The invention features methods and apparatuses for thermally regulating a laser processing head. A thermal regulation device includes a body shaped to matingly engage a laser processing nozzle and to define a fluid flow boundary of a liquid flow passage between the body and an exterior surface of the laser processing nozzle when the thermal regulation device is affixed to the laser processing nozzle. The thermal regulation device also includes an inlet formed in a first end of the body and configured to provide liquid to the liquid flow passage, the liquid remaining external to an exterior surface of the laser processing nozzle. The thermal regulation device also includes an outlet formed in a second end of the body opposite the first end. The outlet is configured to exhaust liquid from the liquid flow passage.

A bearing surface of an oilfield component is treated by applying a surface treatment having a low coefficient of friction to the bearing surface of the oilfield component by weld fusing an overlay of a CuNiSn alloy material to the bearing surface. Weld fusing the overlay of the CuNiSn alloy material to the bearing surface can involve laser surface cladding the overlay of the CuNiSn alloy material to the bearing surface, gas tungsten arc welding the overlay of the CuNiSn alloy material to the bearing surface, or plasma tungsten arc welding the overlay of the CuNiSn alloy material to the bearing surface.

A laser processing apparatus ablates the upper surface of a plate-shaped workpiece by using a laser beam passed through a water-soluble protective film formed on the upper surface of the plate-shaped workpiece. A nozzle applies the laser beam to the upper surface of the plate-shaped workpiece. The processing nozzle includes a debris capturing chamber for capturing debris scattering due to the application of the laser beam. A capturing space is defined in the debris capturing chamber, and an air discharge port and a suction port are opposed to each other in the capturing space. Air is discharged from the air discharge port toward the suction port so as to produce an air flow perpendicular to the optical path of the laser beam, so that the debris is sucked into the suction port by this air flow.

In a powder supply method in cladding, an outlet pressure of a coaxial-nozzle side of a supply pipe connecting a feeder to a coaxial nozzle is set within a predetermined range, and powder is supplied from the feeder to the coaxial nozzle.

The invention relates to a nozzle for laser cutting, comprising a nozzle body (1) comprising a first axial passage (5); an external cover (13) comprising an axial housing (7), the nozzle body (1) being arranged at least partially in said axial housing (7); a movable element (3) comprising a second axial passage (4) and a front portion (3a) forming a skirt, said movable element (3) being arranged between the external cover (13) and the nozzle body (1) and being translationally movable in the axial housing (7) of the external cover (13); and an elastic element (8) arranged in the axial housing (7), between the external cover (13) and the nozzle body (1). According to the invention, the movable element (3) is able and designed to move translationally in the axial housing (7) in the direction of the first outlet orifice (14) under the effect of a gaseous pressure of said assistance gas (23), said pressure being applied in said axial housing (7) and exerted on said movable element (3), said elastic element (8) exerting an elastic return force on the movable element (3) tending to oppose the translational movement of the movable element (3). Associated laser head and apparatus. Laser cutting process employing such a nozzle.

A management method of a powder supply head in which supplied cladding metal is stabilized, and a method and apparatus for forming an erosion shield. The powder supply head has a double tube that supplies the cladding metal to a cladding portion and includes an inner tube that sprays a cladding metal used for cladding by welding and an outer tube that concentrically overlaps the inner tube and sprays a shielding air. The method including: spraying the cladding metal from the powder supply head to a test region; measuring a width of the cladding metal sprayed onto the test region; in a case where the measured width of the cladding metal is an allowance or smaller, determining that the powder supply head is usable, and in a case where the measured width of the cladding metal is greater than the allowance, determining that the powder supply head is unusable.

An apparatus for forming an object includes a platform to support the object. The platform includes a first support plate including first holes and a second support plate arranged below the first support plate and including second holes. The second support plate is movable relative to the first support plate between an aligned configuration and a misaligned configuration. The apparatus further includes a dispensing system overlying the support plate to dispense a powder over the top surface of the first support plate and an energy source to apply energy to the powder dispensed on the top surface of the first support plate to form a fused portion of the powder. In the aligned configuration, the first holes are aligned with the second holes such that unfused powder can pass through the first holes into the second holes. In the misaligned configuration, the first holes are misaligned with the second holes.

A method of production of a welded structure by butt welding two steel sheets (51, 52) by laser welding (11) while supplying assist gas (12) to a back surface of a melt pool (13), whereby it is possible to prevent formation of a through hole in the melt part (53), characterized in that a thickness of at least one steel sheet (52) of the two steel sheets (51, 52) is 0.6 mm or less, the assist gas (12) is a mixed gas (12) containing 10 to 50 vol % of O.sub.2 gas, and, when an O.sub.2 concentration in the mixed gas (12) is C (vol %), a flow rate L of mixed gas (12) (liter/min) satisfies 30 (liter/min)C(vol %)1 (liter/min/vol %)L (liter/min)<40 (liter/min).

An article comprises a plurality of micro-sized or nano-sized galvanic cells, wherein the article has a seamless structure encompassing a plurality of empty spaces of different sizes, geometries, distributions, or a combination thereof, and one or more of the following properties of the article vary in different directions: tensile strength; compressive strength; electrical resistance; thermal conductance; modulus; or hardness.

An apparatus for introducing a parting agent into a hollow workpiece before or during processing of the hollow workpiece by using a laser processing machine, includes an introduction section with a nozzle for dispensing the parting agent and a centering element which is disposed on the introduction section and serves for centering the introduction section within the hollow workpiece. A loading station, a system and a method are also provided.