ESAB and EWI enter into 3D printing partnership

Welding and cutting solutions provider ESAB has teamed up with engineering firm EWI to advance arc-based directed energy deposition (DED) additive manufacturing. By joining forces, ESAB provides state-of-the-art equipment such as pulsed power sources and inverters. This enables EWI to develop customized arc processes – especially for new types of alloys.

One focus is on ESAB’s patented Integrated Cold Electrode (ICE) Multi-Wire Process. This enables very high deposition rates with reduced heat input, which benefits industries such as offshore wind and shipbuilding. The aim of the cooperation is to accelerate the spread of AM technology. To this end, ESAB is contributing its welding expertise and consumables, while EWI is contributing its system know-how.

ESAB’s waveform tools and EWI’s capabilities allow the targeted adaptation of deposition processes for specific applications. For example, functionally graded materials and multi-wire processes can be optimized for heat exchangers and chemical containers.