Metals (Jan 2021)

Parameters Optimization of Auxiliary Gas Process for Double-Wire SS316L Stainless Steel Arc Additive Manufacturing

  • Wei Wu,
  • Jiaxiang Xue,
  • Wei Xu,
  • Hongyan Lin,
  • Heqing Tang,
  • Ping Yao

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/met11020190
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 2
p. 190

Abstract

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Serious heat accumulation limits the further efficiency and application in additive manufacturing (AM). This study accordingly proposed a double-wire SS316L stainless steel arc AM with a two-direction auxiliary gas process to research the effect of three parameters, such as auxiliary gas nozzle angle, auxiliary gas flow rate and nozzle-to-substrate distance on depositions, then based on the Box–Behnken Design response surface, a regression equation between three parameters and the total score were established to optimized parameters by an evaluation system. The results showed that samples with nozzle angle of 30° had poor morphology but good properties, and increasing gas flow or decreasing distance would enhance the airflow strength and stiffness, then strongly stir the molten pool and resist the interference. Then a diverse combination of auxiliary process parameters had different influences on the morphology and properties, and an interactive effect on the comprehensive score. Ultimately the optimal auxiliary gas process parameters were 17.4°, 25 L/min and 10.44 mm, which not only bettered the morphology, but refined the grains and improved the properties due to the stirring and cooling effect of the auxiliary gas, which provides a feasible way for quality and efficiency improvements in arc additive manufacturing.

Keywords