Study on process of rapid prototyping based on pulsed plasma arc welding

The technology of rapid prototyping based on pulsed plasma arc welding (PAW) is used for improving the accuracy of the deposited part, and a system of rapid prototyping based on welding robot is developed. The influences of PAW parameters such as peak current, duty cycle, welding speed and wire feed rate on the ratio of width to height of the deposited track cross-section are investigated. Two models including overlapping model between deposited tracks and an ideal model for calculating interlaminar height are established. The effect of the ratio of width to height on the accuracy and quantity of formed parts is investigated. The results show that the large ratio of width to height can improve accuracy and quality of rapid prototyping parts, and avoid the generation of the voids. The appropriate interlaminar height and heat input can enhance the shaping accuracy of thin wall part.