A Review on Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing of Inconel Alloys

WAAM is a technique for fabricating large-scale metallic components in an efficient and cost-effective way. Inconel alloys are a nickel-based superalloy popular for their excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. They have been widely investigated for fabricating components using WAAM. This review aims to fill the gap dedicated to the fabrication of WAAM-based Inconel alloy parts. The WAAM of Inconel alloys is then thoroughly reviewed in terms of microstructure and mechanical behavior, as well as the effect of relevant process variables, including heat input, travel speed, and shielding gas mixture. Furthermore, this article also highlights several challenges and defects that occurred during and after fabricating the component, providing valuable insights. Several strategies for improvement are presented to improve the performance of the WAAM of Inconel alloys.