Articles comprising additively manufactured metal parts

Abstract

An article including an additively manufactured metal part is described. The article includes a first additively manufactured metal part and a second additively manufactured metal part coupled to the first additively manufactured metal part at a weld joint. The article also includes a resistive heating material disposed within the weld joint, the resistive heating material including a different material than the first additively manufactured metal part and the second additively manufactured metal part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to additive manufacturing, and more particularly to forming structures by joining together additively manufactured portions of the structure. Background Art

[0002] Aircraft include various parts, many of which have large dimensions. For example, a duct configured to deliver pressurized air to an aircraft cabin may have a length of more than 50, 75 or even 100 feet, depending on the aircraft.

[0003] Various techniques can be used to manufacture large parts for aircraft. For example, a tube can be formed from sheet metal, for example using various cutting and bending steps. However, this method can be relatively expensive and complicated. In addition, the material composition of the part can cause additional difficulties. For example, titanium-based metals are sometimes used to form aircraft parts that operate at high temperatures (e.g., 300-400°F) and / or high pressures (e.g., 300-400psi). However, titanium-based materials can be difficult and time-consuming to machine. In addition, molds suitable for forming titanium-based parts can be expensive and difficult to obtain because relatively hard molds may be required to properly machine titanium-based materials.

[0004] Additive manufacturing techniques can also be used to form parts. Additive manufacturing involves forming three-dimensional parts layer by layer. Additive manufacturing is becoming increasingly popular due to its ability to form parts with complex geometries using multiple materials, reducing costs and manufacturing time compared to other manufacturing techniques such as machining.

[0005] Although additive manufacturing has been implemented on a large scale, current machines place an upper limit on the size of parts that can be manufactured with the machines. For example, the desired size of some large-scale parts (such as the large-scale aircraft pipes mentioned above) exceeds the available volume of additive manufacturing machines that can build the parts. In addition, the cost required to operate large-scale additive manufacturing machines can offset the cost savings achieved by additively manufacturing the parts. In the case of post-processing of additively manufactured parts, cost savings and manufacturing efficiency are further reduced.

[0006]

[0013] Thus, in view of the above, challenges exist in manufacturing large-scale aerospace components such as metal aircraft parts. Summary of the invention

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, an article is provided. In this aspect, the article includes a first additively manufactured metal part and a second additively manufactured metal part coupled to the first additively manufactured metal part at a weld joint. The article also includes a resistive heating material disposed inside the weld joint, the resistive heating material including a material different from the first additively manufactured metal part and the second additively manufactured metal part.

[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a vehicle. In this aspect, the vehicle includes a metal component, the metal component including a first additively manufactured metal portion and a second additively manufactured metal portion coupled to the first additively manufactured metal portion at a weld joint. The metal component also includes a resistive heating material disposed within the weld joint, the resistive heating material including a material different from the first additively manufactured metal portion and the second additively manufactured metal portion.

[0009] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method of forming a metal article. The method includes additively manufacturing a first portion of the metal article, additively manufacturing a second portion of the metal article, and placing the first portion of the metal article adjacent to the second portion of the metal article so that a resistive heating material is located within an interface between the first portion of the metal article and the second portion of the metal article. In this aspect, the method also includes directing an electric current through the resistive heating material to generate heat via the resistive heating material, and welding the first portion of the metal article and the second portion of the metal article together via the heat generated via the resistive heating material.

[0010] The features, functions, and advantages that have been discussed can be achieved independently in various embodiments or may be combined in yet other embodiments further details of which can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 A diagram is shown depicting an example aircraft according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C Diagrams depicting the formation of an example metal article from an additively manufactured metal part are shown.

[0013] Figure 3 Diagrams depicting the formation of an example conductive metal article via induction heating are shown.

[0014] Figure 4 A diagram depicting an exemplary additively manufactured metal part for incorporation into a larger article is shown.

[0015] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5B Diagrams depicting another example metal article formed from additively manufactured metal parts are shown.

[0016] FIG. 6A to FIG. 6C Diagrams depicting another example metal article formed from additively manufactured metal parts are shown.

[0017] Figure 7 A diagram depicting another example additively manufactured metal part for incorporation into a larger article is shown.

[0018] Figure 8 A flow chart depicting an exemplary method of forming an additively manufactured metal article is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] In view of the considerations discussed above, an example is provided involving additively manufacturing metal parts and joining these parts to form a metal product. In short, a first metal part and a second metal part of an article are manufactured in an additive manner. In some examples, three or more parts can be manufactured in an additive manner. Then, the first part and the second part are placed adjacent to each other in a manner that positions a resistive heating material within an interface between the parts. As described in more detail below, the resistive heating material may include a wire, a deposited layer, or other suitable structure. Subsequently, the first part and the second part are welded together via the heat generated by guiding an electric current through the resistive heating material, thereby joining the first part and the second part. In some examples, additional parts may be connected similarly. In some examples, the metal product thus formed may be an aircraft component. Compared with other methods (such as machining and casting), manufacturing metal products from parts manufactured in an additive manner can reduce manufacturing time, cost, and complexity, while enabling the formation of products with complex geometries and without the need to use large-scale additive manufacturing machines. In addition, this method can support the manufacture of parts on demand, thereby reducing inventory and warehousing requirements.

[0020] Figure 1 An example vehicle 100 in the form of an aircraft 102 is shown. The aircraft 102 includes a fuselage 108 and wings 110 extending from the fuselage 108. Both the fuselage 108 and the wings 110 are manufactured by attaching the skin 104 to the underlying fuselage (not shown). The aircraft 102 also includes a duct 112, which is disposed within the fuselage 108 and is attached to the fuselage in most cases. The duct 112 can be configured for any suitable purpose, including but not limited to delivering pressurized air to the cabin of the aircraft 102. Certain parts of the skin 104, the fuselage 108, the wings 110, and the duct 112 can be manufactured in an additive manner by joining portions as disclosed herein. Other example parts are fairings, such as a wing root fairing 114 or a wheel fairing, and panels, such as the panels of the aforementioned skin 104 and the access cover 118 forming a portion of the door 120. The methods described herein are not limited to aircraft and may be used to manufacture parts for any suitable application, including for use in spacecraft and other aerospace vehicles.

[0021] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C A metal article is shown formed from additively manufactured parts joined by resistance welding. The metal article is formed from a first metal part 200 and a second metal part 202, each of which is additively manufactured. Figure 2AAs shown, the first portion 200 includes male connectors 204A and 204B, which are configured to be coupled to female connectors 206A and 206B of the second portion 202, respectively. At 208, Figure 2A A partial cross-sectional view of the second portion 202 is shown, and a resistive heating material 210 in the form of a wire 212 is shown disposed along a channel 214 formed in the second portion 202. The wire 212 may be placed in the channel 214 manually or via a suitable automated process. In other examples, instead of a wire, the resistive heating material 210 may take the form of a film or layer (e.g., deposited onto the first portion 200 and / or the second portion 202 by additive manufacturing of a different material) or any other suitable form.

[0022] The channel 214 can be formed in any suitable manner. In some examples, the channel 214 is formed during the additive manufacturing of the second part 202. In other examples, the channel 214 is formed in a separate step (e.g., a machining step) after the second part 202 is formed. In some examples, the two parts being joined may have a channel for containing the resistive heating material, while in other examples, the channel may be formed in one of the two parts being joined.

[0023] Figure 2B A first portion 200 and a second portion 202 are shown joined via a male connector 204 and a female connector 206. The male connector 204 and the female connector 206 can provide a mechanism by which the movement of the first portion 200 and the second portion 202 relative to each other is limited during welding. As shown, the male connector 204 and the female connector 206 can have complementary geometries. At 216, Figure 2BA partial cross-sectional view of an interface 218 between the first portion 200 and the second portion 202 formed by placing the portions 200 and 202 adjacent to each other (e.g., in contact) is further shown. In this example, each of the first portion 200 and the second portion 202 includes a corresponding channel: the first portion 200 includes a channel 214, and the second portion 202 includes a channel 220. When the first portion 200 and the second portion 202 are placed adjacent to each other, the channels 214 and 220 form a void 222, which in this example is partially filled with the wire 212. Therefore, the filler material 224 can be disposed along at least a portion of the channel 220 to substantially fill the void 222. In other examples, the filler material 224 can be omitted, for example, when the wire 212 or other resistive heating material substantially fills any channel or other gap between the first portion 200 and the second portion 202. The filler material 224 can include any suitable material composition. In some examples, the filler material 224 and the portions 200, 202 have a common material composition. In various examples, filler material 224 may be disposed in void 222 in a powder form or as a composition including a paste or other viscous form. Further, filler material 224 may be configured as a molten material to assist in welding of first portion 200 and second portion 202. Filler material 224 may be arranged in void 222 in any suitable manner.

[0024] As described above, the first portion 200 and the second portion 202 are welded together via heat generated by directing an electric current through the resistive heating material 210. Any suitable current source may be coupled to the resistive heating material 210 to deliver current thereto. As an example, Figure 2A Leads 226A and 226B are schematically depicted as each coupled to resistive heating material 210 at one end, while opposite ends of leads 226A and 226B may be coupled to respective terminals of a current source I, which may represent any suitable direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) current source.

[0025] Figure 2C An article 228 formed by welding the first portion 200 and the second portion 202 together is shown. The welding of the first portion 200 and the second portion 202 forms a weld joint 230 in the article 228. Since the welding process is performed with the resistive heating material 210 between the first portion 200 and the second portion 202, the resistive heating material 210 remains disposed within the interior of the weld joint 230 after the welding is completed. In some examples, welding the first portion 200 and the second portion 202 may weld the resistive heating material 210 to the first portion 200 and the second portion 202. As such, the weld joint 230 refers to the weld material of the first portion 200 and the second portion 202, and the resistive heating material 210 located within the joint.

[0026] Article 228 schematically represents a portion of duct 112. However, any suitable type of article may be formed according to the methods described herein, including but not limited to fairings, panels, and other aircraft and aerospace components. In addition, as described above, some articles may be formed from three or more separate additively manufactured parts. In this way, articles of scalable size, volume, and geometry may be formed. Further, because additive manufacturing can be used to form parts of complex shapes without the use of part-specific tools, each additively manufactured portion of a larger article may have a different configuration than the others, thereby allowing just-in-time manufacturing of complex parts that are too large as a whole to be additively manufactured and are too complex and / or expensive to form by machining, casting, or other methods.

[0027] The material composition of the resistive heating material 210 may be selected so that the melting point of the heating material 210 is appropriately higher than the melting points of the first portion 200 and the second portion 202. For example, the resistive heating material 210 may include copper, silver, gold, titanium, steel, aluminum, nickel / chromium alloys (other metals may also be included), such as INCONEL alloy (available from Special Metals Corporation of New Hartford, New York), and tin, as well as refractory metals such as tungsten, tantalum, molybdenum, rhenium, and niobium, depending on the metals of the parts being welded together. Examples of suitable metals for the first portion 200 and the second portion 202 include steel and steel alloys, aluminum and aluminum alloys, titanium and titanium alloys (e.g., Ti-6Al-4V, as a specific example), cobalt and cobalt alloys, nickel and nickel alloys, iron and iron alloys, bronze and bronze alloys, niobium and niobium alloys.

[0028] In some examples, such as FIG. 2A to FIG. 2B As depicted, the current used to weld the metal parts can be delivered via the leads. In other examples, the current can be generated inductively to weld the metal parts via induction heating. Figure 3 An example of such a method is shown in which a first additively manufactured metal part 300 and a second additively manufactured metal part 302 are welded together by induction heating. An alternating current is induced in the resistively heated material 304 by a ring or coil conductor (schematically represented at 306) arranged circumferentially around the first part 300 and the second part 302.

[0029] As described above, the disclosed additively manufactured parts to be joined by welding may include a number of features that help hold the parts together during the welding process. FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C and Figure 3An example of utilizes complementary connectors, wherein the female connector includes an opening extending through the entire wall thickness of the metal part, while the male connector has a thickness equal to the wall thickness. As another example, Figure 4 Depicted is an additively manufactured metal part 400, which includes female connectors 402A and 402B that partially extend through the wall of part 400. Corresponding male connectors (not shown) can have complementary partial thickness configurations. Further, in some examples, a subset of one or more connectors can have a partial thickness configuration, and another subset can have a full thickness configuration. For a partial thickness connector, it can be at least partially based on which wall is a functional surface to position the opening for the connector on the outside or inside of the wall. As an example, the metal part 400 can form a part of an article that guides pressurized air through its interior. In this way, the inner wall surface 404 can be continuous, and the opening of the connector can be formed in the outer wall surface 406 that is a functional surface, as shown in the female connector 402.

[0030] Figure 5A Another example configuration for holding a first additively manufactured metal part 500 and a second additively manufactured metal part 502 during welding is depicted. In this example, each part includes complementary threads. Specifically, the first part 500 includes threads 504 arranged on a surface of an outer wall 506, which are configured to engage with complementary threads 508 arranged on a surface of an inner wall 510 of the second part 502. The first part 500 further includes one or more channels 512 arranged on the surface of the outer wall 506, wherein a resistive heating material 514 is disposed along at least a portion of the one or more channels 512. The channels 512 are arranged between adjacent threads 504. In this arrangement, and with the first part 500 engaged with the second part 502 via the threads 504, an electric current is passed through the resistive heating material 514 so that a weld joint 515 is formed, which joins the first part 500 and the second part 502 to form a metal article 516, such as Figure 5B In other examples, the resistive heating material 514 can be located within the threads 504 .

[0031] FIG. 6A to FIG. 6C Another mechanism for holding additively manufactured parts together during welding is depicted. Fig. 6A A first additively manufactured metal part 600 and a second additively manufactured metal part 602 are shown, respectively including a first flange 604 and a second flange 606. A resistive heating material 608 is disposed along an outer edge of the first flange 604. The first flange 604 and the second flange 606 provide surfaces at which the first part 600 and the second part 602 can be clamped together during welding. Figure 6BA fixture 610 is shown positioned to hold the first flange 604 and the second flange 606 together. The first portion 600 and the second portion 602 are welded together via heat generated by directing an electric current through the resistive heating material 608, thereby forming an article 612 having a welded joint 614, as shown in FIG. Figure 6C shown.

[0032] The fixture 610 can be removed after forming the weld joint 614, or can be left in place. In some instances, the fixture 610 can be manufactured in an additive manner and can be formed as an integral part of the first part 600 and / or the second part 602 in a common additive manufacturing process. In other examples, the fixture 610 can be manufactured separately from the first part 600 and the second part 602. Since the fixture 610 can be in close proximity to the resistive heating material 608 during welding, and since the first flange 604 and the second flange 606 can reach high temperatures during welding, the fixture 610 can be made of a material configured to withstand such temperatures without being bonded to the first flange 604 or the second flange 606. Examples of suitable materials that can be used to form the fixture 610 include, but are not limited to, various ceramics such as boron nitride, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, zirconium oxide, SiO2, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, and / or other nitrides and oxides. In addition, depending on the shape of the part held by the fixture, the fixture 610 can have any suitable mechanical form. As one example, clamp 610 may include a two-piece clamshell design with a hinge on one side and a lock on the opposite side. The use of clamps such as clamp 610 is not limited to FIG. 6A to FIG. 6C The flange / part geometry shown is also not limited to engaging flanges. Rather, the clamp 610 can be used to hold adjacent surfaces of any suitable components together during welding.

[0033] Figure 7 An example additively manufactured metal part 700 is depicted having a flange 702 that includes an irregular profile (e.g., a curved, curvilinear, and / or at least partially sinusoidal shape). Such a shape can help resist crack propagation in the joint when the part 700 is welded to another part. The additively manufactured metal part 700 also includes a resistive heating material 704 disposed along the flange 702. The metal part 700 can be welded to another metal part having a geometry that is complementary to the geometry of the metal part 700. In other examples, the metal part has an irregular interface instead of a flange.

[0034] Figure 8A flow chart illustrating an exemplary method 800 of forming a metal article is shown. The method 800 may be used to form any suitable article, such as a component for an aircraft or other vehicle. At 802, the method 800 includes additively manufacturing a first portion of the metal article. Any suitable one or more additive manufacturing techniques may be used to form the first portion, including but not limited to powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition. Additively manufacturing the first portion of the metal article may include forming 804 a channel in the first portion.

[0035] At 806, method 800 includes additively manufacturing a second portion of the metal article. Any suitable additive manufacturing technique may be used to form the second portion, including but not limited to one or more of the techniques described above. Additively manufacturing the second portion of the metal article may include forming 808 a channel in the second portion, alternatively or in addition to forming the channel in the first portion.

[0036] At 810, method 800 includes placing a first portion of a metal article adjacent to a second portion of the metal article such that a resistive heating material is located within an interface between the first portion of the metal article and the second portion of the metal article. In some examples, the resistive heating material may be placed in a channel formed in the first portion and / or the second portion, as indicated at 812. In other examples, the resistive heating material may be additively manufactured by depositing a layer of the resistive heating material on the first portion of the metal article, as indicated at 814.

[0037] In some examples, placing the first portion of the metal article adjacent to the second portion may include clamping the first portion and the second portion together via a clamp 816, while in other examples, the clamp may be omitted. Further, in some examples, placing the first portion of the metal article adjacent to the second portion may include connecting the first portion and the second portion together via one or more of a complementary connector and a thread, alternatively or in addition to using a clamp. Further, in some examples, a filler material may be added to the channel, as indicated at 819. The filler material may include the same material as the first and / or second additively manufactured metal portion, or a suitable different material that can melt or fuse when heated to fill the channel. The filler material may be provided as a powder, as a wire, as a paste or other viscous material, or in any other suitable form.

[0038] At 820, method 800 includes directing an electric current through the resistive heating material to generate heat via the resistive heating material to weld the first portion and the second portion together via the heat. In some examples, directing an electric current through the resistive heating material may include inductively directing 822 an electric current through the resistive heating material. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the amount of electric current applied to form the weld is based on the resistive heating material utilized. In other examples, any other suitable electric current may be used.

[0039] The methods described herein can enable the advantages of additive manufacturing to be utilized in the manufacture of large-scale parts, including but not limited to forming parts with complex and / or nonlinear geometries, reduced costs, reduced waste, and reduced manufacturing time. Further, the methods described can achieve these advantages while avoiding the challenges associated with manufacturing large parts in an additive manner, such as limitations on part size due to the available manufacturing volume provided by large additive manufacturing machines. In addition, the methods described can enable the formation of parts and achieve use cases that are not feasible via additive manufacturing alone. Challenges associated with other technologies for forming large-scale parts, such as tool degradation and the generation of scrap materials generated by processing sheet metal, can also be avoided. Further, the methods described can enable the formation of parts with high-quality surface finishes and reduce the post-processing of the formed parts. In the case of forming aircraft and / or other aerospace parts, the methods described can facilitate the responsiveness and rapid supply chain for these parts, which in turn can reduce the need for warehouses and inventory parts. These advantages can contribute to the construction of new aircraft and other vehicles, as well as the durability of existing vehicles (e.g., for aftermarket manufacturing).

[0040] Another example provides an article, the article including a first additively manufactured metal part, a second additively manufactured metal part coupled to the first additively manufactured metal part at a weld joint, and a resistive heating material, the resistive heating material being disposed inside the weld joint, the resistive heating material comprising a material different from the first additively manufactured metal part and the second additively manufactured metal part. In such an example, the first additively manufactured metal part may include a channel, and the resistive heating material may be disposed along at least a portion of the channel. In such an example, alternatively or additionally, the first additively manufactured part may include threads, and the channel may be disposed between the threads. In such an example, alternatively or additionally, the article may include a filler material disposed along at least the portion of the channel. In such an example, alternatively or additionally, the first additively manufactured metal part may include a male connector, and the second additively manufactured metal part may include a female connector coupled to the male connector. In such an example, the first additively manufactured metal part may alternatively or additionally include a first flange, and the second additively manufactured metal part may include a second flange. In such an example, the resistive heating material may include one or more of a wire and a film. In such examples, the article may include a duct, a cowl, or a panel. In such examples, the weld joint may include an irregular contour.

[0041] Another example provides a vehicle including a metal component, the metal component including: a first additively manufactured metal part; a second additively manufactured metal part, the second additively manufactured metal part coupled to the first additively manufactured metal part at a weld point; and a resistive heating material, the resistive heating material disposed inside the weld joint, the resistive heating material comprising a material different from the first additively manufactured metal part and the second additively manufactured metal part. In such an example, the first additively manufactured metal part and the second additively manufactured metal part may include one or more of a thread, a connector, and a flange. In such an example, the vehicle may include an aircraft. In such an example, the metal component may include a fairing, a panel, or a pipe.

[0042] Another example provides a method of forming a metal article, the method comprising: additively manufacturing a first portion of the metal article; additively manufacturing a second portion of the metal article; placing the first portion of the metal article adjacent to the second portion of the metal article so that a resistive heating material is located within an interface between the first portion of the metal article and the second portion of the metal article; directing an electric current through the resistive heating material to generate heat via the resistive heating material; and welding the first portion of the metal article and the second portion of the metal article together via the heat generated via the resistive heating material. In such an example, placing the first portion of the metal article adjacent to the second portion of the metal article may include clamping the first portion and the second portion together via a clamp. In such an example, additively manufacturing the first portion of the metal article includes forming a channel in the first portion of the article, and the method may alternatively or additionally include placing the resistive heating material in the channel. In such an example, the method may alternatively or additionally include adding a filler material to the channel. In such an example, the method may alternatively or additionally include additively manufacturing the resistive heating material by depositing a layer of the resistive heating material on the first portion of the metal article. In such examples, placing the first portion of the metal article adjacent to the second portion of the metal article may alternatively or additionally include connecting the first portion and the second portion together via one or more of a complementary connector and a thread. In such examples, directing current through the resistive heating material to generate heat via the resistive heating material may include inductively directing current through the resistive heating material.

[0043] The present disclosure further includes examples according to:

[0044] Item 1. An article comprising: a first additively manufactured metal part; a second additively manufactured metal part coupled to the first additively manufactured metal part at a weld joint; and a resistive heating material arranged inside the weld joint, the resistive heating material comprising a material different from the first additively manufactured metal part and the second additively manufactured metal part.

[0045] Item 2. The article of Item 1, wherein the first additively manufactured metal part comprises a channel, and wherein the resistive heating material is disposed along at least a portion of the channel.

[0046] Item 3. The article of Item 2, wherein the first additively manufactured portion comprises threads, and wherein the channel is disposed between the threads.

[0047] Item 4. The article of Item 2, further comprising a filler material disposed along at least a portion of the channel.

[0048] Item 5. The article of Item 1, wherein the first additively manufactured metal part comprises a male connector and the second additively manufactured metal part comprises a female connector coupled to the male connector.

[0049] Item 6. The article of Item 1, wherein the first additively manufactured metal part comprises a first flange and the second additively manufactured metal part comprises a second flange.

[0050] Item 7. The article of Item 1, wherein the resistive heating material comprises one or more of a wire and a film.

[0051] Item 8. The article of Item 1, wherein the article comprises a duct, a fairing, or a panel.

[0052] Item 9. The article of Item 1, wherein the weld joint comprises an irregular profile.

[0053] Item 10. A vehicle, comprising: a metal component, the metal component comprising: a first additively manufactured metal part; a second additively manufactured metal part, which is coupled to the first additively manufactured metal part at a welding joint; and a resistive heating material, the resistive heating material is arranged inside the welding joint, and the resistive heating material includes a material different from the first additively manufactured metal part and the second additively manufactured metal part.

[0054] Item 11. The vehicle of Item 10, wherein the first additively manufactured metal part and the second additively manufactured metal part include one or more of threads, connectors, and flanges.

[0055] Item 12. The vehicle of Item 10, wherein the vehicle comprises an aircraft.

[0056] Item 13. The vehicle of Item 12, wherein the metal component comprises a fairing, a panel, or a duct.

[0057] Item 14. A method of forming a metal article, the method comprising: additively manufacturing a first portion of the metal article; additively manufacturing a second portion of the metal article; placing the first portion of the metal article adjacent to the second portion of the metal article so that a resistive heating material is located within an interface between the first portion of the metal article and the second portion of the metal article; directing an electric current through the resistive heating material to generate heat via the resistive heating material; and welding the first portion of the metal article and the second portion of the metal article together via the heat generated via the resistive heating material.

[0058] Item 15. The method of Item 14, wherein placing the first portion of the metal article adjacent to the second portion of the metal article includes clamping the first portion and the second portion together via a clamp.

[0059] Item 16. The method of Item 14, wherein additively manufacturing the first portion of the metal article includes forming a channel in the first portion of the metal article, and wherein the method further includes placing a resistive heating material in the channel.

[0060] Item 17. The method of Item 14, further comprising adding a filling material to the channel.

[0061] Item 18. The method of Item 14, further comprising additively manufacturing the resistive heating material by depositing a layer of the resistive heating material on a first portion of the metal article.

[0062] Item 19. The method of Item 14, wherein placing the first portion of the metal article adjacent to the second portion of the metal article includes connecting the first portion and the second portion together via one or more of complementary connectors and threads.

[0063] Item 20. The method of Item 14, wherein directing an electric current through the resistive heating material to generate heat through the resistive heating material comprises inductively directing an electric current through the resistive heating material.

[0064] This disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various features and techniques disclosed herein. The various features and techniques disclosed herein are not necessarily required for all examples of the present invention. In addition, the various features and techniques disclosed herein may define patentable subject matter beyond the disclosed examples, and may find utility in other implementations not expressly disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A metal product comprising: The first additively manufactured metal part; a second additively manufactured metal part coupled to the first additively manufactured metal part at a weld joint; as well as A resistive heating material is disposed within the weld joint, the resistive heating material comprising a material different from the first additively manufactured metal portion and the second additively manufactured metal portion.

2. The metal product according to claim 1, wherein: The first additively manufactured metal part includes a channel, and wherein the resistive heating material is disposed along at least a portion of the channel.

3. The metal product according to claim 2, wherein: The first additively manufactured part comprises threads, and wherein the channel is disposed between the threads.

4. The metal article of claim 2, further comprising a filler material disposed along at least a portion of the channel.

5. The metal product according to claim 1, wherein: The first additively manufactured metal part includes a male connector and the second additively manufactured metal part includes a female connector coupled to the male connector.

6. The metal product according to claim 1, wherein: The first additively manufactured metal part includes a first flange and the second additively manufactured metal part includes a second flange.

7. The metal product according to claim 1, wherein: The resistive heating material includes one or more of a wire and a film.

8. The metal product according to claim 1, wherein: The metal product comprises a duct, a fairing or a panel.

9. The metal product according to claim 1, wherein: The weld joint includes an irregular profile.

10. A means of transport, comprising: Metal parts, metal parts include: The first additively manufactured metal part; a second additively manufactured metal part coupled to the first additively manufactured metal part at a weld joint; and A resistive heating material is disposed inside the weld joint, wherein the resistive heating material comprises a material different from that of the first additively manufactured metal portion and the second additively manufactured metal portion.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein: The first additively manufactured metal part and the second additively manufactured metal part include one or more of threads, connectors, and flanges.

12. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein: The transportation vehicle includes an airplane.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein: The metal parts include fairings, panels or ducts.

14. A method of forming a metal article, the method comprising: additively manufacturing a first portion of the metal article; additively manufacturing a second portion of the metal article; placing the first portion of the metal article adjacent to the second portion of the metal article such that a resistive heating material is located within an interface between the first portion of the metal article and the second portion of the metal article; directing an electric current through the resistive heating material to generate heat via the resistive heating material; and The first portion of the metal article and the second portion of the metal article are welded together by heat generated by the resistive heating material.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein: Positioning the first portion of the metal article adjacent to the second portion of the metal article includes clamping the first portion and the second portion together via a clamp.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein: Additively manufacturing the first portion of the metal article includes forming a channel in the first portion of the metal article, and wherein the method further includes placing the resistive heating material in the channel.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising adding a filler material to the channel.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising additively manufacturing the resistive heating material by depositing a layer of the resistive heating material on the first portion of the metal article.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein: Positioning the first portion of the metal article adjacent to the second portion of the metal article includes connecting the first portion and the second portion together via one or more of complementary connectors and threads.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein: Directing electrical current through the resistive heating material to generate heat via the resistive heating material includes directing electrical current through the resistive heating material inductively.

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