Development of Wire Arc Additive Manufactured Cu-Si Alloy: Study of Microstructure and Wear Behavior

Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is an approach to develop unique and sophisticated design products in comparison to other traditional techniques. In the present study, the components of Cu-Si alloy have been developed using WAAM with a robotic gas metal arc welding technique. In this process, the current and voltage varied from 70 to 110 A and 17 to 19 V, respectively. The effect of process parameters on the microstructure, hardness, and wear behavior of components have been studied in details. The results show that the surface roughness of the components reduced with the increase in current and voltage. The microstructure of the uppermost surface of WAAM components shows columnar followed by dendritic with equiaxed morphology. The process parameter also affects the mechanical and wear resistance properties of WAAM components. The results show that the microhardness (from 100.03 to 160.03 HV) and wear resistance of the Cu-Si alloy component increase with the increases in current and voltage.