The present invention relates to a heating method for preparing a powder bed for subsequent processing by irradiating the powder bed with an electron beam from an electron source. The electron source may be designed for fast moving of the electron beam to different heating positions at the powder bed comprising the step, local heating of at least two powder bed heating positions by successive resting of said electron beam at the at least two powder bed heating positions. By jumping between local preheating positions at the powder bed before the powder is fused, charged powder can be prevented from levitation and scattering from the powder bed.

A method for producing three-dimensional objects layer by layer using a powdery material which can be solidified by irradiating it with at least two electron beams, said method comprises a pre-heating step, wherein the pre-heating step comprises the sub-step of scanning a pre-heating powder layer area (100) by scanning a first electron beam in a first region (I) and by scanning a second electron beam in a second region (II) distributed over the pre-heating powder layer area (100), wherein consecutively scanned paths are separated by, at least, a security distance (ΔY), said sub-step further comprising the step of synchronising the preheating of said first and second electron beams when simultaneously preheating said powder material within said first and second regions respectively, so that said first and second electron beams are always separated to each other with at least a minimum security distance (ΔX).

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for an electron beam system for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by fusing successive layers of powder, said system having at least one lens for reshaping of said electron beam, an electron source and a powder bed, said method comprising the step: blocking a selected cross section of said electron beam for controlling the electron beam power. By interference between the electron beam and a beam blocking part a portion of the electron beam is prevented from reaching the powder bed.

The invention relates to a device (1) for manufacturing a part (100) made of metallic material, comprising a depositing member (2) made of said metallic material. The device (1) further comprises an impacting member (4) of the material being deposited by emitting an energy beam (5), so as to locally modify its crystalline structure.

An excess metal amount setting method includes: a thermal shrinkage prediction step of predicting a thermal shrinkage amount in the deposited body after manufacturing; a thermal shrinkage modifying step of obtaining a thermal deformation modifying profile by expanding a target profile according to the thermal shrinkage amount; a release strain prediction step of predicting an elastic deformation amount due to release strain of the deposited body after machining; an elastic deformation modifying step of obtaining an elastic deformation modifying profile by deforming the thermal deformation modifying profile according to the elastic deformation amount in a direction opposite to a deformation direction due to the release strain; and an excess metal amount setting step of adjusting an outer edge shape of the deposited body so that an excess metal amount from the elastic deformation modifying profile to an outer edge of the deposited body falls within a predetermined reference range.

A method of repairing a rod guide assembly of a fuel control unit of an aircraft engine is provided. The method comprises disconnecting a used spring seat from the rod of the rod guide assembly and welding a replacement spring seat to the rod using an electron beam controlled using a circular beam deflection pattern.

The present invention provides a modification to the EBW process, which is referred to as a slope-out methodology, the results in the formation of a “slope-out portion” located generally in that region of the overall weldment located at the end of the ordinary EBW welding process for joining two components. The slope-out portion overlaps with the initial weld of the workpiece for a given distance or length along the weld and effectively eliminates the keyhole and provides a weldment that has minimal to no defects, particularly in the slope-out portion. The slope-out methodology begins by adjusting various parameters related to the electron beam to essentially decay the beam. In general, the focus position of the electron beam is moved from under-focused (focal position in the bulk of the material) to over-focused (focal position ahead of the workpiece surface) as the overlapping weld is made.

A composition of a nickel based alloy mixture which can be used for welding via especially liquid metal deposition or as a powder bed of an additive manufacturing method. A metallic powder mixture includes (in wt %): a cobalt (Co) or nickel (Ni) based super alloy with a content of 20% to 60%, a NiCoCrAlY-composition with a content of 70% to 30% and a metallic braze material with a content between 10% to 5%. The melting point of the braze material is at least 10K lower than the melting point of the nickel or cobalt based superalloy.

Additive manufacturing can involve dispensing a powdered material to form a layer of a powder bed on a support surface of a build platform. A portion of the layer of the powder bed may be selectively melted or fused to form one or more temporary walls out of the fused portion of the layer of the powder bed to contain another portion of the layer of the powder bed on the build platform

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.