Aluminum alloys, fabricated by a rapid solidification process, with high strength, high ductility, high corrosion resistance, high creep resistance, and good weldability.

A method of repairing a component using an additive manufacturing process is presented. The method includes submerging the component into a powder bed so that a portion of the component to be repaired is level with a surface of the powder bed and a protruding portion of the component protrudes above the surface of the powder bed, positioning a split wiper that includes a first wiper segment and a second wiper segment in the powder bed at the surface, advancing a quantity of powder by translating the first wiper segment and the second wiper segment across the surface of the powder bed, and directing a laser beam across the surface to fuse powder particles of the powder bed to the underlying substrate forming a layer of the component. Each of the first wiper segment and the second wiper segment follow a different contour of the protruding portion at the surface.

A method of repairing a component using an additive manufacturing process is presented. The method includes submerging the component into a powder bed so that a portion of the component to be repaired is level with a surface of the powder bed and a protruding portion of the component protrudes above the surface of the powder bed, positioning a split wiper that includes a first wiper segment and a second wiper segment in the powder bed at the surface, advancing a quantity of powder by translating the first wiper segment and the second wiper segment across the surface of the powder bed, and directing a laser beam across the surface to fuse powder particles of the powder bed to the underlying substrate forming a layer of the component. Each of the first wiper segment and the second wiper segment follow a different contour of the protruding portion at the surface.

A removable calibration plate (10) comprises a sheet (20) comprising an upper face (21) intended to face towards the powerful incident-radiation beam, and bearing a reference marking (30) and being intended to receive a test marking (40), and a lower face (23). The plate (10) comprises an etching layer (22) to be etched by a powerful incident-radiation beam (F),this layer being secured to the upper face (21) of the sheet (20) and opaque to visible light, and being able to be destroyed locally by the powerful incident-radiation beam (F) in order to form the at least one test marking (40), the sheet (20) being transparent to visible light, the lower face (23) of the sheet (20) being frosted.

A removable image-capture apparatus (200) comprises an opening (202) intended to receive a calibration plate (10) bearing a reference marking (30) and possibly a test marking (40). The apparatus (200) comprises a source (204) of backlighting visible light situated beneath the opening (202), a sensor (205) for acquiring an image, in the backlighting visible light, of the plate (10), a guiding and supporting device (206) for positioning the sensor (205) above the opening (202) relative to the surround (201), a calculation device (207) configured to analyze the image, recognize the marking (30) and possibly the marking (40) in the image, and calculate aiming-command corrections intended for a firing system firing a powerful incident-radiation beam, which system belongs to an additive manufacturing apparatus, distinct and separate from the apparatus (200).

A method for producing a metal cutting tool component and a metal cutting tool component. The method includes the step of producing a front module having a main body and a front module interface at a rear end thereof, providing an intermediate element and building, using an additive manufacturing process, the main body on the build surface of the intermediate element. Further, a rear module including a coupling part at a rear end thereof and a rear module interface at a front end thereof is provided, and mounting the front module on the rear module by immovably connecting the front module and rear module interfaces, after the front module has been mounted on the rear module, machining at least one surface of the main body, and heat treating the intermediate element with the built main body, wherein at least the main body is hardened.

A method for producing a metal cutting tool component and a metal cutting tool component. The method includes the step of producing a front module having a main body and a front module interface at a rear end thereof, providing an intermediate element and building, using an additive manufacturing process, the main body on the build surface of the intermediate element. Further, a rear module including a coupling part at a rear end thereof and a rear module interface at a front end thereof is provided, and mounting the front module on the rear module by immovably connecting the front module and rear module interfaces, after the front module has been mounted on the rear module, machining at least one surface of the main body, and heat treating the intermediate element with the built main body, wherein at least the main body is hardened.

A planning device for planning locally selective irradiation of a work region using an energy beam in order to produce a component from a powder material arranged in the work region is provided. The planning device is configured to obtain a plurality of irradiation vectors for irradiating a powder material layer arranged in the work region with the energy beam. The planning device is further configured to determine a vector alignment in a coordinate system on the work region for at least one irradiation vector of the plurality of irradiation vectors, and to specify, for the at least one irradiation vector, a beam alignment for a non-circular beam shape of the energy beam on the work region relative to the vector alignment of the at least one irradiation vector.

A planning device for planning locally selective irradiation of a work region using an energy beam in order to produce a component from a powder material arranged in the work region is provided. The planning device is configured to obtain a plurality of irradiation vectors for irradiating a powder material layer arranged in the work region with the energy beam. The planning device is further configured to determine a vector alignment in a coordinate system on the work region for at least one irradiation vector of the plurality of irradiation vectors, and to specify, for the at least one irradiation vector, a beam alignment for a non-circular beam shape of the energy beam on the work region relative to the vector alignment of the at least one irradiation vector.

The present invention concerns a method for obtaining an implantable plate for healing a fractured joint of a patient, comprising the steps of: 1) providing a 3D representation of a bone structure in a zone around a joint fracture, the zone comprising essentially all fragments of broken or ruptured bones and at least the ends of unbroken bones which form part of the fractured joint; 2) identifying different bone fragments within said 3D representation; 3) simulating a reduction of said bone fragments into a full joint; 4) calculating optimal parameter values for an implantable plate; 5) obtaining the implantable plate taking into account the calculated parameter values, whereby in step 3, the reduction is simulated by automatedly fitting positions and orientations of said bone fragments to a 3D representation of a healthy joint of said patient.