Effects of Material Properties on Angular Distortion in Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing: Experimental and...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Computational Mechanics

Background:

• Wire arc additive manufacturing (AM) utilizes arc heat, similar to arc welding, which can induce significant thermal deformation in substrates and manufactured parts.
• Understanding and controlling these deformation characteristics is crucial for the industrial viability and quality assurance of AM components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the angular distortions in different materials during wire arc AM.
• To develop a simplified model for predicting angular distortion based on thermomechanical properties and heat input.
• To identify key material properties and process parameters influencing flatness in AM.

Main Methods:

• Bead-on-plate welding experiments were conducted to simulate wire arc AM conditions.
• Finite element analysis (FEA) was employed to model and analyze the thermomechanical behavior.
• A simplified model incorporating temperature-dependent material properties was developed and validated.

Main Results:

• Angular distortion was found to be significantly affected by material properties such as coefficient of thermal expansion, density, and specific heat.
• Heat input conditions were identified as a critical factor influencing the extent of angular distortion.
• Flatness variations in substrates and parts were correlated with material properties, heat input, substrate thickness, and bead accumulation.

Conclusions:

• Material properties and process parameters critically influence thermal distortions in wire arc AM.
• The developed simplified model provides a framework for predicting and understanding angular distortion.
• Findings offer valuable insights for selecting materials and optimizing processes to mitigate thermal distortions in additive manufacturing.