PROTOTYPING OF METAL PRODUCTS OF VARIOUS SHAPES USING ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Abstract

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing is replacing traditional subtractive manufacturing, where parts are made by successively removing parts of the workpiece material. In 3D printing, material is added layer by layer, which allows for the production of parts with complex geometric shapes from expensive metals with higher productivity and cost efficiency. In order to carry out 3D printing on an industrial scale, it is necessary to combine robotics with 3D printing software. This article presents the results of adapting an industrial KUKA robot to the 3D printing process. Objects of cylindrical geometric shape were printed from steel using a welding machine and welding wire. The main parameters that have a major impact on layer formation are the torch speed, wire feed speed, welding current and voltage. The choice of welding current is based on the wire diameter. In our case, a wire with a diameter of 1.2 mm is used. The most suitable current for such a wire is in the range of 100–120 A. Setting the current in such limits allows you to achieve the desired quality of the deposited bead and its geometry, ensuring the necessary process productivity. Thus, as a result of setting the parameters, an inverse linear relationship was discovered between the deposition speed (torch speed) and the width of the resulting bead. It was noted that with a decrease in the deposition speed, the width of the bead becomes larger. The developed 3D printing technique turned out to be successful and proved that an industrial robot in conjunction with a welding machine can be used as an industrial 3D printer.