Enhanced Local Inert Gas Shielding Device for GMAW WAAM

Invention Reference Number

202305431

3D printer for metal. Stock image from Envato

Inert gas shielding is used in metal arc welding wire arc additive manufacturing to protect the weld from oxidation during material deposition. But this shielding does not protect the trailing bead, which can lead to weld issues varying from low finish quality to diminished material properties. This technology is a tool that increases the shielded area around the welding process to allow for additional coverage of the trailing weld, for omni-directional travel. Shielding occurs regardless of the travel direction of the torch.

Description

Wire arc additive manufacturing is an additive process that uses an electric arc to deposit metal layers on a substrate and deposits material layer over layer to create a 3D geometry. Gas Metal Arc Welding is a welding process that uses an electric arc to melt and deposit a consumable metal wire electrode on a metal substrate. Processes use inert shielding to protect the weld arc during material deposition, but do not protect the trailing bead. This technology is a tool that can be attached to a torch at the end of a robot arm over a standard nozzle, increasing the shielded area around the welding process to allow for additional coverage of the trailing weld. This tool provides shielding in a significantly wider radius around the weld, allowing for shielding regardless of the travel direction of the torch. This does not limit the scale of the parts that can be created, and allows for more oxygen- sensitive materials, such as titanium and aluminum, to be deposited by common additive systems. The method slows the gas flow down to enable a laminar more uniform flow and helps keep other gases out of that region.