A method for laser-marking an iron-based sintered body includes a first step of forming with a first laser beam a plurality of dotted recesses with a predetermined depth in an identification mark area of a surface of an iron-based sintered body, and a second step of flattening with a second laser beam the surface within the identification mark area other than the dotted recesses. The first laser beam has an irradiation energy per unit area greater than an irradiation energy per unit area of the second laser beam.

A method and an apparatus for collecting powder samples in real-time in powder bed fusion additive manufacturing may involves an ingester system for in-process collection and characterizations of powder samples. The collection may be performed periodically and uses the results of characterizations for adjustments in the powder bed fusion process. The ingester system of the present disclosure is capable of packaging powder samples collected in real-time into storage containers serving a multitude purposes of audit, process adjustments or actions.

A method of manufacturing a mechanical part of the present invention includes a first process of forming, by performing a folding processing to an end portion of the material, a portion to be processed having a structure, in which a plurality of layers respectively having a thickness corresponding to a plate thickness of a material overlap each other, in the material such that a plate thickness direction of the layer is orthogonal to a plate thickness direction of the material; and a second process of changing, by performing a forging processing to the portion to be processed, a shape of the portion to be processed to a target shape while press-welding the layers of the portion to be processed to each other by plastic deformation.

A process for additive manufacture of an article including conjoined first and second metals, wherein the first metal includes one of steel and titanium and the second metal includes another of the steel and the titanium. The process comprises arranging an interface layer of a third metal on a substrate of the first metal, wherein the third metal is capable of forming an alloy with the first metal and capable of forming an alloy with the second metal. The process further comprises supplying a consumable form of the second metal to a locus of the interface layer and heating the locus of the interface layer in an non-reactive environment. In this process, the heating fuses the consumable form of the second metal to render a fused form of the second metal and joins the fused form of the second metal to the interface layer.

A method and an apparatus of a powder bed fusion additive manufacturing system that enables a quick change in the optical beam delivery size and intensity across locations of a print surface for different powdered materials while ensuring high availability of the system. A dynamic optical assembly containing a set of lens assemblies of different magnification ratios and a mechanical assembly may change the magnification ratios as needed. The dynamic optical assembly may include a transitional and rotational position control of the optics to minimize variations of the optical beam sizes across the print surface.

Methods for the fabrication of metal strain wave gear flexsplines using a specialized metal additive manufacturing technique are provided. The method allows the entire flexspline to be metal printed, including all the components: the output surface with mating features, the thin wall of the cup, and the teeth integral to the flexspline. The flexspline may be used directly upon removal from the building tray.

An additive manufacturing system including a two-dimensional energy patterning system for imaging a powder bed is disclosed. Improved structure formation, part creation and manipulation, use of multiple additive manufacturing systems, and high throughput manufacturing methods suitable for automated or semi-automated factories are also disclosed.

A gear includes an inner portion formed from a first material; an outer portion formed from a second material melted and solidified onto the inner portion; and a plurality of teeth formed in the outer portion after the second material has solidified.

A gear includes an inner portion formed from a first material; an outer portion formed from a second material melted and solidified onto the inner portion; and a plurality of teeth formed in the outer portion after the second material has solidified.

A toothed transmission element includes a partial region formed with a first material, teeth defining an edge region which is formed additively with a second material having a hardness which is greater than a hardness of the first material, and a third material located between the first material and the second material, wherein a hardness decreases stepwise along a section leading from the edge region to the partial region.