A laser beam application unit of a laser processing machine includes a laser oscillator that emits a laser beam, an fθ main lens that focuses and applies the laser beam which has been emitted from the laser oscillator, to a workpiece held on a holding table, a scan unit that is arranged on an optical path between the laser oscillator and the fθ main lens, scans the laser beam, and guides the resulting scanned laser beam to the fθ main lens, and an fθ sub-lens that is arranged on the optical path between the laser oscillator and the scan unit and converts the laser beam from parallel light into diffused light.

A laser beam applying unit in a laser processing apparatus includes a laser oscillator for emitting a laser beam, a beam condenser for focusing the laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator and applying the focused laser beam to a workpiece held on a holding table, and a scanning unit that is disposed on an optical path of the laser beam between the laser oscillator and the beam condenser and that has scanning mirrors for scanning the laser beam and guiding the scanned laser beam toward the beam condenser. The scanning mirrors are housed in a chamber having a first window for allowing the laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator to pass therethrough to the scanning mirrors and a second window for allowing the laser beam scanned by the scanning mirrors to pass therethrough to the beam condenser.

In order to cut a plurality of clumps having an approximately uniform shapes and approximately uniform dimensions out of a cell aggregate which has proliferated and appropriately eliminate contamination with fragments of different shapes or dimensions, when cutting the clumps of approximately uniform shape out of the cell aggregate which has proliferated, cutting lines along which the clumps of a specific shape are cut out are set such that the area of a peripheral part of the cell aggregate which is not cut by the cutting line exceeds the surface area of one of the clumps, and the cell aggregate is cut by irradiating with laser light in such a way as to trace the cutting lines.

In order to cut a plurality of clumps having an approximately uniform shapes and approximately uniform dimensions out of a cell aggregate which has proliferated and appropriately eliminate contamination with fragments of different shapes or dimensions, when cutting the clumps of approximately uniform shape out of the cell aggregate which has proliferated, cutting lines along which the clumps of a specific shape are cut out are set such that the area of a peripheral part of the cell aggregate which is not cut by the cutting line exceeds the surface area of one of the clumps, and the cell aggregate is cut by irradiating with laser light in such a way as to trace the cutting lines.

In a method of providing a flow for a process chamber of a device for producing a three-dimensional object by layer-wise application and selective solidification of a building material in a build area a process gas is supplied to the process chamber in a lower altitude region of the process chamber, wherein the process chamber includes a gas inlet for introducing the process gas into the process chamber and a gas outlet for discharging the process gas from the process chamber. The gas inlet and the gas outlet are provided in the lower altitude region of the process chamber and the process gas flows in a main flow from the gas inlet to the gas outlet, and wherein a secondary flow is located in a sub-region of the lower altitude region, which sub-region is located above a bottom surface of the process chamber surrounding the build area.

A method to produce in-situ steam comprising the steps of producing a laser beam in a steam generator segment positioned in a wellbore in a formation; introducing the laser beam to an activated carbon container, where the activated carbon container comprises activated carbon; increasing a temperature of the activated carbon with the laser beam to produce a hot activated carbon; introducing water to the activated carbon container through a water supply line; producing steam in the activated carbon container when the water contacts the hot activated carbon; increasing pressure in the activated carbon container as steam is produced until a pressure set point of an inter-container valve is reached; releasing steam through the inter-container valve to a steam container; increasing a pressure in the steam container until a release set point of one or more release valves is reached; and releasing steam through the release valve to the formation.

An additive manufacturing method wherein an object is manufactured by powder being applied layer-by-layer by an application device onto a base along a buildup surface and being bonded in regions to form a matrix. To provide an efficient additive powder bed method, a position of the base is checked by at least one measurement with a sensor device and the position of the base is automatically corrected at least in relation to the application device based on the at least one measurement.

A production method for welding a copper conductor to an electrical contact element of a workpiece for electrical contacting. The contact element has a first copper alloy, and the method has the following method steps: mechanical contacting between the copper conductor and the contact element at a join of the contact element, the welding of the copper conductor to the contact element being carried out with the aid of a focused laser beam, the laser beam having a wavelength of less than or equal to 0.6 μm, and a welded seam is produced which has a welding depth that is greater than or equal to 100 μm.

A laser welding system for welding a component and reducing defects in the weld by ensuring uniform, laminar gas flow over a process area of the system. The laser welding system comprises a laser for welding the component, a platform for supporting the component, an enclosure surrounding the platform, a first actuatable barrier, a second actuatable barrier, an actuator, and a controller. The enclosure includes a plurality of walls, one of the walls having an inlet and another wall having an outlet. The inlet and outlet each having an opening having a cross-sectional area for letting gas flow through. The first and second barriers are configured to modify the cross-sectional areas of the openings when actuated. The actuator is configured to actuate the barriers, and the controller is configured to direct the actuator to actuate the barriers so that the cross-sectional area of the first opening is larger than the cross-sectional area of the second opening so that a pressure at the inlet is greater than a pressure at the outlet.

The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) objects, 3D printing processes, as well as methods, apparatuses and systems for the production of a 3D object. Methods, apparatuses and systems of the present disclosure may reduce or eliminate the need for auxiliary supports. The present disclosure provides three dimensional (3D) objects printed utilizing the printing processes, methods, apparatuses and systems described herein.