Can we manufacture or repair large aluminium structures in situ?
Academia working closely with Industry to mature the Wire + Arc Additive Manufacturing process
Targeting process qualification and full industrial adoption of a processing technique, which is revolutionising the world of manufacturing
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AT THE FOREFRONT
Fostering innovative ideas at low Technology Readiness Levels, taking them all the way up to industrial maturity
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INDUSTRY ORIENTED
With over 10 industry partners, our research efforts are scientifically ambitious but focussed on the users' requirements
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WE ARE GLOBAL
WAAMMat is a large consortium in which companies from Europe, America and Asia alike are working harmoniously
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THE RIGHT PEOPLE
Academia and industry leaders working together with one common target
FIND A PROJECT
Projects of the day
A daily selection from our 65 projects.
Non-contact optical fibre interferometer for layer height and width measurement
Using lasers to measure shape
Plasma hardware development
Development of WAAM-specific hardware
Laser peening for AM
Can laser shock peening be performed without ablative layer?
- 65 RUNNING PROJECTS
- 2663116 PROJECTS VALUE in GBP
- 29 TEAM MEMBERS
- 33 PUBLISHED DOCUMENTS
Latest blog posts
News and announcements from the WAAMMat team.
Cold Wire + Gas Metal Arc Process
300 kg and 0.8 diameter steel landing ring deposition using CW+GMA
Additive Manufacture of High Integrity Components 24th October 2024 -
Welding and Joining Processes & NDT and condition monitoring Technical Groups
Metal 3D: Development of the first metal 3D printer for the International Space Station
A Cranfield University designed 3D printer was sent to the International Space Station (ISS) on a mission to find out how metal printing powered by lasers is affected by the microgravity environment of space. The printer was taken into space on board Falcon 9 rocket (Cygnus NG-20 mission), launched from Florida on the 29 of January 2024. The 300kg cargo was transported in parts and then reassembled on board by astronauts.
Demo series: WAAM of an aluminium wing rib
500 kg of material saved on one component. Zero distortion thanks to our unique multi-direction deposition
Click here for all our videos
What They Say About WAAM
Designed by BAE Systems engineers, the component forms a main structural element of an aircraft wing structure. It took just 37 hours to build from a digital model. Previously this process would have taken weeks.
What we’ve been able to demonstrate from this project is that we have the ability to manufacture titanium parts on this scale. The next stage is to continue working together to produce more parts and to develop a robust set of processes so that we can take this technology and apply it safely and seamlessly into the aerospace industry
This is an exciting technology with huge potential for the aerospace industry
Why WAAMMat?
Filling the knowledge gaps to understand material properties, design possibilities, and process capability
Taking the hardware traditionally used in arc welding to the next level of ruggedisation, reliability, control, and integration; integrating it with cutting-edge technologies based on light, magnetic, sound physics
The worlds of academia and industry joining forces to fast-track the maturation of the process whether relying on private efforts as well as publicly-funded projects, making sure nothing is repeated unnecessarily.
