Quick Summary
• Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) researchers are using Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing to repair fatigue cracks in bridges and steel structures, printing customized metal reinforcements directly onto damaged components rather than replacing them entirely. The process, known as WAAM, works by feeding a welding wire through a robotic arm that deposits…
Additional Context
Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) researchers are using Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing to repair fatigue cracks in bridges and steel structures, printing customized metal reinforcements directly onto damaged components rather than replacing them entirely.
The process, known as WAAM, works by feeding a welding wire through a robotic arm that deposits metal layer by layer onto cracked or weakened areas using an electric arc. Unlike conventional welding, which joins components, WAAM builds three-dimensional reinforcements with geometries tailored to the specific stress pattern of each defect, stopping or slowing crack propagation without touching the surrounding structure.
Researchers aim to repair damaged bridges and other steel structures using metal