Simulation of residual stress and distortion evolution in dual-robot collaborative wire-arc additive manufactured Al-Cu alloys
Runsheng Li, Guanpeng Ju, Xushan Zhao, Yanzhen Zhang, Yongzhe Li, Guofang Hu, Mingyu Yan, Yuyao Wu, Danyang Lin
Abstract
The aim of this study is to evaluate the residual stress and deformation distribution of large thin-walled Al-Cu alloy components produced by a dual-robot collaborative system in wire-arc additive manufacturing. Finite element models of single-robot and dual-robot systems were developed and experimentally validated using infrared thermography and structured light sensors. The dual-robot achieved significantly lower maximum temperature gradients in both deposition (0.47 × 105 ℃/m vs. 0.68 × 105 ℃/m) and height directions (0.94 × 105 ℃/m vs. 1.03 × 105 ℃/m) compared to the single robot, indicating more uniform temperature distribution. The stress evolution process and distribution between the single robot and dual-robot systems differs, but both exhibit approximately symmetric distributions. Moreover, the dual-robot reduced vertical displacement in the substrate by approximately 29% (15.2 vs. 21.4 mm), attributable to more uniform stress distribution and reduced temperature gradients. The additive manufacturing of a commercial aircraft load-bearing frame validated the application potential of this technology in the industry.