Wire-Fed Additive Manufacturing of Steels
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bath
Department Name: Mechanical Engineering
Abstract
This research will involve the exploration of the wire-fed approach to Additive Manufacture (AM) of metallic components. Within the field of additive manufacturing most research has been based on powder-based feedstock systems with minimal comparison made to the use of melted wire as the supply material. However, the wire-fed approach has potential to offer unique manufacturing capabilities compared to existing AM systems.
The main benefit of wire-fed AM is that it offers high deposition rates. This is important in reducing build times and can make AM feasible for large components. As hybrid additive and subtractive processes are becoming more established, high deposition rates are of increasing priority for smaller components too. This is because any loss in build resolution due to higher deposition rates can be rapidly corrected in situ by an integrated subtractive machine head. Further benefits include the wide availability and comparatively economical cost of wire feedstock compared to powder feedstock. Additionally, it does not encounter any of the safety and procurement issues incurred with the use of powder feedstock. Within the field of wire-fed AM, the wire-arc approach to melt the metal will be focused upon in this research. This is due to its highly efficient use of energy compared to a laser or electron beam based heat supply. The use of Parallel Kinematic Machine (PKM) structure for an AM platform is also to be explored. PKM's are noted for having high structural rigidity, high dynamic capacity and high accuracy compared to more commonplace serial systems.
The aim of this research is to develop new process planning, methods and system/tools for Wire-Arc additive manufacturing.
This aim will be achieved through the following objectives:
- Map the key literature in the area of wire fed additive manufacturing to identify the current state of the art, research trends and research gaps
- Formulate a research framework to allow the evaluation of Wire-Arc AM for Steel and Aluminium parts
- Design a new wire-arc AM platform on a PKM structure based on research framework and research gaps
- Evaluate the performance of the new wire-arc AM platform compared to state of the art and update research framework.
- Develop case study scenarios and parts to validate the research framework
The main benefit of wire-fed AM is that it offers high deposition rates. This is important in reducing build times and can make AM feasible for large components. As hybrid additive and subtractive processes are becoming more established, high deposition rates are of increasing priority for smaller components too. This is because any loss in build resolution due to higher deposition rates can be rapidly corrected in situ by an integrated subtractive machine head. Further benefits include the wide availability and comparatively economical cost of wire feedstock compared to powder feedstock. Additionally, it does not encounter any of the safety and procurement issues incurred with the use of powder feedstock. Within the field of wire-fed AM, the wire-arc approach to melt the metal will be focused upon in this research. This is due to its highly efficient use of energy compared to a laser or electron beam based heat supply. The use of Parallel Kinematic Machine (PKM) structure for an AM platform is also to be explored. PKM's are noted for having high structural rigidity, high dynamic capacity and high accuracy compared to more commonplace serial systems.
The aim of this research is to develop new process planning, methods and system/tools for Wire-Arc additive manufacturing.
This aim will be achieved through the following objectives:
- Map the key literature in the area of wire fed additive manufacturing to identify the current state of the art, research trends and research gaps
- Formulate a research framework to allow the evaluation of Wire-Arc AM for Steel and Aluminium parts
- Design a new wire-arc AM platform on a PKM structure based on research framework and research gaps
- Evaluate the performance of the new wire-arc AM platform compared to state of the art and update research framework.
- Develop case study scenarios and parts to validate the research framework
People |
ORCID iD |
| Stephen Newman (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Chloe Cunningham (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/N509061/1 | 01/09/2016 | 31/08/2021 | |||
| 1780168 | Studentship | EP/N509061/1 | 01/09/2016 | 31/08/2020 | Chloe Cunningham |
| Description | The effect of important processing parameters such as deposition rate, heat input, cooling strategies on the materials performance of wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) of austenitic stainless steel. Understanding the effect of these parameters is important in establishing confidence in building stainless steel parts with this new manufacturing process in terms minimum part performance standards. The additional understanding provided in terms of the interaction of the studied parameters is useful to potential end-users considering adoption the WAAM process by examining factors such as deposition rate and cooling period that directly affecting costs of production. Both of these findings support adoption of WAAM for stainless steel, which can achieve significant material and cost savings compared to conventional manufacturing techniques. |
| Exploitation Route | The outcomes may be used for optimising WAAM stainless steel manufacturing process to improve part performance or manufacturing cost or efficiency. |
| Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Construction,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Description | Standards development with British Standards Institute for PAS 6012 Guide to Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing, and ISO/ASTM WK69732 New Guide for Additive Manufacturing -- Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing. These standards are currently under development to support industrial adoption of additive manufacturing in the UK and globally. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
| Sector | Other |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |