System and method for additive casting of metal objects by constructing production layers having mold regions and object regions includes a mold construction unit to construct a mold region of the current production layer; a Preparation-Deposition-Post (PDP) unit including: a molten metal depositor to deposit molten metal in an object region; a holder for holding the molten metal depositor; at least one induction heating unit; a build table for supporting the vertical stack of production layers; a movable platform to provide relative movement between the PDP unit and the build table; and a controller for controlling the PDP unit and the movable platform to deposit molten metal in a fabrication area, and to control the PDP unit to perform (1) pre-heating the fabrication area before molten metal deposition, to a pre-deposition temperature, and/or (2) post-heating the fabrication area after molten metal deposition, to a post-deposition temperature.

System and method for additive casting of metal objects by constructing production layers having mold regions and object regions includes a mold construction unit to construct a mold region of the current production layer; a Preparation-Deposition-Post (PDP) unit including: a molten metal depositor to deposit molten metal in an object region; a holder for holding the molten metal depositor; at least one induction heating unit; a build table for supporting the vertical stack of production layers; a movable platform to provide relative movement between the PDP unit and the build table; and a controller for controlling the PDP unit and the movable platform to deposit molten metal in a fabrication area, and to control the PDP unit to perform (1) pre-heating the fabrication area before molten metal deposition, to a pre-deposition temperature, and/or (2) post-heating the fabrication area after molten metal deposition, to a post-deposition temperature.

A method for manufacturing metal components includes the steps of providing a waste feedstock having a selected chemical composition; producing an additive manufacturing (AM) grade alloy powder from the waste feedstock using a cold hearth mixing process; providing an additive manufacturing system; controlling the producing of the alloy powder such that the properties of the alloy powder optimize building of the components using the additive manufacturing system; and building the components using the alloy powder and the additive manufacturing system.

Methods and apparatus to identify additively manufactured parts are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a body, formed of layers layered substantially parallel to a base layer, composed of a first material having a first density, a first indicium embedded internally in the body as a void, and a second indicium on an external surface of the body, the second indicium aligning with the first indicium.

A welding or additive manufacturing system includes a power supply having a controller which controls operation of the power supply. The power supply provides a current waveform to a contact tip assembly having a first bore terminating at a first exit orifice and a second bore terminating at a second exit orifice. The first exit orifice is configured to deliver a first wire electrode and said second exit orifice is configured to deliver a second wire electrode. The exit orifices are separated from each other by a distance configured to facilitate formation of a bridge droplet between the wire electrodes while preventing solid portions of the first wire electrode delivered through the first bore from contacting solid portions of the second wire electrode delivered through the second bore, during a deposition operation in which the current waveform is conducted to both of the wire electrodes simultaneously through the contact tip assembly.

An annular hollow offset-focus laser cladding device, including a housing, a conical reflector arranged in the housing, an annular off-axis parabolic focusing mirror opposite to and arranged coaxially with the conical reflector, a nozzle installed below the conical reflector and a powder-spraying tube connected to a lower end of the nozzle. A top of the housing is provided with a light entrance; the conical reflector faces the light entrance; The powder-spraying tube is coaxial with the annular hollow offset-focusing light reflected by the annular off-axis parabolic focusing mirror; a collimating protective gas jacket is arranged on a periphery of the powder-spraying tube, and the collimating protective gas jacket is located between the annular hollow offset-focused light and the powder-spraying tube; the annular off-axis parabolic focusing mirror is configured to create a horizontally offset of parent parabola focus.

An annular hollow offset-focus laser cladding device, including a housing, a conical reflector arranged in the housing, an annular off-axis parabolic focusing mirror opposite to and arranged coaxially with the conical reflector, a nozzle installed below the conical reflector and a powder-spraying tube connected to a lower end of the nozzle. A top of the housing is provided with a light entrance; the conical reflector faces the light entrance; The powder-spraying tube is coaxial with the annular hollow offset-focusing light reflected by the annular off-axis parabolic focusing mirror; a collimating protective gas jacket is arranged on a periphery of the powder-spraying tube, and the collimating protective gas jacket is located between the annular hollow offset-focused light and the powder-spraying tube; the annular off-axis parabolic focusing mirror is configured to create a horizontally offset of parent parabola focus.

An apparatus (100) for additive manufacturing of a part of an article from a first material comprising particles having a first composition is provided. The apparatus (100) comprises a layer providing means (110) for providing a first support layer from a second material comprising particles having a second composition, wherein the first composition and the second composition are different. The apparatus (100) comprises a concavity defining means (120) for defining a first concavity in an exposed surface of the first support layer. The apparatus (100) comprises a depositing means (130) for depositing a part of the first material in the first concavity defined in the first support layer. The apparatus (100) comprises a levelling means (140) for selectively levelling the deposited first material in the first concavity. The apparatus (100) comprises a first fusing means (150) for fusing some of the particles of the levelled first material in the first concavity by at least partially melting said particles, thereby forming a first part of the layer of the article. In this way, the second material may be thus used to provide a support structure during additive manufacturing of the part of the article.

An apparatus (100) for additive manufacturing of a part of an article from a first material comprising particles having a first composition is provided. The apparatus (100) comprises a layer providing means (110) for providing a first support layer from a second material comprising particles having a second composition, wherein the first composition and the second composition are different. The apparatus (100) comprises a concavity defining means (120) for defining a first concavity in an exposed surface of the first support layer. The apparatus (100) comprises a depositing means (130) for depositing a part of the first material in the first concavity defined in the first support layer. The apparatus (100) comprises a levelling means (140) for selectively levelling the deposited first material in the first concavity. The apparatus (100) comprises a first fusing means (150) for fusing some of the particles of the levelled first material in the first concavity by at least partially melting said particles, thereby forming a first part of the layer of the article. In this way, the second material may be thus used to provide a support structure during additive manufacturing of the part of the article.

An example of a method, for three-dimensional (3D) printing, includes applying a build material and patterning at least a portion of the build material. The patterning includes selectively applying a wetting amount of a binder fluid on the at least the portion of the build material and subsequently selectively applying a remaining amount of the binder fluid on the at least the portion of the build material. An area density in grams per meter square meter (gsm) of the wetting amount ranges from about 2 times less to about 30 times less than area density in gsm of the remaining amount.