A controlling apparatus, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: obtain a file comprising an image to be marked on a surface; analyze the image to be marked on the surface and determine one or more continuous areas of the image having the same fill color and on colors in the image; obtain information on the quality and thickness of the surface of the object to be marked; determine order in which the areas of the image with different colors are to be marked; determine on the basis of the determined and obtained information parameters for a laser marking apparatus separately for each area of the image with different colors; and store determined parameters in a marking file.

Methods for aligning a pair of calibrated lasers of a laser additive manufacturing system in an overlap region in which the pair of calibrated lasers selectively operate are provided. Respective first and second plurality of layers of a test structure are formed in the overlap region of the pair of calibrated lasers solely using a first calibrated laser of the pair of calibrated lasers and then solely using a second calibrated laser of the pair of calibrated lasers. The test structure forming creates an outer surface of the test structure corresponding to the overlap region. A dimension(s) of an offset step(s) created between the first plurality of layers and the second plurality of lasers in the outer surface of the test structure is/are measured. The lasers are aligned by applying the dimension(s) of the offset step(s) as an alignment correction(s) to at least one of the pair of calibrated lasers.

Implementations described herein generally relate to additive manufacturing. More particularly, implementations disclosed herein relate to formulations and processes for forming articles via a three-dimensional printing (or 3D printing) process. In one implementation, a method of additive manufacturing is provided. The method comprises dispensing a first layer of a feed material over a platen. The feed material includes a powder mixture comprising a plurality of particulates comprising a first material and a plurality of particulates comprising a second material different from the first material. The method further comprises directing a laser beam to heat the feed material at locations specified by data stored in a computer readable medium. The laser beam heats the feed material to a temperature sufficient to fuse at least the second material.

A method for treating a raw-material powder includes forming a layer of the raw-material powder and removing oxide film formed on a surface of the raw-material powder from which the layer has been formed.

A method for the generative production of a three-dimensional component in a processing chamber, wherein providing a metal starting material in the processing chamber and melting the starting material by inputting energy are repeated, and a process gas is provided in the processing chamber. The method includes the hydrogen content of the process gases or of a sample of the process gas is determined; the oxygen content of the process gas or of a sample of the process gas is determined by an oxygen sensor, and/or the dewpoint of the process gases or of a sample of the process gas is determined; and the value determined for the oxygen content and/or the dewpoint is/are corrected with the value for the hydrogen content determined.

A laser apparatus includes a laser chamber connected to a gas circulating system including a merging pipe where exhaust gases exhausted from multiple laser apparatuses merge with each other, and configured to select one of a fresh gas containing xenon and a circulating gas flowing through the merging pipe and supply the multiple laser apparatuses with the selected gas; an exhaust pipe which is connected to and between the laser chamber and the merging pipe, and through which the exhaust gas exhausted from the laser chamber flows toward the merging pipe; a fluorine trap connected to a halfway point of the exhaust pipe and configured to remove fluorine from the exhaust gas; and a xenon adder connected to a halfway point of the exhaust pipe and configured to add an additive gas having a xenon concentration higher than a xenon concentration in the fresh gas to the exhaust gas.

A method includes producing a functional structure on an aluminum surface with a local laser treatment of an aluminum surface. The local laser treatment is carried out with a pulsed laser system having a pulse duration of from 10 ns to 100 ns. The average power of the pulsed laser system is less than 5 kW.

A method for forming a skeleton (e.g., space frame, trussed structure, regular foam, open-cell foam, closed cell foam, etc.) can include providing instructions for spatial locations of optical hot spots, generating the optical hot spots, and growing material at the optical hot spots to form the skeleton. The method can optionally include shaping the grown material and/or infilling the skeleton.

A method for forming a skeleton (e.g., space frame, trussed structure, regular foam, open-cell foam, closed cell foam, etc.) can include providing instructions for spatial locations of optical hot spots, generating the optical hot spots, and growing material at the optical hot spots to form the skeleton. The method can optionally include shaping the grown material and/or infilling the skeleton.

An apparatus for printed circuit board manufacturing comprises a housing, a worktable containing multiple optical sensors and providing placement and fixation of a PCB blank, a laser unit containing a laser source, a collimator, a scanning system, and a focusing system, and configured to remove a material layer from the PCB blank, and a controller configured to determine position of the PCB blank and provide calibration of the laser unit using optical sensors. A method of calibrating the apparatus for printed circuit board manufacturing involves determining position of each optical sensor in the laser beam coordinate system with successive refinement of this position and determining a coordinate transformation function that links coordinates of the optical sensors in the laser beam coordinate system with coordinates of these sensors in the apparatus coordinate system.