Howmedica Osteonics Corporation

University of Cambridge

Ipg Photonics Corporation

Laser Fusion Technologies Ltd.

Martin Sparkes

William O'Neill

Eric Jones

Lewis Mullen

Joseph Leo Dallarosa

Rocco Lupoi

David Squires

Andrew Payne

Andrew Cockburn

Jonathon Parkins

Matthew Bray

A component is fabricated in an additive manufacturing process. Only a portion of a first layer of a first material is at least partially melted to define a first component layer of the component. Only a portion of the second layer of a second material is at least partially melted to define a second component layer of the component in which the entirety of the second component layer is formed simultaneously, and the second component layer is attached to the first component layer.

Fabrication of components using shaped energy beam profiles

Systems and methods for multiple beam additive manufacturing use multiple beams of light (e.g., laser light) simultaneously to expose layers of powder material in selected regions until the powder material fuses to form voxels, which form build layers of a three-dimensional structure. The light may be generated from selected light sources and coupled into an array of optical fibers having output ends arranged in an optical head such that the multiple beams are directed by the optical head to different locations on each of the powder layers. The multiple beams may provide distributed exposures forming a distributed exposure pattern including beam spots that are spaced sufficiently to separate the fused regions formed by each exposure. The multiple beams may be moved using various techniques (e.g., by moving the optical head) and according to various scan patterns such that a plurality of multiple beam distributed exposures form each build layer.

Multiple beam additive manufacturing

A process and apparatus are disclosed for the deposition of a layer of a first material onto a substrate of a second material. Powder particles of the first material are entrained into a carrier gas flow to form a powder beam directed to impinge on the substrate. This defines a powder beam footprint region at the substrate. The powder beam and the substrate are moved relative to each other to move the powder beam footprint relative to the substrate, thereby to deposit the layer of the first material. A laser is operated to cause direct, local heating of at least one of a forward substrate region and a powder beam footprint region. The laser beam direction is defined with reference to a plane coincident with or tangential to a surface of the substrate at the center of the laser beam footprint in terms of an elevation angle from the plane to the laser beam direction and in terms of an acute azimuthal angle from the movement direction to the laser beam direction. The elevation angle is 80&#xb0; or less and the azimuthal angle is &#xb1;60&#xb0; or less. In the apparatus, there are provided at least three laser sources arrayed around the powder beam footprint, the angular spacing between the laser sources being 120&#xb0; or less.

Deposition of coatings on substrates

Growing community of inventors

Shingay Cum Wendy, United Kingdom

Martin Sparkes