A method and an apparatus for collecting powder samples in real-time in powder bed fusion additive manufacturing may involves an ingester system for in-process collection and characterizations of powder samples. The collection may be performed periodically and uses the results of characterizations for adjustments in the powder bed fusion process. The ingester system of the present disclosure is capable of packaging powder samples collected in real-time into storage containers serving a multitude purposes of audit, process adjustments or actions.

Disclosed are systems, devices, and methods for additive manufacturing that allow for control of composition and/or porosity of components being manufactured. More particularly, in exemplary embodiments, a secondary material can be used in conjunction with a primary feedstock material in a spatially controlled manner during an additive manufacturing process to control a composition of materials and/or porosity of a manufactured component. Systems, devices, and methods for additive manufacturing are also disclosed that allow for control of a pressure of an atmosphere surrounding a build surface during an additive manufacturing process. More particularly, a pressure of an atmosphere surrounding a build surface can be raised to a pressure greater than standard atmospheric pressure. Various features of the exemplary embodiments of the systems, devices, and methods disclosed can be used together to further control for composition and/or porosity and quality of a manufactured part.

Examples of methods are described. In some examples, a method includes determining, using a variational autoencoder model, a latent space representation. In some examples, the latent space representation is of object model data. In some examples, the method includes predicting manufacturing powder degradation. In some examples, predicting the manufacturing powder degradation is based on the latent space representation.

A method of manufacturing a part including selective laser melting of a powder including a steel alloy containing, by weight, 16% to 19% chromium and 12.2% to 13.5% nickel, wherein the powder is substantially non-magnetic.

A downhole component including a first portion; a second portion; a controlled failure structure between the first portion and second portion. A method for improving efficiency in downhole components.

A component includes a multiplicity of individual powder particles of Mo, a Mo-based alloy, W or a W-based alloy that have been fused together to give a solid structure by a high-energy beam via an additive manufacturing method. The component has an oxygen content of not more than 0.1 at %. An additive manufacturing method includes producing the powder via the melt phase and providing a carbon content in the region of not less than 0.15 at %. The components are crack-free and have high grain boundary strength.

A component includes a multiplicity of individual powder particles of Mo, a Mo-based alloy, W or a W-based alloy that have been fused together to give a solid structure by a high-energy beam via an additive manufacturing method. The component has an oxygen content of not more than 0.1 at %. An additive manufacturing method includes producing the powder via the melt phase and providing a carbon content in the region of not less than 0.15 at %. The components are crack-free and have high grain boundary strength.

A method operates a three-dimensional (3D) metal object manufacturing system to compensate for errors that occur during object formation. In the method, thermal image data and dimensional image data of a metal object being formed by the 3D metal object manufacturing system is generated prior to completion of the metal object. Thermal conditions are identified from these data and compared to predetermined ranges corresponding to the identified thermal conditions to identify one or more errors. For identified errors outside a corresponding predetermined difference range, the method performs an error compensation technique. The error compensation includes modification of a surface data model, modification of machine-ready instructions, or operation of a subtractive device.

A method operates a three-dimensional (3D) metal object manufacturing system to compensate for errors that occur during object formation. In the method, thermal image data and dimensional image data of a metal object being formed by the 3D metal object manufacturing system is generated prior to completion of the metal object. Thermal conditions are identified from these data and compared to predetermined ranges corresponding to the identified thermal conditions to identify one or more errors. For identified errors outside a corresponding predetermined difference range, the method performs an error compensation technique. The error compensation includes modification of a surface data model, modification of machine-ready instructions, or operation of a subtractive device.

A method for a workpiece comprising a material composed of a base material and an additive is disclosed, the method including spreading a granular material in superimposed layers. The granular material contains the base material and an organic binder. An ink contains a solvent for dissolving the binder, and a suspension of the additive. Using the ink, patterns are printed onto individual layers. The ink dissolves the binder in the region of the patterns, and introduces the additive in the region of the patterns. The patterns in the layers together produce a three-dimensional shape of the workpiece. The solvent is expelled so that the granular material is connected by the binder and the additive is fixed. Granular material unwetted by the solvent is removed to reveal the green compact of the workpiece. The green compact is thermally treated to convert the base material and the additive into the material.