Optimizing A5356 Alloy Performance with WAAM: A Comprehensive Study

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) technology is an attractive fabrication method for structural components due to significantly lower consumable usage and higher filler material addition rates than conventional fusion welding. The present study used 1.2 mm welding wire, WAAM CMT-MIG technique, three different wire feed speeds (WFS), and corresponding heat input levels to produce high layer thicknesses. Samples extracted from the fabricated walls were subjected to non-destructive testing methods, including visual inspection (VT), penetrant testing (PT), and ultrasonic testing (UT), as well as various mechanical and material characterization tests such as tensile, flexure, and notch impact tests, microhardness measurements, XRD analysis, and microstructural evaluations using optical microscopy, SEM, and EDS. The results revealed that bending strength and microhardness improved under low heat input conditions. Moreover, these findings indicate that the WAAM technique holds promise as a manufacturing method for A5356 samples when lower heat input is applied.