Abstract. Compared to other additive manufacturing (AM) processes, wire-arc AM (WAAM) based on modern roboticized welding processes offers high ...
2nd Conference & Expo Genoa 2018 “A European event for the Corrosion Prevention”
From the industry to the industry
OIL & GAS WIRE+ARC ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT a
a
a
R. M. Kindermann , M.J. Roy , J.A. Francis , P. Prangnell a
b
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester b School of Materials, University of Manchester
Abstract Compared to other additive manufacturing (AM) processes, wire-arc AM (WAAM) based on modern roboticized welding processes offers high deposition rates and therefore the potential to manufacture components on the order of a meter. WAAM has the potential for upstream and downstream oil and gas sectors to build complete high value medium to large components from scratch to a near net shape. This can severely reduce lead time and material waste in relation to traditional manufacturing techniques. The present work will demonstrate the results obtained from a two-stage research programme to develop this manufacturing route further. The first investigates practicalities employing 4043 aluminium alloy with an advanced gas-metal arc welding (GMAW) technique (Cold Metal Transfer), with aluminium acting as a surrogate material to investigate processing parameters for nickel-based alloys. Aluminium is very prone to porosity and its high thermal conductivity makes welding depositions susceptible to profile imperfections, which can undermine quality and geometric precision of WAAM components. Analysis of porosity, tool-path generation strategies and the influence of manufacturing parameters have been tabulated. Results show the feasibility of manufacture thin walled components with high deposition rates (up to 2.3 kg/hr) while minimizing defects (
