A system includes an orientation determination system comprising a camera where the camera is configured to capture an image of an orientation feature of a physical dental model of a dental arch of a customer with material thermoformed thereon. The orientation determination system is configured to identify an offset of the physical dental model with respect to a fixture plate during positioning or before or after the physical dental model is positioned on the fixture plate by determining an actual orientation of the physical dental model based on the orientation feature. The system also includes a laser trimming system configured to cut the material along a trim line based on the identified offset while the fixture plate is moved about at least two axes to produce a dental aligner specific to the customer and being configured to reposition one or more teeth of the customer.

A method of forming a build in a powder bed includes providing a first diode laser fiber array and a second diode laser fiber array, emitting a plurality of laser beams from selected fibers of the second diode laser fiber array onto the powder bed, corresponding to a pattern of a layer of the build, simultaneously melting powder in the powder bed corresponding to the pattern of the layer of the build, scanning a first diode laser fiber array along an outer boundary of the powder bed and emitting a plurality of laser beams from selected fibers of the first diode laser fiber array and simultaneously melting powder in the powder bed corresponding to the outer boundary of the layer of the build to contour the layer of the build. An apparatus for forming a build in a powder bed including a first diode laser fiber array and a second diode laser fiber array is also disclosed. The first diode laser fiber array configured to contour the layer of the build.

A method for joining two components of a meltable material comprises the steps of providing a first component having a first border region and a second component having a second border region, placing the second component relative to the first component so as to form an overlap between the first border region and the second border region under a gap between the first border region and the second border region, continuously heating opposed sections of the first border region and the second border region at the same time through at least one energy source arranged in the gap at least partially, continuously providing a relative motion of the at least one energy source along the first border region and the second border region in the gap, and continuously pressing already heated sections of the first border region and the second border region onto each other.

A method for stripping a rod-shaped conductor using laser radiation is provided. The rod-shaped conductor includes an electrically conductive core and a coating that is at least partially transparent to the laser radiation. The method includes traversing the conductor for a first time with at least one laser beam to at least partially reduce transparency of the coating, and traversing the conductor for a second time with the at least one laser beam to at least partially reduce adhesion of the coating.

A pattern forming apparatus for a base material includes a holding unit and a pattern forming unit. The holding unit is configured to hold a base material on which one of a protrusion shape portion and a recess shape portion is formed. The pattern forming unit is configured to form a pattern on the base material. The pattern is formed on at least one of the protrusion shape portion, the recess shape portion, a periphery of the recess shape portion, a periphery of the protrusion shape portion, a portion along the protrusion shape portion, and a portion along the recess shape portion.

A laser welding system for joining first and second thermoplastic workpieces, and including a clamp, an actuator, and a laser source. The clamp includes first and second clamping structures positioned together to engage opposite sides of the workpieces when they adjoin each other. The first clamping structure has a non-flat or irregular surface, facing the first workpiece. The actuator causes the clamping structures to press the first and second workpieces together. The laser source applies laser radiation having a wavelength of 2 microns toward the workpieces to be joined, while they are pressed together by the clamp, to melt irradiated portions of the workpieces to one another. The first clamping structure transmits substantially all of the energy of the laser radiation through the material. The first workpiece has a non-flat or irregular surface facing the first clamping structure, which substantially conforms with the surface of the first clamping structure.

A manipulator device such as a robot arm that is capable of increasing manufacturing throughput for additively manufactured parts, and allows for the manipulation of parts that would be difficult or impossible for a human to move is described. The manipulator can grasp various permanent or temporary additively manufactured manipulation points on a part to enable repositioning or maneuvering of the part.

A fixture used in the manufacture of an eyepiece, to cut the eyepiece to a particular shape, and a method of using the fixture to cut the eyepiece to have a desired shape. Embodiments are directed to a configurable fixture to align, hold, and protect a plastic sheet (e.g., a wafer) while a laser cutting apparatus is cutting one or more eyepieces out of the wafer. During the cutting, the fixture protects the eyepieces from reflected laser light by providing voids around the laser cutting lines, and by supporting each eyepiece near its perimeter. The fixture can be quickly rearranged for different eyepieces, different eyepiece shapes, and/or different plastic sheet sizes.

A method for processing a plastic workpiece having a first side and a second side opposite the first side using laser ablation and a nozzle body produced according to the method. The method includes advancing a laser beam into the plastic workpiece from outside of the plastic workpiece and through the first side to at least partially penetrate the plastic workpiece, and evaporating at least a portion of the plastic workpiece with the laser beam starting from the second side.

A method of manufacturing chips includes a preparing step of preparing a wafer unit in which a wafer having a plurality of devices formed thereon is affixed to a tape with a die-attach layer being interposed therebetween, the die-attach layer including fillers, and the devices are protected by a protective member and a face side of the wafer is exposed along the projected dicing lines, a wafer processing step of performing plasma etching on the wafer from the face side thereof to divide the wafer and expose the die-attach layer along the projected dicing lines, a die-attach layer processing step of performing plasma etching on the die-attach layer from the face side of the wafer, and a cleaning step of ejecting a fluid to the face side of the wafer to remove filler residuals along the projected dicing lines from the wafer unit.