Fixed-cutter matrix bits comprising hardfaced elements on the gauge pads, and methods of manufacture and using. An example fixed-cutter matrix bit comprises a matrix bit body, a plurality of cutter elements secured at fixed locations to the matrix bit body, and a plurality of gauge pads disposed on the matrix bit body; wherein at least one of the gauge pads includes a hardfaced exterior surface. The hardfaced exterior surface may comprise a material selected from the group consisting of tungsten, niobium, vanadium, molybdenum, silicon, titanium, tantalum, zirconium, chromium, yttrium, boron, carbon, carbides thereof, nitrides thereof, borides thereof, oxides thereof, silicides thereof, and combinations thereof. The hardfaced exterior surface may be fused to the at least one gauge pad during the infiltration process of manufacturing the matrix bit body.

A method of repairing an airfoil is provided. The method includes providing an airfoil with a damaged section and removing the damaged section by machining or cutting an upper section of the airfoil. A replacement section is configured to mate with an upper surface of the airfoil. A presintered preform is provided to join the airfoil and the replacement sections through a resistance brazing process. The presintered preform is configured to mate with the upper surface of the airfoil and a lower surface of the replacement section and inserted between this upper surface and lower surface, creating a stacked airfoil comprising three mated sections in abutting contact. The stacked airfoil is resistance brazed such that only the braze material of the presintered preform melts and the upper surface of the airfoil and the lower surface of the replacement section remain below the grain boundary temperature of the material of the airfoil.

A method of forming a component includes mixing a powdered base material and a binder to define a mixture, forming the mixture into a desired shape without melting the base material, removing the binder from the desired shape to define a skeleton, the volume of the skeleton being between 80 percent and 95 percent base material, and infiltrating the skeleton with a melting point depressant material to define a finished component, the finished component having less than one percent porosity by volume.

The present invention relates to a flux-cored wire which can be used for straight-polarity gas-shielded arc welding, wherein a flux contains one or several types of metal compound powders and, when one or several metal elements constituting the metal compound powders are formed into stable compounds under a high-temperature environment, the relationship between the weighted geometric mean value (Φ) of the work functions of the stable compounds and the wire diameter (D) of the flux-cored wire satisfies the following formula: {1.00≤Φ≤−0.0908D.sup.2+0.5473D+1.547}.

A method for manufacturing a dissimilar metal joint product includes: spraying a metal powder capable of being joined to a steel material to at least a part of a surface of an aluminum or aluminum-alloy material at a low temperature and at a high speed to form a coating thereon; disposing the aluminum or aluminum-alloy material and the steel material such that the coating and the steel material face each other; and performing brazing using a brazing material or welding using a welding material between the coating and the steel material.

Boron and silicon free braze alloys are useful for structural repair of superalloy gas turbine engine components. The braze alloy compositions include nickel, chromium, titanium, and at least one of zirconium and hafnium. All of the above elements are metallic and form ductile bonds within and across the braze interface when compared to non-metallic bonds of boron and silicon.

A filler feed wire (20) including both a laser conductive element (26) and a filler material (22) extending along a length of the wire. Laser energy (30) can be directed into a proximal end (32) of the laser conductive element for melting a distal end (34) of the feed wire to form a melt pool (24) for additive fabrication or repair. The laser conductive element may serve as a flux material. In this manner, laser energy is delivered precisely to the distal end of the feed wire, eliminating the need to separately coordinate laser beam motion with feed wire motion.

A method of eliminating dissimilar metal welds has been disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a first part having a first alloy composition; providing a second part having a second alloy composition different from the first part; connecting a containment structure to the first part; pouring a powder into the containment structure such that the powder is in contact with the first part; positioning a portion of the second part in the containment structure such that the second part compresses the powder between the first and second parts; and performing hot isostatic pressing (HIP) to consolidate the powder and join the first and second parts together.

The present invention relates to noble metal-containing components prepared by cold metal transfer (CMT) methods, along with methods of preparing such components by CMT. More especially, an advantageous method of preparing a platinum metal group metal or alloy containing ignition device component by CMT is provided.

A method may include removing a portion of a base component adjacent to a damaged portion of the base component to define a repair portion of the base component. The base component may include a cobalt- or nickel-based superalloy, and the repair portion of the base component may include a through-hole extending from a first surface of the base component to a second surface of the base component. The method also may include forming a braze sintered preform to substantially reproduce a shape of the through-hole. The braze sintered preform may include a Ni- or Co-based alloy. The method additionally may include placing the braze sintered preform in the through-hole and heating at least the braze sintered preform to cause the braze sintered preform to join to the repair portion of the base component and change a microstructure of the braze sintered preform to a brazed and diffused microstructure.