Hybrid adaptive layer manufacturing: An Intelligent art of direct metal rapid tooling process

A direct metal rapid tool making process, hybrid-layered manufacturing (HLM), was developed for building metallic dies and molds. This unique methodology has a numerical controlled system that integrates the TransPulse Synergic Metal Inert Gas (MIG)/Metal Active Gas (MAG) welding process for near-net layer deposition and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) milling process for net shaping. A customized software program was made to calculate the required adaptive slice thickness for the deposition of the filler metal with welding process as successive layers from the lowest to the topmost layer direction and to generate the required NC codes for machining from the top to the bottom layer direction of the deposited metallic layers for attaining the required contour profile shape. To implement this proposed process, a low-cost three-axis manipulator was fabricated with stepper motor divers in open-loop control and integrated with the weld machine. Adequate isolation to protect the motion control electronics from welding spike was incorporated. Synchronization of this two-step processing of each layer, yielding near-net deposition with welding process and near-net shaping with CNC milling operation offers a new accelerator way of building metal tools and dies.