Rapid prototyping of aluminum alloy with vertical deposition by laser-arc hybrid heat source

During the vertical deposition of aluminum using metal inert gas welding,defects such as molten pool spillover or collapse are formed easily,due to the great welding heat input and the poor arc stability. In this paper,aluminum wallshape parts were molded by low power laser-MIG hybrid welding in two different depositional styles. The surface quality,metallographic structure and micro-hardness were analyzed. A 40-degree-inclined wall-shape part was formed without support. The results showed that compared with MIG welding,low power laser-MIG hybrid welding could control the deposition process more accurately and more steadily,and could obtain more uniform microstructures.