A process for growing a substrate (24) as a melt pool (28) solidifies beneath a molten slag layer (30). An energy beam (36) is used to melt a powder (32) or a hollow feed wire (42) with a powdered alloy core (44) under the slag layer. The slag layer is at least partially transparent (37) to the energy beam, and it may be partially optically absorbent or translucent to the energy beam to absorb enough energy to remain molten. As with a conventional ESW process, the slag layer insulates the molten material and shields it from reaction with air. A composition of the powder may be changed across a solidification axis (A) of the resulting component (60) to provide a functionally graded directionally solidified product.

A method for the generative production of a three-dimensional component includes providing a metallic starting material in the form of a powder bed in a substantially horizontal starting plane, supplying a process gas to the starting material, melting the starting material by a heat source, repeating the above steps, wherein at least a portion of the process gas is supplied through the powder bed. A related device is also provided.

A method of welding including: applying a flux having at least a majority weight percent boron to a surface of a superalloy base material; forming a weldment on the surface wherein boron is melted onto the surface and is incorporated into a resulting weld pool and heat affected zone, and wherein incipient melted inter-dendritic material resulting from presence of the boron is available to flow into a crack formed during cooling of the weldment; and heat treating the weldment to diffuse a remaining concentration of the boron in the weldment and heat affected zone to a desired value.

The present disclosure disclosed an ultraviolet laser 3D printing method for the precise temperature control of polymer material and device thereof. The device comprises a thermostat, a laser head, a non-contact type temperature monitoring device, a scanning galvanometer, a processing platform, a powder laying device, a material to be processed, a computer control system and so on. The method comprises: presetting a processing temperature by the control system; during the processing procedure, the temperature rise condition of the processed object is monitored by the non-contact type temperature monitoring device and fed back in real time to the control system; and by recording the rise value of the temperature within a certain period, the system can obtain the absorption capability of the laser and the temperature rise degree of the processed material, so that the laser output power can be calculated according to the preset processing temperature value, and the laser power can be adjusted in real time to precisely control the processing temperature. By means of the above device and method, precise temperature control of ultraviolet laser 3D printing prototyping for polymer materials can be realized.

The present disclosure disclosed an ultraviolet laser 3D printing method for the precise temperature control of polymer material and device thereof. The device comprises a thermostat, a laser head, a non-contact type temperature monitoring device, a scanning galvanometer, a processing platform, a powder laying device, a material to be processed, a computer control system and so on. The method comprises: presetting a processing temperature by the control system; during the processing procedure, the temperature rise condition of the processed object is monitored by the non-contact type temperature monitoring device and fed back in real time to the control system; and by recording the rise value of the temperature within a certain period, the system can obtain the absorption capability of the laser and the temperature rise degree of the processed material, so that the laser output power can be calculated according to the preset processing temperature value, and the laser power can be adjusted in real time to precisely control the processing temperature. By means of the above device and method, precise temperature control of ultraviolet laser 3D printing prototyping for polymer materials can be realized.

The invention relates to a method for producing a blade (10) for a turbo machine, especially for an aviation engine, comprising at least the following steps: provision of a monocrystalline or polycrystalline basic body (14) with a supporting surface (16), and generative construction of a blade airfoil (12) of the blade (10) on the supporting surface (16) by layer-by-layer melting and/or sintering of a metallic and/or ceramic powder consisting of a first material (18) or material mixture; and separation of the blade airfoil (12) from the supporting surface (16) of the basic body (14) on a parting surface (20) of the blade airfoil (12).

A further aspect of the invention relates to a blade which is obtainable and/or is obtained by means of such a method.

Various methods for laser welding biocompatible material for use in implantable medical devices are disclosed. A method for laser processing includes applying a laser beam to a biocompatible material comprising at least 85% by weight zirconium oxide (ZrO.sub.2) or “zirconia” in an oxygen-free environment and depleting the material of oxygen. The depletion of oxygen converts the zirconium oxide to elemental zirconium at an interface where the material is applied to the elemental zirconium. In one embodiment, the present invention provides for an implantable medical device or component thereof made of a biocompatible material comprising zirconium oxide. The device includes a substrate that has an intrinsic conductive pathway comprising elemental zirconium that extends from a first surface to a second surface of the substrate.

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 laser shock peening apparatus for the surface of a workpiece, said apparatus comprising a resonant cavity. When said apparatus is used to conduct laser shock peening, because of the presence of the resonant cavity, shock waves that would typically escape outward may instead be utilized, and composite shock waves may be formed as a result of the wave reflection and convergence effects of the resonant cavity. Said waves can then be used on the surface of a workpiece twice or multiple times, thereby greatly increasing energy utilization rates. In addition, a fluid-based confinement layer is limited to the inside of the resonant cavity and has a fixed shape, thereby effectively solving the problems of the poor stability of a fluid-based confinement layer and the difficulty with controlling the thickness of such a confinement layer.

A method for directly bonding a metal to a transparent substrate includes providing a substrate; placing a metal foil directly on a face of the substrate; irradiating a portion of the metal foil with a laser beam so that metal corresponding to the portion melts and bonds directly to the substrate and forms a metal pad; and pumping a gas above the portion to prevent oxidation of the melted metal.