Investigation of Mechanical and Microstructural Characteristics of Aluminum 6061 through Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing under As-Deposited and Post-Heat-Treated Conditions
摘要
The propagated requirement for workability and product amalgamation along with shorter product development cycles is driving the ongoing advancement of the latest manufacturing gadgetry like 3D printing. Arc additive manufacturing offers an optimistic mechanism for close lace shape fabrication of enormous, complicated construction. Arc additive manufacturing abides by a tremendously structured and reasonable method while manufacturing huge-scale aluminum alloy elements. Considering the work that has been done, the primary goal is to explore the mechanical characteristics and microstructure of walls fabricated from aluminum 6061 utilizing the (WAAM) process, specifically employing the cold metal transfer mechanism. This study’s primary goal is to focus on every condition as deposited considering the material’s post-heat-treated state. This provides a comparative analysis of how different processing conditions affect the alloy properties. A variety of characterization techniques were utilized to investigate these properties. Scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and optical micrographs are exploited thoroughly to examine the samples. Each of these methods allowed for a detailed evaluation of the changes that occurred in the microstructure during the manufacturing techniques and subsequent heat treatment. In the condition of as deposited, a dendritic morphology is distinguished within the microstructure. This dendrite structure is characteristic of materials processed through WAAM and indicates rapid solidification. However, after post-deposition heat treatment, these dendritic features tend to dematerialize reflecting a significant change in the material microstructure due to the thermal processing. The microhardness, horizontal elongation, and strength of 6061 aluminum alloy accumulation might be reinforced by post-deposition heat treatment.