A method may comprise: placing a probe in a molten metal melt comprising a thixotropic metal alloy; injecting a gas into the molten metal melt to form a saturated slurry, the saturated slurry being at a temperature above a liquidus temperature of the thixotropic metal alloy after injecting the gas; removing the probe from the molten metal melt; and depositing the molten metal melt through an extruder of an additive manufacturing system.

An electromagnetic pulse additive device for a connection ring of a heavy-lift carrier rocket is provided. The device includes brackets, a gear disk rotatably matched with the annular ground rail through a plurality of rolls arranged in a circumferential direction of the gear disk, a first drive motor, an annular ground rail, and a guide rail in a semicircular shape arranged at top ends of the brackets. An output shaft of a first drive motor is fixedly provided with a first drive gear engaged with the gear disk. The guide rail is slidably provided with three lifting modules which respectively drive a bending module, an electromagnetic head arranged electromagnetic coil electrically connected with a capacitor and a discharge circuit, and a rotational friction and extrusion module including a second drive motor and a friction bar fixedly connected to an output shaft of the second drive motor to rise and fall.

An electromagnetic pulse additive device for a connection ring of a heavy-lift carrier rocket is provided. The device includes brackets, a gear disk rotatably matched with the annular ground rail through a plurality of rolls arranged in a circumferential direction of the gear disk, a first drive motor, an annular ground rail, and a guide rail in a semicircular shape arranged at top ends of the brackets. An output shaft of a first drive motor is fixedly provided with a first drive gear engaged with the gear disk. The guide rail is slidably provided with three lifting modules which respectively drive a bending module, an electromagnetic head arranged electromagnetic coil electrically connected with a capacitor and a discharge circuit, and a rotational friction and extrusion module including a second drive motor and a friction bar fixedly connected to an output shaft of the second drive motor to rise and fall.

A friction head and a friction additive manufacturing method of adjusting components and synchronously feeding material are provided. The friction head includes a friction body, a charging part and a feeding part. An axis of the friction body, an axis of the charging part and an axis of the feeding part are coincided with one another. The charging part and the feeding part are sleeved on the friction body. Spiral groove(s) extending in a same direction is formed in an inner ring wall of the feeding part. The spiral groove(s) extends through the inner ring wall of the feeding part and is symmetrical about the axis of the feeding part. The spiral groove(s) and a lower outer surface of the feeding part form spiral feeding channel(s). An upper end of each feeding channel is communicated with a corresponding one of feeding hole(s).

A tool head assembly for a solid state additive manufacturing apparatus includes a tool head having a material passage configured to receive a material therein. The tool head is configured to deposit the material from the material passage onto a substrate of the solid state additive manufacturing apparatus to form at least one layer of the material on the substrate. The tool head includes a shoulder configured to contact the material such that rotation of the tool head frictionally stirs the material. The tool head assembly includes a barrier configured to extend along a side surface of the at least one layer as the at least one layer is deposited onto the substrate such that the barrier is configured to constrain the material from extruding past an edge of the shoulder.

The presently disclosed subject matter relates to multi-material electrical contacts, and methods of making multi-material electrical contacts.

Various implementations of a system for friction based additive manufacturing include a tool head that includes a central axis, a first end, and a second end opposite and spaced apart from the first end along the central axis. The tool head defines a feed channel that extends between openings defined by the first end and the second end. The opening defined by the second end is offset from the central axis of the tool head. The tool head is configured for rotating about the central axis. The system also includes an actuator that is configured to urge a feed material through the feed channel in a direction from the first end to the second end. The second end of the tool head is configured for being disposed adjacent a substrate onto which the feed material is being friction stir deposited.

A process control system and a method for process control of a solid-state additive manufacturing system capable of performing various additive processes, such as joining, additive manufacturing, coating, repair and others, are disclosed. The process control system is capable of simultaneous measuring, monitoring and controlling multiple process variables, viz. material temperature, actuator down force, tool force (or torque), tool position, tool angular and transverse velocity, spindle torque (angular velocity), filler flow rate, filler composition, track width, inert gas flow rate and others. A feeding system for continuous supply of filler material to the solid-state additive manufacturing system is also disclosed. The filler material can be in a form of a powder, granules, briquettes, beads, flakes, wires, rods, films, scrap pieces, sheets, blocks or their combinations. Methods for generation of different periodic and non-periodic structures and joints using the process-controlled solid-state additive manufacturing system are also disclosed.

The method of orbital friction surfacing of components using a consumable solid tool comprises rotating the consumable featureless solid tool, plunging the tool toward a component until a desired spindle force is attained, and moving the component relative to the tool to lay down a deposition of material.

A method may comprise: placing a probe in a molten metal melt comprising a thixotropic metal alloy; injecting a gas into the molten metal melt to form a saturated slurry, the saturated slurry being at a temperature above a liquidus temperature of the thixotropic metal alloy after injecting the gas; removing the probe from the molten metal melt; and depositing the molten metal melt through an extruder of an additive manufacturing system.