Publications Details
Materials and properties of components formed using the 3DWire process
Direct metal deposition technologies produce complex, near net shape components from CAD solid models. Most of these techniques fabricate a component by melting powder in a laser weld pool, rastering this weld bead to form a layer, and additively constructing subsequent layers. Powder feed material in these processes results in near net shape, high strength components, with the ability to blend materials for novel properties. This talk will describe a new direct metal deposition process, known as 3DWire, whereby a small diameter wire is used instead of powder as the feed material to fabricate components. This allows for faster deposition rates, smoother surface finishes, and easy material handling. Currently, parts are being fabricated from 308L stainless steel and Aermet{reg_sign} 100. Microscopy studies show the 3DWire parts to be fully dense with fine microstructural features. Initial mechanical tests show stainless steel parts to have good strength values ({sigma}{sub y} = 58 ksi, {sigma}{sub ult} = 95 ksi, 87 HRB) with retained ductility (65%).