The present disclosure generally relates to methods and apparatuses for additive manufacturing using foil-based build materials. Such methods and apparatuses eliminate several drawbacks of conventional powder-based methods, including powder handling, recoater jams, and health risks. In addition, the present disclosure provides methods and apparatuses for compensation of in-process warping of build plates and foil-based build materials, in-process monitoring, and closed loop control.

The invention relates to the field of the additive manufacturing of components, which are formed by the direct deposition of a substance, in the form of granules of a metal or non-metal, which passes from a reservoir into a melt bath, produced by the thermal energy of a laser or electron beam, and subsequently crystallizes. The granules enter the melt bath without the intervention of a gas stream, the path and rate of travel of said granules changing while they are in flight under the effect of an electromagnetic field. The granules travel within a chamber, falling into the melt bath from above from a reservoir, from which they are fed at a set speed by the rotation of an adjustable screw feed, and passing through a system of electromagnetic devices, which control the path of the granules by means of electromagnetic fields. The coordinates of this path are tracked by sensors, which transmit a signal to a computer, wherein the flight path of the granules is adjusted by control via the electronic devices and the delivery speed and volume of the substance is adjusted by adjusting the rotation of the screw feed. The invention increases the efficiency of the production cycle, reduces the dimensions of the equipment and increases the accuracy and speed with which material is delivered for the manufacture of a component, while enabling adjustment of the amount, temperature, path and fraction of said material and increasing the strength of the component.

Provided are a systems and methods for manufacturing objects by solid freeform fabrication, especially titanium and titanium alloy objects, wherein the deposition rate is increased by using two separate heat sources, one heat source for heating the deposition area on the base material and one heat source for heating and melting a metallic material, such as a metal wire or a powdered metallic material.

An example system may include a material source and a substrate having a molten pool on a surface of the substrate, wherein the molten pool faces a downward direction defined with respect to gravity. The system may include a computing device. An example technique may include, by the computing device, controlling the material source to direct a stream of solid material to the molten pool in an upward direction defined with respect to gravity. The material combines with the molten pool to form a deposited volume of a plurality of deposited volumes. The plurality of deposited volumes defines a component. An example computer readable storage medium may include instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to control, based on a digital representation of the component, an energy source to direct an energy beam at the substrate to form the molten pool, and control the material source.

A process for layer manufacturing comprising: (a) feeding raw material in a solid state to a first predetermined location; (b) depositing the raw material onto a substrate as a molten pool deposit under a first processing condition; (c) monitoring the molten pool deposit for a preselected condition using a detector substantially contemporaneously with the depositing step; (d) comparing information about the preselected condition of the monitored molten pool deposit with a predetermined desired value for the preselected condition of the monitored molten pool deposit; (e) solidifying the molten pool deposit; (f) automatically altering the first processing condition to a different processing condition based upon information obtained from the comparing step (d); (g) protecting the detector with a vapor protection device; and (h) repeating steps (a) through (g) at one or more second locations.

To provide a powder material for additive layer manufacturing capable of molding a three-dimensional shaped molded article having less cracking or chipping and having high hardness and a method for manufacturing a molded article using the powder material. A powder material for additive layer manufacturing used to manufacture a three-dimensional shaped molded article by irradiation with a laser light or an electron beam contains cobalt, a first component containing one or more substances selected from the group consisting of vanadium carbide, niobium carbide, and molybdenum carbide, an optional additive component, and the balance of tungsten carbide. The content of the first component is 0.6% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less.

An AM apparatus for an AM process is provided. The AM apparatus includes a build chamber with a build plate to support one or more parts built with a powder, during a build operation. The AM apparatus further includes a laser assembly operable to deliver a melting laser beam, to melt and fuse the powder used to build the one or more parts. The AM apparatus further includes a part detachment assembly, separate from the laser assembly and operable for a cutting operation. The part detachment assembly includes one or more laser beam delivery apparatuses, each operable to deliver a cutting laser beam, and a part holder apparatus. During the cutting operation, the part holder apparatus holds the one or more parts, and each of the laser beam delivery apparatus(es) delivers the cutting laser beam, to detach the one or more parts from the build plate within the AM apparatus.

An additive manufacturing apparatus includes a laser oscillator that is a beam source that outputs a beam, and a rotary motor that is a driving unit that changes the relative positions of a material fed from a wire spool that is a supply source of a wire that is the material and an object to be machined. The driving unit is capable of performing first driving for feeding the material from the supply source toward the object to be machined and second driving for pulling back the fed material to the supply source, and switches from the first driving to the second driving on the basis of a machining program.

The present specification relates to an additive manufacturing apparatus comprising an X-ray reference object (18) for calibrating an electron beam unit in the additive manufacturing apparatus by detecting X-rays generated by sweeping an electron beam from the electron beam unit over a reference surface (19) of the X-ray reference object (18) and processing the detected signals, the X-ray reference object (18) comprising a support body (20) that has a top surface (21) and comprises a plurality of holes (22) in the top surface (21), The X-ray reference object (18) comprises a plurality of target members (23) inserted into the plurality of holes (22) of the support body (20). The present specification also relates to an X-ray detector to be used in the additive manufacturing apparatus, and to a method for calibrating such an additive manufacturing apparatus.

A method of additively manufacturing includes determining a track for manufacturing a layer of a component with a powder blend; traversing the track with a conditioning energy beam to cause sintering of powder particles along a denuded region within the powder blend; and traversing the track with a melting energy beam subsequent to the conditioning energy beam to from the layer of the component. An additive manufacturing system includes a build chamber that contains a powder blend; a controller operable to determine a track for manufacturing a layer of a component with the powder blend in the build chamber; a conditioning energy beam directed along the track by the controller to cause sintering of powder particles along a denuded region within the powder blend; and a melting energy beam directed along the track by the controller subsequent to the conditioning energy beam to form the layer of the component.