ESAB, a leading provider of welding and cutting solutions, has partnered with EWI, an independent engineering consultancy, to push the boundaries of arc directed energy deposition (arc DED) additive manufacturing. Through this collaboration, ESAB has supplied cutting-edge equipment to EWI, including the Aristo U5000i 500A pulsing power source and the Aristo 1000 AC/DC 1000A inverter power sources.
These systems facilitate the development of customized synergic metal transfer lines, particularly for emerging and new alloy applications. One notable advancement is the Integrated Cold Electrode (ICE) multi-wire process, which offers high deposition rates at reduced heat inputs, benefiting industries like offshore wind and shipbuilding.
The collaboration aims to accelerate the adoption of AM by leveraging ESAB’s fusion welding and consumable technologies alongside EWI’s expertise in producing 3D printed structures. Additionally, ESAB’s waveform development tools and EWI’s capabilities enable the customization of deposition procedures for various applications.
“If customers, notably those in the shipbuilding and wind industries, want to investigate the potentials of the ESAB ICE system, they can come to EWI to initiate a project that focuses on procedure development and qualification for their application,” said Jim Hansen, a project engineer in the Arc Welding and Directed Energy Deposition Processes Group at EWI.
“Working with a trusted third party like EWI lowers their cost barrier to entry. EWI can help them determine if the technology is a fit for their application without making a capital investment.”
By focusing on functionally gradient materials and exploring tandem wire processes, the partnership anticipates addressing the specific needs of industries such as heat exchangers and chemical vessels. ESAB’s patented ICE process, which introduces a non-energized electrode into the weld pool, offers versatility in adjusting variables to optimize travel speed, deposition rate, and bead profile.
Source: fabricatingandmetalworking.com
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