A manufacturing system includes a tension-wound system having a feedstock system and a shape fixture. The tension-wound system is configured to feed a feedstock from the feedstock system and to wind the feedstock under tension in successive layers around the shape fixture to allow the feedstock to form a component having a shape represented by the shape fixture. The manufacturing system includes a solid-state joining tool configured to additively join the successive layers of the feedstock. In a spiral tension-winding process, with a continuously-fed strip of aluminum feedstock around a piece of tooling, the feedstock can be friction stir welded and additively joined in successive layers to produce a large, near-net structure.

A method for dynamically controlling layer thickness during an additive manufacturing process of building a block including an object with layers of powder material, detecting a height of the block after each layer is compacted, determining a delta between the detected height and a height in a computer model defining slices of the block and compensating for the determined delta in subsequent cycles. A cycle in the additive manufacturing process includes selectively printing a layer pattern, spreading a powder layer over the layer pattern with a spreader and compacting the powder layer with the layer pattern.

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.

Embodiments of a methods for producing gas turbine engine rotors and other powdered metal articles having shaped internal cavities are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes consolidating a powdered metal body utilizing a hot isostatic pressing process to produce a rotor preform in which elongated sacrificial tubes are embedded. Acid or another solvent is directed into solvent inlet channels provided in the elongated sacrificial tubes to chemically dissolving the elongated sacrificial tubes and create shaped cavities within the rotor preform. The rotor preform is subject to further processing, such as machining, prior to or after chemical dissolution of the elongated sacrificial tubes to produce the completed gas turbine engine rotor.

A method of additive manufacture involves building a container 8 and a structure by fusing powder 12, 13, 14, such that the container contains the structure and unfused powder. The container 8 may be used in a method for predicting powder degradation in an additive manufacturing process. Containers containing different types of structure may be built to measure the effect of building different types of structures on powder degradation. A structure to be built may be characterised by classes of structural features it contains and information obtained used from building containers used to predict how building the structure will degrade powder.

A method of additive manufacture involves building a container 8 and a structure by fusing powder 12, 13, 14, such that the container contains the structure and unfused powder. The container 8 may be used in a method for predicting powder degradation in an additive manufacturing process. Containers containing different types of structure may be built to measure the effect of building different types of structures on powder degradation. A structure to be built may be characterised by classes of structural features it contains and information obtained used from building containers used to predict how building the structure will degrade powder.

The inventive concept relates to a method for manufacturing a metal based component (100, 200) having a cavity (103, 203). The method comprises the steps of: providing a plurality of individual segments (110, 210) corresponding to different portions of the metal based component; arranging the plurality of segments in a stack (120, 220) in such a way that the shape of the stack corresponds to the shape of the metal based component, and that a void (130, 230) is formed in the stack, wherein the shape of at least a portion of the void corresponds to the shape of the cavity; filling at least the first 10 portion of the void with an incompressible filler (140, 240); removing gas from the stack; subjecting the stack to a hot pressing process to form the metal based component comprising the cavity; removing at least a part of the incompressible filler from the metal based component.

A method for coating a metal based component surface wherein said metal based component has an inner and/or outer surface portion that is to be coated, and which surface portion comprises a carbide forming composition. A cavity having one or more cavity walls, wherein said at least one inner and/or outer surface portion forms at least a portion of said one or more cavity walls is provided, and a portion of the cavity is filled with diamond powder. Thereafter gas is removed from the interface between said diamond powder and said at least one inner and/or outer surface portion, and the cavity is subjected to a hot pressing process for a predetermined time at a predetermined pressure and a predetermined temperature such that said diamond powder diffusion bonds to said at least one one inner and/or outer surface portion. Finally at least a part of said diamond powder is removed from said at least one cavity.

Embodiments of a methods for producing gas turbine engine rotors and other powdered metal articles having shaped internal cavities are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes consolidating a powdered metal body utilizing a hot isostatic pressing process to produce a rotor preform in which elongated sacrificial tubes are embedded. Acid or another solvent is directed into solvent inlet channels provided in the elongated sacrificial tubes to chemically dissolving the elongated sacrificial tubes and create shaped cavities within the rotor preform. The rotor preform is subject to further processing, such as machining, prior to or after chemical dissolution of the elongated sacrificial tubes to produce the completed gas turbine engine rotor.

An example embodiment of a method is disclosed for making a component including a high entropy alloy (HEA). The method includes combining a reaction component with a powdered HEA precursor to form a solid HEA feedstock. The solid HEA feedstock is converted into a powder suitable for use as a powder feedstock in an additive manufacturing device and capable of sustaining a self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) reaction. At least a portion of the powder feedstock is additively manufactured into a preformed shape approximating a desired shape of the component. The preformed shape is filled with the HEA powder feedstock. The powdered HEA precursor in the preformed shape are ignited to induce the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) reaction, thereby forming a stable HEA component approximating the desired shape.