A method and an apparatus for additive casting of parts is disclosed. The method may include: depositing, on a build table, a first portion of a mold, such that, the depositing may be performed layer by layer; pouring liquid substance into the first portion of the mold to form a first casted layer; solidifying at least a portion of the first casted layer; depositing a second portion of the mold, on top of the first portion of the mold; pouring the liquid substance into the second portion of the mold to form a second casted layer, on top of at least a portion of the first casted layer; and solidifying at least a portion of the second casted layer. The method may further include joining the first and second casted layers prior to the pouring of a third casted layer.

A nozzle includes an ejection section and an acceleration section. A powder is configured to be ejected from the ejection section. The acceleration section is configured to allow the powder to circle around and is configured to accelerate the powder in a peripheral direction of the powder that circles around so as to transport the powder to an opening.

An additive manufacturing system including a two-dimensional energy patterning system for imaging a powder bed is disclosed. The two-dimensional energy patterning system may be used to control the rate of cooling experienced by each successive additive layer. Accordingly, the system may be used to heat treat the various additive layers.

An additive manufacturing system including a two-dimensional energy patterning system for imaging a powder bed is disclosed. The two-dimensional energy patterning system may be used to control the rate of cooling experienced by each successive additive layer. Accordingly, the system may be used to heat treat the various additive layers.

Systems and methods additively manufacturing an object by applying heat to a first plurality of metallic particles in a powder bed using a first heat source, wherein the first heat source is one of multiple heat sources configured into an array, and the first heat source generates a first melt pool. Heat is simultaneously applied to a second plurality of metallic particles in the powder bed using a second heat source of the multiple heat sources in the array to generate a second melt pool. The first plurality of metallic particles are separated from the second plurality of metallic particles by a distance, wherein the distance and an amount of heat from each heat source is controlled to generate a combined melt pool that is larger in size and encompasses the first and second melt pools. The combined melt pool is allowed to solidify to form the object.

An apparatus and a method are provided for manufacturing three-dimensional objects by selective solidification of a build material applied in layers. A heating element having at least two functional openings is used to improve the manufacturing process and in particular to optimize heat input. One of the at least two functional openings serves as a material passthrough and another of the at least two functional openings simultaneously serves as a radiation passthrough. An additional heating and/or cooling device serves to control the temperature of build material applied through the material passthrough.

An additive manufacturing (AM) method is provided. The method includes performing a laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process on the powder layer. Then, a first surface roughness value of the powder layer after the L-PBF process is obtained to generate a first surface profile. An absorptivity and a set of re-melting process parameters data are used to perform a heat transfer simulation. A second surface profile of the powder layer after laser re-melting is obtained by using the first surface profile and a low-pass filter. Then, the set of re-melting process parameters data is adjusted iteratively to perform the heat transfer simulation until a second surface roughness value predicted from the second surface profile is smaller than or equal to a surface roughness threshold, thereby obtaining optimal values of re-melting process parameters for performing a re-melting process to reduce a surface roughness of a powder layer after the L-PBF process.

An additive manufacturing (AM) method is provided. The method includes performing a laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process on the powder layer. Then, a first surface roughness value of the powder layer after the L-PBF process is obtained to generate a first surface profile. An absorptivity and a set of re-melting process parameters data are used to perform a heat transfer simulation. A second surface profile of the powder layer after laser re-melting is obtained by using the first surface profile and a low-pass filter. Then, the set of re-melting process parameters data is adjusted iteratively to perform the heat transfer simulation until a second surface roughness value predicted from the second surface profile is smaller than or equal to a surface roughness threshold, thereby obtaining optimal values of re-melting process parameters for performing a re-melting process to reduce a surface roughness of a powder layer after the L-PBF process.

An additive manufacturing (AM) method is provided. The method includes performing a laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process on the powder layer. Then, a first surface roughness value of the powder layer after the L-PBF process is obtained to generate a first surface profile. An absorptivity and a set of re-melting process parameters data are used to perform a heat transfer simulation. A second surface profile of the powder layer after laser re-melting is obtained by using the first surface profile and a low-pass filter. Then, the set of re-melting process parameters data is adjusted iteratively to perform the heat transfer simulation until a second surface roughness value predicted from the second surface profile is smaller than or equal to a surface roughness threshold, thereby obtaining optimal values of re-melting process parameters for performing a re-melting process to reduce a surface roughness of a powder layer after the L-PBF process.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for additive manufacturing by ultra-high-speed laser cladding. The apparatus includes a laser generator, a beam expander, and a reflector. A light exit path of the reflector is arranged facing a cladding nozzle. The cladding nozzle is connected to a powder pool through a hose and a pump in succession. A matrix is arranged below the cladding nozzle. The matrix is located on a rotary platform. A main stepping motor is fixedly mounted below the rotary platform. The main stepping motor is fixed on a lifting platform. A laser rangefinder is arranged above the matrix. During the laser cladding-based additive manufacturing process, the ultrasonic vibration device, the infrared camera, the high-speed camera, the laser rangefinder, and the radiological inspection system are turned on to monitor the laser cladding process in real time.