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WAAM
Wire arc additive manufacturing; a DED process using wire feedstock and an electric arc.
Rapid Prototyping Glossary
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Definitions for commercial rapid prototyping, production, machining, casting, moulding, finishing and inspection terms.
Warpage
The unwanted distortion of a moulded part after cooling, caused by uneven shrinkage, fibre orientation, residual stress, poor packing balance or unsuitable part design.
Warping
Distortion caused by uneven cooling, shrinkage, stress release or insufficient support.
Water jetting
Another term for waterjet cutting, the abrasive high-pressure water process used to profile sheet or plate material.
Waterjet cutting
Cutting material with a high-pressure water stream, often with abrasive added.
Wax pattern
A pattern used for investment casting, sometimes produced by specialised 3D printing.
WCS
Work coordinate system; the coordinate reference used for a particular set-up, distinct from the machine coordinate system.
Wear compensation
A fine offset adjustment used to account for gradual tool wear while keeping part dimensions on target.
Wear resistance
A material or coating's ability to resist surface loss during contact or abrasion.
Weld line
The line formed where two resin flow fronts meet in a moulded part.
Wet blasting
A blasting process that uses water with abrasive media to reduce dust and soften impact.
Wet sanding
Sanding with water or another liquid to control heat, dust and finish quality.
White metal tooling
Low-cost tooling made from soft low-melting alloys for limited prototype use.
Wire arc additive manufacturing
The full term for WAAM.
Wire EDM
EDM using a continuously fed wire electrode to cut precise profiles.
Wireframe model
A simple digital model made from edges and curves rather than full solids or surfaces.
Witness mark
A visible surface indication left by a tooling feature such as an ejector pin, gate, insert split line or shut-off. Witness marks may be acceptable, minimised or placed on non-cosmetic faces by design.
Work coordinate system
WCS; the user-defined coordinate origin and orientation used to programme and set up a specific job on the machine.
Work envelope
Another term for machine envelope or usable build/work volume.
Work offset
A stored machine value that locates the work coordinate system relative to the machine coordinate system.
Workholding
The methods and devices used to secure a workpiece during manufacturing.
Workpiece
The raw or semi-finished part being machined, whether in billet, plate, bar, casting or preform form.
Works-like prototype
A prototype aimed chiefly at validating function rather than final look.