A ring focus optics for machining rotationally symmetrical or nearly rotationally symmetrical workpieces by an annular laser beam includes a conical mirror configured to deflect the annular laser beam radially inward or outward onto a circumference of at least one workpiece, a rotational axis of which is aligned collinear to an optical axis of the ring focus optics. The ring focus optics further includes a holding/centering device surrounded by the annular laser beam and fastened on the housing of the ring focus optics. The holding/centering device is configured to axially fix the at least one workpiece and/or to radially center the at least one workpiece with respect to the optical axis.

Provided is a method for machining micro-holes in a metal or alloy product which relates to the field of micro-hole machining. The method reduces the duration of ejection of primary plasma and the residuals produced during the ejection of the primary plasma, improves the smoothness of the hole wall of the micro-hole, and increases the depth limit of the micro-hole. Injecting energy by low-energy pulse laser in two attempts further facilitates the reduction of the diameter of the micro-hole and reduces the possibility of cracks, compared with injection same energy by single high-energy pulse laser. Moreover, a ratio between the diameter of the central ring of the ring spot formed by the focused second laser beam and the diameter of the central ring of the Gaussian spot formed by the focused first laser beam is greater than 1, which can improve the injection efficiency of laser energy.

Some variations provide a method of making an additively manufactured single-crystal metallic component, comprising: providing a feedstock comprising a first metal or metal alloy; providing a build plate comprising a single crystal of a second metal or metal alloy; exposing the feedstock to an energy source for melting the feedstock, generating a melt layer on the build plate; and solidifying the melt layer, generating a solid layer (on the build plate) of a metal component. The solid layer is also a single crystal of the first metal or metal alloy. The method may be repeated many times to build the part. Some variations provide a single-crystal metallic component comprising a plurality of solid layers in an additive-manufacturing build direction, wherein the plurality of solid layers forms a single crystal of a metal or metal alloy with a continuous crystallographic texture. The crystal orientation may vary along the additive-manufacturing build direction.

A method and apparatus particularly for additively manufacturing materials that are susceptible to hot cracking. The additive manufacturing process may include a leading energy beam (16) for liquefying a raw material to form a melt pool (20), and a trailing energy beam (17) directed toward a trailing region of the melt pool. The trailing energy beam may be configured to enhance agitation and/or redistribution of liquid in the melt pool to prevent hot cracking, reduce porosity, or improve other characteristics of the solidified part. The method and apparatus also may improve processing parameters, such as adjusting vacuum level to prevent volatilization of alloying agents, or providing a chill plate to control interpass temperature. The process may be used to form new articles, and also may be used to enhance tailorability and flexibility in design or repair of pre-existing articles, among other considerations.

A laser build-up welding method includes directing a powdered material and a laser beam onto a workpiece surface of a workpiece at an angle to one another. The powdered material is at least partially heated in an interaction zone with the laser beam above the workpiece surface and is welded onto the workpiece surface along a predefined contour, the laser beam has a wavelength that ranges between 0.4 ?m and 1.1 ?m. The laser beam within the interaction zone has an intensity in its border region that is greater than an intensity in the core region of the laser beam, so that the powdered material is subjected to the greater intensity of the border region when entering the interaction zone.

This disclosure provides a device for heating to generate a uniform molten pool, including: a source unit for generating an energy beam; a beam expanding/reducing unit positioned in an energy path of the energy beam for adjusting the diameter of the energy beam; a flat-top conical lens set positioned in the energy path and including at least two flat-top axicons, with the beam expanding/reducing unit positioned between the source unit and the flat-top conical lens set; and a focusing lens positioned in the energy path, with the flat-top conical lens set between the beam expanding/reducing unit and the focusing lens, and the energy beam being focused by the focusing lens. This disclosure generates a uniform molten pool to prevent vaporization splash due to overheating of the material during melting.

Laser ablation devices that utilize beam profiling assemblies to clean and process surfaces are described herein. A method includes directing a laser beam in a geometrical pattern at an arcuate surface of a cylindrical target, blocking a portion of the laser beam to prevent a portion of the geometrical pattern from contacting the cylindrical target, and rotating the cylindrical target as the laser beam contacts the arcuate surface so as to ablate the cylindrical target.

A processing machine includes a laser irradiation device that emits an annular laser beam, and a wire feeding device that feeds a wire from an inside of the annular laser beam. When a workpiece irradiation proportion parameter (WIP) represented by an equation WIP=P.sub.wp/P (P.sub.wp: laser beam power introduced onto a workpiece surface when the wire exists in an irradiation region of the laser beam, P: the laser beam power introduced onto the workpiece surface when the wire does not exist in the irradiation region) is defined, a control device controls the wire feeding device so that a wire end abuts on the workpiece surface at a beginning of additive manufacturing. The control device determines initial power P.sub.0 based on the WIP at the beginning of the additive manufacturing, and controls the laser irradiation device so that the workpiece is irradiated with the laser beam at the initial power P.sub.0.

A flow tube (10) has a housing (12, 14) including at least a first housing half (12) and a second housing half (14). Each housing half (12, 14) has a connection surface (20, 22) intended for combination with the other housing half (12, 14). The connection surfaces (20, 22) enclose a mounting gap (30) for an orifice element (16). Outside of the mounting gap (30) the connection surfaces (20, 22) butt against each other in some sections by respective abutting surface portions (32, 34), and outside of the mounting gap (30) and outside of the abutting surface portions (32, 34) the housing halves (12, 14) are integrally combined with each other. A method is provided for producing the flow tube, namely for integrally joining the housing halves (12, 14).

A laser processing device for forming vias has a galvo mirror module, a first lens, a second lens, a focusing module, and a laser source. The laser source emits a laser beam through the first lens and the second lens to convert the laser beam into an incident ring beam. The galvo mirror module reflects the incident ring beam into a reflected ring beam into the focusing module to convert the reflected ring beam into a Bessel-like beam. The galvo mirror module has a scanning direction and shifts a reflection direction of the reflected ring beam to move an end of the reflected ring beam along the scanning direction. The focusing module has a third lens linearly slid along the scanning direction to reduce variations in shape and laser fluence of the Bessel-like beam focused at different positions.