The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) printing methods, apparatuses, systems and software that effectuate formation of a robust 3D object comprising at least one metal alloy. The 3D object may be formed by 3D printing. The 3D object may comprise diminished defects (e.g., heat cracks). The alloy may be formed by diffusion. The diffusion may be a controlled diffusion. The control may comprise (e.g., real time) temperature control during the formation of the 3D object. The 3D object may comprise controlled crystal structure and/or metallurgical phases.

Disclosed herein is a system and a method for controlling laser energy deposition in order to normalize post-sintering temperatures is presented. Sensors provide feedback for in-situ control of laser power to reduce the influence the pre-sintering thermal profile has on the post-sintering temperatures. By actively controlling the laser during its scanning, the post-sintering temperatures can be more accurately controlled, resulting in mechanical and geometric improvements in part quality.

A method for manufacturing at least a metallic portion of a component: a) depositing metallic material layer by layer onto at least one building platform; b) locally fusing and/or sintering the material layer by layer by supplying energy by at least one high-energy beam in the region of a buildup and joining zone to form at least a portion of at least one component layer of the component portion and/or of the component; c) lowering the building platform layer by layer by a predefined layer thickness; and d) repeating the steps a) through c) until completion of the component portion and/or of the component. Before, during and/or after process step b), at least one further portion of the component layer is formed by locally fusing and/or sintering the material by inductive heating at a temperature or in a temperature range above the solidus temperature of the metallic material used. A system for manufacturing at least a portion of a component is also provided.

A variety of additive manufacturing techniques can be adapted to fabricate a substantially net shape object from a computerized model using materials that can be debound and sintered into a fully dense metallic part or the like. However, during sintering, the net shape will shrink as binder escapes and the base material fuses into a dense final part. If the foundation beneath the object does not shrink in a corresponding fashion, the resulting stresses throughout the object can lead to fracturing, warping or other physical damage to the object resulting in a failed fabrication. To address this issue, a variety of techniques are disclosed for substrates and build plates that contract in a manner complementary to the object during debinding and sintering.

The invention relates to a production method of the powders composed of spherical heavy metal particles utilizing an ultrasonic atomization, where these powders can be applied in industrial applications, like additive manufacturing and several other. The method for production of heavy metal powders by ultrasonic atomization comprises providing a heavy metal raw material (5) in the vicinity of a heat source (13) being an electric arc (13), heating the heavy raw material (5) by the electric arc (13), so as to create a molten metal pool (21) on a sonotrode (3), the molten metal pool (21) having a temperature equal to or greater than the melting temperature of the heavy metal raw material (5), but below the vaporization temperature of the heavy metal raw material (5), providing ultrasonic mechanic vibrations by the sonotrode (3) to the molten metal pool (21), so as to cause the heavy metals droplets (11) being ejected from the molten metal pool (21), directing the ejected heavy metal droplets (11) away from the molten metal pool (21), so as the heavy metal droplets (11) freely cool down within a predetermined distance at least by radiation and transform to a heavy metal powder (11), collecting the heavy metal powder (11), so as to collect at least 75% of the heavy metal raw material (5) in the form of the heavy metal powder (11′).

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.

A metals-based additive manufacturing machine and method are disclosed. The machine and method include a hybrid temperature monitoring system. The hybrid temperature monitoring system includes a Raman spectrometer, a single-element ultrasound transducer, and a phased-array ultrasound pair. The hybrid temperature monitoring system can generate a real-time three-dimensional temperature map of the melt pool and optionally a portion of the metal powder base and/or a formed portion of a desired artifact. The real-time three-dimensional temperature map can be used for optimizing the metals-based additive manufacturing process in real-time or during subsequent process runs.

A metals-based additive manufacturing machine and method are disclosed. The machine and method include a hybrid temperature monitoring system. The hybrid temperature monitoring system includes a Raman spectrometer, a single-element ultrasound transducer, and a phased-array ultrasound pair. The hybrid temperature monitoring system can generate a real-time three-dimensional temperature map of the melt pool and optionally a portion of the metal powder base and/or a formed portion of a desired artifact. The real-time three-dimensional temperature map can be used for optimizing the metals-based additive manufacturing process in real-time or during subsequent process runs.

A building time for building an additively-manufactured object is calculated on the basis of the inter-pass time and the welding pass time and is compared with a preset upper limit value, and welding conditions in a depositing plan are repeatedly modified until the building time is equal to or less than the upper limit value. Alternatively, corrections are repeatedly performed until the shape difference between a building shape of built-up object shape data relating to the additively-manufactured object created on the basis of the inter-pass time and the inter-pass temperature, and a building shape of three-dimensional shape data, is smaller than a near net value.

A building time for building an additively-manufactured object is calculated on the basis of the inter-pass time and the welding pass time and is compared with a preset upper limit value, and welding conditions in a depositing plan are repeatedly modified until the building time is equal to or less than the upper limit value. Alternatively, corrections are repeatedly performed until the shape difference between a building shape of built-up object shape data relating to the additively-manufactured object created on the basis of the inter-pass time and the inter-pass temperature, and a building shape of three-dimensional shape data, is smaller than a near net value.