According to some embodiments, there is provided a welding device for welding outer peripheral edges of two irregular shaped plates which are overlapped, including: a rotary table to which the two irregular shaped plates in an overlapped state are fixed; a torch unit, including a welding torch positioned to face the outer peripheral edges of the two irregular shaped plates fixed to the rotary table; a first torch actuator, capable of changing an orientation and a distance of the welding torch relative to the outer peripheral edges; and a first controller, configured to control the first torch actuator, so that the orientation of the welding torch relative to a tangential line of the outer peripheral edges and the distance of the welding torch from the outer peripheral edges are kept constant along a circumferential direction of the outer peripheral edges, during rotation of the two irregular shaped plates.

A deposition planning method for an additively manufactured object includes: acquiring shape data; determining a welding path of each layer by slicing a three-dimensional shape of the additively manufactured object into layers; classifying a plurality of welding paths into intersection region paths and constant region paths; dividing the intersection region paths into a lower layer path and an upper layer path of an intersection portion; and determining welding conditions of the intersection region paths such that an upper layer deposit amount is more than a lower layer deposit amount, a sum of the upper layer deposit amount and the lower layer deposit amount is equal to a deposit amount in the constant region paths, and in a cross-section orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the weld beads formed along the upper layer path, profiles of the weld beads adjacent to each other overlap each other.

A deposition planning method for an additively manufactured object includes: acquiring shape data; determining a welding path of each layer by slicing a three-dimensional shape of the additively manufactured object into layers; classifying a plurality of welding paths into intersection region paths and constant region paths; dividing the intersection region paths into a lower layer path and an upper layer path of an intersection portion; and determining welding conditions of the intersection region paths such that an upper layer deposit amount is more than a lower layer deposit amount, a sum of the upper layer deposit amount and the lower layer deposit amount is equal to a deposit amount in the constant region paths, and in a cross-section orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the weld beads formed along the upper layer path, profiles of the weld beads adjacent to each other overlap each other.

A suction apparatus is provided with: a first path connecting an inlet and a drive opening of an ejector; a second path connecting a suction/ejection opening and an intake opening of the ejector; and a third path connecting the inlet and the suction/ejection opening. When the second path is connected by a path switching unit, a gas or an aerosol is suctioned via the suction/ejection opening by means of the first path and the second path. When the third path is connected by the path switching unit, a compressed gas is ejected via the suction/ejection opening by means of the third path.

A control system for forming a tapered structure includes a sensor providing feedback for a machine for forming a tapered structure including at least three rolls having at least one bend roll and at least two guide rolls. The guide rolls may include rollette banks having a plurality of rollettes. The machine may also include an adjustment mechanism to position at least one of the rolls, where a diameter of the tapered structure being formed is controlled by relative positions of the rolls. The machine may also include a joining element to join edges of a stock of material together as it is rolled through the rolls to form the tapered structure. The control system may also include a controller to receive feedback from the sensor and to send a control signal based on the feedback to the adjustment mechanism for positioning at least one of the rolls.

A contact device for feeding current to one or more welding wires in a welding apparatus includes a split tip nozzle having first and second diametrically opposed slots formed therein and a biasing means for supplying an adjustable biasing force to first and second split tips to bias the first and second split tips together to ensure that a desired contact between the split tip nozzle and the one or more welding wires is maintained throughout the lifecycle of the nozzle. The biasing force may be applied by any means including, for example, a compression ring, interaction of tapered surfaces between the tube and the split tip nozzle, a compression or cylinder spring pre-mounted on the first and second split tips, a tensioning screw, etc.

A contact device for feeding current to one or more welding wires in a welding apparatus includes a split tip nozzle having first and second diametrically opposed slots formed therein and a biasing means for supplying an adjustable biasing force to first and second split tips to bias the first and second split tips together to ensure that a desired contact between the split tip nozzle and the one or more welding wires is maintained throughout the lifecycle of the nozzle. The biasing force may be applied by any means including, for example, a compression ring, interaction of tapered surfaces between the tube and the split tip nozzle, a compression or cylinder spring pre-mounted on the first and second split tips, a tensioning screw, etc.

An additive manufacturing support device includes a building condition acquisition unit configured to acquire information on a shape model of an object and a load condition applied to the object; a stress analysis unit configured to determine a maximum principal stress direction generated in each portion of the object, by stress analysis based on the acquired shape model and load condition; and a trajectory determination unit configured to determine a forming direction of a weld bead on the basis of the maximum principal stress direction and the load condition.

A fault-monitoring device includes: a shape profile acquisition unit that acquires a shape profile of the existing weld bead; a feature amount extraction unit that extracts a feature amount of a concave shape formed by the plurality of existing weld beads included in the shape profile; a fault position identification unit that identifies a fault candidate location where the welding fault is expected to occur according to the extracted feature amount; and a control unit that causes the shape profile acquisition unit to update the shape profile when the welding device newly forms the weld bead and repeatedly executes the extraction of the feature amount by the feature amount extraction unit and the identification of the fault candidate location by the fault position identification unit.

A high temperature iron-chromium-aluminium (FeCrAl) alloy tube extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein the tube is formed from a continuous strip of a high temperature FeCrAl alloy and comprises a helical welded seam. The high temperature FeCrAl alloy tube is manufactured by feeding a continuous strip of the high temperature FeCrAl alloy toward a tube shaping station, helically winding the strip such that long edges of the strip abut each other and a rotating tube moving forward in a direction parallel to its longitudinal axis is formed, and continuously joining said abutting long edges together in a welding process directly when the tube is formed, whereby a welded tube comprising a helical welded seam is obtained.