Innovative welding technology in joining aluminum alloys in the automobile, aviation, aerospace and marine industries would achieve weight reduction and high specific strength as well as increasing fuel efficiency and reducing environmental pollution. This study presents an appropriate welding filler to join similar AA6061 aluminum alloys using the tungsten inert gas (TIG) process. The TIG welding of AA6061 was butt joined with three different fillers: ER5356 (4.5-6% Mg), ER4043 (4.5-6% Si) and ER4047 (11-13% Si). The experiments were conducted in order to investigate the macrostructure and microstructure of the samples as well as the mechanical properties. The effect of preheating was also investigated. The effects of the different fillers used on the weld joints were analyzed by their visual appearance, microstructures, hardness and strength. It was found that welding by using filler ER5356 produced a finer grain size and the highest strength of 171.53 MPa compared to the weld joints using fillers ER4047 and ER4047 with values of 167.34 MPa and 168.03 MPa, respectively.

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Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) is one of the additive manufacturing (AM) techniques that have emerged as the most feasible and prevalent approach for generating functional parts due to its ability to produce neat and intricate parts. FDM mainly utilises one of the widely used polymers, polylactic acid, also known as polylactide (PLA). It is an aliphatic polyester material and biocompatible thermoplastic, with the best design prospects due to its eco-friendly properties; when PLA degrades, it breaks down into water and carbon dioxide, neither of which are hazardous to the environment. However, PLA has its limitations of poor mechanical properties. Therefore, a filler reinforcement may enhance the characteristics of PLA and produce higher-quality FDM-printed parts. The processing parameters also play a significant role in the final result of the printed parts. This review aims to study and discover the properties of PLA and the optimum processing parameters. This review covers PLA in FDM, encompassing its mechanical properties, processing parameters, characterisation, and applications. A comprehensive description of FDM processing parameters is outlined as it plays a vital role in determining the quality of a printed product. In addition, PLA polymer is highly desirable for various field industrial applications such as in a medical, automobile, and electronic, given its excellent thermoplastic and biodegradability properties.

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