Alstom Technology Limited

Ansaldo Energia IP UK Limited

Lukas Rickenbacher

Matthias Hoebel

Alexander Stankowski

Simone Hövel

Adriaan Bernardus Spierings

Simone Hoevel

Raphael Schmid

Stefan Buob

In a method for manufacturing an article (), particularly a prototype of a product or component, a tool prototype or spare part, by using selected laser melting, for the application onto the article () of a layer () or portion of a second metallic material, which is different from the material of the first metallic powder (), a tape (), sheet (), foil or three-dimensional pre-form () of a second material is applied to the article () and is heated by a focused laser or electron beam () to a specified temperature such that the tape (), sheet (), foil or pre-form, respectively, are made molten by the electron laser beam (), wherein the focused beam () is applied to a given area corresponding to a selected cross-sectional area of the model of the article () under formation of a new layer or part made of second material integral with the article ().

Method of applying multiple materials with selective laser melting on a 3D article

A process for producing a crack-free and dense three-dimensional article of a gamma-prime precipitation-strengthened nickel-base superalloy, with more than 6 wt. % of [2 Al (wt. %)+Ti (wt. %)], which involves: (a) preparing a powder layer of a gamma-prime precipitation-strengthened nickel-based alloy material, with uniform thickness on a SLM apparatus substrate plate, or on a previously processed powder layer; (b) melting the prepared powder layer by scanning with a focused laser beam an article cross section area according to a three-dimensional sliced model with calculated cross sections, stored in the SLM control unit; (c) lowering the substrate plate by one layer thickness; and (d) repeating (a) to (c) until reaching a final cross section according to the three-dimensional sliced model, wherein, for (b), the laser power, focus diameter of the focal spot, and scan speed of the focused laser beam are adjusted to obtain heat dissipation welding.

Process for the production of articles made of a gamma-prime precipitation-strengthened nickel-base superalloy by selective laser melting (SLM)

A method for repairing or reconditioning a damaged component includes working the damaged component by removing a damaged region from the damaged component while creating a cutout corresponding to the damaged region so as to provide a worked component. The worked component is measured and a computer-aided design (CAD) model of a replacement piece based on the measuring and is configured to be inserted into the cutout of the worked component is created. The replacement piece is produced based on the CAD model. The replacement piece and the worked component are connected by joining.

Method for repairing or reconditioning a badly damaged component, in particular from the hot gas region of a gas turbine

A process produces a 3-dimensional component () by selective laser melting (SLM), in which the component () is formed on a foundation with a surface, e.g., a platform () or a support, which in particular is a component of the same type which has already been produced previously, by successively melting layers of a first metal powder to form a sequence of stacked layers. The process is substantially simplified and made more flexible by virtue of the fact that the separation of the finished component () from the surface of the platform () or the support thereof is simplified by providing a separating layer () between the component () and the platform () or the support, this separating layer making it possible to separate the finished component () from the platform () or the support without damaging the finished component ().

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Basel, Switzerland

Lukas Rickenbacher