Residual stress of as-deposited and rolled wire+arc additive manufacturing Ti–6Al–4V components

Wire + arc additive manufacturing components contain significant residual stresses that manifest in distortion. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of high-pressure rolling on the residual stresses and distortion in linear Ti–6Al–4V wire + arc additive manufacturing components. The methodology included applying high-pressure rolling to each layer between deposition passes and measuring the residual stresses using the Contour method, supported by neutron diffraction measurements. The results demonstrated that the application of rolling reduced the out-of-plane distortion by more than half, indicating a significant improvement in geometry due to plastic deformation. Although the specimens still exhibited tensile stresses—up to 500 MPa—their magnitude was notably reduced by 60%, especially at the interface between deposit and substrate. This study provides insights into process repeatability and highlights the potential of rolling as a mitigation strategy for residual stresses in additive manufacturing applications. The findings are essential for improving the structural integrity of additive manufactured components.