Controlled Heat and Metal Transfer in Gas Metal Arc Welding-Base for New Rapid Prototyping Technique

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9732848 Kovacevic As research into 3-D welding continues, the ability to produce fully dense, structurally strong metal parts directly from 3-D CAD data comes nearer to reality. This project will lay the foundation for developing a technique of controlling the dimensional accuracy of parts obtained by 3-D welding, one of the newest rapid prototyping methods. In 3-D welding, a droplet of the melted electrode wire is detached to form a metallic deposit. Rapid prototyping or rapid manufacturing may be accomplished by controlled deposition of the drops. A metallic part can be made layer by layer, with the drop size and detachment timing defining the resultant shape of the part, as well as its mechanical and metallurgical properties. The proposed system for rapid prototyping based on 3-D welding addresses the challenge of simultaneous geometric regulation of dimensional tolerances and mechanical and metallurgical properties of the part, by combined heat and mass transfer control. 3-D welding has the potential of offering numerous advantages over other rapid prototyping techniques. Final parts may be constructed with a large variation in dimensions and geometry by the introduction of robotic control of the welding torch. 3-D welding would allow the direct production of parts made of different materials. It is projected that the very low operating cost, the rapid processing time, and the control of properties makes 3-D welding unique among current rapid prototyping techniques. The combination of the theoretical and experimental approach will provide better understanding of the physics and the basis to optimize this innovative technique.