Correlations between Process Parameters, Geometric Parameters and Microstructure of Fe-Co-Cr-Mo Parts Produced by 3DPMD ^†

Three-dimensional plasma metal deposition (3DPMD) is a new additive manufacturing technique that combines the advantages of welding plasma powder technologies to a robot control. Compared to the well-established powder bed processes, this process brings almost unlimited construction volumes, higher deposition rates, an improved factor of raw materials utilization and the possibility to manufacture multi-material parts.

The aim of this study is to serve as a starting point to define the best parameters to use, which will allow the production of Fe-Co-Cr-Mo complex geometries. As such, experimental investigations were carried out using a PTA machine and CAM automated routines with different parameters combinations to fabricate weld beads. The analysis of the geometrical properties, microstructures, and the hardness values allowed us to conclude their relationships to the quality of manufactured pieces.