Investigation of parallel deposition passes on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a high-strength aluminum alloy processed with AFSD.

Additive manufacturing (AM) provides a unique solution to quickly develop prototype components and produce features with complex geometries. Additive Friction Stir Deposition (AFSD) is a solid-state method of metal AM that produces near-net shape depositions with high deposition rates. As AFSD is utilized for a broader range of applications, there is a need to understand strategies for larger and more complex depositions. Depositions with a larger surface area would require a certain amount of material mixing between deposition passes within a single layer. In this study, the AFSD process was used to create depositions utilizing a varying deposition path overlap width (OW) and the effects of overlapping parallel pass depositions on the mechanical and microstructural properties of aluminum alloy 7075 (AA7075) were examined. An ideal OW value is found that produced acceptable post-deposition material properties while considering the increased resource consumption necessary to produce a build using a higher OW.