Assessing the pros and cons of wire-arc additive manufacturing for material production

Abstract

A promising new method for mass-producing metal components and structures for a range of industries, including shipbuilding, automotive, aviation, and other technical sectors, is wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM). Additive manufacturing (AM) called 3D printing, it is a disruptive manufacturing technique that starts with digital design data and manufactures products layer by layer. WAAM has been utilized to create parts from a variety of materials, such as alloy wires based on aluminium (Al), titanium (Ti) and nickel. This review article focuses on the most important facets of the WAAM process, including the technology utilized, the drawbacks encountered, the steps taken during and after the process, the tools used to monitor the process, the gases involved, and the materials. The comparison of WAAM with other additive manufacturing technologies is also emphasized in the article. Moreover, it compares and analyses several WAAM techniques, including plasma arc welding (PAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) in terms of material deposition rate, the method GMAW have higher material deposition rate when compared to other approach. Material manufacturing using WAAM has great potential. The accuracy of the manufacturing and smoothness of WAAM-made parts can be enhanced in the future to better suit tight-tolerance uses.