Finite element analysis of clamping form in wire and arc additive manufacturing

A reasonable clamping form can effectively reduce the distortion and defect in wire and arc additive manufacturing. In this paper, a three-dimensional finite element model with verified weld-bead profile and heat source model is established. Using the Simufact.welding finite element analysis software, four typical clamping forms are compared in total distortion and residual stress distribution. The results demonstrate that the edge clamping form has the better performance than the corner clamping form. In edge clamping form, the transversal clamping plays the dominant role than the longitudinal clamping in guaranteeing the dimensional precision. Basing on the analysis of residual stress distribution, the clamping form with only the transversal clamping can obtain the least residual stress distribution.