In an example implementation, a method of operating a sintering furnace includes receiving information about a green object load to be sintered in a sintering furnace, determining a sintering profile based on the information, and performing a sintering process according to the sintering profile. During the sintering process, a sensor reading that indicates a degree of densification of a green object in the load is accessed from a densification sensor. The method includes initiating a cool down phase of the sintering process if the sensor reading has reached a target sensor reading.

In an example implementation, a method of operating a sintering furnace includes receiving information about a green object load to be sintered in a sintering furnace, determining a sintering profile based on the information, and performing a sintering process according to the sintering profile. During the sintering process, a sensor reading that indicates a degree of densification of a green object in the load is accessed from a densification sensor. The method includes initiating a cool down phase of the sintering process if the sensor reading has reached a target sensor reading.

There is provided a cobalt-based alloy product comprising: in mass %, 0.08-0.25% C; 0.1% or less B; 10-30% Cr; 5% or less Fe and 30% or less Ni, the total amount of Fe and Ni being 30% or less; W and/or Mo, the total amount of W and Mo being 5-12%; at least one of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb and Ta, the total amount of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb and Ta being 0.5-2%; 0.5% or less Si; 0.5% or less Mn; 0.003-0.04% N; and the balance being Co and impurities. The product is a polycrystalline body of matrix phase crystal grains. In the matrix phase crystal grains, post-segregation cells with an average size of 0.13-2 μm are formed, wherein components constituting an MC type carbide phase comprising Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb and/or Ta are segregated along boundary regions of the post-segregation cells.

There is provided a cobalt-based alloy product comprising: in mass %, 0.08-0.25% C; 0.1% or less B; 10-30% Cr; 5% or less Fe and 30% or less Ni, the total amount of Fe and Ni being 30% or less; W and/or Mo, the total amount of W and Mo being 5-12%; at least one of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb and Ta, the total amount of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb and Ta being 0.5-2%; 0.5% or less Si; 0.5% or less Mn; 0.003-0.04% N; and the balance being Co and impurities. The product is a polycrystalline body of matrix phase crystal grains. In the matrix phase crystal grains, post-segregation cells with an average size of 0.13-2 μm are formed, wherein components constituting an MC type carbide phase comprising Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb and/or Ta are segregated along boundary regions of the post-segregation cells.

A nickel base superalloy powder for additive manufacturing applications is disclosed. The alloy powder has the following broad weight percent composition:

TABLE-US-00001 C   0-0.1 Mn 0.5 max. Si   0-0.03 Cr  4-16 Fe   0-1.5 Mo 0-6 W 0-8 Co  0-15 Ti 0-2 Al 0.5-5.5 Nb 0-6 Ta  7.5-14.5 Hf   0-2.0 Zr   0-0.1 Re 0-6 Ru 0-3 B   0-0.03
The balance of the alloy is at least 50% nickel and the usual impurities. An article of manufacture made from the alloy is also disclosed.

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.

A method for forming a multi-material part by selective laser melting includes the following steps. Modeling is performed by regularly distributing and arraying a combination of materials that meets forming requirements such that a part model is designed. The designed part model is subjected to a dimension compensation, a shape compensation, a chamfering setting, a margin design and a design of a process support to obtain a process model. The obtained process model is sliced into a series of layers. Type, distribution and boundary information of materials in each layer are collected to generate a control file. All materials required for part forming are loaded into an additive manufacturing equipment. After a state of the additive manufacturing equipment meets forming requirements, a part is formed under the control of the generated control file. Post-processing is performed after the part is formed.

The disclosure relates to a method for forming a metal article by additive manufacturing and related apparatus for performing the method. A metal particle suspension including a UV-curable polymeric resin liquid medium, and metal particles distributed throughout the liquid medium is deposited and cured by spatially selective exposure to UV radiation in a layer-by-layer process. Metal particle size can be selected in combination with the applied layer thickness to ensure complete cure throughout the applied layer while providing a high print speed and high spatial resolution. Intermittent or periodic partial curing of an applied layer can be used to maintain a homogeneous distribution of metal particles in the applied layer prior to full curing. The final product is achieved after sintering, which removes the cured binder in a debinding step and also provides the desired final article at close to the full density.

The disclosure relates to a method for forming a metal article by additive manufacturing and related apparatus for performing the method. A metal particle suspension including a UV-curable polymeric resin liquid medium, and metal particles distributed throughout the liquid medium is deposited and cured by spatially selective exposure to UV radiation in a layer-by-layer process. Metal particle size can be selected in combination with the applied layer thickness to ensure complete cure throughout the applied layer while providing a high print speed and high spatial resolution. Intermittent or periodic partial curing of an applied layer can be used to maintain a homogeneous distribution of metal particles in the applied layer prior to full curing. The final product is achieved after sintering, which removes the cured binder in a debinding step and also provides the desired final article at close to the full density.

Methods for removing support structures in additively manufactured parts are disclosed. A method in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure comprises inserting a demolition object in a first state into a hollow portion of a 3-D printed part, breaking a support structure within the hollow portion by contact with the demolition object, changing the demolition object into a second state while the demolition object is within the hollow portion of the 3-D printed part, and removing the demolition object from the hollow portion of the 3-D printed part.