Hybrid wire-arc additive manufacturing of sheet metal components with three-dimensional features

This paper investigates the integration of metal deposition by wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) with sheet metal forming to create thin-walled components that contain three-dimensional features, significantly above the plane of the sheets. The study focuses on AISI 316L stainless steel sheets with a thickness of 1 mm, which are first used as substrate for the layer-by-layer construction of the features and are subsequently formed to achieve the desired final geometry. The deposition strategies are optimized to ensure the geometric consistency of the features, minimize heat input to prevent excessive warping, and enhance the bonding strength between the deposited material and the substrate. This is accomplished using both experimental investigations and macro-scale finite element modelling of WAAM. Incremental forming tests conducted on truncated cone geometries with varying wall angles, fabricated from sheets with and without deposited features, exhibit comparable fracture strains (within 4%) and indicate that the original ductility of the substrate material is effectively preserved. Finally, the paper presents the new proposed hybrid additive manufacturing chain combining WAAM, metal cutting, and incremental forming, highlighting its potential as a cost-efficient method for producing customized sheet-metal components with integrated three-dimensional features.