Simultaneous topology and deposition direction optimization for Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing

A remarkable elastic anisotropy in plates of austenitic stainless steel produced by the Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing process is recently reported. The Young's modulus depends on the angle of orientation with respect to the material deposition direction. Here, for the first time, this anisotropy is exploited to maximize structural stiffness by simultaneously optimizing the structural design layout and the local deposition path direction for WAAM. The results obtained indicate deposition that is commonly preferred along the load-path directions for WAAM is sub-optimal and stiffness can be increased at least 53% upon optimizing the deposition directions.