Correlating geometry, microstructure and properties of High Strength Steel thin wall structures fabricated with WAAM

Abstract

Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) of high-strength steel (HSS) has gained significant attention for structural applications. Achieving precise control over the manufacturing process and understanding the relationship between process parameters and the resulting material characteristics is crucial for optimizing the performance of these steel walls to achieve tailored properties. The present study was performed to comprehend the influence of process parameters on the microstructure and properties of wire arc additively manufactured (WAAM) high-strength steel (HSS) thin-wall structures. Multi-layer thin walls of ER110S-G high-strength steel comprising 30 layers were deposited bidirectionally and were fabricated with different travel speeds and wire-feed rates. Geometrical analysis conducted on samples indicates that achieving minimal surface waviness for single-bead thin walls depends on adjusting wire feed rates and travel speeds. Specifically, lower wire feed rates are found to be more effective in minimizing waviness when dealing with single-bead thin walls (thickness $<$ 5 mm). Conversely, lower travel speeds are preferred for reducing surface irregularities in walls fabricated at high deposition rates for thicker single-bead walls (thickness $>$ 8 mm). Cooling rate analysis from midpoints of the 5th, 15th and 25th layers of each sample indicates high cooling rates for low heat input (HI=178 J/mm) samples even for the $25\mathrm{th}$ layer. Microstructural characterization of the samples suggests an increase in acicular ferrite and martensite volume fraction with lower heat input. Additionally, microstructural quantification with EBSD reveals smaller grain sizes and higher Kernel average misorientation for low heat input deposits. Mechanical properties like hardness and tensile strength display an increasing trend with decreasing heat input while elongation to fracture is reduced under the same conditions. Furthermore, anisotropic behaviour is observed in tensile strength and elongation to fracture between building and deposition directions due to the presence of microstructural inhomogeneities.