Thermo-mechanical modelling and experimental production of aluminium circular form detail using three-level hierarchical WAAM model
摘要
Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) offers significant potential for large-scale metal component production but remains limited by problems such as heat accumulation, residual stresses, and incomplete process automation. This study focuses on the development and validation of a three-level hierarchical WAAM model—bead, layer, and wall—to enable predictive thermo-mechanical simulation and informed experimental fabrication of an aluminium circular form detail. Each hierarchical level is modelled through transient coupled thermal-structural finite element analysis in ABAQUS, incorporating experimentally derived aluminium 6061 material data, heat input implementation through DFLUX, and convection radiation boundary conditions. The methodology includes sequential deposition modelling with 320 beads, thermal monitoring at critical nodes, and structural evaluation of residual stresses. Simulation results show that bead-level heat distribution and residual stresses remain within safe limits, layer-level deposition produces stable thermal oscillations without excessive heat accumulation. While wall-level revealing progressive heat buildup leading to remelting of previously deposited layers. A mitigation strategy is introduced by implementing layer-wise cooling to