Thermal analysis of TIG-WAAM based metal deposition process using finite element method

Abstract

The Tungsten Inert gas welding-based wire and arc additive manufacturing (TIG-WAAM) process is one of the most energy-efficient processes among the direct energy deposition processes. The TIG-WAAM process involves layer by layer deposition of a material using wire and arc. The path planning in the metal deposition process affects the temperature distribution during the layer by layer deposition in wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) process. The distribution of the temperature affects the quality of the metal deposition and its dimensional accuracy. In this paper, a Finite element analysis (FEA) based model for TIG-WAAM process was developed for analyzing the effect of the temperature distribution on the metal deposition process. The developed model has been used for simulating metal deposition using TIG-WAAM process for a single layer of low carbon steel. The distribution of temperature across the deposited material has been recorded. The results showed that the concentration of the temperature takes place at all turning points in the deposition path which may lead to deteriorating the quality of deposition. The developed model can be used further for the development of the feedback-based temperature management system to provide smooth metal deposition with better quality.