Methodologies and manufacturing processes to manufacture components by electron beam melting additive manufacturing, particularly components of molybdenum or a molybdenum-based alloy and particularly of complex nuclear component geometries. Input parameters are provided for controlling electron beam melting additive manufacturing equipment, such as electron beam melting machines. The input parameters relate to various process steps, including build set-up, initial thermal treatment, initial layering of powder, pre-consolidation thermal treatment, consolidation, post-consolidation thermal treatment, indexing of layers, and post-build thermal treatment. The methodologies and manufacturing processes allow manufacture of components of molybdenum having a purity of ≥99.0% and a density of ≥99.75%. Metallographic cross-sections of the manufactured molybdenum components were porosity-free and crack-free.

Methodologies and manufacturing processes to manufacture components by electron beam melting additive manufacturing, particularly components of molybdenum or a molybdenum-based alloy and particularly of complex nuclear component geometries. Input parameters are provided for controlling electron beam melting additive manufacturing equipment, such as electron beam melting machines. The input parameters relate to various process steps, including build set-up, initial thermal treatment, initial layering of powder, pre-consolidation thermal treatment, consolidation, post-consolidation thermal treatment, indexing of layers, and post-build thermal treatment. The methodologies and manufacturing processes allow manufacture of components of molybdenum having a purity of ≥99.0% and a density of ≥99.75%. Metallographic cross-sections of the manufactured molybdenum components were porosity-free and crack-free.

A felt gripper head contains two regions of felt material each on plates that slide and form a slight angle with respect to each other during engagement with a fibrous substrate material.

A three-dimensional printing system includes a print bed and a shelf insertion mechanism for inserting a shelf of one or a plurality of auxiliary shelves into a print volume between the print bed and a printer head. A printer assembly is configured to deposit layers of material within the print volume to form one or more objects on a support platform, the support platform including the print bed or an auxiliary shelf that is inserted into the print volume by the shelf insertion mechanism. A controller is configured to control the shelf insertion mechanism to insert an auxiliary shelf between the print bed and a printer head of the system after formation of the objects on that support platform by the printer assembly is complete.

A three-dimensional printing system includes a print bed and a shelf insertion mechanism for inserting a shelf of one or a plurality of auxiliary shelves into a print volume between the print bed and a printer head. A printer assembly is configured to deposit layers of material within the print volume to form one or more objects on a support platform, the support platform including the print bed or an auxiliary shelf that is inserted into the print volume by the shelf insertion mechanism. A controller is configured to control the shelf insertion mechanism to insert an auxiliary shelf between the print bed and a printer head of the system after formation of the objects on that support platform by the printer assembly is complete.

A removable build module to connect to a host apparatus, may include a build platform to support an object-to-be-built, a drive unit to move the build platform, a memory to receive and store build parameters, and an interface circuit to communicate the build parameters to the host apparatus.

A removable calibration plate (10) comprises a sheet (20) comprising an upper face (21) intended to face towards the powerful incident-radiation beam, and bearing a reference marking (30) and being intended to receive a test marking (40), and a lower face (23). The plate (10) comprises an etching layer (22) to be etched by a powerful incident-radiation beam (F),this layer being secured to the upper face (21) of the sheet (20) and opaque to visible light, and being able to be destroyed locally by the powerful incident-radiation beam (F) in order to form the at least one test marking (40), the sheet (20) being transparent to visible light, the lower face (23) of the sheet (20) being frosted.

A removable calibration plate (10) comprises a sheet (20) comprising an upper face (21) intended to face towards the powerful incident-radiation beam, and bearing a reference marking (30) and being intended to receive a test marking (40), and a lower face (23). The plate (10) comprises an etching layer (22) to be etched by a powerful incident-radiation beam (F),this layer being secured to the upper face (21) of the sheet (20) and opaque to visible light, and being able to be destroyed locally by the powerful incident-radiation beam (F) in order to form the at least one test marking (40), the sheet (20) being transparent to visible light, the lower face (23) of the sheet (20) being frosted.

A removable image-capture apparatus (200) comprises an opening (202) intended to receive a calibration plate (10) bearing a reference marking (30) and possibly a test marking (40). The apparatus (200) comprises a source (204) of backlighting visible light situated beneath the opening (202), a sensor (205) for acquiring an image, in the backlighting visible light, of the plate (10), a guiding and supporting device (206) for positioning the sensor (205) above the opening (202) relative to the surround (201), a calculation device (207) configured to analyze the image, recognize the marking (30) and possibly the marking (40) in the image, and calculate aiming-command corrections intended for a firing system firing a powerful incident-radiation beam, which system belongs to an additive manufacturing apparatus, distinct and separate from the apparatus (200).

A removable image-capture apparatus (200) comprises an opening (202) intended to receive a calibration plate (10) bearing a reference marking (30) and possibly a test marking (40). The apparatus (200) comprises a source (204) of backlighting visible light situated beneath the opening (202), a sensor (205) for acquiring an image, in the backlighting visible light, of the plate (10), a guiding and supporting device (206) for positioning the sensor (205) above the opening (202) relative to the surround (201), a calculation device (207) configured to analyze the image, recognize the marking (30) and possibly the marking (40) in the image, and calculate aiming-command corrections intended for a firing system firing a powerful incident-radiation beam, which system belongs to an additive manufacturing apparatus, distinct and separate from the apparatus (200).