Inclined slicing and weld-deposition for additive manufacturing of metallic objects with large overhangs using higher order kinematics

This paper presents an automated tool path planning for deposition of overhanging features using GMAW-based weld-deposition. Overhanging features, although possible to a certain extent in power-bed process like SLS, remain a challenge in deposition-based processes. Deposition processes like weld-deposition-based AM realised smaller overhangs by exploiting the inherent overhang capability of the weld bead; but the same cannot be applicable for complex geometries with large overhangs. This paper explains an efficient way of depositing the overhanging features through weld-deposition, without use of supports, based on inclined slicing and deposition. This approach uses higher order kinematics, that is, adding extra degrees of mobility to workpiece. The methodology used for realising these inclined slices based on an in-house MATLAB code has also been presented. While this concept is implemented in the context of weld-deposition, it can be extended for any other metallic deposition processes as well.