Additive manufacturing system and unified additive-deformation-machining (ADM) process of manufacturing

A method of additively manufacturing a metal product, comprising:

• providing an additive manufacturing system (AM system) including a toolhead, an additive manufacturing unit (AM unit), a mechanical unit, and at least one actuator, the AM unit including a feed material applicator configured to apply a feed material, a supplemental material applicator configured to apply a supplemental material, and a melting mechanism, the toolhead including a track assembly to which at least a portion of the mechanical unit is adjustably connected, the portion of the mechanical unit adjustable along the track assembly via actuation of the at least one actuator;
• and
• performing a unified additive-deformation-machining (ADM) process with the AM system to produce a product having the at least one of a desired property and a desired characteristic;
• wherein performing the unified ADM process with the AM system includes:
• performing an application subprocess of the unified ADM process with the AM unit;
• performing a deformation subprocess of the unified ADM process with the mechanical unit;
• and
• coordinating performance of the application subprocess and the deformation subprocess during the unified ADM process to produce the product having the at least one of the desired property and the desired characteristic;
• wherein performing the application subprocess includes:
• applying the feed material with the feed material applicator;
• melting, via the melting mechanism, the applied feed material into a molten material pool to produce a bead of material along at least a portion of a planned path;
• and
• applying, via the supplemental material applicator, the supplemental material to at least one of the applied feed material and the molten material pool;
• and
• wherein performing the deformation subprocess includes deforming a material of the bead to modify at least one of a characteristic and a property of the material of the bead.

A method of additively manufacturing a metal product, comprising providing an additive manufacturing system (AM system) including an additive manufacturing unit (AM unit) and a mechanical unit, and performing a unified additive-deformation-machining (ADM) process with the AM system to produce a product having at least one of a desired property and a desired characteristic, wherein:

• performing the unified ADM process includes:
• performing an application subprocess of the unified ADM process;
• performing a deformation subprocess of the unified ADM process;
• and
• coordinating performance of the application subprocess and the deformation subprocess during the unified ADM process to produce the product having the at least one of the desired property and the desired characteristic;
• performing the application subprocess includes:
• producing a bead of material along at least a portion of a planned path;
• applying a feed material with a feed material applicator of a feed mechanism of the AM unit;
• melting the applied feed material into a molten material pool to produce the bead of material;
• and
• applying a supplemental material to at least one of the applied feed material and the molten material pool, the supplemental material applied with a supplemental material applicator of a supplemental feed mechanism of the AM unit;
• and
• performing the deformation subprocess includes deforming a material of the bead, via performing a friction stirring process, to modify at least one of i) a characteristic of the material of the bead to the desired characteristic and ii) a property of the material of the bead to the desired property.