Residual stress and distortion analysis in WAAM steel blocks: A comparative study of build strategies

Build strategies can influence the mechanical and microstructural properties of wire and arc additively manufactured (WAAM) parts, hence, numerical models were used in this study to investigate the residual stresses and distortions in steel blocks fabricated through WAAM. A new plugin, SimuPrint, was developed for Rhino-Grasshopper, providing a seamless link to ABAQUS, enabling control over the build strategy during the simulation of the printing process. Three build strategies were considered: bead-wise alternating x-direction (Zx), layer-wise alternating x and y direction (XY), and layer-wise alternating x-direction (XX). Results indicated that the Zx strategy conceded lower distortions and stable von-Mises stresses compared to the other strategies. Furthermore, experimental validation conducted revealed that the Zx strategy produced steel blocks with the highest average yield (∼525.4 MPa) and ultimate (∼621 MPa) strengths compared to its counterparts. These findings highlight the effect of build strategy in optimizing the performance of WAAM-fabricated steel components.