Solid State Additive Manufacturing and Repair of Metallic Components and Structures Using the MELD® Process

MELD Manufacturing has developed a unique friction stir additive manufacturing process, a solid-state technique that can print large metallic parts faster than other additive manufacturing methods. An open atmosphere process, it requires no special chambers or vacuum and uses scalable equipment, with no practical limit to component size. With no melting required, the process can print a wide variety of alloy systems including multi-alloy builds.

The MELD Process has exciting potential for a wide range of industries including aerospace, high performance auto/racing, industrial and defense. The many advantages include not only an ability to make new parts, but also to add features and repair parts that have wear of other damage.

Parts are printed fully dense and don’t require further processing such as hot isostatic pressing (HIP) or sintering to improve the quality of the material. Because parts printed using the MELD process are near-net shape upon completion there is much less material waste, resulting in cost reduction.

MELD parts are not only bigger, but they can be printed at least ten times faster than other processes. Another advantage is the ability to join dissimilar materials such as aluminum to steel.

We will discuss detailed microstructures and properties for a number of alloys as we have developed alloy- and part-specific techniques for a wide variety of geometries and performance requirements. Much of the talk’s focus will be on directionality in properties comparing X, Y, and Z directions and associated orientations for fracture toughness and corrosion properties.

MELD is unique that the process can directly print high-strength aluminum alloys such as 6061, 7075 and 7050 with mechanical, damage tolerant and corrosion properties similar to conventional wrought products such as forgings while reducing time and cost and producing complex geometries not possible with die forging.