3d printed articles for use in pulp molding die

Abstract

According to examples, a 3D printed article for use as a screen device or a mold of a pulp molding die may include a body having a set of holes and a set of protuberances formed on a surface of the body interposed between some of the holes, in which a plurality of respective channels may be formed between the protuberances.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A 3D printed article for use as a screen device or a mold of a pulp molding die, the 3D printed article comprising:
 a body having a set of holes; and   a set of protuberances formed on a surface of the body interposed between some of the holes, wherein a plurality of respective channels are formed between the protuberances.   
     
     
         2 . The 3D printed article of  claim 1 , wherein the protuberances are located at locations with respect to the set of holes and each other to result in a flow of fluid through the plurality of respective channels to have a predefined characteristic, wherein the predefined characteristic comprises a predefined level of support between the 3D printed article and another article and/or a predefined flow rate in certain flow directions through the plurality of respective channels. 
     
     
         3 . The 3D printed article of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the holes are spaced apart from other holes at a certain distance and wherein a plurality of the protuberances have widths that are approximately equal to the certain distance. 
     
     
         4 . The 3D printed article of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the holes have diameters that are approximately equal to widths of a plurality of the protuberances. 
     
     
         5 . The 3D printed article of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the protuberances are located at a density on the body that is approximately equal to a density at which a plurality of the holes are located in the body. 
     
     
         6 . The 3D printed article of  claim 1 , wherein the protuberances have frustoconical forms. 
     
     
         7 . The 3D printed article of claim , wherein the protuberances have heights and/or widths that are approximately equal to diameters of the holes. 
     
     
         8 . The 3D printed article of  claim 1 , wherein the protuberances and the holes have widths that range between approximately 0.3 mm to approximately 0.8 mm. 
     
     
         9 . A 3D printed pulp molding die comprising:
 a mold having:
 a set of openings; 
   a screen device to be mounted on the mold, the screen device having:
 a set of pores: and 
 a set of protuberances interposed between some of the pores; and 
   wherein the protuberances are to space the screen device from the mold when the screen device is mounted to the mold, and wherein a plurality of respective channels are to be formed between the protuberances.   
     
     
         10 . The 3D printed pulp molding die of  claim 9 , wherein the openings in the mold are larger than the pores in the screen device. 
     
     
         11 . The 3D printed pulp molding die of  claim 9 , wherein the protuberances have frustoconical forms. 
     
     
         12 . The 3D printed pulp molding die of  claim 9 , wherein the protuberances have heights and/or widths that are approximately equal to diameters of the pores in the screen device. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory on which is stored instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 obtain a digital model of an article to be fabricated by a 3D fabrication system, the digital model including digital holes; 
 determine locations at which digital protuberances are to be added to a surface of the digital model of the article, wherein the digital protuberances are to extend at a predefined height from the surface of the digital model; and 
 modify the digital model of the article to add the digital protuberances to the surface of the digital model of the article. 
   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein protuberances corresponding to the digital protuberances are to form a plurality of respective channels between the article and a second article when the article and the second article are mounted to each other and wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
 determine the locations at which the digital protuberances are to be added to the surface of the digital model of the article to result in fluid flow through the plurality of respective channels to have a predefined characteristic, wherein the predefined characteristic comprises a predefined level of support between the article and the second article and/or a predefined flow rate in certain flow directions through the plurality of channels.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
 determine distances of spacings at which the digital holes are positioned with respect to each other;   determine widths of the digital protuberances to be approximately equalo the determined distances of the digital hole spacings; and   modify the digital model to add the digital protuberances having the determined widths.