Wire-Based Additive Manufacturing of Magnesium Alloys

Additive manufacturing is experiencing a strong increase in scientific and industrial interest as well as steadily growing areas of application, as it allows the production of complex parts and revolutionizes possibilities for lightweight construction. The resulting potential can be further enhanced by using magnesium alloys. Since the mostly used additive manufacturing processes are powder-based, they involve handling of highly reactive materials and require the use of closed production chambers, especially when Mg is involved. In contrast, these problems can be avoided with wire-based additive manufacturing methods. Additionally, higher deposition rates can be achieved. Here, wire-based additive manufacturing utilizing the Cold Metal Transfer process (CMT) is used to demonstrate the feasibility of processing a magnesium alloy suitable for use in structural applications. Characterization of the fabricated structures was performed, and the results of the microstructural and mechanical investigations are presented here.