1 7 A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 demonstrates the ability for AFSD to no longer be limited to square feedstock cross-sections, but to have a variable feedstock geometry that would significantly benefit harder materials such as steel, titanium, and Inconel alloys where round feedstock would be more economical and efficient to produce through extrusions instead of machining square cross-section feedrods from plates. However, to expand this research from recycling softer alloys such as aluminum, magnesium, and copper alloys to harder materials requires further research into process-structure-property relations. The process steps to recycle materials such as machine chips or waste powders into an additive build would also benefit from a vertically integrated processing approach as depicted in Fig. 7. Here, friction extrusion (FE) equipment that is currently used to recycle machine chips into solid rods or tubes is placed into a field portable ISO container with an AFSD/FSAM with additive/subtractive machine capability to complement ISO container machining centers at FOBs. The aforementioned vertically integrated chip recycling approach depicted in Fig. 7 benefits by not requiring that the auger fed system be swapped out since it is not suitable for hard alloys and requires refining of machine chips. Yet, this approach implements a commercially available FE machine that has already been demonstrated to fabricate tubes or solid rods for both soft and hard alloys from machine chips and powders. The consolidated rods are then able to be directly fed into the AFSD/FSAM equipment also shown in Fig. 7. This vertically integrated approach is field portable in an ISO container that may be placed next to current FOB ISO container machining centers to minimize logistical challenges at austere locations. The strip recycling through the AFSD process has already been demonstrated as a viable method to repair AA6061 components but would greatly benefit from the implementation of a portable machine that could be placed at a FOB as detailed in Fig. 7 or even a Fig. 5 — Limitations of current build comparing actual deposition time to machine downtime during a build. Fig. 6 — Comparison between round and square feedstock depositions that are both fully dense. Fig. 7 — A vertically integrated direct additive recycling approach combining FE and AFSD/FSAM to fabricate or repair components without needing atomization of scrap in a field portable ISO container[25].
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