Developing 3D metal printer with electric – arc melting method and examination of addtive manufatruing printing parameters

Rapid prototyping has become easier with the use of plastic-based materials such as PLA, ABS, TPU, PET in 3d printers. Recently, FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) Type 3d printers, which make plastic-based production, have become widespread. The basis of our work is to perform a 3D additive manufacturing by melting metal instead of melting plastic raw material, based on the additive production method of a FDM Type 3d printer. We combined the high temperature input needed for metal melting with a Cartesian type 3d printer chassis that we designed for our project, MIG welding (Metal Inert Gas - Metal Inert Gas) and MAG welding (Metal Active Gas - Metal Active Gas) welding machines with automatic wire feed mechanism used in the industry. . The automatic wire feeding mechanism was combined with the 3d printer control card we designed. The settings of the welding machine we use are optimum for metal 3d printing (regular and spatter-free, low penetration level, not high heat output in mass production), voltage and wire feed speed that provide weld seam and height. Changes in the slicer program for the optimum working values of the welding machine determined in the preliminary study (first layer speed, extruder motor triggering time, z-axis layer height, distance between the other layer to be thrown in the x and y axis according to the thickness of the molten metal from the welding machine torch, welding in additive manufacturing the path to be followed by the machine torch) was made. As a result of these changes, the first production works were carried out.