A Method for Detecting Bead Geometry of Thin-Wall Structural Aviation Components in Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM)
摘要
Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) has seen rapid development in recent years due to its numerous advantages, such as high productivity, lower costs, sufficient quality compared to other AM and conventional manufacturing methods. It is particularly valued in the aerospace industry for its efficiency in fabricating large, thin-walled parts. WAAM is a method for producing metal components layer-by-layer, where the bead’s height and width must fit within model dimensions. Deviations in height can introduce greater total height errors, while deviations in width can result in extra waste during post-processing or defects in the wall thickness, potentially compromising the entire part production. Therefore, measuring bead profile dimensions is an important step during the WAAM production or development model of process control. This study proposes a method for detecting bead geometry profiles using data obtained from a laser scanner. The proposed method identifies the bead profile in raw data by employing a modified DBSCAN algorithm and approximates the profile to an elliptic shape model. Additionally, the study introduces a validation technique that compares the actual wire volume deposited with the volume predicted by the model. This allows for precise measurements of bead height and width, enhancing the overall process control in WAAM operations.