Methods for processing a metal substrate for use in a power electronics device are provided. In one example, the method includes placing a metal substrate on a support associated with a laser system. The method includes performing a pulsed laser treatment process on at least a portion of the surface of the metal substrate. The pulsed laser treatment process exposes the at least a portion of the surface of the metal substrate to a plurality of laser pulses to modify a surface roughness of the at least a portion of the surface of the metal substrate. After performing the pulsed laser treatment process, the method includes creating a metallized interface for coupling an electrical component to the metal substrate at the at least a portion of the surface of the metal substrate.

A self-leveling container that contains argon gas for laser welding of a work piece includes a base surface, a plurality of pleated sidewalls, each comprising an associated distal sidewall end and an associated proximate sidewall end, where the proximate sidewall end is sealed to the base surface. A frame includes a plurality of frame segments, each secured to an associated one of the distal sidewall ends. A plurality of actuators, each located with one intersection of the plurality of frame segments, linearly move its associated one intersection of the plurality frame segments so a plane formed by the frame segments remains parallel to a planar surface.

A processing apparatus is a processing apparatus that irradiates a surface of an object with processing light to process an object and is provided with: a light irradiation apparatus that emits first processing light to form a first irradiation area on the surface and emits second processing light to form a second irradiation area, at least a part of which overlaps with the first irradiation area, on the surface, and has a change member that is configured to change a state of an overlap between the first and second irradiation areas.

We describe an apparatus for producing a three-dimensional workpiece, the apparatus comprising: a process chamber for receiving a material from which the three-dimensional workpiece is producible using an additive layer manufacturing technique, wherein the process chamber comprises a translucent window; an irradiation device for irradiating, through the translucent window, the material for producing the three-dimensional workpiece; and an enclosure arranged between the translucent window of the process chamber and the irradiation device, wherein at least a part of the enclosure is translucent for an irradiation beam stemming from the irradiation device to travel from the irradiation device through the enclosure to the material for producing the three-dimensional workpiece, wherein the enclosure comprises an inlet and an outlet, and wherein the apparatus is configured to control a flow of a fluid through the enclosure via the inlet and the outlet.

An apparatus for gas mixing for a laser and/or air cutting machine. The apparatus includes a housing including a first inlet for nitrogen, a second inlet for oxygen, and an outlet for a gas mixture of the nitrogen and oxygen. A mixing unit including a mixer manifold between and connected to the gas outlet and each of the first and second inlets, the mixer manifold including a plurality of blending valves. A digital controller adjusts the plurality of blending valves, to achieve an oxygen percent in the gas mixture from about 0.5% to about 22%. A first oxygen percent of below 10% is generally useful for a laser cutter, and a second oxygen percent above 20% is generally useful for an air cutter. The gas mixture is provided at a pressure of about 33 to 35 bar, and the apparatus operates without a pressure blending or buffer tank, or further compressor.

A laser system includes a controller, a laser source, a laser scanner, and a laser containment apparatus. The laser containment apparatus includes a mounting structure for the laser scanner, a shroud assembly coupled to the mounting structure, and a seal interface coupled to the shroud assembly at an opposite end from the laser scanner. The shroud assembly surrounds a working volume of the laser scanner and includes a vacuum port connected to a vacuum source and a purge port that guides purge gas from a purge gas source toward the laser scanner. A distal end of the seal interface is formed of a pliable material that compresses to seal the shroud assembly to a target surface of a workpiece upon establishment of a negative pressure differential between a vacuum pressure inside the shroud assembly and ambient atmospheric pressure.

Disclosed is a method for manufacturing an equal-strength steel thin-wall welding component with an aluminum or aluminum-alloy plating, wherein the plating comprises an intermetallic compound alloy layer in contact with the base body and a metal alloy layer on the intermetallic compound alloy layer; the plating is not removed or thinned before or during welding; and by presetting a welding gap and using a carbon-manganese-steel welding wire, a welding process and protective gas for welding, the tensile strength of a welding seam of the welding component after hot stamping processing is greater than the tensile strength of a base metal, and the elongation of a welded joint is greater than 4% Further disclosed are a welding wire for welding and an equal-strength steel thin-wall welding component with an aluminum or aluminum-alloy plating.

Disclosed is a different-strength steel welding component with an aluminum or aluminum-alloy plating formed by means of butt welding of a high-strength steel plate and a low-strength steel plate, and each of the high-strength steel plate and the low-strength steel plate comprises a base body and at least one pure aluminum or aluminum-alloy plating on a surface of the base body. The tensile strength of a welding seam of the welding component after hot stamping is greater than the tensile strength of a low-strength steel base metal, and the elongation is greater than 4%, such that application requirements of the welding component in the field of automobile hot stamping are met. The present disclosure also relates to a method for manufacturing a different-strength steel welding component with an aluminum or aluminum-alloy plating and a welding wire used in the method.

A processing system has: a housing in which an object is housed and that has a part through which light is allowed to pass; an irradiation apparatus that emits a processing beam for processing the object; a first member which an energy beam from the irradiation apparatus that propagates toward an outside of the housing through the part enters; and a second member which the energy beam through the first member enters, the first member reduces an intensity of the energy beam that enter the first member, the second member reduces an intensity of the energy beam that enters the second member from the first member.

A processing system includes: an irradiation system that irradiates an object with an energy beam; a material supply member that supplies a build material irradiated with the energy beam; a measurement apparatus that obtains information related to a height of a surface of the object; and a distance change apparatus that changes a distance between the material supply member and the surface based on a measured result by the measurement apparatus.