Additive Manufacturing Of Aluminum Using Friction Stir Deposition

In the current work, additive manufacturing process using friction stir deposition technique from die-cast Al-Si bar of 20 mm diameter against aluminum substrate was carried out. The effect of the spindle rotation speed (1200 rpm) and the feeding speed (3-5 mm/min) on the deposition process, the microstructure, and the hardness of the friction deposited parts were investigated. During the additive manufacturing process, after fixing the bar on the spindle shank and while rotating, the bar approaches the substrate at a constant feeding speed, and the bar plastically deformed due to the friction between the rotating bar and the fixed substrate under the effect of axial loading that causes the material to transfer from the bar to the substrate under the continuous feeding and the severe plastic deformation. This has resulted in a successful additive manufacturing of three cylindrical parts of 25 mm diameter of different heights at the different feeding rates. The additive manufactured parts (AMPs) were found to have a sound structure with ultra-fine grains.