A method for making an article is disclosed. According to the method, a digital model of the article is generated. The digital model is inputted into an additive manufacturing apparatus comprising an energy source. The additive manufacturing apparatus applies energy from the energy source to successively applied incremental quantities of a powder to fuse the powder to form the article corresponding to the digital model. The powder particles individually include a composite core including a first phase of a first metal and a second phase of a ceramic. A first shell including a second metal is disposed over the core.

An improved scanning strategy, having a waveform hatch pattern for scanning an energy source during an additive manufacturing build process. A waveform hatch pattern is formed on each layer of the build so as to increase the variance between layers and/or improve the microstructure of the completed component. In one aspect, a first layer is formed by scanning a laser in a series of hatch lines formed as a first pattern that oscillates about an axis. Each subsequent layer is formed as a series hatch lines formed in a pattern that is varied in geometry from a previous and subsequently formed layer. By varying the pattern when forming each layer, the desired variance in each layer can be achieved.

A sensor is provided near an additive manufacturing (AM) part during fabrication to provide information about the condition of the additive material during fabrication. Sensor measurements are used for in situ monitoring and control of the AM system. By placing a sensor at this location, information at or near this location may be collected and then analyzed to determine if the AM process is proceeding acceptably, or if real-time modifications to the process should be made to improve the performance of the process. Conditions monitored by the sensor may include the melt pool dimensions, the temperature ahead of and at the melt pool, properties of the powder bed such as temperature and particle size distribution, local powder conditions, prior layer condition, and applied layer condition behind the laser. A control system uses these monitored conditions to adjust and control the ongoing AM fabrication process.

A method for producing a component structure of two components includes subjecting the components to beam energy for melting in a contact region. A variation of beam current is set to melt the components in the contact region over a defined component depth less than the perpendicular distance between sides of the contact region. A defined beam current pulse is periodically imparted to the variation of the beam current, to melt the components at least approximately over the entire perpendicular distance between the sides of the contact region and to produce in the region of the second side weld regions of a weld root of the weld connecting the components projecting from the contact region and form a pattern which representative of a weld quality. Between the weld regions there is no melting of the components in the region between the defined component depth and the second side.

A method for producing a piston for an internal combustion engine may include the steps of: producing a piston main body from a first blank via a deformation process; producing a piston ring part from a second blank via at least one of a deformation process and a casting process; pre-machining the first blank and the second blank, and finish machining a welding surface of the first blank and a welding surface of the second blank; connecting the pre-machined first blank and the pre-machined second blank via a welding process to form a piston body; and performing at least one of a secondary machining and a finish machining of the piston body to produce the piston.

A welding method according to the invention is a welding method in which welding is performed by emitting a high-energy beam onto a welding object that includes a plurality of overlapped metal sheets. This welding method includes forming a tack weld nugget at a welding point on the welding object, and forming a plurality of final weld nuggets along a virtual closed curve that encircles the tack weld nugget, while leaving the tack weld nugget, at the welding point.

A component according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a wall and a vascular engineered lattice structure formed inside of the wall. The vascular engineered lattice structure includes a plurality of nodes, a plurality of branches that extend between the plurality of nodes, and a plurality of passages extending between the plurality of nodes and the plurality of passages. Further, at least one of the branches is non-circular in cross-section.

A manufacturing method is used for an outer joint member of a constant velocity universal joint. The outer joint member includes a cup section having track grooves formed in its inner periphery, which are engageable with torque transmitting elements, and a shaft section formed at a bottom portion of the cup section. The manufacturing method includes welding the cup and shaft members by irradiating a beam to joining end portions of the cup and shaft members, causing an outer surface including the welded portion to be formed into a flat smooth surface by removal processing, irradiating ultrasonic waves to the flat smooth surface with one probe at an incident angle which prevents total reflection in a circumferential angle beam flaw detection method, and setting a focal point of the ultrasonic waves to positions from a surface to an inside of the welded portion, to thereby perform inspection.

Described is a nozzle assembly that includes a body component defining a center axis. The nozzle assembly also includes an energy beam channel and substantially collinear with the center axis. The energy beam channel has an inlet portion and an outlet portion oriented to pass an energy beam therethrough. At least one side-feeding powder tube extends through the body component at an angle with respect to the center axis. The side-feeding powder tube discharges a powdered material into a focus point of the energy beam. The angle is selected to generate a powder concentration spot diameter that is about twice a beam focus point diameter of the energy beam focus point.

A method for layer-by-layer manufacturing of a three-dimensional work piece, including: (a) delivering a metallic feed material into a feed region; (b) emitting an electron beam; (c) translating the electron beam through a first predetermined raster pattern frame that includes: (i) a plurality of points within the feed region; and (ii) a plurality of points in a substrate region that is outside of the feed region; (d) monitoring a condition of the feed region or the substrate region for the occurrence of any deviation from a predetermined condition; (e) upon detecting of any deviation, translating the electron beam through at least one second predetermined raster pattern frame that maintains the melting beam power density level substantially the same, but alters the substrate beam power density level; and (f) repeating steps (a) through (e) at one or more second locations for building up layer-by-layer.