Systems and methods for the manufacture of a solid wire using additive manufacturing techniques are disclosed. In one embodiment, a fine powdery material is sintered or melted or soldered or metallurgically bonded onto a metal strip substrate in a compacted solid form or a near-net shape (e.g., a near-net solid wire shape) before being turned into a final product through forming or drawing dies.

A manipulator device such as a robot arm that is capable of increasing manufacturing throughput for additively manufactured parts, and allows for the manipulation of parts that would be difficult or impossible for a human to move is described. The manipulator can grasp various permanent or temporary additively manufactured manipulation points on a part to enable repositioning or maneuvering of the part.

A laser machining method able to effectively satisfy cutting quality required on one side of a cutting spot of a workpiece. A laser machining method for cutting a workpiece W by using a machining head able to emit a laser beam and an assist gas coaxially and non-coaxially includes: preparing a machining program specifying, for the workpiece W, a cutting line, and a first region and a second region on both sides of the cutting line where cutting quality requirements are different; and maintaining a state in which a center axis of the assist gas is shifted from an optical axis of the laser beam toward the first region in response to the difference in the cutting quality requirements during the cutting between the first region and the second region along the cutting line in accordance with the machining program.

This invention concerns a module for insertion into an additive manufacturing apparatus. The module comprising a frame mountable in a fixed position in the additive manufacturing apparatus, the frame defining a build chamber and a dosing chamber. A build platform is movable in the build chamber for supporting a powder bed during additive manufacturing of a part. A dosing piston is movable in the dosing chamber to push powder from the dosing chamber. A mechanism mechanically links the build platform to the dosing piston such that downward movement of the build platform in the build chamber results in upward movement of the dosing piston in the dosing chamber.

A method of producing a glass substrate having a hole is provided. The method includes preparing the glass substrate having a first surface and a second surface facing each other; forming a hole in the glass substrate with a laser; and annealing the glass substrate placed on a first support substrate having a thermal expansion coefficient whose difference from a thermal expansion coefficient of the glass substrate is less than or equal to 1 ppm/K, where the first support substrate is placed on a second support substrate having a thermal expansion coefficient of less than or equal to 10 ppm/K.

Varied embodiments of a laser-based machine tool, and techniques for controlling the same are provided. Some embodiments relate to techniques to facilitate uniform and reproducible processing of workpieces. Other embodiments relate to a zoom lens having a quickly-variable focal length. Still other embodiments relate to various features of a laser-based multi-axis machine tool that can facilitate efficient delivery of laser energy to a scan head, that can address thermomechanical issues that may arise during workpiece processing, etc. Another embodiment relates to techniques for minimizing or preventing undesired accumulation of particulate matter on workpiece surfaces during processing. A number of other embodiments and arrangements are also detailed.

A substrate includes at least two edges; and at least one end portion, each end portion is connected to two adjacent edges. The end portion includes a cutting section and two breaking sections; an end of the cutting section is connected to one of the two adjacent edges through a breaking section, and another end of the cutting section is connected to another one of the two adjacent edges through another breaking section. The cutting section is configured to be formed through cutting of a tool, and the breaking sections are configured to be formed under an action of a physical force.

There is provided a peeling apparatus including an ingot holding unit that has a holding surface for holding an ingot, a wafer holding unit that is capable of approaching and separating from the ingot holding unit and has a holding surface for holding under suction a wafer to be produced, and a cleaning brush that cleans peel-off surfaces at which the wafer to be produced has been peeled off from the ingot and thereby removes peeling swarf.

A method for connecting two components with the aid of a laser weld seam. The two components are situated one above the other in a joining area. The first component is pressed in the direction of the second component with the aid of a clamping device. A laser beam impacts the first component on the side facing away from the second component and at least indirectly fusing material of the two components.

A substrate treatment apparatus includes a transport part to transport a transparent rectangular substrate, a substrate support part to support the substrate, light generators to irradiate two different lights onto the moving substrate, and sense the irradiated lights, and a controller to determine a posture of the substrate with reference to the sensed lights and control the transport part such that the substrate is seated on the substrate support part in a default posture that is preset. The controller determines the posture of the transparent rectangular substrate with respect to the default posture using a time difference between a time point at which a first light of the two different lights is not transmitted through an edge of the transparent rectangular substrate and a time point at which a second light of the two different lights is not transmitted through the edge of the transparent rectangular substrate.