Comparative Study of Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Wire Arc Additive Manufactured 316L Stainless Steel

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) is revolutionizing modern manufacturing by enabling the production of large-scale metal components with complex geometries, reduced material waste, and shorter lead times. This study investigates the microstructure and mechanical properties of WAAM-produced stainless steel 316L. Using advanced characterization methods, we examine grain structure, hardness, tensile strength, and fatigue properties. The results reveal significant differences in grain orientation and mechanical performance between different WAAM-produced samples. Material M1 exhibited a yield strength of 363 MPa and an ultimate tensile strength of 661 MPa, while material M2 showed lower values of 309 MPa and 601 MPa, respectively. Elongation at break was consistent at 48 % for both materials. Fatigue testing under flexural bending loads shows comparable endurance limits across all samples, settling around 225 MPa at 2 × 10<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">6</sup> cycles, with variations in performance in the low cycle regime. These insights contribute to optimizing WAAM processes for high-performance component production, underscoring the importance of microstructural control in achieving desired mechanical properties.