A Ni-base superalloy composition to be used for powder-based additive manufacturing (AM) technology, such as selective laser melting (SLM) or electron beam melting (EBM). The cracking susceptibility during an AM process is considerably reduced by controlling the amount of elements, especially Hf, that form low-melting eutectics.

A device for measuring the depth of a weld seam in real time during the welding or joining of a workpiece by means of radiation, including: its measuring light source, the light of which is coupled by a beam splitter into a reference arm and a measuring arm; a collimator module having at least one collimation lens for collimating a measuring light beam, which is fed to the collimator module via an optical waveguide in the measuring arm, and for imaging the measuring light beam, which is reflected from a workpiece to be processed, on an exit/entry surface of the optical waveguide; a coupling element for coupling the measuring light beam into the beam path of a processing beam; a focusing lens for the joint focusing of the measuring light beam and the processing beam on the workpiece and for the collimating of the reflected measuring light beam; and an analysis unit for determining the depth of a weld seam, into which the measuring light reflected from the workpiece is guided with the superimposed, reflected light from the reference arm. The collimator module includes a device for setting the axial focal position of the measuring light beam, and for setting the lateral focal position of the measuring light beam, and a field lens, which is arranged between the exit/entry surface of the optical waveguide and the collimation lens and defines the beam widening of the measuring light beam and therefore the focus diameter of the measuring light beam.

Device surfaces are rendered superhydrophobic and/or superoleophobic through microstructures and/or nanostructures that utilize the same base material(s) as the device itself without the need for coatings made from different materials or substances. A medical device includes a portion made from a base material having a surface adapted for contact with biological material, and wherein the surface is modified to become superhydrophobic, superoleophobic, or both, using only the base material, excluding non-material coatings. The surface may be modified using a subtractive process, an additive process, or a combination thereof. The product of the process may form part of an implantable device or a medical instrument, including a medical device or instrument associated with an intraocular procedure. The surface may be modified to include micrometer- or nanometer-sized pillars, posts, pits or cavitations; hierarchical structures having asperities; or posts/pillars with caps having dimensions greater than the diameters of the posts or pillars.

A process includes forming a printed article having an external surface and at least one microfeature with an internal surface by additive manufacture, coating the external surface and the internal surface of the printed article with a metallic microlayer to form a coated article, and densifying the coated article to form a component. After formation, the printed article has a porosity such that the printed article is not at full density. A densified component includes a printed article having an external surface and at least one microfeature with an internal surface and a metallic microlayer coating the external surface and the internal surface of the printed article. The printed article is formed by additive manufacture.

The present disclosure generally relates to additive manufacturing systems and methods on a large-scale format. One aspect involves a build unit that can be moved around in three dimensions by a positioning system, building separate portions of a large object. The build unit has an energy directing device that directs, e.g., laser or e-beam irradiation onto a powder layer. In the case of laser irradiation, the build volume may have a gasflow device that provides laminar gas flow to a laminar flow zone above the layer of powder. This allows for efficient removal of the smoke, condensates, and other impurities produced by irradiating the powder (the “gas plume”) without excessively disturbing the powder layer. The build unit may also have a recoater that allows it to selectively deposit particular quantities of powder in specific locations over a work surface to build large, high quality, high precision objects.

A vehicular differential device includes a differential case, a ring gear, and a welded portion positioned on an abutting surface where the differential case and the ring gear are in contact with each other. The welded portion is configured to join the differential case and the ring gear for integral rotation of the differential case and the ring gear around a rotation axis of the vehicular differential device. The welded portion includes a plurality of welding surfaces positioned at predetermined intervals along a circumferential direction around the rotation axis.

A vehicular differential device includes a differential case, a ring gear, and a welded portion positioned on an abutting surface where the differential case and the ring gear are in contact with each other. The welded portion is configured to join the differential case and the ring gear for integral rotation of the differential case and the ring gear around a rotation axis of the vehicular differential device. The welded portion includes a plurality of welding surfaces positioned at predetermined intervals along a circumferential direction around the rotation axis.

A powder material for an additive manufacturing process and a method of manufacturing a three-dimensional article via an additive manufacturing process. The powder material comprises an iron-based alloy including alloying elements of carbon (C) and copper (Cu). The iron-based alloy may be formulated to achieve a precipitation strengthened microstructure comprising a lath martensite matrix phase and a Cu precipitate phase. The iron-based alloy may have a Cu weight fraction and a nickel (Ni) weight fraction, and the Ni weight fraction may be less than the Cu weight fraction of the iron-based alloy.

An apparatus for generating electron radiation comprises: an elongated, wire-shaped hot cathode to emit electron radiation having an elongated, line-shaped cross section perpendicular to a direction of propagation of the electron radiation; a cathode electrode; an anode electrode with an opening through which the electron radiation emitted from the hot cathode can pass, wherein a voltage applied between the cathode electrode and the anode electrode accelerates electrons emitted from the hot cathode; and a deflecting unit to deflect the electron radiation downstream of the opening of the anode electrode, wherein a cross section of the electron radiation perpendicular to the direction of propagation is changed by the deflecting unit to decease a longitudinal extent of the electron radiation and to increase a transverse extent of the electron radiation such that longitudinal and transverse extents of the electron radiation perpendicular to the direction of propagation are about the same size.

An additive manufacturing system and method for forming a part of dissimilar materials. The additive manufacturing system may include a build platform, a recoater for dispensing build powder onto the build platform, an energy source, a foil feed assembly, and a controller for controlling actuation of these components. The method of forming the part may include the steps of depositing a layer of build powder onto the build platform surface, melting selected portions of the layer of build powder, applying a sheet of foil over the layer of build powder, melting selected portions of the sheet of foil onto the layer of build powder, removing the sheet of foil from the layer of build powder, and then lowering the build platform surface to prepare for deposition of a next layer of the build powder. These steps are then repeated one or more times, thereby forming the part.