A method for producing a layered object is provided. The method includes a) irradiating a given surface layer of the object with an energy beam to create an interaction zone on the surface layer; b) providing relative motion between the energy beam and the given surface layer so as to control the interaction between the energy beam and the given surface layer; c) introducing feedstock into the interaction zone so that the feedstock melts and forms a hot solidified surface after leaving the interaction zone; d) applying mechanical energy to the hot solidified surface; and e) repeating steps (a) through (d) to form at least part of the layered object.

A nozzle for additive manufacturing includes a plasma gas tube operable to provide plasma gas to a plasma flame, and a source material tube arranged concentrically inside the plasma gas tube such that the source material passes through the plasma flame. An apparatus and method for additive manufacturing are also disclosed.

One exemplary embodiment of this disclosure relates to a gas turbine engine, including a component having a first portion formed using one of a casting and a forging process, and a second portion formed using an additive manufacturing process.

The invention relates to a method for producing, in particular generatively producing, and coding a three-dimensional component. Said method comprises the following steps: providing a starting material, supplying a process gas to the starting material, melting the starting material by means of a heat source, and repeating the aforementioned steps. The method according to the invention is characterized in that, at least at a predetermined time interval during the melting of the starting material, a coding component or a coding gas containing a coding component is added to the process gas such that the use of the coding component in the finished object is detectable, and coding information is logged which describes the coding information and the location thereof in the component.

An optical manufacturing process sensing and status indication system is taught that is able to utilize optical emissions from a manufacturing process to infer the state of the process. In one case, it is able to use these optical emissions to distinguish thermal phenomena on two timescales and to perform feature extraction and classification so that nominal process conditions may be uniquely distinguished from off-nominal process conditions at a given instant in time or over a sequential series of instants in time occurring over the duration of the manufacturing process. In other case, it is able to utilize these optical emissions to derive corresponding spectra and identify features within those spectra so that nominal process conditions may be uniquely distinguished from off-nominal process conditions at a given instant in time or over a sequential series of instants in time occurring over the duration of the manufacturing process.

A piston including at least one insert disposed between an inner surface of a ring belt and undercrown surface, and/or between the inner surface of the ring belt and a pin boss, to provide reinforcement to the ring belt is provided. The insert reduces thermal and mechanical distortion of the ring belt, and thus increases the piston ring performance, reduces blow-by, and ultimately improves engine emissions. The insert is formed by an additive machining process, such as direct depositing, laser cladding, laser sintering, arc welding, additive welding, plasma transferred arc spraying, plasma welding, arc welding, selective laser sintering, and high velocity oxygen fuel spraying, plasma spraying. According to one embodiment, an intermediate piece is mechanically attached to the piston, and the insert is applied to the intermediate piece, to provide additional reinforcement.

The present disclosure relates to new materials comprising Al, Co, Fe, and Ni. The new materials may realize a single phase field of a face-centered cubic (fcc) solid solution structure immediately below the solidus temperature of the material. The new materials may include at least one precipitate phase and have a solvus temperature of at least 1000 C. The new materials may include 4.4-11.4 wt. % Al, 4.9-42.2 wt. % Co, 4.6-28.9 wt. % Fe, and 44.1-86.1 wt. % Ni. In one embodiment, the precipitate is selected from the group consisting of the L1.sub.2 phase, the B2 phase, and combinations thereof. The new alloys may realize improved high temperature properties.

A mobile hardbanding system that uses PTA welding to perform hardbanding on drill string sections at the well site. The inventive system allows alternate use of PTA and MIG welding. Both a PTA torch and a MIG torch are provided. Changing from one type of welding to the other is simplified by including separate electrical, gas, and cooling conduits for each torch. The torch not in use is parked in the welding compartment near the weld box. The powder hopper for the PTA welding assembly may be mounted on a swivel arm so that it can be moved out of the way when the MIG torch is in use.

In a method for cleaning a portion to be welded in which a first portion (Pa) to be welded and a second portion (Pb) to be welded, which are to be joined by butt welding, are cleaned, the first and second portions (Pa, Ph) to be welded are cleaned before the butt welding by injecting, with the first and second portions (Pa, Pb) to be welded abutting on each other, plasma produced from a gas containing oxygen into a groove between the first portion (Pa) to be welded and the second portion Pb) to be welded.

A system and method of electric arc welding that includes a welding apparatus having an electric arc welder torch with sensors to determine the absolute position of the torch tip and the relative position of the torch tip to the weld joint during automatic welding. Combining absolute and relative positional data can be used to adjust the path of the robot during automated or robotic welding in response to variations in the weld joint.