A Process Planning Study In Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing
B. Naseri Soufiani, N. Bol, O. E. Kara, A. A. Sen and O. Yilmaz
Journal of Additive Manufacturing Technologies Vol. 1 No. 3 (2021): J AM Tech
Abstract
Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) method has emerged as a powerful platform for fabricating medium-to-large scale structural parts and it has some some advantages, such as low cost, high deposition rate, and efficiency over other additive manufacturing (AM) methods. This research work proposes a deposition tool path strategy for parts with varying cross-sections in building directions. First, the deposition characteristics as Wire Feed Speed and Torch Travel Speed (TSS) were determined based on the material and number of layers and thickness of the wall. Afterward, the tool path has been generated by considering the geometric attributes such as cross-section area, type of border lines, curves and their continuities. Finally, the workpiece was built up by using the WAAM process with robotic cold metal transfer (CMT) system using aluminum wire (AWS ER5356) material. The results have shown that the proposed deposition strategy results with steady transition from circular cross-section deposition to hexagonal cross-section with less distortion and waviness.
Keywords: Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), Aluminum alloy, CMT, deposition parameters