A de-powdering basket comprises an enclosure of at least one side wall and a bottom wall. The enclosure is configured such that, when the enclosure is disposed within a build box, the outer surfaces of the at least one side wall are substantially adjacent to the interior walls of the build box. The enclosure further comprises one or more apertures disposed within the at least one side wall, each of the apertures comprising a void that extends through the at least one side wall from an interior surface of the side wall to an exterior surface of the side wall. The enclosure may be configured to accommodate a build plate situated within the enclosure. Outer edges of the build plate may cooperate with inner surfaces of the side walls of the enclosure to prevent loose powder from passing between the outer edges of the build plate and the side walls.

The present invention relates to a 3D-printed cobalt-based alloy product comprising carbon, tungsten and chromium with very good mechanical and thermal properties as well as a method of preparing the 3D-printed product and a powder alloy. The alloy has a high carbon content leading to high carbide content but small and evenly distributed carbides. A method facilitating 3D printing of high carbide content alloys such as the present alloy is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a 3D-printed cobalt-based alloy product comprising carbon, tungsten and chromium with very good mechanical and thermal properties as well as a method of preparing the 3D-printed product and a powder alloy. The alloy has a high carbon content leading to high carbide content but small and evenly distributed carbides. A method facilitating 3D printing of high carbide content alloys such as the present alloy is also disclosed.

An apparatus is disclosed to create a breakaway junction for 3D printed parts. Powder is spread along a target zone, such as a build bed. A liquid functional agent is selectively dispensed upon the powder to form a 3D object, a supporting part, and the breakaway junction between them.

An apparatus is disclosed to create a breakaway junction for 3D printed parts. Powder is spread along a target zone, such as a build bed. A liquid functional agent is selectively dispensed upon the powder to form a 3D object, a supporting part, and the breakaway junction between them.

An additive manufacturing machine (910) includes a build platform (908) extending within a horizontal plane (H) and a gantry (930) positioned above the build platform (908) and defining a build area (932). A build unit (920) includes a powder dispenser (906) for discharging a layer of additive powder (902) and an energy source (922) for selectively directing energy toward the layer of additive powder (902) to fuse portions of the layer of additive powder (902). The gantry (930) movably supports the build unit (920) within the build area and a powder supply system (900) is positioned below the gantry (930) and extends between a powder supply source (940) and the powder dispenser (906).

An additive manufacturing apparatus utilizing combined electron beam selective melting and electron beam cutting. One electron beam emitting, focusing, and scanning device (6) is capable of emitting electron beams (67, 68) in three modes of heating, selective melting, and electron beam cutting. The electron beam in the heating mode is emitted to scan and preheat a powder bed (7). The electron beam (67) in the selective melting mode is emitted to scan and melt powder (71) in a section outline to form a section layer of a component. The electron beam (68) in the electron beam cutting mode is emitted to perform one or more cutting scans on inner and outer outlines (74, 75) of a section of the component to obtain accurate and smooth inner and outer outlines of the section. The heating, melting deposition, and outline cutting processes are repeated to obtain a required three-dimensional physical component.

An additive manufacturing apparatus utilizing combined electron beam selective melting and electron beam cutting. One electron beam emitting, focusing, and scanning device (6) is capable of emitting electron beams (67, 68) in three modes of heating, selective melting, and electron beam cutting. The electron beam in the heating mode is emitted to scan and preheat a powder bed (7). The electron beam (67) in the selective melting mode is emitted to scan and melt powder (71) in a section outline to form a section layer of a component. The electron beam (68) in the electron beam cutting mode is emitted to perform one or more cutting scans on inner and outer outlines (74, 75) of a section of the component to obtain accurate and smooth inner and outer outlines of the section. The heating, melting deposition, and outline cutting processes are repeated to obtain a required three-dimensional physical component.

Methods for creating an aircraft turbomachine vane using additive manufacturing include additively manufacturing a vane on a bed of powder using selective laser melting, the additive manufacturing being performed on a support plate so that first or second circumferential edges are manufactured first directly on the support plate, at least one temporary support member being produced simultaneously with the first or second edges. The methods also include removing the temporary support member by breaking its connection with the leading or trailing edge with a tool that is engaged in at least one recess thereof.

A method of additive manufacture is disclosed. The method may include providing a powder bed and directing a shaped laser beam pulse train consisting of one or more pulses and having a flux greater than 20 kW/cm.sup.2 at a defined two dimensional region of the powder bed. This minimizes adverse laser plasma effects during the process of melting and fusing powder within the defined two dimensional region.