ABSTRACT The scalable fabrication of structural‐grade aluminum metal matrix composites (A‐MMCs) remains constrained by inherent limitations of conventional processing routes and laser‐based additive manufacturing (AM) methods. In this work, we demonstrate the development of a hybrid wire arc directed energy deposition (WA‐DED) platform for the near‐net‐shape manufacturing of Al4043–B 4 C composites, uniting high‐throughput wire deposition with spatially controlled in situ powder delivery. A comprehensive suite of microstructural and mechanical characterizations reveals 79% improvement in microhardness and 27%–53% improvement in yield strength. At the same time, the in situ addition of ceramic particles also contributed to enhanced porosity (∼10%) compared to the AMed monolithic Al4043 counterparts with no significant variation in grain size, reflecting the current limitations of first‐generation powder delivery control. Hence, the study establishes a robust proof‐of‐concept for hybrid wire–powder DED as a viable pathway for large‐scale A‐MMC fabrication, while identifying key process refinements necessary for achieving targeted reinforcement efficiency and microstructural uniformity.
Dash et al. (Wed,) studied this question.