<p>Thixo-extrusion additive manufacturing is an innovative hybrid technology that combines thixotropic material behavior in a semi-solid state with an extrusion-based additive manufacturing method. Utilizing the semi-solid state, where the material exhibits both solid and liquid properties, leads to improved flowability, more consistent thermal behavior, and dimensional stability, providing a final product with better globular grain micro-structure. This study investigates the thixo-extrusion additive manufacturing technology for commercially available aluminum welding wire (Al 4043). Semi-solid filament preparation with recrystallization and partial melting (RAP) technique, thixo-extrusion printer design and manufacturing, numerical analysis, and experimental tests are the main parts of this paper. As the first step, considering the microstructural and rheological factors, the optimized parameters of heat treatment in the semi-solid state for Al 4043 filament are proposed to provide a perfect globular micro-structure with a 60% solid fraction. Then, a thixo-extrusion printer was designed with a&#xa0;special focus on the thixo-extruder to control the thermal distribution in a precise manner. Numerical analysis was carried out by Autodesk- CFD 2024 assisted in selecting the printing parameters and understanding the thermal behavior of aluminum flow in the designed thixo-extruder. As a result, layers of Al 4043 slurry were&#xa0;deposited with the improved filament and thixo-extrusion printer showing the perfect metal bonding between the layers.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>