A laminate shaping method includes: a unit step repeatedly performed, the unit step including a step of forming a laminate shaped portion by laminating metal layers formed of weld beads, and a step of forming a processed side surface by cutting a shaped portion side surface facing a second direction intersecting a first direction, in which, in the step of forming the processed side surface, the shaped portion side surface is cut so that a receiving portion projecting in the second direction with respect to the processed side surface is formed at an uppermost layer of the laminate shaped portion in the first direction, and when the unit step is repeated, in the step of forming the laminate shaped portion, a new metal layer is laminated so as to overlap an upper surface of the receiving portion in the first direction.

A reflected beam detector detects a reflected beam reflected from a sheet metal when the sheet metal is irradiated with a laser beam so that the sheet metal is cut. A processing state determination unit is provided with a standard deviation value calculation unit and a quality determination unit. The standard deviation value calculation unit calculates, in a predetermined calculation cycle, a standard deviation value of a reflected beam detection value at a monitoring wavelength from among reflected beam detection values in a predetermined wavelength band output from the reflected beam detector. The quality determination unit determines whether or not a burning defect has occurred in which a cut surface of the sheet metal is excessively melted based on a comparison result of comparing, with a first threshold value, the standard deviation value calculated by the standard deviation value calculation unit.

A reflected beam detector detects a reflected beam reflected from a sheet metal when the sheet metal is irradiated with a laser beam so that the sheet metal is cut. A processing state determination unit is provided with a standard deviation value calculation unit and a quality determination unit. The standard deviation value calculation unit calculates, in a predetermined calculation cycle, a standard deviation value of a reflected beam detection value at a monitoring wavelength from among reflected beam detection values in a predetermined wavelength band output from the reflected beam detector. The quality determination unit determines whether or not a burning defect has occurred in which a cut surface of the sheet metal is excessively melted based on a comparison result of comparing, with a first threshold value, the standard deviation value calculated by the standard deviation value calculation unit.

A method for stripping ceramic from a component includes applying a liquid to a ceramic coating of an outer surface of the component. The method also includes directing a plurality of laser pulses at the ceramic coating with the applied liquid in order to spall the ceramic coating from the component.

A method for stripping ceramic from a component includes applying a liquid to a ceramic coating of an outer surface of the component. The method also includes directing a plurality of laser pulses at the ceramic coating with the applied liquid in order to spall the ceramic coating from the component.

Methods of screening a polycrystalline diamond element for suitability for electrical discharge machining (“EDM”). The method includes providing a PCD element including a plurality of bonded diamond grains, determining at least one characteristic of the PCD table correlated to electrical conductivity of the PCD element, and EDM the PCD element if the value of the at least one characteristic correlates to an electrical conductivity above a threshold value.

Methods of screening a polycrystalline diamond element for suitability for electrical discharge machining (“EDM”). The method includes providing a PCD element including a plurality of bonded diamond grains, determining at least one characteristic of the PCD table correlated to electrical conductivity of the PCD element, and EDM the PCD element if the value of the at least one characteristic correlates to an electrical conductivity above a threshold value.

An NC device 20 determines, in a case where a size of an opening forming region in a predetermined direction is smaller than a predetermined maximum value, that the opening forming region is a first opening forming region, and determines, in a case where the size of the opening forming region in the predetermined direction is larger than a predetermined minimum value, that the opening forming region is an opening forming region where a scrap interfering with a laser head 16 is formed. In a case where the size of the opening forming region in the predetermined direction is smaller than the predetermined maximum value and larger than the predetermined minimum value, the device determines that the opening forming region in an interference width added region obtaining by adding a predetermined interference width to the opening forming region is a second opening forming region, and processes the second opening forming region prior to processing of the first opening forming region.

A computer-implemented method for optimizing control of a process includes a computer receiving a process definition and a collection of elements to be arranged in a way that optimizes the utility of the process; initializing the process using a collection of discrete elements (stops, events, work orders, tasks, locations, etc.), and producing a solution for the collection by inserting the elements into the solution using the Minimum Insertion Heuristic; modifying the order of the elements to be inserted and continuing the process to produce solutions with better scores; and continuing to produce solutions based on improving the order of insertion until the process is determined to be sufficiently optimized.

A computer-implemented method for optimizing control of a process includes a computer receiving a process definition and a collection of elements to be arranged in a way that optimizes the utility of the process; initializing the process using a collection of discrete elements (stops, events, work orders, tasks, locations, etc.), and producing a solution for the collection by inserting the elements into the solution using the Minimum Insertion Heuristic; modifying the order of the elements to be inserted and continuing the process to produce solutions with better scores; and continuing to produce solutions based on improving the order of insertion until the process is determined to be sufficiently optimized.