Abstract: Methods and apparatus for producing an object, the method comprising: performing an Additive Manufacturing process to produce an intermediate object from provided metal or alloy, whereby the intermediate object comprises regions having a contaminant concentration level above a threshold level; based upon one or more parameters, determining a temperature and a duration; and performing, on the intermediate object, a contaminant dispersion process by, for a duration that is greater than or equal to the determined duration, heating the intermediate object to a temperature that is greater than or equal to the determined temperature and less than the melting point of the metal or alloy, the contaminant dispersion process being performed so as to disperse, within the intermediate object, a contaminant from regions of high contaminant concentration to regions of low contaminant concentration until the intermediate object comprises no regions having a contaminant concentration level above the threshold level.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of processing an object, the object being made of a metal or an alloy, the object having a plurality of open cavities, the method comprising: performing a sealing process on the object to seal the openings of the open cavities, thereby forming a plurality of closed cavities; and reducing the sizes of the closed cavities by performing a consolidation process on the object having the closed cavities. Sealing process may comprise shot peening or coating the object. A consolidation process may comprise a hot isostatic pressing process. The sizes of the closed cavities may be reduced until the closed cavities are no longer present in the object.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of producing an object, the object being made of metal or an alloy, having a desired shape and being non-porous, the method comprising: providing some metal or alloy having a first average solute level; using the provided metal or alloy, performing a net-shape or near-net shape manufacturing process to produce an intermediate object, the intermediate object having the desired shape, being non-porous, and having a second average solute level, the second average solute level being greater than or equal to the first average solute level; and performing a solute level changing process on the intermediate object to change the solute level of at least the bulk of the intermediate object such as to provide the intermediate object with a third average solute level, thereby providing the object, the third average solute level being different to the second.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a shaped part, the method including: (I) providing a partially consolidated porous part that has been made from a powder; (II) permeating the porous part with a volatile liquid (e.g. water, ethanol), so that the liquid is present in the pores of the porous part; and (V) forming the shaped part by applying a laser beam to a spot on the surface of the liquid-permeated part to cause the volatile liquid to heat in the spot region, causing the powder particles to separate in the spot region, so that a portion of the part is ablated in the spot region. The porous part may be made from metallic or ceramic powder and has been partially consolidated for integrity, but is ablated by this lower energy, liquid-assisted laser process, prior to further strengthening. The method allows bespoke, complex shaped parts such as aerospace parts or medical implants to be made inexpensively, especially shaped titanium parts.