Method for making an industrial tool, such as an anvil roll

A method for making an anvil roll, the method comprising:

• providing a cylindrically-shaped body comprising a first material, wherein the first material is selected from the group consisting of:
• an iron-based alloy, a nickel-based alloy, an aluminum-based alloy, and a titanium-based alloy, and wherein the body comprises an outer circumferential surface;
• applying a first pulse of energy from a laser source to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrically-shaped body to form a molten pool on the outer circumferential surface, wherein the molten pool comprises the first material, and wherein the laser source comprises a laser beam;
• initiating a first flow of a powder comprising particulate material to the molten pool to form a layer comprising unmelted particulate material from the powder, wherein the particulate material comprises one or more metallic materials, wherein a diameter of the particulate material is smaller than a diameter of the molten pool and smaller than a diameter of the laser beam;
• mixing the first flow of the powder with the first material in the molten pool;
• stopping the first flow of the powder;
• applying a second pulse of energy from the laser source to the layer comprising unmelted particulate material from the powder to melt all of the particulate material;
• forming a layer comprising melted particulate material;
• after applying the second pulse of energy, applying one or more additional layers to form a plurality of protrusions having a conical or frustro-conical shape comprising tapering sides from a broader base at the outer circumferential surface tapering outwardly towards a narrower tip,
• wherein applying each additional layer comprises:
• applying an additional pulse of energy to the most recently formed layer comprising melted particulate material to form an additional molten pool on the most recently formed layer comprising melted particulate material;
• initiating an additional flow of the powder to the additional molten pool to form an additional layer comprising unmelted particulate material from the powder;
• stopping the additional flow of the powder;
• applying an additional pulse of energy from the laser source to the additional layer comprising unmelted particulate material from the powder to melt all of the particulate material;
• and
• forming an additional layer comprising melted particulate material, wherein a thickness of the additional layer comprising melted particulate material is less than 0.1 mm, and
• wherein the dimensional accuracy of the tapering sides of the protrusions is within a tolerance of about 20 micrometers.