Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) process of nickel based superalloys – A review

Abstract

Abstract Due to the practicability of economically generating large-scale metal components with relatively high deposition rates, consequential progress has been made in the perspective of the Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) process. This article reviews the looming research on WAAM techniques and the commonly used metallic feedstock materials. The frequent defects that are produced in components during the WAAM process using different alloys are characterized including deformity, porosity, and cracking. Methods for enhancing the fabrication quality of the additively manufactured components are also discussed, with the consideration of the requirements of the distinct alloys. The implementation of the standardized Conventional Heat Treatment procedure to mitigate the defects in the WAAM process and in capturing the future possibilities that are efficient has been discussed. This paper concludes that the extensive application of WAAM still demonstrates many challenges, and these may need to be focused and solved in specific ways for different materials to produce an operational system in an acceptable time frame. The unification of materials and manufacturing process to produce defect-free and structurally-sound deposited parts remains a crucial effort in the future.