Material properties of features produced from EN AW 6016 by wire-arc additive manufacturing

Abstract

Wire-arc additive manufacturing is an additive manufacturing technology which allows for high deposition rates and is well suited for manufacturing larger parts in a short time compared to other additive manufacturing technologies. The technology has already received considerable industrial take-up for various materials and applications. The aim of this work is to investigate the alloy EN AW 6016 as wire stock for WAAM. To establish this, aluminum wire was produced by wire drawing. Using this wire, specimens were produced on base plate material using a variety of process parameters. These parts were then used to evaluate the mechanical properties. Further properties such as porosity and hardness were investigated using light optical microscopy. Based on the results, the potential of the alloy for WAAM of lightweight parts is discussed.