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Joule-Heated direct writing: an electrically-driven additive manufacturing paradigm for space fabrication
Suli Li1, Zhuang Gao2, Jie Xiong2
1College of Mechanical Engineering, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710054, China. Lsl15802949318@xust.edu.cn.
Scientific Reports
|July 6, 2026
Summary
A new Joule-Heating Additive Manufacturing (JHAM) process enables compact, energy-efficient metal 3D printing for space applications. This novel technique optimizes parameters for high-quality metallic component fabrication in orbit.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Mechanical Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering
Background:
- In-space manufacturing requires compact, energy-efficient metal additive manufacturing (AM) technologies.
- Existing AM methods may not be suitable for the constraints of space-based operations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and investigate a novel Joule-Heating Additive Manufacturing (JHAM) process for direct writing of metallic structures.
- To develop and validate a multiphysics finite element model for the JHAM process.
- To characterize the influence of process parameters on fabricated metallic components.
Main Methods:
- Developed a fully coupled thermal-electrical-structural finite element model to simulate multilayer deposition.
- Fabricated single-bead, five-layer walls using 304 stainless steel wire.
- Experimentally characterized macrostructure, geometry, surface roughness, and hardness, varying current, speed, and contact width.
Main Results:
- Identified optimal parameters (120 A, 200 mm/min, 1.0 mm contact width) for macroscopic quality.
- Demonstrated non-monotonic trends in surface roughness and hardness with parameter variation, achieving a minimum Ra of 0.142 µm.
- Validated the multiphysics model with experimental voltage measurements showing <10% discrepancy.
Conclusions:
- The JHAM process, operating at low power (<1 kW) with a simplified architecture, is a promising technology for on-orbit fabrication.
- The developed multiphysics model accurately predicts JHAM process behavior.
- JHAM offers a viable solution for in-space manufacturing of metallic components.
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