The Path from Arc Welding to Additive Manufacturing of Multi-material Parts Using Directed Energy Deposition

Within this contribution, the transfer of knowledge from conventional fusion and deposition welding using electric arc processes to advanced directed energy deposition (DED) of multi-material structures in additive manufacturing are presented. Gas metal arc and plasma welding have been used for decades to produce either joints or metallic deposits with desired properties. Also creating certain shapes by depositing weld metal in a layer-wise manner has been known for approximately 100 years. With the rise of additive manufacturing, conventional arc welding processes have been extensively used to “print” 3‑dimensional parts. The possibility of additively manufacturing multi-material parts or transition parts is of particular interest as this has the potential to create load-efficient structures or even create new alloys within the AM process. Within this contribution, Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) and 3D Plasma Metal Deposition (3DPMD) for the manufacturing of multi-material and transition parts are discussed. The experience with various alloys from carbon steels, high-alloyed steels, and titanium- and nickel-based alloys are presented.