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 forming a three-dimensional article through successive fusion of parts of a powder bed comprising: providing a model of the three dimensional article, applying a first powder layer on a work table, directing an energy beam over the work table causing the first powder layer to fuse in selected locations according to the model to form a first cross section of the three-dimensional article, applying a second powder layer on the work table, directing the energy beam over the work table causing the second powder layer to fuse in selected locations according to the model to form a second cross section of the three-dimensional article, wherein the second layer is bonded to the first layer, detecting a local thickness in at least two positions in at least the second powder layer, varying an energy beam parameter depending on the detected local thickness of the second powder layer.

Selective laser solidification apparatus is described that includes a powder bed onto which a powder layer can be deposited and a gas flow unit for passing a flow of gas over the powder bed along a predefined gas flow direction. A laser scanning unit is provided for scanning a laser beam over the powder layer to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layer to form a required pattern. The required pattern is formed from a plurality of stripes or stripe segments that are formed by advancing the laser beam along the stripe or stripe segment in a stripe formation direction. The stripe formation direction is arranged so that it always at least partially opposes the predefined gas flow direction. A corresponding method is also described.

Selective laser solidification apparatus is described that includes a powder bed onto which a powder layer can be deposited and a gas flow unit for passing a flow of gas over the powder bed along a predefined gas flow direction. A laser scanning unit is provided for scanning a laser beam over the powder layer to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layer to form a required pattern. The required pattern is formed from a plurality of stripes or stripe segments that are formed by advancing the laser beam along the stripe or stripe segment in a stripe formation direction. The stripe formation direction is arranged so that it always at least partially opposes the predefined gas flow direction. A corresponding method is also described.

Systems and methods for simulating a melt pool characteristic for selective laser melting additive manufacturing. The system includes a selective laser melting apparatus and an electronic controller configured to obtain a surface geometry of a previous layer of a component being manufactured using the selective laser melting apparatus, simulate an addition of a powder layer having a desired powder layer thickness to the component based upon the surface geometry of the previous layer, determine a melt pool characteristic based upon geometric information of the simulated powder layer and the desired powder layer thickness, determine an adjustment to the simulated powder layer based upon the melt pool characteristic, and actuate the selective laser melting apparatus based upon the simulated powder layer and the determined adjustment.

Provided is a method of molding a composite material by laser metal deposition in which a powder metal material is irradiated with a laser beam while supplying the powder metal material onto a surface of a base material, in which the powder metal material is a mixed powder of an Fe alloy powder and a Cu powder, and a mixing ratio of the Fe alloy powder and the Cu powder is 15% or more and 30% or less by weight % of the Cu powder, and in which the composite material having anisotropy is molded by setting energy of the laser beam to be 9 KJ/g or more and 10 KJ/g or less in a mixed powder ratio.

Provided is a method of molding a composite material by laser metal deposition in which a powder metal material is irradiated with a laser beam while supplying the powder metal material onto a surface of a base material, in which the powder metal material is a mixed powder of an Fe alloy powder and a Cu powder, and a mixing ratio of the Fe alloy powder and the Cu powder is 15% or more and 30% or less by weight % of the Cu powder, and in which the composite material having anisotropy is molded by setting energy of the laser beam to be 9 KJ/g or more and 10 KJ/g or less in a mixed powder ratio.

Disclosed is a biomedical β titanium alloy and a preparation method thereof. Its composition includes: Mo: 9.20-13.50%; Fe: 1.00-3.20%; Zr: 3.50-8.20%; Ta: 0-1.00%; the balance is Ti. The β titanium alloy is suitable for the laser additive manufacturing technology, and the prepared parts have a dense equiaxed grain structure with ultra-low grain size and a small number of columnar grain structures, which produces a fine-grain strengthening effect, and greatly improve the hardness and tribocorrosion performance of the alloy material. Also provided is a method for preparing a non-toxic, low-elasticity, and tribocorrosion resistant biomedical β titanium alloy material. A powder prepared from the above alloy components is subjected to a laser additive manufacturing technology to prepare a corresponding β titanium alloy with high-hardness, good tribocorrosion resistance and extremely low cytotoxicity. Moreover, the prepared material has good weldability and is a special metal alloy powder suitable for laser additive manufacturing.

A method of selecting a scanning sequence of a laser beam in a selective laser solidification process, in which one or more objects are formed layer-by-layer by, repeatedly, depositing a layer of powder on a powder bed and scanning a plurality of laser beams over the deposited powder to selectively solidify the powder layers, wherein a gas flow is passed over the powder bed in a gas flow direction. The method including selecting a scanning sequence for the plurality of laser beams to include the simultaneous exposure of an upstream point together with a downstream point located downstream of a flow of debris carried from the upstream point by the gas flow, the downstream and upstream points selected for simultaneous exposure based upon the downstream point being within a maximum separation distance from the upstream point.

A method for checking a component to be produced in an additive manner, having the steps of mechanically exciting at least one additively constructed layer of the component during the additive production of the component, measuring a mechanical response signal of the component, and displaying a warning and/or interrupting the additive production of the component if the mechanical response signal lies outside of a specified tolerance range. A device for the additive production of a component, includes a device for mechanically exciting the at least one additively constructed layer of the component, a measuring unit for measuring the mechanical response signal of the component, and a control unit. The control unit is designed to display the warning and/or interrupt the additive production if the mechanical response signal lies outside of a specified tolerance range.