Novel material processing technologies such as additive processes require the development of customized metallic alloys. One of these processes, wire-based additive manufacturing (WAM), which is aimed at producing medium to large structures, has been established and further developed at the LKR in recent years. For this purpose, an energy source is used to melt a welding wire, which is applied to the substrate or a previously deposited single or multiple layer (see illustration). Generative manufacturing of 3D components is enabled by moving this welding system according to a predetermined path. The advantages of wire-based additive manufacturing include high deposition rates, better price-performance ratio (buy-to-fly ratio) for aerospace applications, and low investment costs.

The process characteristics of WAM differ significantly from those of conventional welding, especially in terms of heat input, resulting temperatures including exposure times and cooling rates. Therefore, LKR has developed methodologies that allow process-related screening for novel and, in terms of processability with optimal mechanical properties, tailored WAM alloys. Simplified test setups up to the production of functional samples are applied. Based on these results, the selection of promising alloy candidates is possible.

In addition to the entire WAM process technology and the possibility to screen novel special alloys, the LKR is particularly distinguished by its unique position to design, develop, alloy and manufacture WAM special wires made of aluminum and magnesium alloys for small series in-house. This reputation has been built up in recent years through excellent, industry-oriented research work and has been underlined by the successes achieved to date in a number of national projects (DEDAluS, Element12, IWB2.7, Topas-2), international projects (MULTI-FUN, HiPa2l, CARAMPA) and by the high level of interest shown by industrial partners in collaboration within COMET We3D.