Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) is widely used in industry for high-deposition-rate metal fabrication. However, extending WAAM to large-scale, in particular, vertical self-supporting structures remains challenging, since process geometric variability compromises reliable referencing, positioning, and autonomous on-structure operation. This article presents a Climbing Mobile 3D Printer (CM3DP) tailored for continuous WAAM of self-supporting metal structures. Because WAAM produces irregular geometries that make conventional climbing unreliable, the robot integrates motion and deposition in a single frame and uses a discrete, print-embedded guiding and anchoring mechanism to climb robustly. Bayesian optimization is used online to adapt the climbing strategy and compensate for defects and positioning uncertainties. This integration facilitates the fabrication of large-scale, vertical structures with enhanced flexibility and automation. The article details the mechatronic design of the CM3DP, the integration of hardware and software components, the structural design of the printed elements, and experimental validation of the climbing and anchoring strategies, and WAAM deposition using CM3DP.
Govoni, A., Arrè, L., Joseph, R., Samorì, D., Ascari, A., Palermo, M., et al. (2026). Mechatronic Development of a Climbing Robot for Continuous WAAM 3-D Printing. IEEE/ASME TRANSACTIONS ON MECHATRONICS, 1, 1-12 [10.1109/TMECH.2026.3695994].
Mechatronic Development of a Climbing Robot for Continuous WAAM 3-D Printing
Govoni A.;Arrè L.;Joseph R.;Ascari A.;Palermo M.;Palli G.
2026
Abstract
Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) is widely used in industry for high-deposition-rate metal fabrication. However, extending WAAM to large-scale, in particular, vertical self-supporting structures remains challenging, since process geometric variability compromises reliable referencing, positioning, and autonomous on-structure operation. This article presents a Climbing Mobile 3D Printer (CM3DP) tailored for continuous WAAM of self-supporting metal structures. Because WAAM produces irregular geometries that make conventional climbing unreliable, the robot integrates motion and deposition in a single frame and uses a discrete, print-embedded guiding and anchoring mechanism to climb robustly. Bayesian optimization is used online to adapt the climbing strategy and compensate for defects and positioning uncertainties. This integration facilitates the fabrication of large-scale, vertical structures with enhanced flexibility and automation. The article details the mechatronic design of the CM3DP, the integration of hardware and software components, the structural design of the printed elements, and experimental validation of the climbing and anchoring strategies, and WAAM deposition using CM3DP.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
