A rotating tool system attachment on the spindle of a computer numerical control (CNC) machine includes a rotating assembly mounted on a static assembly. The rotating assembly provides a continuous supply of a wire material for deposition on a substrate during an additive manufacturing process. The rotating assembly includes a material supply housing a feedstock of wire mounted on a rotating spindle and a wire feeder configured to draw the wire from the wire supply and provide the wire for application during the additive manufacturing process. The tool system can be attached to the spindle of CNC machine to provide additive manufacturing capabilities to the CNC machine.

An additive manufacturing system (110) for depositing an extrudate (112) onto a substrate (114) comprises a deposition head (116). The deposition head (116) comprises a stirring tool (118), rotatable about an axis of rotation AR and comprising a tool distal end (120) and a tool proximal end (122), axially opposing the tool distal end (120) along the axis of rotation A.sub.R. The stirring tool (118) defines a bore (124), extending from the tool proximal end (122) to the tool distal end (120). The bore (124) is configured to receive feedstock (126), biased toward the tool distal end (120). The deposition head (116) also comprises a die (128), which is positioned adjacent to the stirring tool (118), defines a die axis A.sub.D1, and comprises a die distal end (130) and a die proximal end (132), axially opposing the die distal end (130) along the die axis A.sub.D1, and wherein the die axis A.sub.D1 is parallel with the axis of rotation A.sub.R of the stirring tool (118).

A system for inspecting a part while said part is produced by additive manufacturing, includes an additive manufacturing apparatus having a build tray, the apparatus being configured to fabricate the part layer-by-layer on the tray; an automated tool holder carrying a tool configured to deposit, add or weld layer-upon-layer of material; the tool holder and tray are configured to move relative to one another along a defined path; and an inspection device attached to the tool holder and configured to scan a layer of material in situ. The tool holder alternately arranges the tool and inspection device in a working position so that the tool holder fixes the tool in the working position for depositing, adding, or welding the layer of material and thereafter the tool holder switches said tool with the inspection device into the working position for scanning and detecting defects in the layer of material.

An apparatus for forming a friction weld, the apparatus comprising: a support arrangement; a holding member, which is supported by the supporting arrangement, and which may be driven to rotate with respect thereto, or move with respect thereto along an arcuate path; a consumable element having a first joining face, the consumable element being mounted in a mounting location on the holding member so that the first joining face is exposed, wherein the consumable element is rotatable with respect to the holding member about a first centre of rotation, and wherein when the holding member is driven to rotate or move with respect to the support arrangement, the first centre of rotation travels in an orbital motion with respect to the support arrangement; and at least a first alignment arrangement, positioned to hold a first workpiece in place so that an attachment face of the first workpiece is aligned with the first joining face of the consumable element.

Disclosed is a micro-region semi-solid additive manufacturing method, where rod-shaped materials are used as consumables, and heating modes such as a high-energy beam, an electric arc, a resistance heat, or the like are applied to the front end of the consumables to enable the front end to be in a semi-solid state in which the solid-liquid two phases coexist; at the same time, the rotational torsion and the axial thrust applied on the consumables have powerful effects such as shearing, agitation and extrusion, that is, the mold-free semi-solid rheoforming is performed. The consumable is transmitted to the bottom layer metal continuously in this manner to form metallurgical bonding, the stacking process is repeated according to a planned route obtained after discretization slicing treatment, and then an object or a stack layer in a special shape can be formed.

A method for joining materials using additive friction stir techniques is provided. The method joins a material to a substrate, especially where the material to be joined and the substrate are dissimilar metals. One such method comprises (a) providing a substrate with one or more grooves; (b) rotating and translating an additive friction-stir tool relative to the substrate; (c) feeding a filler material through the additive friction-stir tool; and (d) depositing the filler material into the one or more grooves of the substrate. Translation and rotation of the tool causes heating and plastic deformation of the filler material, which flows into the grooves of the substrate resulting in an interlocking bond between the substrate and filler material. In embodiments, the depositing of the filler material causes deformation of the grooves in the substrate and an interlocking configuration between the grooves of the substrate and the filler material results.

A porous tool includes a mold body and an additively-manufactured film attached to a surface of the mold body. The film includes a porous layer and a nonporous support layer. The porous layer may include a surface having an array of surface pore openings, a network of interconnected passages in fluid communication with the surface pore openings, and one or more lateral edges that have an array of edge pore openings in fluid communication with the interconnected passages. Methods of forming a porous tool include depositing additive material on a build surface using a directed energy deposition system to form a film while simultaneously subtracting selected portions of the additive material from the film using laser ablation. Methods of forming a molded component include conforming a moldable material to a shape using a porous tool that includes a mold body and an additively-manufactured film, and evacuating outgas from the moldable material through a porous layer of the film.

A method for coating a workpiece includes a step of applying a coating material to the workpiece and a step of friction welding the coating material to the workpiece.

An additive manufacturing method includes: providing a metal substrate; pressing a plurality of first metal parts to weld the same on the metal substrate one by one using a welding unit through friction welding so as to form a first stacked layer laminated on the metal substrate; pressing a plurality of second metal parts to weld the same on the first stacked layer one by one using the welding unit through friction welding so as to form a second stacked layer laminated on the first stacked layer; and repeating formation of the second stacked layer until a required amount of the second stacked layers are additively laminated on the first stacked layer to obtain a final three-dimensional (3D) article.

There is provided a surface modification method for a light metal casting that enables, with Friction Stir Processing, to further refine a surface at a portion at which the strength is especially required. A surface modification method for a light metal casting with Friction Stir Processing in which a rotating shaft and a rotator are rotated and fed while the rotating shaft and the rotator are being pressed against a surface of a casting to modify the surface of the casting, the method includes feeding the rotating shaft and the rotator while rotating the rotating shaft and the rotator in a manner such that a side at which a rotating direction of the rotating shaft and the rotator coincides with a feeding direction is positioned at a portion at which increase in the strength is desired with modification of the light metal casting.