Metal Additive Manufacturing Conference - MAMC 2023

Wire-DED Plasma Arc (W-DED-PArc) has emerged as a promising Additive Manufacturing technology ‎for fabricating high-performance and large-volume metal parts. However, producing multi-material ‎components remains one of the challenges due to the interfacial properties, intermetallic phases, and ‎compatibility of the different alloys to be joined together. The current study investigated the effect of ‎different substrate alloys (2017, 5038, and 7075) on the interfacial properties during single-layer and ‎multi-layer depositions of AlSi10Mg alloy using W-DED-PArc. The microstructure and mechanical ‎properties of the interface were evaluated through optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and ‎hardness tests. Additionally, porosity analysis was carried out. The results showed that the build-up of ‎AlSi10Mg alloy on all substrate alloys was successful, with a well-defined mixture zone and good ‎interfacial bonding between the build-up and substrate. However, the microstructure and mechanical ‎properties of the deposited layers varied depending on the substrate alloy. Furthermore, the hardness ‎profiles across the build-up were found to be similar for the 2017 and 7075, while the 5083 exhibited a ‎different behaviour due to the weldability and the chemical composition difference. These results suggest ‎that W-DED-PArc can be used to fabricate AlSi10Mg alloy on different substrate alloys with acceptable ‎interfacial properties and mechanical properties. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into ‎the effect of substrate alloys on the build-up and interfacial properties of AlSi10Mg alloy using W-DED-‎PArc. The findings suggest that W-DED-PArc can be a useful technique for the fabrication of multi-material parts and components.‎