Automated system for welding-based rapid prototyping

A rapid prototyping (RP) system for gas metal arc welding (GMAW) of metallic parts was developed. The system included slicing and planning, system implementation, and post-processing for RP using GMAW as the deposition process. A novel metal transfer control technology was used to control the size and frequency of the droplet in order to improve the deposition accuracy. A welding deposition wizard (WDW) was developed to slice the metallic parts, plan the deposition parameters, and control the deposition process.