Forming metal components through a novel fused-coating based additive manufacturing

Purpose - This paper aimed to propose a novel fused-coating-based additive manufacturing (FCAM); the study of key process parameters and mechanical tests are performed to determine the proper parameters when building metal components. Design/methodology/approach - Sn63Pb37 alloy is deposited in an induction heating furnace with a fused-coating nozzle to build metal parts on a copper-clad substrate. The process parameters including nozzle pressure, nozzle and substrate temperature and nozzle gap between substrate are analyzed and found to have great influence on parts quality. The mechanical property tests between the fused-coating and casting parts are performed in horizontal and vertical directions. Also, the optical microscopy images are used to ascertain under which conditions good bonding can be achieved. Findings - A FCAM method is proposed, and the exploration study about the manufacturing process is carried out. The critical parameters are analyzed, and microscopy images prove the suitable temperature range that requires to fabricate metal parts. The mechanical tests confirm that tensile strength of printing parts is improved by 20.4 and 11.9 per cent in horizontal and vertical direction than casting parts. The experimental results indicate that there is a close relationship between process parameters and mechanical properties. Originality/value - This paper proves that FCAM provides an alternative way to quickly make functional metal parts with good quality and flexibility compared with other additive manufacturing methods. Moreover, good mechanical property is achieved than conventional casting parts.