Investigation of material characteristics of intersections built by wire and arc additive manufacturing using locally varying deposition parameters

The application of wire and arc additive manufacturing to more complex structures can be accomplished if intersections can be generated without local variations in geometry, properties and microstructure. Here, the local modification of the deposition characteristic in the vicinity of the intersection is proposed. Consequently, higher building heights are feasible and further expansion of the technology's field of application is enabled. Fabrication options for such structures are investigated using Al2319 alloy samples manufactured with a conventional and a modified welding characteristic. Furthermore, analysis of the intersections produced with the modified characteristic curve is carried out. The results show that the structure can be built without a limitation in height and unchanged characteristics regarding porosity, microstructure and hardness values. Therefore, the presented deposition strategy can be used for a wide range of future structures, as it increases the design freedom.

Automated summary

The study investigates how the application of wire and arc additive manufacturing can achieve the fabrication of complex structures with unlimited building heights at intersections through local modification of deposition characteristics, thus expanding the technology's field of application.