Executive Summary : | Aluminium alloys are popular due to their high strength to weight ratio and corrosion performance. However, they have limitations such as high cost, moderately low fracture toughness, and restricted mechanical behavior at high-temperature conditions. The additive manufacturing (AM) technique offers promising possibilities to improve the functional performance of 3D parts compared to conventional manufacturing techniques. The direct metal deposition (DMD) process allows for the fabrication of cost-effective 3D parts with multiple materials, such as Al matrix with micro balloons (AMMBs). AMMBs exhibit high impact resistance when reinforced with the metal matrix, making them ideal for strategic applications. However, conventional DMD equipment configurations have limitations in producing high-quality and superior performance AMMBs 3D parts. The research aims to develop a functional DMD work cell capable of producing 3D AMMB parts with an understanding of the process performance. The main domains include designing and developing the ALB-DMD machine, selecting the appropriate candidate material composition for AMMB composites with high impact resistance, and microstructural, defect, and mechanical performance evaluation of ALB-DMD processed parts under as-deposited and heat-treated conditions. Experimental evaluation of selected candidate AMMBs is not systematically investigated using the ALB-DMD process. Material characterization is established based on DSC and TGA to identify the thermal behavior of the AMMB for ALB-DMD processing. The experimental work cell includes accessories like ALB mode optics, a motor controller, and temperature measurement, controlled through LabVIEW software. |