Preliminary Investigation into the Suitability of 2xxx Alloys for Wire-Arc Additive Manufacturing

An investigation has been performed into the compatibility of aluminum alloys used in the aerospace industry with Wire-Arc Additive Manufacturing. Modelling and preliminary experimental trials have been performed to show that it is viable to use Al-Cu-Mg alloys, like 2024, without solidification cracking. A relatively fine and texture free grain structure was obtained in the as-deposited WAAM material and the addition of inter-pass deformation, by rolling each added layer, led to further grain size refinement. With adequate control of porosity and subsequent heat treatment, the WAAM material was found to have tensile properties comparable to that of standard wrought products.