An additive manufacturing system may include a controller operably coupled to a vision system and an additive manufacturing machine. The controller may be configured to determine a workpiece-interface of each of a plurality of workpieces from one or more digital representations of one or more fields of view having been captured by a vision system and determining one or more coordinates of the workpiece-interface of respective ones of the plurality of workpieces, and to transmit one or more print commands to an additive manufacturing machine so as to additively print a plurality of extension segments on the workpiece-interface of respective ones of the plurality of workpieces, with the one or more print commands having been generated based at least in part on the one or more digital representations of the one or more fields of view.

Systems (100) and methods (1000) for additively manufacturing or repairing a component from a base material (10). The system may include a laser metal deposition (LMD) system (200) operably connected to a means for cooling (300) the base material during laser processing of additive materials deposited in a melt pool on the base material. The LMD system includes a laser energy source (202) configured to direct laser energy towards the base material to form the melt pool thereon and to processes the deposited additive materials to form layers on the base material upon solidification. The means for cooling may be configured to cool the base material to within a cooling temperature range during the LMD process, which results in, e.g., a cooling/freezing effect. This cooling effect shortens the solidification period during laser processing and allows for weld heat to be released from the base material.

A method of forming a build in a powder bed includes providing a first diode laser fiber array and a second diode laser fiber array, emitting a plurality of laser beams from selected fibers of the second diode laser fiber array onto the powder bed, corresponding to a pattern of a layer of the build, simultaneously melting powder in the powder bed corresponding to the pattern of the layer of the build, scanning a first diode laser fiber array along an outer boundary of the powder bed and emitting a plurality of laser beams from selected fibers of the first diode laser fiber array and simultaneously melting powder in the powder bed corresponding to the outer boundary of the layer of the build to contour the layer of the build. An apparatus for forming a build in a powder bed including a first diode laser fiber array and a second diode laser fiber array is also disclosed. The first diode laser fiber array configured to contour the layer of the build.

A method of repairing a piston seal assembly comprises removing worn material from a piston seal groove to generate a worked seal groove, applying a groove buildup member to the worked seal groove, and disposing a seal member proximate the groove buildup member.

A blade repair apparatus is provided and includes a deposition head which is movable relative to base materials and configured to execute a repair operation that includes a deposition of additional materials onto the base materials during deposition head movements, a temperature control system including a temperature regulating assembly coupled with the deposition head in a trailing position and a controller. The controller is operably coupled to the deposition head and the temperature control system. The controller is configured to control the deposition head movements and depositional operations of the deposition head. The controller is configured to control the temperature control system such that the temperature regulating assembly controls temperatures of at least the base materials and the additional materials during at least the deposition head movements and the depositional operations.

A tooling assembly and method of aligning a plurality of components for a repair process in an additive manufacturing machine includes positioning the plurality of components such that a repair surface of each of the plurality of components contacts an alignment plate, e.g., under the force of gravity or using biasing members. The method further includes surrounding the alignment plate with containment walls to define a reservoir around the plurality of components and dispensing a fill material, such as wax or a potting material, into the reservoir which is configured for fixing a relative position of the plurality of components when the fill material is solidified.

A method of fabricating an interfacial structure, the interfacial structure comprising a substrate and a projection on the substrate, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing the substrate; b) creating a number of steps on a surface of the substrate; and c) fabricating the projection on the substrate by additive manufacturing onto the number of steps, thereby creating a stepped interfacial joint between the substrate and the projection.

A fabricated interfacial structure comprising: a substrate having a number of steps created on a surface of the substrate; a projection fabricated by additive manufacturing onto the number of steps; and a stepped interfacial joint between the substrate and the projection.

A build plate-clamping assembly may include a work station having a build plate-receiving surface and a lock-pin extending from the build plate-receiving surface of the work station. The lock-pin may include a hollow pin body, a piston disposed within the hollow pin body, with the piston axially movable from a retracted position to an actuated position, and a plurality of detents, with the plurality of detents radially extensible through respective ones of a plurality of detent-apertures in the hollow pin body responsive to the piston having been axially moved to the actuated position. A methods of working on workpieces may include lockingly engaging a build plate at a first work station, performing a first work-step, releasing the build plate from the first work station, lockingly engaging the build plate at a second work station, and performing a second work-step. An additive manufacturing system may include a vision system with a first build plate-receiving surface and an additive manufacturing machine with a second build plate-receiving surface.

In some examples, systems and techniques for repairing or otherwise forming a blade of a bladed disk. In one example, a method including positioning a shield member around a perimeter of a partial blade extending from a rotor disk of a bladed disk, the shield member being positioned adjacent to a build surface of the partial blade; and depositing, with the shield member around the perimeter of the partial blade, a material on the build surface using an additive manufacturing technique to form a repaired portion on the build surface of the partial blade.

A disclosed method is suitable for repairing a blade of a turbomachine rotor, particularly a turbomachine fan, that includes a vane made from an organic-matrix composite and a metallic shield that is bonded to a leading edge of the vane and has a damaged region. The method includes steps of resetting the leading edge of the vane cooling the entire vane, followed by a step of refilling the damaged region by adding a metallic material to this damaged region and melting the material using a laser, and a step of tailoring the damaged region by machining the molten material.