The machine presents a working zone that is defined in an upper part of a build sleeve which is fixedly mounted in a chassis. Within the working zone, the object is supported by a build plate which slides inside the build sleeve when driven in vertical translation by the head of an actuating cylinder which is placed along a central axis of the sleeve. The build plate is positioned inside a transport container which is arranged removably between the sleeve and the actuating cylinder. The machine also includes a means for moving the transport container vertically into contact with the build sleeve. The container is open at its top and at its bottom so that, when the actuating cylinder is actuated, the head thereof can transfer the plate between the transport container and the build sleeve which forms a build envelope around the plate.

A constructing-and-forging method for preparing homogenized forged pieces comprises: preparing preformed billets: cutting off a plurality of continuous casting billets, milling and smoothing surfaces of the billets to be welded, performing vacuum plasma cleaning operation to the surfaces to be welded, stacking the plurality of billets and sealing around the surfaces in a vacuum chamber by electron beam welding; forge-welding and homogenizing the preformed billets: heating the preformed billets to a certain temperature in a heating furnace and taking the heated preformed billets out of the heating furnace, forging the preformed billets by a hydraulic press, then using three-dimensional forging to disperse the welded surfaces such that composition, structure and inclusion of the interface areas are at the same level as those of the bodies of the billets. Cheap continuous casting billets are stacked and forge welded.

A constructing-and-forging method for preparing homogenized forged pieces comprises: preparing preformed billets: cutting off a plurality of continuous casting billets, milling and smoothing surfaces of the billets to be welded, performing vacuum plasma cleaning operation to the surfaces to be welded, stacking the plurality of billets and sealing around the surfaces in a vacuum chamber by electron beam welding; forge-welding and homogenizing the preformed billets: heating the preformed billets to a certain temperature in a heating furnace and taking the heated preformed billets out of the heating furnace, forging the preformed billets by a hydraulic press, then using three-dimensional forging to disperse the welded surfaces such that composition, structure and inclusion of the interface areas are at the same level as those of the bodies of the billets. Cheap continuous casting billets are stacked and forge welded.

A leveling slider exchange arrangement for use in an apparatus for manufacturing three-dimensional work pieces by irradiating powder layers with electromagnetic radiation or particle radiation, the leveling slider exchange arrangement comprises a powder application device adapted to apply a raw material powder onto a carrier and a leveling slider adapted to level the raw material powder applied onto the carrier by means of the powder application device. An attachment mechanism is adapted to releasably attach the leveling slider in a leveling slider attachment position in the powder application device. A storage chamber is adapted to store at least one exchange leveling slider, the storage chamber being connected to a connecting channel adapted to connect the storage chamber to the leveling slider attachment position in the powder application device. A leveling slider exchange mechanism is adapted to withdraw the exchange leveling slider from the storage chamber, to move the exchange leveling slider to the leveling slider attachment position in the powder application device via the connecting channel and to bring the exchange leveling slider into engagement with the attachment mechanism.

There is provided an arc welding control method for performing a forward/reverse feeding control of alternating a feeding rate of a welding wire between a forward feeding period and a reverse feeding period, and generating short-circuiting periods and arc periods to perform welding. The welding wire is fed forwardly upon starting the welding. The forward feeding is continued during a transient welding period from a time point at which the welding wire comes in contact with a base material and conduction of welding current is started to a time point at which convergence on a steady welding period is performed. The transient welding period is terminated at the short-circuiting period. The forward/reverse feeding control is started from the reverse feeding period after the termination of the transient welding period.

A method for repairing a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) article including a ceramic material in a matrix including a metal alloy, wherein a localized region of the metal alloy has a defect. The method includes applying heat to the localized region for a time sufficient to increase the temperature of the metal alloy in the localized region above the melt temperature thereof and cause the metal alloy in the localized region to flow and seal the crack.

A method for repairing a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) article including a ceramic material in a matrix including a metal alloy, wherein a localized region of the metal alloy has a defect. The method includes applying heat to the localized region for a time sufficient to increase the temperature of the metal alloy in the localized region above the melt temperature thereof and cause the metal alloy in the localized region to flow and seal the crack.

A method may include controlling, by a computing device, a directed energy deposition material addition (DED MA) technique based at least in part on a thermal model. The thermal model may define a plurality of default operating parameters for the DED MA technique. The method also may include detecting, by at least one sensor, at least one parameter related to the DED MA technique. Further, the method may include, responsive to determining, by the computing device, that a value of the at least one detected parameter is different from an expected value of a corresponding parameter predicted by the thermal model, determining, by the computing device and using a neuro-fuzzy algorithm, an updated value for at least one operating parameter for the DED MA technique, and controlling, by the computing device, the DED MA technique based at least in part on the updated value.

A computerized method, system, program product and additive manufacturing (AM) system are disclosed. Embodiments provide for modifying object code representative of an object to be physically generated layer by layer by a computerized AM system using the object code. The computerized method may include providing an interface to allow a user to manually: select a region within the object in the object code, the object code including a plurality of pre-assigned build strategy parameters for the object that control operation of the computerized AM system, and selectively modify a build strategy parameter in the selected region in the object code to change an operation of the computerized AM system from the plurality of pre-assigned build strategy parameters during building of the object by the computerized AM system.

One exemplary embodiment of this disclosure relates to a gas turbine engine, including a component having a first portion formed using one of a casting and a forging process, and a second portion formed using an additive manufacturing process.