Methods of forming a weld joint using rotating shielding devices are disclosed. To form the weld joint, the rotating shielding device may be moved continuously along a seam formed between two structures being welded, so as to avoid having to remove the rotating shielding device during, for example, welding around corners. In this manner, disclosed methods of welding may improve efficiency of techniques such as vertical welding. During welding, rotating shielding devices may be coupled to a shielding gas supply, such that the shielding gas exits through an outlet formed in an axle of the rotating shielding device as the device is rotated and moved along the seam. The rotating shielding device may contain a plurality of partitions defining one or more chambers, the partitions and chambers being positioned between spaced-apart rotating portions, with the rotating shielding device configured to direct the shielding gas towards the weld pool during welding.

A device for distributing gas near a weld location includes a cap, a funnel, an inlet, and an aperture. The cap includes a sidewall and an annular lip, and defines a reservoir between the sidewall and the annular lip. The annular lip includes a proximal-most edge. The cap defines an opening, and defines a longitudinal axis. The funnel is disposed adjacent a distal end of the cap. The inlet is disposed in mechanical cooperation with the cap. The aperture is disposed through the sidewall of the cap and is in fluid communication with the inlet. The aperture is disposed distally of the proximal-most edge of the annular lip. Gas is configured to flow through the inlet, through the aperture and into the reservoir. The reservoir is configured to allow the gas to uniformly overflow the proximal-most edge of the annular lip and flow distally through the opening defined by the cap.

To provide a fluid contact member whose corrosion resistance is particularly further improved than that in the related art. In order to solve this problem, a fluid contact member 10 includes a fluid contact portion 1 configured to be in contact with a fluid, the fluid contact portion 1 has a cobalt-based alloy phase 2 having a dendrite, and a compound phase 3 formed in an arm space of the dendrite and containing chromium carbide, and among a plurality of secondary arms 5 extending from one primary arm 4 constituting the dendrite, an average interval between adjacent secondary arms 5 is 5 ?m or less. At this time, the average interval is preferably 3 ?m or less. Further, the compound phase 3 is preferably formed discontinuously in the dendrite arm space.

Air management systems are provided for optimizing airflow in laser welding with deflectors. A system for a welder includes a blower to generate an airflow stream. A plenum receives the airflow stream, directs it toward the workpiece, and defines an outlet facing the workpiece to expel the airflow stream toward the workpiece. A deflector adjacent the outlet is formed as a conical section converging from the plenum toward the workpiece, and is defined by an angled wall with an open center. The deflector concentrates the airflow stream to impart a velocity increase to the airflow stream after leaving the outlet and to impart a favorable directional component to the airflow stream toward a weld zone, as well as protecting the laser lens by increasing the downward momentum force of the air stream to eliminate the potential of spatter impinging the lens.

A method for fusing a metal material with control of a melt pool on a substrate is provided. The method consists of providing a plurality of laser sources arranged on an imaginary hemispheric surface, wherein each laser source contains a laser tiltable relative to the longitudinal axis of the laser source housing and/or displaceable in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the housing. The optical axes of the lasers are inclined to the material feed direction toward a substrate. The optical axes of the inclined lasers intersect the material feed direction. The material is fed toward a substrate which is placed on a table that has at least three degrees of freedom for moving the substrate in a space relative to the focal points of the laser beams to impart to the object being printed a desired 3D configuration.

As may be implemented in accordance with one or more approaches herein, a plurality of metal alloy samples are formed on a surface, in which each sample has a different metal alloy composition relative to the others. Elemental metal powders are provided from hoppers at respective delivery rates and mixed, such that the mixture for each sample is set via the respective delivery rates and is different than the mixture for the other samples. Multiple layers of each mixture are deposited by dispensing and melting the mixture to form the respective samples, and one or more layer of each of the samples is remelted

A nozzle device according to an embodiment includes a first opening, a plurality of second openings, and a first duct part. The first duct part includes at least one first branching part having a first part extending in a first direction and a plurality of second parts connected to a first end of the first part and extending in respective directions intersecting with the first direction. The first duct part connects the first opening and the second openings and is branched at least once by the first branching part in a path extending from the first opening to the second openings. The path lengths and the numbers of first branching parts between the first opening and the respective second openings are the same. The cross-sectional area of the first end of the first part is smaller than the cross-sectional area of a second end of the first part.

In a three-dimensional printing method example, a metallic build material is applied. A positive masking agent is selectively applied on at least a portion of the metallic build material. The positive masking agent includes a radiation absorption amplifier that is compatible with the metallic build material. The metallic build material is exposed to radiation from a spatially broad, high energy light source to melt the portion of the metallic build material in contact with the positive masking agent to form a layer. The radiation absorption amplifier i) has an absorbance for the radiation that is higher than an absorbance for the radiation of the metallic build material, or ii) modifies a surface topography of the at least the portion of the metallic build material to reduce specular reflection of the radiation off of the at least the portion of the metallic build material, or both i) and ii).

Systems and methods for additive manufacturing, and, in particular, such methods and apparatus as employ pulsed lasers or other heating arrangements to create metal droplets from donor metal micro wires, which droplets, when solidified in the aggregate, form 3D structures. A supply of metal micro wire is arranged so as to be fed towards a nozzle area by a piezo translator. Near the nozzle, an end portion of the metal micro wire is heated (e.g., by a laser pulse or an electric heater element), thereby causing the end portion of the metal micro wire near the nozzle area to form a droplet of metal. A receiving substrate is positioned to receive the droplet of metal jetted from the nozzle area.

A method of fabricating an object by additive manufacturing is provided. The method includes measuring a build surface for building the object, determining which areas of the build surface are depressed, and initiating a build of the object at one of the depressed areas of the build surface. The initial building includes the steps of depositing a given layer of powder at the one depressed area of the build surface, fusing the given layer of powder at the one depressed area, and depositing a subsequent layer of powder at the one depressed area. The steps are repeating until the build surface is at a layer that is unified across the build surface.