Patent Publication Number: US-2018029123-A1

Title: Removable support package for additive manufacture

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The disclosure relates generally to removable support packages for laser-sintered components, such as those produced in additive manufacture. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, structures, and program code for yielding a removable support package for a laser-sintered component, such that the removable support package is formed in a hollow interior of the component. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The pace of change and improvement in the realms of power generation, aviation, and other fields has accompanied extensive research for manufacturing components used in these fields. Conventional manufacture of metallic components generally includes milling or cutting away regions from a slab of metal before treating and modifying the cut metal to yield a part, which may have been simulated using computer models, e.g., in drafting software. Manufactured components which may be formed from metal can include, e.g., airfoil components for installation in a turbomachine such as an aircraft engine or power generation system. The development of additive manufacturing, also known in the art as “3D printing,” can reduce manufacturing costs by allowing such components to be formed more quickly, with unit-to-unit variations as appropriate. Among other advantages, additive manufacture can directly apply computer-generated models to a manufacturing process while relying on less expensive equipment and/or raw materials. 
     Additive manufacturing can allow a component to be formed from a reserve of fine metal powder positioned on a build plate, which is processed by an electron beam or laser (e.g., using heat treatments such as sintering) to form a component or sub-component. Additive manufacturing equipment can also form components, e.g., by using three-dimensional models generated with software included within and/or external to the manufacturing equipment. Some devices fabricated via additive manufacture can be formed initially as several distinct components at respective processing stages before being assembled in a subsequent process. One challenge associated with additive manufacturing includes maintaining the shape of a component before the manufacturing process completes. For example, some portions of a component may be structurally stable after the component has been manufactured, but may need additional structural support when some parts have not been built. Some designs may address this concern by including temporary supports which may be designed and positioned for removal after the component is manufactured. Due to variances between manufactured components and the manner in which these components are formed, the use of these supports can vary widely between component designs. The supports may also be manufactured such that they are capable of being removed only after the component is fully manufactured. 
     SUMMARY 
     A first aspect of the disclosure provides a method for removing a support package from a laser-sintered component, the method including: providing a laser-sintered component having opposing interior sidewalls, the opposing interior sidewalls defining a hollow interior of the laser-sintered component, wherein the laser-sintered component further includes: a plurality of supports extending between the opposing interior sidewalls, a first rod joining the plurality of supports at a first end proximal to one of the opposing interior sidewalls, and a second rod joining the plurality of supports at a second end proximal to another one of the opposing interior sidewalls; striking the first rod of the laser-sintered component to dislodge the plurality of supports from one of the opposing interior sidewalls; and striking the second rod of the laser-sintered component to dislodge the plurality of supports from the other of the opposing interior sidewalls, wherein each of the plurality of supports is oriented at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the opposing interior sidewalls after the first and second rods are struck. 
     A second aspect of the disclosure provides a removable support package for a laser-sintered component, including: a structure having opposing interior sidewalls, the opposing interior sidewalls defining a hollow interior of the structure; a plurality of supports extending between the opposing interior sidewalls; a first rod joining the plurality of supports at a first end thereof proximal to one interior sidewall; and a second rod joining the plurality of supports at a second end thereof proximal to another interior sidewall of the structure. 
     A third aspect of the invention provides a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing code representative of a removable support package for a laser-sintered component, the removable support package being physically generated upon execution of the code, the removable support package including: a structure having opposing interior sidewalls, the opposing interior sidewalls defining a hollow interior of the structure; a plurality of supports extending between the opposing interior sidewalls; a first rod joining the plurality of supports at a first end thereof proximal to one interior sidewall; and a second rod joining the plurality of supports at a second end thereof proximal to another interior sidewall of the structure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features of this invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings that depict various embodiments of the invention, in which: 
         FIG. 1  provides a cross-sectional view in plane X-Y of a laser-sintered component and removable support package according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  provides a cross-sectional view in plane X-Z of the laser-sintered component and removable support package of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  provides a cross-sectional view in plane X-Z of another laser-sintered component and removable support package according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  provides a cross-sectional view in plane X-Y of another laser-sintered component and removable support packages according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  provides a cross-sectional view in plane X-Y of a removable support package being removed according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  provides a cross-sectional view in plane X-Y of a removable support package being removed according to alternative embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  shows a block diagram of an additive manufacturing process including a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing code representative of a component and removable support package according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     It is noted that the drawings of the invention are not necessarily to scale. The drawings are intended to depict only typical aspects of the invention, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention. In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements between the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part thereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific exemplary embodiments in which the present teachings may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present teachings and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be used and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present teachings. The following description is, therefore, merely exemplary. 
     Where an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “disengaged from,” “connected to” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the following description is directed to a laser-sintered component  102  (“component  102 ” hereafter) which is manufactured to include a removable support package  104  (“support package” or simply “package”  104  hereafter) therein. Component  102  may form part of, or may be adaptable to form part of, a larger component and/or machine such as a power generation assembly. It will be understood, however, that component  102  may have applications other than those described by example herein. In an example embodiment, component  102  can have a substantially cylindrical exterior with a similarly-shaped hollow interior as described elsewhere herein. Embodiments of the present disclosure also include methods for removing support package  104  from component  102 , such that component  102  can be adapted to form part of another structure, machine, etc. For example, methods according to the present disclosure can include providing and/or manufacturing component  102  and support package  104  together, before striking support package  104  to mechanically separate support package  104  from component  102 . The dislodged support package  104  can then be removed from component  102  by any conventional means for removing waste material(s) from the interior of a structure. Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide an additive manufacturing file (e.g., code stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium) representative of and used for generating component  102  and support package  104  therein. 
     Referring first to component  102 , a body  106  of component  102  can be shaped to include one or more interior sidewalls  108  which define a hollow interior  110  of component  102 . Interior sidewalls  108  can extend axially along a straight line substantially in parallel to an exterior surface profile  109  of body  106 . In alternative embodiments, interior sidewalls  108  can be sloped inward or outward relative to exterior surface profile  109  of body  106 , e.g., such that a cross-section of hollow interior  110  is non-uniform or location-dependent. In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of hollow interior  110  may be greatest and/or lowest at predetermined axial location(s) of hollow interior  110 . In the accompanying figures, the axial direction of component  102  and support package  104  is shown to be parallel with X axis. Hollow interior  110  is shown to have a uniform cross-section in the accompanying figures solely for ease of explanation. As shown in  FIG. 2  and described elsewhere herein, interior sidewall(s)  108  can define a substantially rounded geometry (e.g., circular, ovular, etc.), or alternatively can form other geometries such as a triangular, quadrilateral, and/or other multi-sided interior geometry similar to or different that from exterior surface profile  109  of component  102 . 
     Body  106  can further include a closed first end  112 , in addition to a hollow second end  114  each connected to respective axial ends of interior sidewalls  108 . Interior sidewalls  108  are thus shown to extend axially between closed first end  112  and hollow second end  114 . In additive manufacture, a “build direction” of one or more components may be defined by a fabricator before raw materials are processed from raw materials into a desired structure. A build direction for a given component and/or sub-component therefore defines the order in which structural features are formed over time as raw materials (e.g., metallic powders) are sintered to form a structure. Such materials can include, e.g., one or more pure metals and/or alloys including without limitation: Copper (Cu), Chromium (Cr), Titanium (Ti), Nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), etc. In an example embodiment, a build direction “B” of component  102  can be oriented substantially along Y-axis. In this case, one interior sidewall  108  of body  106  is formed before closed first end  112 , followed by the remaining and/or remainder of interior sidewall  108 . The orientation of build direction B can therefore cause one interior sidewall  108  or portion thereof to be the last part of body  106  formed during manufacture. If support package  104  is not manufactured with component  102 , interior sidewall  108  may not have substantial structural support. Forming support package  104  as an integral structural portion of component  102  during manufacture can permit interior sidewall(s)  108  to be formed on a plurality of supports  116  of support package  104 , in addition to previously formed portions of body  106 . 
     Hollow interior  110  of component  102  can be defined by closed first end  112  and interior sidewalls  108 . Hollow second end  114  can provide an open connection between the external environment and hollow interior  110  of component  102 . As discussed in further detail elsewhere herein, component  102  can be shaped to form any desired geometry with interior sidewalls  108 , closed first end  112 , and hollow second end  114 , and in example embodiments may be substantially cylindrical, triangular, rectangular, polygonal, etc. As such, interior sidewall(s)  108  may be respective portions of a single continuous interior sidewall of component  102 , but can be defined as opposing interior sidewall(s)  108  by having respective components and/or features connected thereto. Regardless of the geometrical shape and configuration of component  102 , component  102  can be composed of one or more laser-sintered metals or metallic materials, e.g., those currently-known or later developed for use in an additive manufacturing process. 
     Support package  104  may be positioned substantially within hollow interior  110  of component  102 . Support package  104  can be formed together with component  102 , and thus and may include one or more of the same materials (e.g., laser-sintered metals and/or similar metallic components) included within component  102  as described elsewhere herein. Support package  104  can include supports  116  extending between interior sidewalls  108  of component  102 . Each support  116  can extend through a cross-section of hollow interior  110  to form a structural connection between interior sidewalls  108 . Supports  116  can thus be shaped to complement a geometrical profile of interior sidewalls  108 , e.g., by having an end-to-end length substantially equal to that of the portion of hollow interior  110  where support(s)  116  are positioned. In some cases, supports  116  can extend substantially in parallel with closed first end  112  and/or hollow second end  114 . Although ten supports  116  are shown in the accompanying figures for the purposes of demonstration, it is understood that the total number of supports  116  in support package  104  can vary between implementations. For instance, some support packages  104  may include, e.g., one support  116 , five supports  116 , fifty supports  116 , one-hundred or more supports  116 , etc. 
     Each support  116  can contact interior sidewalls  108  through a breakable joint  118 . Breakable joint  118  can be formed from the same materials composition as support(s)  116  and a remainder of component  102 , yet may be structurally distinct by having a greatly reduced cross-section relative to the remainder of support(s)  116 . In an example embodiment, a cross-section of support(s)  116  can be reduced by, e.g., at least approximately ninety percent proximal to respective interior sidewalls  108 . In an example embodiment, support  116  can have a cross-sectional diameter of approximately five centimeters (cm) within hollow interior  110 , but may have a reduced cross-sectional diameter of, e.g., 0.5 cm or 0.05 cm proximal to interior sidewall(s)  108 . Breakable joints  118  can thus be shaped to facilitate removal from component  102  in embodiments of the present disclosure, yet can be manufactured as a structurally integral piece of component  102  and/or support package  104 . Breakable joints  118  can be formed in pairs at opposing ends of each support  116 , such that supports  116  are mechanically coupled to interior sidewalls  110  of component  102  at opposing ends. 
     Support package  104  can further include a first rod  120  positioned proximal to one end of multiple support(s)  116  and one interior sidewall  108  of component  102 , and a second rod  122  positioned proximal to another interior sidewall  108  of component  102 . First and second rods  120 ,  122  can have a different orientation from supports  116 , and in an example embodiment can extend transversely and/or substantially in parallel with interior sidewall(s)  108  of component  102 . First and second rods  120 ,  122  are illustrated with cross-hatching solely to emphasize differences in position and/or intended use relative to other components of component  102  and/or support package  104 . It is understood that first and second rods  120 ,  122  may have the same material composition as the remainder of component  102 , e.g., body  106 , closed first end  112 , supports  116 , breakable joints  118 , etc. Specifically, first and second rods  120 ,  122 , may also be composed of a laser-sintered metal and/or metallic material such as those currently-known or later developed in the field of additive manufacture. 
     First and/or second rods  120 ,  122  may terminate axially at a first end E 1  positioned at or proximal to support(s)  116  located closest to closed first end  112  of body  106 . However, first and second rods  120 ,  122  may be structurally separated and/or independent from closed first end  112  of component  102 . An axial gap  124  within hollow interior  110  can therefore separate first and second rods  120 ,  122  from closed first end of body  106 , such that first closed end. As described elsewhere herein, axial gap  124  can provide a space for rods  120 ,  122  to travel when being struck during removal of support package  104  from component  102 . First rod  120  can include an opposing end E2 positioned outside component  102  and opposite first end E 1 . Second rod  122  can include an opposing end E 3  positioned outside component  102  and opposite first end E 1 . Each end E 1 , E 2 , E 3  of rods  120 ,  122  can exhibit, e.g., a flat axial shape to permit direct engagement with other flat surfaces during removal of support package  104 , as described elsewhere herein. In alternative embodiments, each end E 1 , E 2 , E 3  of rods  120 ,  122  can have a non-flat shape (e.g., curved, grooved, recessed, notched, etc.) for engaging similarly or complementarily-shaped instruments for contacting rods  120 ,  122 . Differences in size between first and second rod  120 ,  122  can cause second and third ends E 2 , E 3  to be separated by a linear differential  126 . In an example embodiment, second rod  122  can be greater in length than first rod  120  or vice versa. As described elsewhere herein, linear differential  126  can allow first rod or second rod  120 ,  122  to be struck before the other as support package  104  is being removed from component  102 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 2 , a cross-sectional view of component  102  and support package  104  in plane Y-Z is provided to further illustrate structural features of component  102  and support package  104 . In particular, each support  116  can optionally include multiple segments  116   a,    116   b,  which can be shaped to complement an interior geometry of component  102  and/or interior sidewalls  108 . For example, where hollow interior  110  of component  102  has a substantially ovular cross-section, support(s)  116  can include segments  116   a,    116   b  which are semi-ovular in shape and each coupled to first and second rods  120 ,  122  proximal to breakable joints  118 . When component  102  and support package  104  is fabricated along build direction B, first rod  120  can be formed before segments  116   a,    116   b,  which are formed simultaneously with respective portions of body  106 , and before second rod  122  and/or other breakable joints  118  are formed. It is also understood that support(s)  116  may not include segments  116   a,    116   b  where desired, or that more than two segments  116   a,    116   b  (e.g., three, five, ten, fifteen, twenty segments, etc.) may be formed. In addition, the shape of segments  116   a,    116   b  for each support  116  can vary based on the shape of interior sidewall(s)  108 . Although first and second rods  120 ,  122  are shown by example to include a solid cross-section, embodiments of the present disclosure can include rods  120 ,  122  which include wholly or partially hollow cross-sections in plane Y-Z. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a cross-sectional view of component  102  and support package  104  is shown to illustrate alternative embodiments of the present disclosure. As noted elsewhere herein, supports  116  can be formed to take on a variety of shapes, cross-sectional profiles, etc., to accommodate variously shaped component(s)  102  and/or intended applications. Thus, support packages  104  are shown in  FIG. 4  to include complex and/or composite geometries between respective interior sidewalls  108 . For example, support  116   c  is shown to be substantially X-shaped, support  116   d  is shown to include a composite geometry including X and T shapes, while support  116   e  is shown to be substantially Y-shaped. In addition to varying the shape of each support  116 , support packages  104  can include variably shaped first and second rods  120 ,  122 , which may have non-circular cross-sections. For instance, first and second rods  120 ,  122  in support  116   c  may be substantially rectangular, first and second rods  120 ,  122  in support  116   d  may be substantially triangular and/or X-shaped, while first and second rods  120 ,  122  in support  116   e  may have irregular or non-polygonal cross-sectional geometries. Varying the shape of rods  120 ,  122  may yield technical benefits in various applications of the present disclosure, e.g., by accounting for longer or shorter separation distances between supports  116  to prevent local overhangs during the fabrication or removal of support packages  104 . In still other embodiments, rods  120 ,  122  may be structurally connected to support(s)  116  through additional breakable joints  118 , such that some breakable joints  118  connect rods  120 ,  122  to supports  116  while other breakable joints  118  connect supports  116  to interior sidewall(s)  108 . 
     Regardless of the shape in which supports  116  and rods  120 ,  122  are formed, embodiments of the present disclosure can be formed along build direction B and/or implemented after manufacture pursuant to the same principles as other embodiments described explicitly herein. Furthermore, each support package  104  may include additional first and/or second rods  120 ,  122  therein such that the total number of rods  120 ,  122  in each support package may include, e.g., three rods, four rods, six rods, ten rods, fifty rods, one-hundred or more rods, etc. It is therefore understood that support packages  104  may have one or multiple first rods  120 , one or multiple second rods  122 , one or multiple supports  116   a  ( FIG. 3 ),  116   b  ( FIG. 3 ),  116   c ,  116   d ,  116   e , etc., with any geometrical configuration shown explicitly herein and/or alternative geometrical configurations apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. 
     Turning to  FIG. 4 , further embodiments of component  102  and support package  104  are shown. In particular, one component  102  can include multiple support packages  104   a,    104   b  positioned substantially in axial alignment with each other. Each support package  104   a,    104   b  can include respective sets of supports  116  breakable joints  118   a,    118   b,  rods  120   a,    120   b,    122   a,    122   b,  etc., formed substantially in the same manner as the single support package  104  described elsewhere herein. Each support package  104   a,    104   b  can be composed of similar or identical materials, including those described elsewhere herein with respect to component  102  and/or a single package  104 . Further, support packages  104   a,    104   b  can be connected to interior sidewalls  108  through breakable joints  118   a,    118   b  as described elsewhere herein. Axially adjacent support packages  104   a,    104   b  can be substantially aligned with each other such that an axial gap  128  separates each support package  104   a,    104   b , within hollow interior  110  of component  102 . First and second rods  120   a,    120   b ,  122   a,    122   b,  may be shaped to have different axial lengths depending on the size and shape of hollow interior  110 . 
     Support packages  104   a,    104   b  may be structurally independent from each other yet positioned in the same hollow interior  110  of component  102 . Although two support packages  104   a,    104   b  are illustrated by example in  FIG. 4 , it is understood that component  102  can be fabricated to include any desired number of support packages  104  therein, with support package(s)  104  being substantially axially aligned end-to-end with other support package(s)  104  through first and second rods  120 ,  122 . More specifically, rods  120 ,  122  of each support package  104  can be substantially aligned with their counterparts in other support package(s)  104 . As described elsewhere herein, an axial striking force can be imparted to rods  120   b,    122   b  of one support package  104   b  can destroy breakable joints  116   b  dislodge rods  120   b,    122   b  thereof from component  102 . The dislodged rods  120   b,    122   b  can then contact axially aligned rods  120   a,    122   a  of another support package  104   a  to also destroy breakable joints  116   a  thereof. The relative positioning of each support package  104   a,    104   b  can therefore allow both support packages  104   a,    104   b  to be removed in a single process, e.g., by striking only one support package  104   b.    
     Turning to  FIG. 5 , embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for removing support package(s)  104  from component  102 . Methods according to the present disclosure can include providing component  102  with opposing interior sidewalls  108 , as described elsewhere herein and illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 . In particular, component  102  can be manufactured using build direction B ( FIGS. 1-4 ) to form first rod  120 , supports  116 , and second rod  122  on one interior sidewall  108  of body  106 , before forming a remainder or other interior sidewall  108  thereon. Methods according to the present disclosure can include dislodging and removing support package(s)  104  from component  102  after manufacture by striking predetermined elements of support package(s)  104 , e.g., rods  120 ,  122 . 
     Breakable joints  118  may become dislodged from interior sidewalls  108  without remaining portions of supports  116  being damaged, e.g., by having a greatly reduced material strength as a result of having a reduced cross-section relative to the remainder of support(s)  116 . Methods according to the present disclosure can include, e.g., striking first rod  120  of support package  104  with a force which overcomes the material strength of breakable joints  118  from interior sidewall  108 . Thereafter, second rod  122  may also be struck with a force that is at least sufficient to destroy any remaining breakable joints  118  which joined second rod  122  to interior sidewall  108 . Methods according to the present disclosure can include striking first and second rods  120 ,  122  at hollow second end  114  positioned opposite closed first end  112  of component  102 . 
     First and second rods  120 ,  122  can be struck, e.g., using a striking tool  130  with an operative head  132  shaped to sequentially or simultaneously contact first and second rods  120 ,  122 . As examples, striking tool  130  can be embodied as, e.g., a hammer (including, e.g., mechanically-driven hammers, electrically-driven hammers, pneumatically-driven hammers, etc.), a stamping instrument, a press, a milling surface, etc. To provide ease of contact between striking tool  130  and rods  120 ,  122 , operative head  132  can include a contact surface for sequentially striking axial ends of first and second rods  120 ,  122 , which may include a flat or complementary shape such that operative head  132  easily contacts rods  120 ,  122 . In an example embodiment, first rod  120  and second rod  122  may have different lengths, thereby causing operative head  132  to contact second rod  120  before contacting first rod  122 . Thus, the shape of striking tool  130  and rods  120 ,  122  can cause breakable joints  118  of both rods  120 ,  122  to be dislodged from interior sidewalls  108  in a single striking motion. 
     Support package  104  can be shaped to deform when breakable joints  118  have been broken. In particular, supports  116  may become slanted as a result of one rod  120 ,  122  being struck before another when breakable joints  118  are dislodged from interior sidewall(s)  108  of component  102 . After both rods  120 ,  122  have been struck, each of the plurality of supports  116  can become oriented at a non-perpendicular angle relative to interior sidewall(s)  108  of component  102 . The deformation of supports  116  can reduce the span of package  104  between interior sidewalls  108 , such that gaps  134  separate package  104  from interior sidewalls  108 . Where rods  120 ,  122  are shaped to have different lengths, first and/or second rod  120 ,  122  can axially contact closed first end  112  after rods  120 ,  122  have been struck. In any event, support package  104  can then be removed from component  102 , e.g., by allowing package  104  to slide and/or fall out of hollow interior  110 . Methods according to the present disclosure can thereby allow component  102  to be manufactured substantially along build direction B ( FIGS. 1-4 ) with support package  104  therein, before removing support package  104  according to methods of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , further embodiments of a method for removing support package  104  from component  102  are shown. In some cases, support package(s)  104  may be manufactured such that each rod  120 ,  122  has substantially the same length. However, a user may wish to remove one rod  120 ,  122  before another in a single striking motion during the removing of support package  104 . To provide this functionality, methods according to the present disclosure can include striking rods  120 ,  122  with striking tool  130  which includes a stepped contact surface  136  of operative head  132 . In particular, stepped contact surface  136  can be shaped to contact second rod  122  before contacting first rod  120 , thereby dislodging support package  104  at breakable joints  118  of second rod  122  before those of first rod  120 . Stepped contact surface  136  of operative head  132  can thereby cause second rod  122  to be removed before first rod  120  even when rods  120 ,  122  have substantially the same axial length. 
     The above-described component  102 , support package  104 , and parts thereof can be manufactured using any now known or later developed technologies, e.g., machining, casting, etc. In one embodiment, however, additive manufacturing is particularly suited for manufacturing component  102 , i.e., body  106 , interior sidewalls  108 , supports  116 , breakable joints  118 , first rod  120 , second sod  122 , etc. As used herein, additive manufacturing (AM) may include any process of producing an object through the successive layering of material rather than the removal of material, which is the case with conventional processes. Additive manufacturing can create complex geometries without the use of any sort of tools, molds or fixtures, and with little or no waste material. Instead of machining components from solid billets of metal, much of which is cut away and discarded, the only material used in additive manufacturing is what is required to shape the part. Additive manufacturing processes may include but are not limited to: 3D printing, rapid prototyping (RP), direct digital manufacturing (DDM), selective laser melting (SLM) and direct metal laser melting (DMLM). In the current setting, DMLM has been found advantageous. 
     To illustrate an example additive manufacturing process,  FIG. 7  shows a schematic/block view of an illustrative computerized additive manufacturing system  900  for generating an object  902 . In this example, system  900  is arranged for DMLM. It is understood that the general teachings of the disclosure are equally applicable to other forms of additive manufacturing. Object  902  is illustrated as a double walled turbine element; however, it is understood that the additive manufacturing process can be readily adapted to manufacture component  102  ( FIGS. 1-6 ) with removable support package  104  ( FIGS. 1-6 ) therein. AM system  900  generally includes a computerized additive manufacturing (AM) control system  904  and an AM printer  906 . AM system  900 , as will be described, executes code  920  that includes a set of computer-executable instructions defining component  102  with removable support package  104  to physically generate one or more of these objects using AM printer  906 . Each AM process may use different raw materials in the form of, for example, fine-grain powder, liquid (e.g., polymers), sheet, etc., a stock of which may be held in a chamber  910  of AM printer  906 . In the instant case, component  102  and package  104  may be made of stainless steel or similar materials. As illustrated, an applicator  912  may create a thin layer of raw material  914  spread out as the blank canvas from which each successive slice of the final object will be created. In other cases, applicator  912  may directly apply or print the next layer onto a previous layer as defined by code  920 , e.g., where the material is a polymer. In the example shown, a laser or electron beam  916  fuses particles for each slice, as defined by code  920 . Various parts of AM printer  906  may move to accommodate the addition of each new layer, e.g., a build platform  918  may lower and/or chamber  910  and/or applicator  912  may rise after each layer. 
     AM control system  904  is shown implemented on computer  930  as computer program code. To this extent, computer  930  is shown including a memory  932 , a processor  934 , an input/output (I/O) interface  936 , and a bus  938 . Further, computer  930  is shown in communication with an external I/O device/resource  940  and a storage system  942 . In general, processor  934  executes computer program code, such as AM control system  904 , that is stored in memory  932  and/or storage system  942  under instructions from code  920  representative of component  102  ( FIGS. 1-6 ) with package  104  ( FIGS. 1-6 ), described herein. While executing computer program code, processor  934  can read and/or write data to/from memory  932 , storage system  942 , I/O device  940  and/or AM printer  906 . Bus  938  provides a communication link between each of the components in computer  930 , and I/O device  940  can comprise any device that enables a user to interact with computer  940  (e.g., keyboard, pointing device, display, etc.). Computer  930  is only representative of various possible combinations of hardware and software. For example, processor  934  may comprise a single processing unit, or be distributed across one or more processing units in one or more locations, e.g., on a client and server. Similarly, memory  932  and/or storage system  942  may reside at one or more physical locations. Memory  932  and/or storage system  942  can comprise any combination of various types of non-transitory computer readable storage medium including magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), etc. Computer  930  can comprise any type of computing device such as a network server, a desktop computer, a laptop, a handheld device, a mobile phone, a pager, a personal data assistant, etc. 
     Additive manufacturing processes begin with a non-transitory computer readable storage medium (e.g., memory  932 , storage system  942 , etc.) storing code  920  representative of component  102  ( FIGS. 1-6 ) with package  104  ( FIGS. 1-6 ). As noted, code  920  includes a set of computer-executable instructions defining outer electrode that can be used to physically generate the tip, upon execution of the code by system  900 . For example, code  920  may include a precisely defined 3D model of outer electrode and can be generated from any of a large variety of well-known computer aided design (CAD) software systems such as AutoCAD®, TurboCAD®, DesignCAD 3D Max, etc. In this regard, code  920  can take any now known or later developed file format. For example, code  920  may be in the Standard Tessellation Language (STL) which was created for stereolithography CAD programs of 3D Systems, or an additive manufacturing file (AMF), which is an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) standard that is an extensible markup-language (XML) based format designed to allow any CAD software to describe the shape and composition of any three-dimensional object to be fabricated on any AM printer. Code  920  may be translated between different formats, converted into a set of data signals and transmitted, received as a set of data signals and converted to code, stored, etc., as necessary. Code  920  may be an input to system  900  and may come from a part designer, an intellectual property (IP) provider, a design company, the operator or owner of system  900 , or from other sources. In any event, AM control system  904  executes code  920 , dividing component  102  and package  104  into a series of thin slices that it assembles using AM printer  906  in successive layers of liquid, powder, sheet or other material. In the DMLM example, each layer is melted to the exact geometry defined by code  920  and fused to the preceding layer. Subsequently, the outer electrode may be exposed to any variety of finishing processes, e.g., minor machining, sealing, polishing, assembly to other part of component  102  ( FIGS. 1-6 ) or package  104  ( FIGS. 1-6 ), etc. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
     This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.