In one aspect, an additive manufacturing system is provided. The additive manufacturing system includes a build platform, a first plurality of particles positioned on the build platform, and a particle containment system positioned on the build platform. The particle containment system includes a particle containment wall. The particle containment wall at least partially surrounds the first plurality of particles and includes a second plurality of particles consolidated together. The particle containment wall includes a top end spaced apart from the build platform, an inner face positioned against the first plurality of particles and extending between the build platform and the top end, and an outer face that faces a substantially particle-free region, the outer face positioned opposite the inner face and extending between the build platform and the top end.

A lamination molding apparatus includes a molding room, a chamber, a chamber window, a molding table, a molding table driving device, surrounding walls, an irradiation device, a measuring unit, and a controller. The measuring unit includes a first measuring device acquiring a measured value of a light intensity, and a second measuring device acquiring a value of a beam diameter, and measures laser beams outputted based on set values of light intensity during molding. The controller determines an abnormality has occurred when a slope of a linear function obtained from a relationship between the measured value of the light intensity and the value of the beam diameter at a predetermined height is out of a predetermined range, or when a slope of a linear function obtained from a relationship between the measured value of the light intensity and a value of a focal position is out of a predetermined range.

A lamination molding apparatus includes a molding room, a chamber, a chamber window, a molding table, a molding table driving device, surrounding walls, an irradiation device, a measuring unit, and a controller. The measuring unit includes a first measuring device acquiring a measured value of a light intensity, and a second measuring device acquiring a value of a beam diameter, and measures laser beams outputted based on set values of light intensity during molding. The controller determines an abnormality has occurred when a slope of a linear function obtained from a relationship between the measured value of the light intensity and the value of the beam diameter at a predetermined height is out of a predetermined range, or when a slope of a linear function obtained from a relationship between the measured value of the light intensity and a value of a focal position is out of a predetermined range.

A build plate-clamping assembly may include a work station having a build plate-receiving surface and a lock-pin extending from the build plate-receiving surface of the work station. The lock-pin may include a hollow pin body, a piston disposed within the hollow pin body, with the piston axially movable from a retracted position to an actuated position, and a plurality of detents, with the plurality of detents radially extensible through respective ones of a plurality of detent-apertures in the hollow pin body responsive to the piston having been axially moved to the actuated position. A methods of working on workpieces may include lockingly engaging a build plate at a first work station, performing a first work-step, releasing the build plate from the first work station, lockingly engaging the build plate at a second work station, and performing a second work-step. An additive manufacturing system may include a vision system with a first build plate-receiving surface and an additive manufacturing machine with a second build plate-receiving surface.

An irradiation device for an additively manufacturing apparatus may include a working beam generation device configured to provide a working beam, a modulation beam generation device configured to provide a modulation beam, and a solid-state optical modulator that includes a crystalline material that exhibits a change in refractive index in response to photoexcitation of free electrons within the crystalline material. The irradiation device may include a power source coupled to the solid-state optical modulator and configured to introduce free electrons into the crystalline material. The modulation beam may cause photoexcitation of the free electrons within the crystalline material. The photoexcitation of the free electrons within the crystalline material may cause the crystalline material to exhibit a change in refractive index. The working beam, when incident upon the crystalline material, may exhibit a change in one or more parameters, such as a phase shift, attributable at least in part to the change in refractive index exhibited by the crystalline material.

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.

An additive manufacturing apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a build platform, a scanning unit and a preheating arrangement. Material is operatively deposited on the build platform to form a material bed, with a surface of the material bed defining a material area. The scanning unit is configured to consolidate deposited material in a scan area on the surface of the material bed, wherein the scan area forms part of and is substantially smaller than the material area. The preheating arrangement is configured to focus energy onto the surface of the material bed substantially in the scan area and not in the remainder of the material area. A method of preheating material in an additive manufacturing apparatus, a method of forming an object by additive manufacturing and a preheating arrangement for an additive manufacturing apparatus are also disclosed.

Disclosed is a system for adding material by melting powder on a determined surface of a workpiece by means of a laser beam in order to construct a volume, the system comprising: -a laser beam emitting device, -a laser scanning head provided with at least two galvanometric mirrors and provided with a lens for focusing the reflected incident laser beam on the determined surface, the system comprising the laser scanning head being held stationary relative to the workpiece while the volume is constructed, -a powder injection device positioned laterally relative to the focused reflected incident laser beam in order to distribute the powder on the determined surface, -the powder is melted by the focused reflected incident laser beam emitted on the powder distributed on the determined surface.

Disclosed is a system for adding material by melting powder on a determined surface of a workpiece by means of a laser beam in order to construct a volume, the system comprising: -a laser beam emitting device, -a laser scanning head provided with at least two galvanometric mirrors and provided with a lens for focusing the reflected incident laser beam on the determined surface, the system comprising the laser scanning head being held stationary relative to the workpiece while the volume is constructed, -a powder injection device positioned laterally relative to the focused reflected incident laser beam in order to distribute the powder on the determined surface, -the powder is melted by the focused reflected incident laser beam emitted on the powder distributed on the determined surface.