Enhancing Formability of High-Inclination Thin-Walled and Arch Bridge Structures via Tilted Laser Wire Additive Manufacturing
Source abstract
Abstract
Laser wire additive manufacturing (LWAM) offers high deposition efficiency and excellent material utilization. However, manufacturing thin-walled structures with large inclination angles and no support remains a challenge. In this study, the influence of laser tilt angle on the formability of multi-layer inclined parts was systematically investigated. Results reveal that tilting the laser redistributes energy input along the inclination direction, stabilizing the melt pool and reducing angular deviation. Under a 20° tilt condition, thin-walled structures with inclination up to 70° were successfully fabricated, overcoming the limitation of conventional vertical deposition. Furthermore, a multi-inclination arch bridge structure was fabricated under optimized conditions, demonstrating good morphological appearance, dimensional accuracy (deviation within ±0.3 mm), and surface waviness (W < 0.12 mm). The findings provide new insights into the mechanism of energy redistribution in tilted LWAM and establish a promising strategy for manufacturing complex overhanging structures in aerospace and automotive industries.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Additive Manufacturing Materials and Processes · Cellular and Composite Structures · Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Technologies
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Luoyang Ship Material Research Institute, Luoyang 471003, China
School of Mechatronics Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, China
Funding
National Natural Science Foundation of China
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