## 1 Introduction  
Among the Material Extrusion (ME) technologies defined by the ASTM F42 committee [1], Fused Granular Fabrication (FGF) has enabled the production of larger-volume prints and extruded beads, representing a distinct approach to additive manufacturing (AM) using thermoplastic pellets as feedstock [2]. This technique has facilitated the development of Large Format Additive Manufacturing (LFAM), originating from a collaboration between Oak Ridge National Laboratories (ORNL) and Cincinnati Incorporated (Harrison, OH, USA), which resulted in the Big AreaAdditive Manufacturing (BAAM) system in 2015 [3]. Following this advancement, companies such as Thermwood Corporation (Dale, IN, USA) [4] have introduced industrial 3D printers with printing volumes ranging from 25 m\({}^{3}\) to the substantial 450 m\({}^{3}\) of the Masterprinter(tm) developed by Ingersoll Machine Tools (Rockford, IL, USA) [5]. In recent years, additional companies have presented equipment and technologies that fall within the LFAM category, leading to increased research interest in this field [6; 7]. LFAM has been applied to produce various large-scale components, including toilet cabinets, excavator frames, boats, houses, and self-driving microbuses [8; 9; 10]. Notably, FGF combined with machining processes has proven effective and cost-efficient for creating molds across diverse applications. This approach offers a significant advantage over traditional metallic molds (aluminum or steel) by substantially reducing lead times and production costs for short to medium production runs [11]. The number of successful mold developments using FGF is rapidly increasing, particularly in the aerospace, energy, maritime, and automotive industries. For instance, ORNL, in collaboration with companies such as Whirlpool, Boeing, DGT, and Purdue University, has developed molds for expanded foam in refrigeration, compression molding, composite lamination, and metal stamping fixtures. Alliance MG printed a 10 m catamaran mold, BAE Systems produced an aerospace mold using the MasterPrint Ascent system (Macomb, MI, USA), and Thermwood, in partnership with Spirit AeroSystems, created skin molds for aircraft production. This trend extends beyond composite lamination to encompass injection molding, compression molding, and thermoforming. Surface finishing is a critical aspect, typically involving machining and applying coatings to achieve the required roughness. The existing literature on this topic is limited. [PERSON] and [PERSON] provided an initial feasibility assessment of FGF for composite part molds, highlighting the necessity for post-processing or coatings to achieve the desired surface quality [12]. [PERSON] et al. investigated the impact of print orientation on machining, finding no significant differences in surface quality or durability, with molds lasting up to five production cycles [13]. [PERSON] et al. also pioneered the use of FGF for Vacuum-Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM), which requires stringent surface quality, using ABS with 20% carbon fiber (CF) reinforcement [12]. [PERSON] and [PERSON] documented the 24 h development of a polished VARTM mold, demonstrating high durability and a geometric precision of \(\pm\)0.030 mm after milling and 10 production cycles [11]. [PERSON] et al. examined the thermal behavior of molds, focusing on the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and thermal conductivity, through the development of a 13 m wind turbine blade mold using ABS with 20% CF [14]. This mold, fabricated in two days, was coated with glass fiber resin and machined, demonstrating the viability of glass fiber coatings for achieving necessary thermal properties, cooling rates, distortion control, and vacuum integrity. While some research has aimed to eliminate coatings, [PERSON] et al. successfully produced a seven-part boat hull using only demolding agents on milled surfaces [15]. [PERSON] et al.