Modelling and numerical simulation of temperature fields during WAAM production of an aluminum part

Abstract Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is a notably promising direct energy deposition (DED) technology for the production of large scale metallic components of various shapes without the need for complex tooling, moulds, or dies. The main advantages of this technology include high material efficiency, lead time reductions, a high deposition rate, and low production costs. WAAM offers numerous benefits for a wide range of metallic materials, like aluminum, copper, and magnesium, and their alloys. The paper investigates the thermal cycles and temperature fields that develop during the additive manufacturing of an AA5087 aluminum alloy part using Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) with varying deposition parameters. Thermal cycles were experimentally measured using an Ahlborn Almemo 56902 measuring station equipped with K-type thermocouples. A simulation model of the deposition process was developed to study the effect of travel speed on temperature distribution and the peak temperatures during deposition of individual layers. Comparison of results obtained from numerical simulations using ANSYS software exhibited very good agreement with measured temperatures, with relative errors below 10 %.