The present invention relates to a method for producing an article out of a maraging steel, wherein the article is successively subjected to a solution annealing and heat treatment, wherein the steel has the following composition in Wt.-%: C=0.01-0.05 Si=0.4-0.8 Mn=0.1-0.5 Cr=12.0-13.0 Ni=9.5-10.5 Mo=0.5-1.5 Ti=0.5-1.5 Al=0.5-1.5 Cu=0.0-0.05

Residual iron and smelting-induced impurities.

Device for manufacturing a part using a method of selective fusion or selective sintering on a powder bed comprising a build plate having a working surface, parallel to a first direction and to a second direction, on which surface the part is intended to be manufactured, a wiper which is placed on the working surface and capable of moving and spreading the powder in the first direction on the working surface, characterized in that it further includes at least two acoustic sensors which are fixed and spaced in the second direction on the wiper and capable of detecting an acoustic signal; a laser range finder pointing in the first direction and capable of determining a position of the wiper in the first direction; and a control system capable of detecting an anomaly on the basis of said acoustic signal and of determining a position of the anomaly.

Device for manufacturing a part using a method of selective fusion or selective sintering on a powder bed comprising a build plate having a working surface, parallel to a first direction and to a second direction, on which surface the part is intended to be manufactured, a wiper which is placed on the working surface and capable of moving and spreading the powder in the first direction on the working surface, characterized in that it further includes at least two acoustic sensors which are fixed and spaced in the second direction on the wiper and capable of detecting an acoustic signal; a laser range finder pointing in the first direction and capable of determining a position of the wiper in the first direction; and a control system capable of detecting an anomaly on the basis of said acoustic signal and of determining a position of the anomaly.

The invention relates to a steel material which allows for components to be formed with low residual stress via additive manufacturing without pre- or post-heating. The steel material consists of a steel with the following composition, in wt. %: C: 0.28-0.65%, Co: <10.0, Cr: 3.5-12.5%, optionally Mo: 0.5-12.5%, wherein the sum of the content of Cr and Mo is 4-16%, the Ni equivalent Ni_eq calculated according to the formula Ni_eq [%]=30% C+% Ni+0.5% Mn from the C-content % C, the Ni-content % Ni, the Mn-content % Mn fulfills the condition (1) 10%≤Ni eq≤20%, and alongside C, optionally respectively up to 9% Mn and up to 4.5% Ni are provided to fulfill condition (1), wherein the Cr equivalent Cr_eq calculated according to the formula Cr_eq [mass]=% Cr+% Mo+1.5% S+0.5% Nb+2% XX from the CR-content Cr %, the Mo-content Mo %, the Si-content Si %, the Nb-content % Nb and the sum % XX of the contents of at least one element of the group “Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Ta” fulfills the condition (2) 4% Cr_eq 16%, and optionally respectively up to 2% Si, up to 2% Nb or at least one element from the group “Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Ta” are provided to fulfill condition (2), wherein the total proportion of elements of this group is at most equal to the mass fraction of 2%, which Ti must not exceed if Ti is the only element selected from the group consisting of “Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Ta”, and wherein the rest of the steel consists of Fe and <0.5% impurities, including 0.025% P and 50.025% S. The steel material is suited, in particular as a powder, for LPBF or LMD methods and as wire for the WAAM method.

The invention relates to a steel material which allows for components to be formed with low residual stress via additive manufacturing without pre- or post-heating. The steel material consists of a steel with the following composition, in wt. %: C: 0.28-0.65%, Co: <10.0, Cr: 3.5-12.5%, optionally Mo: 0.5-12.5%, wherein the sum of the content of Cr and Mo is 4-16%, the Ni equivalent Ni_eq calculated according to the formula Ni_eq [%]=30% C+% Ni+0.5% Mn from the C-content % C, the Ni-content % Ni, the Mn-content % Mn fulfills the condition (1) 10%≤Ni eq≤20%, and alongside C, optionally respectively up to 9% Mn and up to 4.5% Ni are provided to fulfill condition (1), wherein the Cr equivalent Cr_eq calculated according to the formula Cr_eq [mass]=% Cr+% Mo+1.5% S+0.5% Nb+2% XX from the CR-content Cr %, the Mo-content Mo %, the Si-content Si %, the Nb-content % Nb and the sum % XX of the contents of at least one element of the group “Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Ta” fulfills the condition (2) 4% Cr_eq 16%, and optionally respectively up to 2% Si, up to 2% Nb or at least one element from the group “Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Ta” are provided to fulfill condition (2), wherein the total proportion of elements of this group is at most equal to the mass fraction of 2%, which Ti must not exceed if Ti is the only element selected from the group consisting of “Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Ta”, and wherein the rest of the steel consists of Fe and <0.5% impurities, including 0.025% P and 50.025% S. The steel material is suited, in particular as a powder, for LPBF or LMD methods and as wire for the WAAM method.

A nickel-based alloy which includes at least the following alloy elements in wt. %: cobalt (Co) 10.3-10.7, chromium (Cr) 9.8-10.2, tungsten (W) 9.3-9.7, aluminum (Al) 5.2-5.7, hafnium (Hf) 1.8-2.2, tantalum (Ta) 1.9-2.1, molybdenum (Mo) 0.4-0.6, the remainder being nickel and impurities.

A nickel-based alloy which includes at least the following alloy elements in wt. %: cobalt (Co) 10.3-10.7, chromium (Cr) 9.8-10.2, tungsten (W) 9.3-9.7, aluminum (Al) 5.2-5.7, hafnium (Hf) 1.8-2.2, tantalum (Ta) 1.9-2.1, molybdenum (Mo) 0.4-0.6, the remainder being nickel and impurities.

An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a build chamber, a base adjustably coupled to the build chamber, and a build material applicator for depositing a build material above a build platform for creating the object. The build platform includes a fixed region fixedly and rigidly coupled to the base and a flex region configured to flex relative to the base in response to a force applied to the build platform by an object. The partial flexibility allows deformation caused by thermal distortion of the build platform during use to reduce final object stress. The AM system can produce larger additively manufactured objects out of crack-prone material. In addition, the partial flexibility may prevent damage to the build platform and/or base without an overly complicated arrangement.

An additive manufacturing apparatus includes: a chamber, including a front plate; a door, provided at an opening of the front plate; an irradiator; a gas supplier, supplying an inert gas to the chamber; and a gas discharger, discharging the inert gas from the chamber. The gas supplier includes a middle nozzle and a lower nozzle. The middle nozzle is provided so as to cross the opening when the door is closed, has one end swingably supported on the front plate, and swings independently of opening and closing of the door.

An apparatus includes a build plate, a powder application apparatus that applies metal powder onto the build plate to form a powder layer, a beam irradiation apparatus that irradiates the powder layer with an electron beam, and a control unit that controls the powder application apparatus and the beam irradiation apparatus. When the powder layer is preheated by irradiation with the electron beam, the control unit sets a beam size and an irradiation position of the electron beam such that lines of the electron beam do not overlap each other at least at a start of preheating, and controls the beam irradiation apparatus to gradually increase at least one of a beam current and the beam size of the electron beam from the start of preheating to an end of preheating.