RoboWAAM

3D printing or additive manufacture (AM) of metals has the potential to revolutionise someareas of industry such as aerospace and energy. This particularly applies if it can be used for theproduction of large parts at low cost and with high quality for critical engineering applications.It has been demonstrated on a laboratory scale that 3D printing based on conventional weldingmethods using an electric arc and wire feed to deposit weld beads in a layer wise fashion hasthe potential for this. However there are currently no commercial systems available to enablethis to be exploited on an industrial scale. The objective of the RoboWAAM project is to developa 3D metal printing system based on large scale flexible robotics and welding technology.The developed system will be adaptable so that other process such as inspection can beincorporated during the printing of the part. This will ensure that the printed parts have therequired high quality. The system will be suitable for subsequent commercialisation. Adoptionof the system by industrial users will lead to significant cost savings in a range of industrialsectors including aerospace, construction and energy.The project is a collaboration between KUKA, Airbus Defence and Space, FMCTechnologies, Cranfield University and the University of Strathclyde (including theAdvanced Forming Research Centre, which is one of the High Value Manufacturing Catapults).