A method of manufacturing a shaft of a surgical instrument including forming a proximal segment of the shaft to include one or more features for operably engaging the shaft to a first component of the surgical instrument, forming a distal segment of the shaft to include one or more features for operably engaging the shaft to a second component of the surgical instrument and forming an intermediate segment of the shaft. The proximal segment is welded to a proximal end of the intermediate segment; and the distal segment is welded to a distal end of the intermediate segment. The proximal and distal segments are welded to the intermediate segment such that the one or more features thereof are aligned in a pre-determined orientation relative to one another.

An additive manufacturing system including a two-dimensional energy patterning system for imaging a powder bed is disclosed. Improved structure formation, part creation and manipulation, use of multiple additive manufacturing systems, and high throughput manufacturing methods suitable for automated or semi-automated factories are also disclosed.

A laser welding system is provided including a laser source configured to produce at least one laser beam, beam modifying means configured to split the at least one laser beam, directing means, and controlling means configured to control the directing means. The controlling is configured to control the directing means to cause the split laser beam to form at least two heat source points on the target, the heat source points maintaining a linear profile, and move the at least two heat source points in a travel direction along the target, wherein the linear profile forms a predetermined, oblique angle relative to the travel direction.

Three-dimensional manufacturing method and apparatus which easily adjust individually a heating amount per unit area for each of solidified and unsolidified regions is provided. Light source and scanning unit heat with a laser beam a layer formed by a layer forming unit. In a layer forming step, a controlling unit causes the layer forming unit to form a layer of material powder. In a laser heating step, the controlling unit controls the light source and the scanning unit to alternately heat with the laser beam the solidified region obtained by fusing and solidifying the layer and the unsolidified region adjacent to the solidified region, thereby integrally fusing and solidifying the solidified region and the unsolidified region.

Byproduct condensate generated during additive manufacturing is controlled by providing at least one electrode inside a chamber. The condensate may be electrically charged as it is generated or an electrical charge may be imparted to the condensate. The electrode may have either a positive or negative bias to either attract or repel the condensate. The electrode may be located on a wall of the chamber or associated with a transparent window through which a laser beam passes into the chamber.

A method for metallization includes providing a transparent donor substrate (34) having deposited thereon a donor film (36) including a metal with a thickness less than 2 μm. The donor substrate is positioned in proximity to an acceptor substrate (22) including a semiconductor material with the donor film facing toward the acceptor substrate and with a gap of at least 0.1 mm between the donor film and the acceptor substrate. A train of laser pulses, having a pulse duration less than 2 ns, is directed to impinge on the donor substrate so as to cause droplets (44) of the metal to be ejected from the donor layer and land on the acceptor substrate, thereby forming a circuit trace (25) in ohmic contact with the semiconductor material.

The thermal processing device includes a stage, a continuous wave electromagnetic radiation source, a series of lenses, a translation mechanism, a detection module, a three-dimensional auto-focus, and a computer system. The stage is configured to receive a substrate thereon. The continuous wave electromagnetic radiation source is disposed adjacent the stage, and is configured to emit continuous wave electromagnetic radiation along a path towards the substrate. The series of lenses is disposed between the continuous wave electromagnetic radiation source and the stage, and are configured to condense the continuous wave electromagnetic radiation into a line of continuous wave electromagnetic radiation on a surface of the substrate. The translation mechanism is configured to translate the stage and the line of continuous wave electromagnetic radiation relative to one another. The detection module is positioned within the path, and is configured to detect continuous wave electromagnetic radiation.

An improved process for repair of worn and damaged surfaces of railway structures such as frog and diamond transition surfaces, rail head surfaces and wheels. A worn or damaged surface is prepared using a robotically-controlled laser to melt or gouge away metal using controlled laser energy and air pressure to remove existing worn or damaged surfaces. The process further utilizes laser cladding, laser weld overlaying, or laser additive manufacturing, of formulated powder, wire or stick welding material to worn surfaces that have been prepared for material build-up to original dimensions and similar metallurgical properties.

Deposition of debris produced in laser ablation of a workpiece situated in a vacuum chamber is reduced by introduction a background gas into the vacuum chamber prior to or during laser ablation. The background gas can be introduced diffusely into the vacuum chamber and can reduce contamination of surfaces such as a surface of an optical window that faces the workpiece during processing. Directed introduction of a background gas can be used as well and in some cases the same or a different background gas is directed to a workpiece surface at the same or different pressure than that associated with diffuse introduction of the background gas to reduce contamination of the workpiece surface with laser ablation debris.

A manufacturing apparatus additively shapes an article by sintering or melting and then solidifying a metal powder through irradiation of a shaping optical beam. The manufacturing apparatus includes: a chamber; a metal powder feeding device that feeds the metal powder to an irradiation area; a shaping optical beam irradiation device that applies the shaping optical beam to the metal powder in the irradiation area; an absorptance enhancement assisting unit that performs a predetermined absorptance enhancement assisting treatment on the metal powder; and a shaping unit that, following implementation of the absorptance enhancement assisting treatment, performs a shaping treatment of additively shaping the article by applying the shaping optical beam and thus heating the metal powder to sinter or melt and then solidify.