A layer manufacturing apparatus comprising: (a) a main chamber; (b) one or more energy emission devices; (c) one or more work piece supports; (d) a plurality of material delivery devices; wherein the plurality of material delivery devices are connected to one or more spools that are located external of the main chamber.

A welding head for a welding apparatus, the head comprising an outer face attachable to a welding device such as an electron beam gun or laser, an inner face sealable to a workpiece, and an outer sealing ring and an inner sealing ring situated within the inner face and disposed on either side of an evacuatable region, wherein the inner face has a teardrop-shaped profile. Outer and inner sealing rings can be inflatable or formed from different materials, the outer sealing ring being formed from a material with a Shore hardness of between 50 to 70 and the inner sealing ring being formed from a material with a Shore hardness of 20 to 40. A bridging seal can extend from within the inner sealing ring to the outer sealing ring.

A welding head for a welding apparatus, the head comprising an outer face attachable to a welding device such as an electron beam gun or laser, an inner face sealable to a workpiece, and an outer sealing ring and an inner sealing ring situated within the inner face and disposed on either side of an evacuatable region, wherein the inner face has a teardrop-shaped profile. Outer and inner sealing rings can be inflatable or formed from different materials, the outer sealing ring being formed from a material with a Shore hardness of between 50 to 70 and the inner sealing ring being formed from a material with a Shore hardness of 20 to 40. A bridging seal can extend from within the inner sealing ring to the outer sealing ring.

A process for layer manufacturing comprising: (a) feeding raw material in a solid state to a first predetermined location; (b) depositing the raw material onto a substrate as a molten pool deposit under a first processing condition; (c) monitoring the molten pool deposit for a preselected condition using a detector substantially contemporaneously with the depositing step; (d) comparing information about the preselected condition of the monitored molten pool deposit with a predetermined desired value for the preselected condition of the monitored molten pool deposit; (e) solidifying the molten pool deposit; (f) automatically altering the first processing condition to a different processing condition based upon information obtained from the comparing step (d); (g) protecting the detector with a vapor protection device; and (h) repeating steps (a) through (g) at one or more second locations.

A process for layer manufacturing comprising: (a) feeding raw material in a solid state to a first predetermined location; (b) depositing the raw material onto a substrate as a molten pool deposit under a first processing condition; (c) monitoring the molten pool deposit for a preselected condition using a detector substantially contemporaneously with the depositing step; (d) comparing information about the preselected condition of the monitored molten pool deposit with a predetermined desired value for the preselected condition of the monitored molten pool deposit; (e) solidifying the molten pool deposit; (f) automatically altering the first processing condition to a different processing condition based upon information obtained from the comparing step (d); (g) protecting the detector with a vapor protection device; and (h) repeating steps (a) through (g) at one or more second locations.

An apparatus and a method for powder bed fusion additive manufacturing involve a multiple-chamber design achieving a high efficiency and throughput. The multiple-chamber design features concurrent printing of one or more print jobs inside one or more build chambers, side removals of printed objects from build chambers allowing quick exchanges of powdered materials, and capabilities of elevated process temperature controls of build chambers and post processing heat treatments of printed objects. The multiple-chamber design also includes a height-adjustable optical assembly in combination with a fixed build platform method suitable for large and heavy printed objects. A side removal mechanism of the build chambers of the apparatus improves handling and efficiency for printing large and heavy objects. Use of a wide range of sensors in the apparatus and by the method allows various feedback to improve quality, manufacturing throughput, and energy efficiency.

An apparatus and a method for powder bed fusion additive manufacturing involve a multiple-chamber design achieving a high efficiency and throughput. The multiple-chamber design features concurrent printing of one or more print jobs inside one or more build chambers, side removals of printed objects from build chambers allowing quick exchanges of powdered materials, and capabilities of elevated process temperature controls of build chambers and post processing heat treatments of printed objects. The multiple-chamber design also includes a height-adjustable optical assembly in combination with a fixed build platform method suitable for large and heavy printed objects. A side removal mechanism of the build chambers of the apparatus improves handling and efficiency for printing large and heavy objects. Use of a wide range of sensors in the apparatus and by the method allows various feedback to improve quality, manufacturing throughput, and energy efficiency.

The present invention relates to a 3D-printed iron based alloy product comprising carbon, tungsten, vanadium, cobalt, chromium and molybdenum with very high hardness and very good high temperature properties thermal properties as well as a method of preparing the 3D-printed product and a powder alloy.

The present invention relates to a 3D-printed iron based alloy product comprising carbon, tungsten, vanadium, cobalt, chromium and molybdenum with very high hardness and very good high temperature properties thermal properties as well as a method of preparing the 3D-printed product and a powder alloy.

A titanium alloy additive manufacturing product contains 5.50 to 6.75 wt % of Al, 3.50 to 4.50 wt % of V, 0.20 wt % or less of 0, 0.40 wt % or less of Fe, 0.015 wt % or less of H, 0.08 wt % or less of C, 0.05 wt % or less of N, and inevitable impurities, in which a pore content is 0.05 number/mm.sup.2 or less, and a tensile strength is 855 MPa or more.