Fatigue of wire arc additively manufactured components made of unalloyed S355 steel

Journal article

Today, wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) can be used to fabricate critical structural steel components. The process allows to fabricate sophisticated shapes, thereby achieving very high levels of material capacity utilization. Key welding parameters inevitably influence the mechanical resistance of components made by WAAM, submitted to static or cyclic loading. In this research, the fatigue behaviour of wire arc additively manufactured carbon steel elements is investigated. Firstly, samples are manufactured by cold metal transfer (CMT) welding process using carbon steel 3Dprint AM 35 (S355) grade and following a welding procedure optimised to limit the welding-induced imperfections. A series of microstructural investigations and mechanical experiments are carried out on milled samples including: (i) hardness tests, (ii) static tensile tests, and (iii) cyclic fatigue tests. Both transverse and longitudinal directions are tested. The obtained fatigue test results are then compared against existing research on equivalent details. A database containing all similar test results and own experimental results is then used to calculate the fatigue detail categories, and to assess the applicability of the current Eurocode and IIW provisions for fatigue. The reliability levels of the proposed fatigue classes are then validated through the use of Weibull models, commonly used in survival analysis.

Authors: Karabulut, B; Ruan, X; MacDonald, S; Dobrić, J; Rossi, B

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Journal: International Journal of Fatigue
• Volume: 184
• Article number: 108317
• Publication date: 2024-04-03
• Acceptance date: 2024-03-31
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2024.108317
• EISSN: 1879-3452
• ISSN: 0142-1123
• Language: English
• Keywords: reliability; Weibull models; 3Dprint AM35; wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM); fatigue behaviour