This invention quickly supplies a predetermined amount of powder from a hopper to a recoater. A powder supply apparatus includes, as its feature, a hopper, a powder spreader, a powder replenisher, and a pivoting unit. The hopper of the powder supply apparatus stores a powder. The powder spreader spreads the powder on a shaping surface. The powder replenisher of the powder supply apparatus is provided between the hopper and the powder spreader, and replenishes the powder spreader with a predetermined amount of powder. The pivoting unit of the powder supply apparatus causes the powder replenisher to pivot.

A manufacturing machine includes: an inert gas supplying device which supplies an inert gas into a machining area to adjust an oxygen concentration of a machining atmosphere; and a control device which controls a condition applied to the inert gas supplying device in supplying the inert gas. The control device includes: a storage unit which stores data about a relationship between a type of a powdery material and an oxygen concentration to be set in the machining area; a control unit which receives a type of a powdery material used for additive manufacturing and checks the type of the powdery material input against the data stored in the storage unit to determine a condition applied to the inert gas supplying device in supplying the inert gas; and a communication unit which indicates the determined condition applied in supplying the inert gas to the inert gas supplying device.

A powder delivery system for use in an additive manufacturing device includes a powder control valve configured to selectively divert at least a portion of an input fluid flow to a return line while a remainder of the input flow is delivered to a delivery nozzle. In some embodiments, the powder delivery valve may be modulated to alter the percentage of input flow diverted to the return line. Alternatively, the powder delivery valve may be either fully open or closed. In each embodiment, the powder delivery valve permits rapid changes in the amount of powder delivered to the nozzle.

A rotor blade including: a blade main body having a tip as the upstream end in the rotation direction, and a blade surface in contact with the tip and which is the upstream surface in the flow direction of a work fluid; and an erosion shield formed as a cladding portion using laser welding on the tip and the blade surface. The boundary between the main body and the erosion shield is shaped to approach the surface opposite of the blade surface as the boundary moves from the end facing the blade surface towards the tip, and the boundary includes a first arc that includes the end facing the blade surface and a second arc arranged more towards the tip than the first arc; the first arc is convex towards the inside of the main body and the second arc is convex towards the outside of the main body.

A nozzle unit for a laser processing machine includes a first nozzle including a first pathway and blowing port, a second nozzle, a second pathway to pass an inner shielding gas, a second blowing port connected to the second pathway to blow the inner shielding gas toward the workpiece to remove light blocking liquid, a third nozzle, a third pathway to pass an outer shielding gas, and a third blowing port connected to the third pathway to blow out the outer shielding gas toward the workpiece to remove light blocking liquid. The first pathway passes the laser light and an assist gas, the first blowing port is connected to the first pathway to blow out the assist gas toward the workpiece. A height of the third blowing port is greater than a height of the second blowing port, which is greater than a height of the first blowing port.

A laser operating machine for additive manufacture of objects, via a process of laser thermal treatment of metal powders, in particular via fusion, comprising a movement structure (11), which is mobile in a working space (100) that comprises a working surface (110), said machine operating according to a first cartesian system of axes of movement (X, Y, Z) and being configured for supporting a moving element (12) comprising one or more nozzles (34) for emitting jets of powder to be treated thermally onto a working substrate (100, 110), and an optical laser assembly (20) for conveying a laser beam (L) to form a laser spot (S) focused on said working substrate (100, 110) in order to carry out thermal treatment of said powders. According to the invention, said moving element (12) comprises: an upper portion (12a) associated in a fixed way to said movement structure (11), said optical laser assembly (20) being set in said upper portion (12a); and a lower portion (12b), set in which is a tool-carrier frame (30), arranged on which are said one or more nozzles (34) for emitting jets of powder, and in that said nozzles (34) are arranged on said frame (30) so that longitudinal axes (U) thereof form an angle of inclination () with respect to said vertical axis (I) such that jets (PJ) of said nozzles (34) intersect in a powder-deposition point (PD), said machine (10) comprising actuator means for varying said angle of inclination () of said longitudinal axes (U) of said one or more nozzles (34); said optical laser assembly (20) being set in the moving element (12) so as to send the laser beam (L) onto the working surface (110) passing within perimeter defined by said plurality of nozzles (34) emitting jets of powder.

A gas shielding device may be used with a laser processing head, such as a welding head, to diffuse and distribute a shield gas over a larger gas shielding area for shielding a larger area of metal. The gas shielding device may be coupled to the laser processing head to move with the laser beam and may be arranged coaxially to provide the larger shielding effect in all directions of welding. The gas shielding device is particularly useful for welding titanium or other metals that are highly reactive with gases in the air and/or for larger welding areas (e.g., where the laser beam is wobbled).

Methods and apparatus for laser patterning leverage mask trench debris removal techniques to form etch singulation trenches. In some embodiments, the method includes forming a mask layer on the wafer, forming a pattern in the mask layer using a laser of a laser assembly where the pattern allows singulation of the wafer by deep etching and forms a trench in the mask layer with a laser beam which has a process point at a bottom of the trench, directing gas nozzles that flow a pressurized gas at the process point in the trench as the pattern is formed with a gas flow angle relative to the process point and evacuating debris from the trench using an area of negative pressure where the gas flow from gas nozzles and the area of negative pressure are in fluid contact and are confined within a cylindrical housing.

A cable guide apparatus including a guide apparatus, a slide movably guided in the guide apparatus, a deflection roller connected to the slide, a first tension weight, a cable pull apparatus which connects the first tension weight to the slide guided in the guide apparatus, wherein the connection cable has a free end and a fixed end connected to a connection apparatus and extends over the deflection roller, a second tension weight and a second guide apparatus in which the tension weights are each movably guided, such that the connection cable extending over the deflection roller is preloaded in a first displacement region of the free end by a force generated by the weight force of the first tension weight and is preloaded in a second displacement region of the free end by a force generated by a total of the weight forces of the tension weights.

This disclosure, and the exemplary embodiments provided herein, disclose carbon nanotubes (CNT) integrated into 316L stainless steel (SS) powder feedstocks and 3D-printed using selective laser melting (SLM). Ball milling is used to disperse CNT clusters homogeneously onto the surface of 316L SS powders with minimal damage to the CNTs. Hardness increased by 35% and wear was reduced by 70% with the addition of 2 vol % CNT, relative to SLM 316L SS. The addition of CNTs increased the water contact angle and retained the desirable corrosion resistance of SLM 316L SS, demonstrating the potential of 3D-printed SS-CNT composites for use in structural marine applications.