Structural design for WAAM technology
Assessment of design values and partial safety factors for WAAM elements
The results from the experimental characterization of WAAM stainless steel planar elements suggest the need for proper guidelines for the design of WAAM structural elements, with considerations regarding the orientation of the element with respect to the printing deposition.
Therefore, a first calibration of the design mechanical properties and partial safety factors of WAAM stainless steel elements has been carried out for structural purposes.
Structural design protocol for WAAM elements
The objective is to develop an innovative Standard Tensile Test Protocol aimed at characterizing the mechanical properties of WAAM-produced steel alloys. The approach consists in the integration of existing standard tensile test method for metals with ad-hoc measurements and procedures aimed at evaluating the specific aspects of WAAM-produced pieces (such as anisotropy and geometrical surface irregularities) which are not commonly investigated with the current standards.