Apparatus and method for forming a body

摘要

Apparatus for forming a component by the deposition of a weld material includes a welding head 12 providing a weld material 24 to be deposited on a substrate, in order to build up the component. A flow of current is provided between the welding head 12 and the substrate to thereby melt the weld material 24 and form a molten weld pool in the substrate. The substrate is moved relative to the welding head and the molten weld material is gradually deposited upon the molten weld pool to build up the components layer by layer. The molten weld pool thus effectively moves along the substrate. A supply of argon at cryogenic temperatures is provided just behind the molten weld pool to quench the weld material, thus refining and improving its crystal structure. <IMAGE>