To build a part with a deposition-based additive manufacturing system with a binder matrix and a sinterable powder, walls of a part, sintering supports, or interconnecting platform are formed with access, distribution or routing channels therein to permit debinding fluid to pass through and/or enter the interior of the same.

To reduce distortion in an additively manufactured part, a densification linking platform and/or supports of the same composite as the desired part may be printed below the part. After debinding, a resulting shape-retaining brown part assembly is sintered to densify together at a same rate as neighboring metal particles throughout the shape-retaining brown part assembly undergo atomic diffusion. Distortion is reduced by interconnecting portions of the shape-retaining brown part assembly, printing release layers among the portions, depositing adjacent roads of the assembly in retrograde directions, and/or providing channels to accelerate a debinding process.

To build a part with a deposition-based additive manufacturing system using a polymer-based binder of a composite feedstock, a first tool path of a perimeter contour segment and a second tool path that is parallel and adjacent are deposited in retrograde directions to produce stress-offsetting adjacent paths, where directions of residual stress within the polymer-based binder of the composite are opposite in the stress-offsetting adjacent path.

The invention relates to a valve guide manufactured by a powder-metallurgical process for combustion engines, said guide comprising a central section, a cam-side end piece, and a duct-side end piece, wherein the central section consists of a first material and the duct-side end piece of a second material, with the second material having a hardness in excess of 70 HRB and the first material having a hardness that is by at least 10 HRB lower than that of the second material.

A method of forming an article comprises forming a feed material around one or more shapeholders and sintering the feed material and the one or more shapeholders to form a sintered article comprising the one or more shapeholders in a base material. The sintered article is exposed to a solvent to remove the one or more shapeholders from the base material. Additional methods are disclosed, as well as articles including one or more microchannels exhibiting a diameter of from about 5 m to about 10 mm.

A method for creating a dynamic mold from a ferrofluid substrate in or adjacent to curable molding material is disclosed. A combination of magnetic elements is used to create a magnetic field that is capable of concentrating a ferrofluid substrate in a 3-D space. The ferrofluid substrate shapes a molding material to effect its shape. The ferrofluid, under the influence of a magnetic field, is capable of creating surface features and internal features in the molding material. Once cured or partially cured, the ferrofluid may be removed, resulting in features that are difficult to form by conventional methods.

In one aspect, methods of making freestanding metal matrix composite articles and alloy articles are described. A method of making a freestanding composite article described herein comprises disposing over a surface of the temporary substrate a layered assembly comprising a layer of infiltration metal or alloy and a hard particle layer formed of a flexible sheet comprising organic binder and the hard particles. The layered assembly is heated to infiltrate the hard particle layer with metal or alloy providing a metal matrix composite, and the metal matrix composite is separated from the temporary substrate. Further, a method of making a freestanding alloy article described herein comprises disposing over the surface of a temporary substrate a flexible sheet comprising organic binder and powder alloy and heating the sheet to provide a sintered alloy article. The sintered alloy article is then separated from the temporary substrate.

This invention relates to a method for manufacturing a part of complex shape (3) by successive deposition of layers according to a technique of 3D additive printing and pressure sintering, comprising the following steps: an initial step of producing a model (1) from a material chosen from a porous or pulverulent material based on a metal alloy, a ceramic, a composite material and a lost material by formation of successive layers deposited according to the digitally controlled 3D additive printing technique, followed by a step of introducing a preform (1) made of porous or pulverulent material to be densified, derived from the model (1), into a mold (2) filled with a sacrificial porous or pulverulent material (13) in addition to the preform (1), the uniaxial densifying pressure sintering (10) then being applied to the mold (2) in order to form the part (3) which is finally extracted from the mold (2).

A bellows shaped spinal implant, comprising an upper plate, a lower plate and a bellows shaped shell extending between and joining the upper and lower plates. The bellows shaped shell is formed of titanium or an alloy comprising titanium and includes a wall extending therearound that defines a hollow interior. The wall has a thickness in the range of 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm to provide for radiographic imaging through the wall. The wall is angled or curved inwardly or outwardly between the upper and lower plates to provide stiffness mimicking the stiffness properties of a similarly sized polyetheretherketone (PEEK) implant. The upper and lower plates each comprise porous contact regions including a three-dimensional gyroid lattice structure defined by a plurality of struts and pores in communication with the hollow interior. The outer surfaces of at least a portion of the struts may comprise a laser ablated textured surface.

A method for manufacturing a cutting insert having a through-hole that extends in a direction that is non-parallel to the main pressing direction. The method includes the steps of moving first and second punches within a die cavity toward each other along a first pressing axis and compacting a powder around a core rod into a cutting insert green body, wherein, during at least a portion of the compaction step, the core rod is turned a predetermined angle in alternating direction around its longitudinal axis.