Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) – A New Advance in Manufacturing

Abstract

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a technique where structures are produced by adding and depositing material in a layer upon layer manner. WAAM (Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing) is a technology which has been investigated in last 30 years, although the first patent dates from almost 100 years ago. It became interesting for scientists and manufacturers due to its ability to produce fully dense metal parts and large near-net-shape products. WAAM is mostly used in modern industries, like aerospace industry. It uses existing welding equipment, electric arc as energy source and welding wire as feedstock. Because of this, it is cheaper than other AM technologies, which usually need specific equipment and materials. The process consists of few steps (designing CAD model, slicing into layers, tool-path generating, choosing welding parameters, material deposition and post-processing). The aim of this paper is to explain WAAM in detail, give are view about researches so far in this area and to give suggestions for new advances.