Abstract: A splatter shield system for an additive manufacturing machine includes one or more splatter shields configured to cover at least a portion of a build area during energy application such that the at least one splatter shield is positioned between an energy source of an additive manufacturing machine and the build area during energy application. The one or more splatter shields are transparent to an energy source (e.g., a laser) of the additive manufacturing system such that energy application occurs through the splatter shield.

Abstract: A method for producing a device having at least one internal feature includes manufacturing an internal volume of the internal features out of a first material, disposing the internal volume in a parent material that has a higher melting point than the first material, causing the internal volume to melt within the parent material, and allowing at least a portion of the first material to diffuse into the parent material, thereby leaving behind the at least one internal feature within the parent material.

Abstract: An additive manufactured workpiece includes one or more cavities having an inner surface. A dielectric interface is formed in the cavity, and conforms to the inner surface. The additive manufactured workpiece further includes an in-situ electrode in the cavities. The dielectric interface is interposed between the in-situ electrode and the inner surface of the workpiece.

Abstract: A method of altering an additively manufactured part can include orienting a surface of the additively manufactured part toward a rotational center that may be independent of a rotational axis defined by the additively manufactured part, flowing an abrasive media past the surface, rotating the additively manufacturing part about the rotational center; urging abrasive particles in the abrasive media past the surface abrasive media to impinge the surface with centrifugal force generated by the rotating, and improving surface finish of the surface.

Abstract: A solid freeform manufacturing system includes a manufacturing chamber containing a powder based additive manufacturing device. The manufacturing chamber is connected to an environmental control chamber. The environmental control chamber contains environmental control devices including fans, filters, and an inert gas source. An interconnection between the environmental control chamber and manufacturing chamber allows an inert, contaminant free manufacturing environment.

Abstract: A method for forming a part includes: forming a first portion of the part at a first level; forming a second portion of the part at a second level; wherein forming the first and second portions includes exposing the first and second levels to a sintering process and portions of the first and second levels to an electron beam; causing a magnetorheological (MR) fluid to move into a passage inside the first and second portions; exposing the first and second portions to a magnetic field causing motion of particles in the MR fluid to move and break up sintered material in the passage; and removing some or all of the sintered material in the passage.

Abstract: A additive manufacturing system includes a containment housing operable to form a containment chamber with a low pressure operating atmosphere and an additive manufacturing build housing within said containment housing.

Abstract: A method of making a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) brake component may include the steps of applying a pressure to a mixture comprising ceramic powder and chopped fibers, pulsing an electrical discharge across the mixture to generate a pulsed plasma between particles of the ceramic powder, increasing a temperature applied to the mixture using direct heating to generate the CMC brake component, and reducing the temperature and the pressure applied to the CMC brake component. The ceramic powder may have a micrometer powder size or a nanometer powder size, and the chopped fibers may have an interphase coating.

Abstract: A method includes issuing a state change fluid into an internal passage of an additively manufactured article and causing the state change fluid to change from a first state having a first viscosity to a second state that is either solid or has a second viscosity that is higher than the first viscosity within the internal passage. The method can also include causing the state change fluid to change back from the second state to the first state and flushing the state change fluid from the internal passage to remove residual powder from the additively manufactured article.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a heat exchanger structure includes additively forming a top layer of a header after disposing a corrugated core within the header to retain the corrugated core within the header. Additively forming the top layer can include filling the corrugated core with powder until a suitable layer of powder overlays the corrugated core and the header and sintering the powder to form the top layer of the header.

Abstract: A method of forming a metal component with two and three dimensional internal functionally graded alloy composition gradients includes forming the component by a powder based layer-by-layer additive manufacturing process. The areal composition distribution of each powder layer is determined by simultaneously depositing different powders and powder mixtures through a mixing valve attached to a single nozzle during powder deposition. The layers are then sintered with a directed energy source to form a forging preform. The preform is then forged to form a component.

Abstract: An example method of making a component includes providing a digital model of a component to a software program, the software program operable to slice the digital model into digital layers and raster each digital layer into digital segments, the digital segments delineated by digital raster lines. The method further includes depositing a first layer of powdered material onto a platform, compacting the first layer of powered material into a first compacted layer, sintering the first compacted layer along lines corresponding to the digital raster lines using a laser, wherein the laser operates at a first power and a first scan speed, and sintering the first compacted layer along a perimeter of the first compacted layer using the laser to form a first unitary layer, wherein the laser operates at a second power and a second scan speed, wherein the ratio of the first power to the second power is less than about 3. An apparatus for making a component is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for reducing surface roughness of a component according to an example of the present disclosure includes forming a layer of reactive material on a surface of a component, the surface of the component having at least one partially attached particle, whereby the reactive material substantially covers the at least one partially attached particle, and dissolving the reactive material, wherein dissolving the reactive material covering the partially attached particles causes the partially attached particles to break free from the surface of the component, leaving a new smooth surface.

Abstract: An example method of making a component includes providing a digital model of a component to software, the software operable to slice the model into layers and raster each layer into segments, the segments delineated by raster lines. The method further includes depositing a layer of powder onto a platform, compacting the layer of power into a compacted layer, sintering the compacted layer along lines corresponding to the raster lines using a laser, wherein the laser operates at a first power and a first scan speed, the first power being between about 200 and 230 W, then sintering the compacted layer along a perimeter of the compacted layer using the laser to form a unitary layer, wherein the laser operates at a second power and a second scan speed, the second power being between about 100 and 200 W. An apparatus for making a component is also disclosed.

Abstract: Embodiments include techniques for determining the uniformity of a powder layer distribution, where the techniques include pre-heating a powder layer, scanning the powder layer, and receiving a signal from the powder layer. The techniques also include filtering the received signal, measuring a radiation intensity of the received signal over a range of wavelengths, and comparing the measured radiation intensity to a reference spectrum for the powder layer.

Abstract: A rotating tool system attachment on the spindle of a computer numerical control (“CNC”) machine includes a rotating assembly mounted on a static assembly. The rotating assembly provides a continuous supply of a wire material for deposition on a substrate during an additive manufacturing process. The rotating assembly includes a material supply housing a feedstock of wire mounted on a rotating spindle and a wire feeder configured to draw the wire from the wire supply and provide the wire for application during the additive manufacturing process. The tool system can be attached to the spindle of CNC machine to provide additive manufacturing capabilities to the CNC machine.

Abstract: A method of making a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) brake component may include the steps of applying a pressure to a mixture comprising ceramic powder and chopped fibers, pulsing an electrical discharge across the mixture to generate a pulsed plasma between particles of the ceramic powder, increasing a temperature applied to the mixture using direct heating to generate the CMC brake component, and reducing the temperature and the pressure applied to the CMC brake component. The ceramic powder may have a micrometer powder size or a nanometer powder size, and the chopped fibers may have an interphase coating.

Abstract: A globule for an additive manufacturing process includes a plurality of additive manufacturing stock particles respectively having a submicron size. A binder fixes the plurality of submicron size additive manufacturing stock particles to one another such that the particles form a globule having a size of less than fifty microns.

Abstract: A method for making an article is disclosed. The method involves inputting a digital model of an article into an additive manufacturing apparatus comprising an energy source. The additive manufacturing apparatus applies energy from the energy source to successively applied incremental quantities of a powder to fuse the powder to form the article corresponding to the digital model. The powder includes an aluminum alloy having 2.00-9.00 wt. % cerium, 0.25-3.00 wt. % silicon, 0.25-0.75 wt. % magnesium, 0-0.75 wt. % iron, 0-0.05 wt. % other alloying elements, and the balance of aluminum, based on the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

Abstract: A method for making an article is disclosed. The method involves inputting a digital model of an article into an additive manufacturing apparatus comprising an energy source. The additive manufacturing apparatus applies energy from the energy source to successively applied incremental quantities of a powder to fuse the powder to form the article corresponding to the digital model. The powder includes an aluminum alloy having 2.00-10.00 wt. % cerium, 0.50-2.50 wt. % titanium, 0-3.00 wt. % nickel, 0-0.75 wt. % nitrogen, 0-0.05 wt. % other alloying elements, and the balance of aluminum, based on the total weight of the aluminum alloy.