Comparative study of additive manufacturing thin-walled component with Al–Mg-Sc-Zr alloy using different arc modes

Four types of Al–Mg-Sc-Zr deposited metal were produced by wire arc additive manufacturing(WAAM) with conventional CMT(cold metal transfer), CMT + P(CMT pulse), CMT + ADV(CMT advanced) and CMT + PADV(CMT pulse advanced) arc modes, respectively. The effects of different arc modes on the wettability, formability, pore distribution, microstructure and mechanical properties of the deposited metal were investigated. CMT + P appropriately adds pulses, and the results show CMT + P arc has good wettability, which can be used as a base and then use other mode additions. CMT + ADV due to the AC power supply, which can effectively suppress the porosity. Using this method, the transverse and longitudinal tensile strength of WAAM Al–Mg-Sc-Zr alloy is 327 MPa and 324 MPa, respectively. CMT + PADV takes into account both CMT + P and CMT + ADV modes, and has the highest effective width ratio, which can effectively improve the material utilization rate. Based on this study, the preliminary scheme of arc additive aluminum alloy can be obtained. CMT + P mode is adopted as the base. Then according to the requirements of the application scenario, the arc mode is changed for additive manufacturing.