Obtaining large-size pyramidal lattice cell structures by pulse wire arc additive manufacturing

Large-size metal lattice structures have important applications in the field of aerospace engineering. However, at present, the fabrication method for large-sized metal lattice has the disadvantage of low material utilization rate, thereby limiting its application. And this paper proposed the use of pulse wire arc additive manufacturing (PWAAM) method to fabricate large-size pyramidal lattice cells. This method greatly improved the material utilization rate and achieved unsupported manufacturing compared with other additive manufacturing methods. In the paper, the overall experimental process and the forming principle are analyzed in detail. The experiment aims to fabricate multi-angle pyramid lattice cells. The manufacturing process of inclined rods in each direction is studied, and the manufacturing process of the whole cell is analyzed as well. The molding mechanism and droplet transfer modes in the forming process are discussed. The optimum forming angle is between 45° and 90°. Finally, the PWAAM method was successfully used to fabricate the pyramid lattice structure.