A drilling tool includes a drive assembly with a shank that is configured to couple to a power tool and a step drill bit. The step drill bit includes a body having a proximal end adjacent the shank, a distal end opposite the proximal end, and a bit axis extending centrally through the body between the proximal end and the distal end. The body is defined by a wall extending around the bit axis to define a hollow interior cavity of the body. The step drill bit also includes a plurality of axially stacked, progressively sized steps with a first step at the proximal end and a terminal step at the distal end and a flute extending from the proximal end to the distal end. The flute defines a cutting edge.

A bonding method in which applied is a prescribed conductive bonding material, which contains a molded article of a metal powder. The metal powder is one or more selected from the group consisting of a gold powder, a silver powder, a platinum powder, and a palladium powder, and has a purity of 99.9% by mass or more, and an average particle size of 0.005 .Math.m to 1.0 .Math.m, and the conductive bonding material has a compressive deformation rate M, represented by the following expression, of 5 % or more and 30% or less when compressed with a compression pressure of 5 MPa. [Expression 1] M = {(h1 - h2)/h1} x 100, wherein h1 represents an average thickness of the conductive bonding material before compression, and h2 represents an average thickness of the conductive bonding material after the compression.

A bonding method in which applied is a prescribed conductive bonding material, which contains a molded article of a metal powder. The metal powder is one or more selected from the group consisting of a gold powder, a silver powder, a platinum powder, and a palladium powder, and has a purity of 99.9% by mass or more, and an average particle size of 0.005 .Math.m to 1.0 .Math.m, and the conductive bonding material has a compressive deformation rate M, represented by the following expression, of 5 % or more and 30% or less when compressed with a compression pressure of 5 MPa. [Expression 1] M = {(h1 - h2)/h1} x 100, wherein h1 represents an average thickness of the conductive bonding material before compression, and h2 represents an average thickness of the conductive bonding material after the compression.

One or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate to partitioning of objects for additive manufacture. A method may include defining one or more partition lines in an object of a build file. The build file may comprise instructions for additively manufacturing the object. The method may also include generating part build files based on the build file and the one or more partition lines. The part build files may comprise instructions for additively manufacturing parts of the object. The method may also include generating a physical instance of each part of the object according to the part build files. The method may also include assembling the physical instances of the parts into a physical instance of the object. The method may also include applying heat to the physical instance of the object. Related devices, systems and methods are also disclosed.

The disclosure relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a metallic component, and corresponding methods. The apparatus may include a build plate with a build surface and an aperture. The apparatus may also include an actuator operable to translate a metallic component such that an end portion of the metallic component is positioned within the aperture of the build plate and below the build surface. The apparatus may further include a seal coupled within the aperture of the build plate and configured to engage the end portion of the metallic component. The aperture of the build plate, the seal, and the end portion of the metallic component may cooperate to form a powder bed to hold metallic powder therein. The apparatus may also include an external heat control mechanism operable to form a predetermined temperature profile of the end portion of the component to prevent cracking of the component.

A method for the additive construction of a structure for a component includes the following steps: providing a prefabricated component for the component on a building board, wherein the component has a separating plane, providing a powder bed from a base material for the structure, moving the building board closer to a coating device, aligning a processing surface and the separating plane of the component for preventing adhesion between the component and the coating device, and optically measuring a surface of the powder bed.

A method for the additive construction of a structure for a component includes the following steps: providing a prefabricated component for the component on a building board, wherein the component has a separating plane, providing a powder bed from a base material for the structure, moving the building board closer to a coating device, aligning a processing surface and the separating plane of the component for preventing adhesion between the component and the coating device, and optically measuring a surface of the powder bed.

A tooling assembly and method of aligning a plurality of components for a repair process in an additive manufacturing machine includes positioning the plurality of components such that a repair surface of each of the plurality of components contacts an alignment plate, e.g., under the force of gravity or using biasing members. The method further includes surrounding the alignment plate with containment walls to define a reservoir around the plurality of components and dispensing a fill material, such as wax or a potting material, into the reservoir which is configured for fixing a relative position of the plurality of components when the fill material is solidified.

The disclosure relates to a method for producing a component, in particular a vehicle component or an engine component, such as a piston of an internal combustion engine. The method comprises forming a first body region, in particular by means of casting or forging. The method includes forming a second body region, which is connected to the first body region, from an aluminium alloy or an iron-based alloy or a copper-based alloy by means of an additive manufacturing method. The second body region is alloyed in such a manner that it has higher thermal stability, higher mechanical strength or higher wear resistance upon tribological stressing than the first body region.

The disclosure relates to a method for producing a component, in particular a vehicle component or an engine component, such as a piston of an internal combustion engine. The method comprises forming a first body region, in particular by means of casting or forging. The method includes forming a second body region, which is connected to the first body region, from an aluminium alloy or an iron-based alloy or a copper-based alloy by means of an additive manufacturing method. The second body region is alloyed in such a manner that it has higher thermal stability, higher mechanical strength or higher wear resistance upon tribological stressing than the first body region.