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.

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.

Selective laser solidification apparatus is described that includes a powder bed onto which a powder layer can be deposited and a gas flow unit for passing a flow of gas over the powder bed along a predefined gas flow direction. A laser scanning unit is provided for scanning a laser beam over the powder layer to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layer to form a required pattern. The required pattern is formed from a plurality of stripes or stripe segments that are formed by advancing the laser beam along the stripe or stripe segment in a stripe formation direction. The stripe formation direction is arranged so that it always at least partially opposes the predefined gas flow direction. A corresponding method is also described.

Selective laser solidification apparatus is described that includes a powder bed onto which a powder layer can be deposited and a gas flow unit for passing a flow of gas over the powder bed along a predefined gas flow direction. A laser scanning unit is provided for scanning a laser beam over the powder layer to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layer to form a required pattern. The required pattern is formed from a plurality of stripes or stripe segments that are formed by advancing the laser beam along the stripe or stripe segment in a stripe formation direction. The stripe formation direction is arranged so that it always at least partially opposes the predefined gas flow direction. A corresponding method is also described.

A laser processing machine includes a condenser and a water pillar forming unit. The condenser condenses a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator and irradiates it to a workpiece held on a chuck table. The water pillar forming unit is disposed on a lower end of the condenser and is configured to form a thread-shaped water pillar on a front side of the workpiece. The laser oscillator includes a first laser oscillator, which emits a first laser beam having a short pulse width, and a second laser oscillator, which emits a second laser beam having a long pulse width. After the laser beams emitted from the first and second laser oscillators have transmitted through the thread-shaped water pillar formed by the water pillar forming unit and have been irradiated to the workpiece, a plasma occurred in the water pillar forming unit applies processing to the workpiece.

A laser processing machine includes a condenser and a water pillar forming unit. The condenser condenses a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator and irradiates it to a workpiece held on a chuck table. The water pillar forming unit is disposed on a lower end of the condenser and is configured to form a thread-shaped water pillar on a front side of the workpiece. The laser oscillator includes a first laser oscillator, which emits a first laser beam having a short pulse width, and a second laser oscillator, which emits a second laser beam having a long pulse width. After the laser beams emitted from the first and second laser oscillators have transmitted through the thread-shaped water pillar formed by the water pillar forming unit and have been irradiated to the workpiece, a plasma occurred in the water pillar forming unit applies processing to the workpiece.

A grain-oriented electrical steel sheet according to the present invention includes a base steel sheet having plural grooves on a surface and a glass film formed on the surface of the base steel sheet. In case of viewing region including grooves in cross section orthogonal to groove longitudinal direction, a straight line passing through peak point present on profile line of glass film and parallel to groove width direction orthogonal to sheet thickness direction in cross section is defined as reference line, a point present on boundary line between glass film and base steel sheet and present at lowest location in sheet thickness direction is defined as deepest point, and a point present on boundary line and present at the highest location in the sheet thickness direction in region having the deepest point in a center and having length of 2 μm in groove width direction is defined as shallowest point, a relationship between shortest distance A between reference line and deepest point and shortest distance B between reference line and shallowest point satisfies Expression (1).
0.1 μm≤A−B≤5.0 μm  (1)

A laser processing method for laser processing of a workpiece made of a base material and a fiber reinforced composite material containing fibers having a thermal conductivity and a processing threshold higher than physical properties of glass fibers. The laser processing method includes a step of processing the workpiece by forming a plurality of through-holes extending through the workpiece by irradiating the workpiece with pulsed laser light from a processing head while relatively moving the workpiece and the processing head in a predetermined cutting direction. The pulsed laser light has a pulse width smaller than 1 ms and an energy density capable of forming each of the through-holes by a single pulse.

The invention relates to an additive manufacturing method in which a component (10, 42, 43, 44, 45) is produced in layers using an energy beam (8, 41, 58) which solidifies a starting material (4) and is irradiated by energy beam irradiating means (9, 22, 31, 38, 39, 55, 59, 61) while the starting material (4) is held by a base surface (3, 15, 30, 36, 52) arranged on a base element (2, 16, 29, 35, 51). While the starting material (4) is being irradiated with the energy beam (8, 41, 58), the base element (2, 16, 29, 35, 51) is moved by a rotational component which has a base element rotational axis, wherein the starting material (4) is held on the base surface (3, 15, 30, 36, 52) by a centrifugal acceleration generated by the rotational component. The invention is characterized in that a rotational movement is produced for at least some of the energy beam irradiating means (9, 22, 31, 38, 39, 55, 59, 61). Analogously, at least one energy beam rotational axis (46) is proposed for rotating at least some of the energy beam irradiating means (9, 22, 31, 38, 39, 55, 59, 61) in an additive manufacturing device in which the starting material (4) is held on a base surface (3, 15, 30, 36, 52) by a centrifugal acceleration.

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.