mold design, maintaining reliability while preserving the manufacturing speed benefits of additive manufacturing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary design optimization using topological optimization to identify and strengthen high-stress areas before manufacturing, preventing cracking and deformation while maintaining rapid additive manufacturing production

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Strength

If external reinforcement features are added to strengthen the mold, then mold strength is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemold strengthVSAvoidmold complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the reinforcement features with the mold geometry itself, integrating structural strengthening into the design rather than adding separate components, thus improving strength without proportionally increasing complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20250249499A1Method for integrated fixturing of direct print molds for cast components

Publication Date: 2025.08.07 GE VERNOVA INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY LLC

AI summary

The present application provides a method of optimizing strength in an improved mold for a cast component. The method may include the steps of evaluating a flaw in an existing mold, adding external reinforcement features to a design of the improved mold, manufacturing the improved mold in an additive manufacturing process, and casting the cast component in the improved mold.