Disclosed is a method of welding dissimilar metals, including: preparing a dissimilar metal bus bar composed of a plate-shaped first member made of a first metal and a plate-shaped second member made of a second metal disposed under the first member; folding one side of the dissimilar metal bus bar so that a portion of the second member is located on a portion of the first member; welding a lead made of the first metal on the first member; and welding a lead made of the second metal to the second member located on the portion of the first member, thus solving cracking or corrosion problems of a conventional welding process and also welding an over-lay clad metal with leads, thereby generating economic benefits and increasing the convenience of the welding process.

In an outer joint member of a constant velocity universal joint, a cup member and a shaft member are made of medium to high carbon steel and welded together. The cup member has a bottomed cylindrical shape that is opened at one end, and includes a cylindrical portion, a bottom portion, and a short shaft section of a solid shaft shape protruding from the bottom portion and having a joining end surface. The shaft member has a solid shaft shape and a joining end surface. The joining end surfaces of the cup and shaft members are brought into abutment against each other, and a high energy intensity beam is radiated from an outer side in a radial direction to form a welded portion. A structure of a molten metal at the welded portion is in a mixed phase of ferrite and granular cementite.

In an outer joint member of a constant velocity universal joint, a cup member and a shaft member are made of medium to high carbon steel and welded together. The cup member has a bottomed cylindrical shape that is opened at one end, and includes a cylindrical portion, a bottom portion, and a short shaft section of a solid shaft shape protruding from the bottom portion and having a joining end surface. The shaft member has a solid shaft shape and a joining end surface. The joining end surfaces of the cup and shaft members are brought into abutment against each other, and a high energy intensity beam is radiated from an outer side in a radial direction to form a welded portion. A structure of a molten metal at the welded portion is in a mixed phase of ferrite and granular cementite.

A method for producing a layered object is provided. The method includes a) irradiating a given surface layer of the object with an energy beam to create an interaction zone on the surface layer; b) providing relative motion between the energy beam and the given surface layer so as to control the interaction between the energy beam and the given surface layer; c) introducing feedstock into the interaction zone so that the feedstock melts and forms a hot solidified surface after leaving the interaction zone; d) applying mechanical energy to the hot solidified surface; and e) repeating steps (a) through (d) to form at least part of the layered object.

A method for producing a three-dimensional object (2) by applying layers of a pulverulent construction material (11) and by selectively solidifying said material by the action of energy comprises the steps: a layer of the pulverulent construction material (11) is applied to a support (6) or to a layer of the construction material that has been previously applied and at least selectively solidified; an energy beam (14) from an energy source (13) sweeps over points on the applied layer corresponding to a cross-section of the object (2) to be produced in order to selectively solidify the pulverulent construction material (11); and a gas flow (18) is guided in a main flow direction (RG) over the applied layer during the sweep of the energy beam (14). The main flow direction (RG) of the gas flow (G) and the sweep direction (RL) of the energy beam (14) are adapted to one another at least in one region of the cross-section to be solidified.

The machine is of the type which uses an energy beam which acts on a powder layer in a working zone. The machine has a device for layering said powder and which includes a means for storing powder, a means for distributing powder, a feeding means that transfers powder from the storage means to the distributing means, and a metering means that controls the quantity of powder transferred from storage means to distributing means. The storage means is positioned higher than the working zone, the feeding means utilizes gravity, and in use, the feeding means and the metering means move with the distributing means. The machine has two separate working zones and two separate working trays that move independently of one another. Each of the working trays is associated with only one working zone, and the layering device is common to both working zones.

A method for manufacturing a component includes providing a metallic first powder having a plurality of first particles with a first mean particle diameter. A second powder added to the first powder has a plurality of second particles with a second mean particle diameter less than the first mean particle diameter. Energy is applied to at least the second powder so as to selectively heat the second particles. The first powder is combined with the heated second powder to form a modified powder including modified powder particles. Modified powder particles have an interior portion containing an interior composition, and an outer surface portion with an outer composition different from the interior composition.

An electron beam 3D printing machine (1), comprising a chamber (2) for generating and accelerating an electron beam and an operating chamber (3) in which a metal powder is melted, with the consequent production of a three-dimensional product. The chamber (2) for generating and accelerating an electron beam houses means (4) for generating an electron beam and means (6) for accelerating the generated electron beam, while the operating chamber (3) houses at least one platform (16) for depositing the metal powder, metal powder handling means (18) and electron beam deflection means (15). The accelerator means for the generated electron beam comprise a series of resonant cavities fed with an alternating signal.

A method for the manufacture of a component having an internal cavity is described. The method comprises; defining an external geometry of the component, defining a core geometry of the component; and using an additive layer manufacturing (ALM) method, building the component from a plurality of layers laid on a first plane. The core geometry is advantageously designed to suit manufacture of the component using an ALM method which involves local melting of powder in a powder bed to form the layers, permitting easy removal of excess powder from the internal cavity.

An electron beam source comprising a cathode, an anode, a means for deflecting an electron beam over a target surface and at least one vacuum pump, the electron beam source further comprising a contraction area arranged between the anode and the means for deflecting the electron beam where a hole in the contraction area is aligned with a hole in the anode with respect to the cathode, a first vacuum pump is arranged between the contraction area and the anode and a second vacuum pump is arranged above the anode, a gas inlet is provided between the contraction area and the means for deflecting the electron beam, wherein a first crossover of the electron beam is arranged between the cathode and the anode and a second crossover is arranged at or in close proximity to the contraction area.