Plasma Metal Deposition for Metallic Materials

Plasma metal deposition (PMD®) is a promising and economical direct energy deposition technique for metal additive manufacturing based on plasma as an energy source. This process allows the use of powder, wire, or both combined as feedstock material to create near-net-shape large size components (i.e., >1 m) with high-deposition rates (i.e., 10 kg/h). Among the already PMD® processed materials stand out high-temperature resistance nickel-based alloys, diverse steels and stainless steels commonly used in the industry, titanium alloys for the aerospace field, and lightweight alloys. Furthermore, the use of powder as feedstock also allows to produce metal matrix composites reinforced with a wide range of materials. This chapter presents the characteristics of the PMD® technology, the welding parameters affecting additive manufacturing, examples of different fabricated materials, as well as the challenges and developments of the rising PMD® technology.