Wire and arc additive manufacturing of metal components: a review of recent research developments

Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is an important metal 3D printing method, which has many advantages, such as rapid deposition rate, low cost, and suitability for large complex metal components manufacturing, and it has received extensive attention. This paper summarizes the research developments of WAAM in recent years, including the WAAM-suitable metal materials and processing technology, deposition strategy optimization including slicing and path planning algorithm, multi-sensor monitoring and intelligent control, and the large complex metal components manufacturing technology. The promising development directions of WAAM are prospected, including the research of new materials and new technology, composite manufacturing, multi-sensor and real-time monitoring, algorithmic optimization of metal filling strategy, and the application of artificial intelligence technology in WAAM, etc.