An additive manufacturing system includes an energy gun for melting at least a portion of a raw material layer and thereby forming at least in part a slice of a workpiece and a sensor for detecting surface and sub-surface anomalies or physical properties of the portion. The system also includes a positioning mechanism that moves the sensor in at least one of a normal direction and a parallel direction relative to an upper surface of the workpiece.

In known methods for through-cut detection in the thermally assisted through cutting of a workpiece, the workpiece is subjected to a first alternating signal. A method that allows a fast and accurate detection of a through-cut made comprises the method steps of detecting a second alternating electrical signal caused by the first alternating electrical signal in a measurement electrode spaced from the workpiece, determining the phase shift between the first and second alternating electrical signals to output a phase shift signal, and detecting a temporal evolution of the phase shift electrical signal or a measurement variable derived therefrom in a predetermined time interval. When a workpiece through-cut is made, it is detected in that the phase shift signal or the measurement variable derived therefrom is in the time interval within a predetermined fluctuation range.

Disclosed herein are methods, apparatus, and systems for perturbing an optical beam propagating within a first length of fiber to adjust one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam in the first length of fiber or a second length of fiber or a combination thereof, coupling the perturbed optical beam into a second length of fiber and maintaining at least a portion of one or more adjusted beam characteristics within a second length of fiber having.

Disclosed herein are methods, apparatus, and systems for providing an optical beam delivery system, comprising an optical fiber including a first length of fiber comprising a first RIP formed to enable, at least in part, modification of one or more beam characteristics of an optical beam by a perturbation assembly arranged to modify the one or more beam characteristics, the perturbation assembly coupled to the first length of fiber or integral with the first length of fiber, or a combination thereof and a second length of fiber coupled to the first length of fiber and having a second RIP formed to preserve at least a portion of the one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam modified by the perturbation assembly within one or more first confinement regions. The optical beam delivery system may include an optical system coupled to the second length of fiber including one or more free-space optics configured to receive and transmit an optical beam comprising the modified one or more beam characteristics.

A laser cutting nozzle for a laser machining unit is described, the nozzle including a passage for the laser beam and cutting gas. The passage extends between a nozzle inlet and a nozzle mouth along a passage longitudinal axis. The passage comprises a convergence portion and a divergence portion. In the entire divergence portion, the wall of the passage forms an angle of inclination relative to the passage longitudinal axis of at most 5. In addition, the length of the divergence portion is less than 5 times the diameter of the constriction.

The invention relates to an insulation part for supporting an electrically conductive nozzle in an insulated manner, and a laser machining head with a housing (10), through which a working laser beam path (11) is guided, which exits on the machining side through an electrically conductive nozzle (17), which is supported on an insulation part (18), which is supported on the housing (10), and which, for the capacitive distance measurement, is electrically connected to an oscillating circuit (24) of a distance measuring circuit (22). To be able to monitor the presence of an inexpensive insulation part (18) in a user-friendly manner, it is provided according to the invention that the insulation part (18) comprises a ferromagnetic body (26) and that a sensor (27) for detecting the ferromagnetic body (26) is provided on the housing (10), said sensor being connected to a monitoring circuit (29), which, in the absence of an insulation part (18), outputs a warning signal.

A laser cutting nozzle for a laser machining unit is described, the nozzle including a passage for the laser beam and cutting gas. The passage extends between a nozzle inlet and a nozzle mouth along a passage longitudinal axis. The passage comprises a convergence portion and a divergence portion. In the entire divergence portion, the wall of the passage forms an angle of inclination relative to the passage longitudinal axis of at most 5?. In addition, the length of the divergence portion is less than 5 times the diameter of the constriction.

Disclosed herein are methods, apparatus, and systems for providing an optical beam delivery system, comprising an optical fiber including a first length of fiber comprising a first RIP formed to enable, at least in part, modification of one or more beam characteristics of an optical beam by a perturbation assembly arranged to modify the one or more beam characteristics, the perturbation assembly coupled to the first length of fiber or integral with the first length of fiber, or a combination thereof and a second length of fiber coupled to the first length of fiber and having a second RIP formed to preserve at least a portion of the one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam modified by the perturbation assembly within one or more first confinement regions. The optical beam delivery system may include an optical system coupled to the second length of fiber including one or more free-space optics configured to receive and transmit an optical beam comprising the modified one or more beam characteristics.

The present disclosure generally relates to methods and apparatuses for additive manufacturing using foil-based build materials. Such methods and apparatuses eliminate several drawbacks of conventional powder-based methods, including powder handling, recoater jams, and health risks. In addition, the present disclosure provides methods and apparatuses for compensation of in-process warping of build plates and foil-based build materials, in-process monitoring, and closed loop control.

Disclosed herein is a method of drilling in a multilayer printed circuit board. The method includes drilling a one hole; directing electromagnetic radiation having at least one wavelength with higher energy than a work-function the metal layer toward the hole, and thus causing the metal layer to emit free electrons; and measuring the quantity or intensity of electrically charged particles derived from the emitted free electrons, to detect the extent of exposure or disappearance of the metal layer during drilling.