Current Status of High-Strength Aluminum Alloy Arc Additive Manufacturing Technology

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) combines the advantages of arc welding and additive manufacturing. It has the characteristics of high material utilization and low production cost. It shows significant advantages in the field of forming and manufacturing large and complex components of high-strength aluminum alloy, especially in the manufacturing of large structural parts in the aerospace field. This paper focuses on the research progress of high-strength aluminum alloy WAAM technology in recent years, including process innovation, microstructure regulation, performance optimization and industrial application progress, and summarizes and discusses the future development direction. First, the outline and research status of high-strength aluminum alloy arc additive manufacturing technology are introduced. Then, the challenges and solutions faced by the technology are analyzed, such as unstable manufacturing process, poor controllability of forming accuracy and forming quality, and easy existence of manufacturing defects such as pores and cracks. The influence and coping strategies of these problems in the manufacturing of large aerospace structural parts are discussed. Finally, the arc additive manufacturing technology of high-strength aluminum alloy was summarized, and the technical problems and development direction that need to be solved in the future application of large aerospace structural parts were prospected.