A Review of Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) is a metal additive manufacturing (AM) process based on the technique of Directed Energy Deposition (DED), which uses an electric arc to melt wire feedstock for the layer-by-layer fabrication of large, near-net-shape metallic components of complex geometries. In this review paper, the authors aim to provide a comprehensive overview of WAAM technology. It discusses the basic principles, major components, working principles and physics involved in WAAM process, major advantages including high deposition rates (10 kg/hr), low-cost, material flexibility, near-net-shape structures, industrial applications in aerospace, automotive, marine, construction, energy and infrastructure industries, major challenges such as thermal distortion and residual stresses, anisotropy, porosity, poor surface finish and low standardization, current research trends to address these challenges like process modeling and control, hybrid WAAM, advanced path planning strategies, inter-layer cooling and artificial intelligence (AI) integrated control systems and future trends in this field such as new materials and material systems, simulation-driven process optimization, certification and standards, sustainable WAAM. The current state-of-the-art and recent advancements in WAAM technology are discussed in terms of novel process techniques and applications. This paper will be of interest to a wide audience, including researchers and engineers working in the field of WAAM and high-performance scalable AM technologies.