Optimization of Bead Geometry and Properties of 304 Stainless Steel Thin-walled Structures by Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing

CHEN Changrong; REN Jiayi; LIAN Guofu; FENG Meiyan; HUANG Xu

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.01.011

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Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 18 ›› Issue (1) : 110-124. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.01.011

Additive Manufacturing

Optimization of Bead Geometry and Properties of 304 Stainless Steel Thin-walled Structures by Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing

CHEN Changrong^*, REN Jiayi, LIAN Guofu, FENG Meiyan, HUANG Xu

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Abstract

The work aims to investigate the effects of process parameters on the forming quality and properties of thin-walled structures made of 304 stainless steel and to provide references for the optimization of wire and arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) processes for related materials. To achieve this, the orthogonal experiment method was employed to analyze the influence of process parameters on the forming quality of single-pass single-layer welds, while the response surface methodology was used to establish mathematical models between surface waviness and parallelism of thin-walled structures and process parameters. Additionally, hardness measurements and tensile strength tests were conducted to comprehensively analyze the effects of process parameters on the properties of 304 stainless steel components. The results showed that an increase in welding current promoted an increase in the width-to-height ratio and the dilution rate. Response surface analysis revealed that surface waviness was directly proportional to welding current and inversely proportional to welding speed, and it first increased and then decreased with the increase in CTWD. Parallelism showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing with the increase in welding current, welding speed, and CTWD. The optimal combination of process parameters is found to be a welding current of 91 A, welding speed of 28 cm/min, and CTWD of 4.5 mm. After optimization, the relative errors of surface waviness, parallelism, hardness, and tensile strength were 1.61%, 4.14%, 4.55%, and 2.14%, respectively. The research results provide a theoretical basis for the process optimization of WAAM for related materials.

Key words

wire and arc additive manufacturing / thin-walled structures / 304 stainless steel / forming dimensions / mechanical properties

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CHEN Changrong, REN Jiayi, LIAN Guofu, FENG Meiyan, HUANG Xu. Optimization of Bead Geometry and Properties of 304 Stainless Steel Thin-walled Structures by Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing[J]. Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering. 2026, 18(1): 110-124 https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.01.011

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Funding

Fujian Industry-University Cooperation Project (2023N5015); Fujian Provincial Special Project on Promoting High- quality Development of Marine and Fishery Industry (FJHYF-ZH-2023-08)