ABSTRACT
Arc-based additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are promising in the field of manufacturing as they excel ahead of other AM processes in terms of deposition rate, cost, time, and ease of operation. Using wire as feedstock in arc-based AM processes is another advantage over powder-based AM processes, as handling powder is a challenging affair and the cost of powder material is significantly higher than wire material. Researchers and industry professionals are highly attracted to wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), but the build accuracy and need for post-processing operations are constraints in its commercialization. Recently, several advances have been made in the WAAM technique to minimize post-processing and make it more industry-oriented. This chapter presents an overview of the WAAM process and its advantages over laser and powder-based AM processes. It summarizes the recent advances in this technology, including support-free WAAM, ultracold WAAM, hot forging WAAM, near-immersion active cooling WAAM, etc., and presents them with their experimental method and validation.
