APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING A CONSISTENT, CONTINUOUS FLOW OF POWDER

摘要

In the repair of a metallic article portion, a metal powder and laser beam are applied concurrently, the laser beam being applied in a power density range of 10<4> to 10<6> watts per square centimeter at an interaction time between the laser and the article and powder of 0.005-2 seconds to generate a repair layer. Apparatus for delivering a consistent, continuous flow of powder comprises the combination of an enclosed powder reservoir (40) including means (44) to introduce a gas under pressure, a mechanical means (50) to feed powder into a conduit (54), a conduit vibrating means (52), and a fluid-cooled powder delivery nozzle (56).