Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of the Bimetallic Wire Arc Additively Manufactured Structure (BAMS) of SS304L and SS308L Fabricated by Hybrid Manufacturing Process

The manufacturing of various components with stainless steel is significant and demanding for several industrial sectors. The components of SS with high performance and production must include the hot forging and precision machining to obtain the required shape. 3Dprinting/additive manufacturing can fulfill the fabrication of near-net-shape components. However, for large-scale parts, the processing time and cost are higher. Thus, the combination of forging operations and additive manufacturing leads to many advantages by formatting a hybrid-manufacturing route. The present investigation combined bimetallic parts of hot forged SS304L and wire arc additive manufacturing deposits of SS308L. To obtain the excellent mechanical properties in the interface and deposited wall, two different modes of pulse and spray MIG-based WAAM were used for deposition. The microstructures of forged and deposited components were similar to the conventional processing of SS with improved mechanical properties. The component features shaped by WAAM on forged preforms were revealed to attain the required mechanical properties by hybrid-manufacturing technologies. Based on the microstructural and mechanical properties, hybrid-manufacturing technology gave a good result with the pulse mode of deposition. The hybrid-manufacturing technology of forging and AM can enhance material properties and increase flexibility for the fabrication of components than forging techniques.