Bead geometry and surface roughness of ER 5356 single layer produced by wire arc additive manufacturing - gas tungsten arc welding (WAAM-GTAW)

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing based on Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (WAAM-GTAW) is a potential method for aluminum alloy fabrication, but controlling bead geometry, surface roughness, and defects remains a challenge. The purpose of this study is to examine how welding current (110–120 A) and travel speed (90–100 mm/min) affect the microstructure, surface roughness, bead shape, and deposition efficiency of ER5356 monolayers on AA6061 substrates. An intermittently regulated WAAM-GTAW system was used for the experiments. Geometry and deposition efficiency were measured by a 3D scanner, while surface roughness (Ra) and microstructure were analyzed using a roughness tester and an optical microscope. The results showed that increasing the current enlarged the bead width and decreased the surface roughness due to increased heat input, while increasing the travel speed decreased the bead dimensions. The combination of current and travel speed parameters significantly affected the deposition stability and the quality of the bead geometry. At a current of 120 A and a travel speed of 95 mm/min, the highest symmetry coefficient of 0.9997 was obtained with a slope value of only 0.0105. This condition indicates that the deposit geometry has a very good level of symmetry with minimal shape deviation. A more uniform and stable bead profile is the outcome of this condition, which denotes a more even dispersion of the molten metal. These results offer the groundwork for the creation of multilayer manufacturing techniques in aluminum alloy-based WAAM-GTAW as well as a quantitative foundation for parameter optimization in single-layer deposition.