1. Introduction
Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) is an emerging fabrication process that has been gaining significant attention in Brazil and worldwide due to its ability to produce complex parts with intricate and customized geometries, combining materials and mechanical properties (Galeazzi, 2024).
This process focuses on the full manufacturing or composition of component parts through the controlled deposition of material along a predefined path, where fusion is achieved via the action of an electric arc. In the GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding) process, the electric arc is established between the substrate and a consumable wire electrode. This wire is continuously fed by the welding torch and melted by the arc, depositing material in a controlled manner as it moves along the travel path.
In contrast, in the GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding) and PAW (Plasma Arc Welding) processes, the arc is formed between a non-consumable electrode, typically made of tungsten, and the substrate. In these processes, the filler material is added into the arc region, where it is melted and deposited as required to form the desired part (Frazier, 2014).
The choice of deposition process for additive manufacturing depends on the complexity of the part and the material being used. Autogenous processes with external wire feeding, despite offering the advantage of independent control between current and material feed, tend to present greater challenges in additive manufacturing due to variability in feeding direction during multidirectional paths, since the feeder is fixed adjacent to the arc. This is not the case in GMAW, where the feeding is coaxial with the arc, making it the most widely used process in wire and arc additive manufacturing today. (...)
Referência:
GALEAZZI, D.; SCHAEFFER, C. M.; JUNIOR, L. S.; PEREIRA, J.; SILVA, R. H. G.; SCHWEDERSKY, M. B.. Structural Optimization of a 20-Inch Pipe Clamp Using Arc-Based Additive Manufacturing. Rio Pipeline & Logistics, 2025.