The cooling rate was found to be decreasing with layer height and saturated after few initial layers of the deposition similar to the conventional solid substrate. The dilution of swarf material (typically mild steel) was observed to be limited within 2–3 mm layer height, as confirmed by the Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Material integrity was confirmed by hardness study comparison with similar parts deposited on the conventional solid substrate. The working parameters were optimised for uniform and continuous deposition. This structure provides strength for holding the further layers upright. Melt pool penetration in swarf substrate was observed to be unique and typically formed a tree root structure after solidification. Low alloy steel (ER70S-6) and Inconel 625 were used in this study. A fibre laser and two other arc-based heat sources were used to demonstrate the swarf substrate viability for additive manufacturing. Fused metal chips on the bottom layer require minimal post-processing. It could be disintegrated after the deposition, ensuring ease of part removal. It was prepared by compressing waste metal chips obtained from the conventional machining processes into a flat plate or any desired shape. Printing aluminum on uncoated low-carbon steel also allowed easy removal of the aluminum part with the benefit of no additional coating steps or costs.Ī novel swarf substrate is proposed for the additive manufacturing process. It was determined that boron nitride-coated low-carbon steel provided the lowest adhesion strength. No warping of the substrate was observed during printing. Lap shear tests were performed to assess the interlayer adhesion between the printed metal part and the print substrate. Coatings of aluminum oxide and boron nitride on 1100 aluminum and A36 low-carbon steel substrates were tested. This article investigates several substrate treatments to provide a low-cost method to easily remove 3D-printed 1100 aluminum parts from a reusable substrate.

Unfortunately, this technology would demand access to expensive cutting tools for part removal from the substrate. A low-cost open-source 3D metal printer that utilizes gas metal arc welding technology has been developed that could make metal printing accessible to the average consumer. Limited material options, prohibitively expensive equipment, and high production costs currently limit the ability of small and medium enterprises to use 3D printing to prototype and manufacture metallic goods.

Weld print software