Metal additive manufacturing is an emerging area of fabrication for uses in research, industrial, and private fields. Currently, most of the common systems available for metal additive manufacturing have high costs associated with both acquisition and operation. In addition, they have several disadvantages including long build times, the need for highly controlled environments, and health risks associated with the powder used in many of the systems. This creates a need for development of alternative technologies capable of producing parts similar to other systems without these disadvantages.

Wire based systems avoid or decrease many of these disadvantages. They are low-cost, easy to operate, offer higher build speeds, and generally have fewer risks associated with them. However, wire can still be costly depending on the method, and does not have the same level of resolution that powder based systems have. By utilizing induction heating, high temperatures can be reached rapidly. Further, exploring the processes of molten and semi-solid extrusion allow for experimentation to achieve a system capable of precision performance while eliminating many disadvantages.

Developing a machine to utilize the advantages of wire-based printing in novel ways could allow for a low-cost alternative to current metal additive manufacturing methods. By integrating wire-feed, induction heating, a modular print head, and specialized designs for the bed and extrusion systems, this machine could fill the need for a competitive metal 3D printing technology at the fraction of the cost.

Tests to determine material properties for the parts produced by this method were conducted. This included hardness and tensile tests to find base characteristics regarding these parts. The goal is to show with these tests that this is a competitive alternative to many current metal additive practices.