Simulation of wire arc additive manufacturing to find out the optimal path planning strategy

Abstract

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing is a metal 3-D printing technology that is a highly versatile and rapidly growing means of producing complex components by depositing metal layer-by-layer, melting them with an electric arc. Predicting the residual stress induced is of cardinal importance as components need to be analyzed during the design phase with considerations given to residual stresses to be effective. One of the critical parameters determining the residual stress of the structure in the process is the deposition pattern. In this study, finite element method in Simufact Welding 6.0 is employed to compare the different path-planning deposition strategies of the Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing process to understand how the dynamic temperature evolution can cause notable differences in distortion and residual stresses. The results show that the strategy that has the least chance of non-uniform cooling will have the least residual stresses, and the paths in which fewer longitudinal beads are exposed to the edges will tend to distort the least.