WAAM Powder Feeder

SolidWorks CAD, SolidWorks Simulation (FEA), Mechanical Integration, Resin 3D Printing, Assembly & Test Rapid Iteration

Design a powder feeder attachment that mounts to a WAAM robotic arm and MIG torch system to enable continuous fabrication of large metal-matrix-composite (MMC) parts—without disrupting the existing print process.

I approached the mount as a practical integration task: it had to hold alignment through robot motion, not interfere with the torch and existing cables, and be able to be installed and removed quickly during iterative testing.

1. Defined constraints & failure modes. Clearance uncertainty near the torch, robot motion/vibration, and the risk of interference during travel were the main integration risks. Success meant consistent positioning and quick and easy serviceability.
2. Reverse engineered the torch head for accurate CAD interfaces. Due to limited documentation I figured the best first course of action was to measure the WAAM torch head with digital calipers and built a full-scale SolidWorks model to lock down clamp surfaces, fastener locations, and cable/torch clearance.

   

3. Designed a rigid, repeatable clamp-style mount. I designed the mount to position the feeder consistently relative to the torch while preserving the pre-existing camera mount. Hardware selections included stainless M5 fasteners with split lock washers to reduce loosening, and M8 nuts to secure to existing M8 torch-head fasteners.

   

4. Verified stiffness and safety margin with full-assembly FEA. Before printing, I ran SolidWorks Simulation on a simplified assembly of the powder feeder to evaluate deformation/stiffness and ensure no obvious high-risk stress concentrations in the mount or interfaces under expected loading.
   

   Full Assembly FEA displacement (Max Displacement: 2.97e-02 mm).

   

   Full Assembly FEA factor-of-safety (Min Factor of safety = 12).
5. Fabricated, assembled, and validated fit on hardware. I resin 3D printed the final mounting parts with a Formlabs 3L resin printer, checked fit on the physical torch, and assembled the powder feeder onto the robot. I validated clamp security and confirmed the setup was practical for repeated use.

   

6. Testing & iteration support. I designed the mount for quick removal and reinstallation so we could iterate during tuning without modifying other WAAM hardware. Before final testing, I ran a shake-down motion test—driving the robot through aggressive movement profiles—to confirm there was no interference and that the powder feeder remained secure with no loosening.

• Successfully mounted the powder feeder to the WAAM system using a custom resin-printed mount and selected assembly hardware.
• Maintained practical usability: removable/adjustable feeder assembly and preserved the existing camera mounting function.
• Supported robot motion testing without obvious clearance/interference issues.

As a separate risk check from the mounting work, I performed a hand-calculation to determine whether the powder delivery nozzle required thermal protection near the WAAM melt pool.

• Method: 3-surface, radiation-only enclosure heat transfer model.
• Key result: Predicted nozzle-tip temperature of 1410.6 °C at a standoff distance of 21.6 cm from the melt pool.
• Engineering decision: Selected a ceramic nozzle to protect the powder feeder outflow from excessive heat exposure.