A review on additive manufacturing of Al–Cu (2xxx) aluminium alloys, processes and defects

Aluminium alloys are commonly used in different areas and considerable interest has been given to additive manufacturing (AM) aluminium alloys recently. However, a few research studies succeeded in fabricating high-strength 2xxx alloys owing to porosity formation and their high cracking susceptibility. AM of these alloys is still suffering from different challenges. This review aimed at giving an insight into the current state-of-the-art of Al–Cu alloys AM and discusses the processes, challenges, and approaches in improving the integrity and performance of the parts manufactured in recent years. First, an introduction about the AM processes is given. Then, the main techniques used to fabricate parts are presented, and major defects found in additively manufactured parts are discussed afterward.