Wire-feed friction stir additive manufacturing systems, devices, and methods

A friction stir additive manufacturing system comprising:

• a spindle configured to rotate about a central axis;
• a housing configured to receive at least a portion of the spindle, the housing comprising:
• a wire inlet extending through a side wall of the housing, and
• a track extending from the wire inlet and at least partially around a circumference of an interior surface of the housing;
• and
• a feeding system configured to feed a wire through the wire inlet and into the track of the housing.

A friction stir additive manufacturing system comprising:

• a spindle configured to rotate about a central axis;
• a housing configured to receive at least a portion of the spindle, the housing comprising a wire inlet extending through a side wall of the housing, the wire inlet having a longitudinal axis that does not intersect the central axis of the spindle;
• and
• a feeding system configured to feed a wire through the wire inlet and into a gap between an interior surface of the housing and an exterior surface of the spindle.

A method comprising:

• feeding a wire through a wire inlet extending through a sidewall of a housing of a friction stir additive manufacturing device and into a gap between an interior surface of the housing and an exterior surface of a spindle positioned within the housing, the wire inlet offset from a central axis of the spindle;
• rotating the spindle about the central axis to soften the wire as it is fed into the gap;
• and
• depositing softened material on to a substrate as it exits a deposition end of the housing.