Abstract Wire and arc-based additive manufacturing is a group of highly productive manufacturing processes with increasing industrial relevance. This technology enables the production of prototypes, spare parts, small series and can supplement and, in some cases, replace conventional manufacturing processes such as casting. Wire and arc-based additive processing of some materials, such as copper-zinc alloys, is difficult or impossible according to the current state of research. For this reason, investigations into the wire and arc-based additive processsing of CuZn37 using plasma arc welding are carried out for the first time. The welding experiments conducted include the production of blind seams and 20-layer wall structures. The cross sections obtained are analyzed regarding their dimensions and porosity. The mechanical properties of the wall structures are analyzed using tensile tests, notched bar impact tests, and hardness measurements. The results presented here show that additive manufacturing of CuZn37 structures is possible using plasma arc welding. At the same time, pores are detected in all samples. Nevertheless, tensile strength, yield strength, and notch impact strength are similar to those of non-porous CuZn37 structures previously produced using a TIG process.
Schop et al. (2026) studied this question.