Development of a Model for Parametrization of the GMAW-P Process Applied to Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

Manufacturing parts using the Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) process is characterized by the use of welding sources applied in GMAW, GTAW, and PAW. The control of the parameters during manufacturing is fundamental to contribute to the reduction of the heat input, thus making it possible to apply a technique to control the heat imposed on the deposition of the layers. The process monitoring consists in detecting variations in the process during layers’ deposition, using a variety of resources, such as: acoustic emission, computer vision systems, sensors to collect information on thermal radiation and/or temperature of the part, in addition to capturing information on electrical variables. The objective of this work is to present a methodology for controlling the parameters during deposition of the layers in order to command the equipment with a control algorithm and a data acquisition system, acting on the process. A study of the influence of the parameters on arc geometry and stability is presented. An experimental design based on the Robust Design technique was applied to make the number of experiments feasible. The results suggest the beneficial effect of cycle length on arc stability, melt pool behavior and the final geometry.

Key-words:
WAAM; Process control; GMAW-P; Automation