Experimental investigations into rapid prototyping of composites by novel hybrid deposition process

Solid Freeform Fabrication (SFF) gives engineers a new freedom to build parts that have been impossible to manufacture using conventional techniques. However, the surface finish and accuracy of SFF parts remain lower than those of parts that have been machined in conventional methods such as milling. A process combination of additive and subtractive techniques is currently being developed by our group at KIST to overcome this problem. The hybrid approach called 3D welding and milling uses welding as an additive, and conventional milling as a subtractive technique. As part of this process development, two different building strategies have been developed to build multi-material parts directly. The results prove the applicability of the 3D welding and milling process for rapid prototyping of bimetallic parts. A significant potential application is for the rapid prototyping of injection mold inserts. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.