Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing

for Marine Application

Case Study Report

Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department

Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee,
Uttarakhand

Under the supervision

of
Prof. Gautam
Agarwal

Prepared By
Nitin Jakhar(19118052, 3rd Year)

Punit Jain (19118063, 3rd Year)

7th March 2022

Contents

1. Introduction
1.1. Additive Manufacturing
1.2. Intro to WAAM
2. Normal Way of Construction of Ships
2.1. Initial Design
2.2. Design Phase
2.3. Production of ShipHull
3. WAAM
3.1. 3-D Model (CAD Models)
3.2. CNC Machine Tool
3.3. Further Developments in Process Design

4. Importance of WAAM in Shipbuilding Industry

4.1. Aluminum usage in Ship Manufacturing
5. Material used in WAAM in Naval industry
5.1. Study on AISI 316L
5.2. Study on Cu-Al alloy

6. Challenges in using WAAM

6.1. Symmetrical Building
6.2. Back to Back Building
6.3. High Pressure Interpass Rolling

7. Conclusion
8. References
1. INTRODUCTION
Shipping is the most cost-effective way of transporting all goods and therefore about 93
percent of all goods today are shipped by the transportation industry. Changes and global
trade in the business environment are resulting in new business models and business in
the shipbuilding industry. The competition forces shipbuilders to produce their own high-
quality vessels with low production and operating costs. Reducing the cost of
manufacturing complex and large parts of the vessel acquired through traditional
production methods currently used is limited as the processes in these traditional methods
are labor-intensive, time-consuming and costly. Therefore, alternative production methods
have become more important and popular with Industry.

1.1. Additive Manufacturing

Additive Manufacturing is a rapidly evolving technology with which 3-D components are
synthesized by adding and adding excellent layers of metal, polymer, powders, or cords to
many industries especially aerospace, automotive, and healthcare. Additive Manufacturing
offers many important advantages in producing metal parts in terms of production time and
cost and provides future research and development capabilities .

1.2. Intro to WAAM

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) is a newly developed method that uses electric
arc and steel wire as a heat source and makes welding layer by layer.

WAAM is highly flexible and capable of producing complex parts with high placement
standards which makes the WAAM method suitable for the production of large-scale steel
parts and demonstrates efficient material efficiency and energy efficiency and offers
benefits in cost savings and material use. .

Although this method is not yet fully developed, a number of maritime and shipbuilding
companies are interested in integrating WAAM technology into their design and production
in recent years.
2. Normal way of Construction of Ships
Unlike other transport vehicles (e.g. planes, cars, and trucks) they are manufactured by
serial production. each vessel (with the exception of sister ships) should be designed from
scratch separately for its purpose and the needs of the shipowners. Therefore, the design
and production of vessels and vessel components is an important factor in shipbuilding.
The process of building a new ship is usually done in the following steps

1) Initial design
2) Contracting
3) Design phase
a) Concept design including model test
b) Basic design including approval by the classification society
c) Detail design (e.g. workshop drawings)
d) Production design (e.g. nesting, 3-D drawings for block
assembly)
4) Purchasing (Engine, outfitting equipment)
5) Production of ship hull
a) Cutting, bending, and forming of plates and profiles to be used
for ship
b) Production of panels and blocks including some outfitting
components
c) Painting
d) Keel laying
e) Erection of ship hull block-wise
f) Assembly of the main engine with associated components
6) Launching
7) Outfitting of remainder components
8) Sea trial
9) Delivery
2.1 Initial Design

The initial design process can be considered as a techno-economic approach. In particular

the operational requirements of the shipowner need to be considered including the
description of the ship's technical facilities and operations which then allows for the
development of basic details such as main size, critical weight, speed, navigation, capacity,
material type, stability. , and freeboard, etc. Therefore, the layout, the salary structure, and
the size of the hull structure are made at this stage.

2.2 Design Phase

In the concept design phase, verification of the required key strength information of the
main engine (by model testing) and electrical components, displacement, and stability
calculations involving the strength of the damage and behavior of the ship structure (long-
term power, midship phase) is performed. Additionally, hull form and compartmentation,
tank system, weight, and contract cost estimates are examined in detail. The design phase
is important as decisions are made using available data and the greatest uncertainty
possible.

In the basic design phase, all drawings are prepared, which should be approved by the
classification community. These include GA-plan, stability manuals, all steel plans, pipeline
schemata, electrical schemata, shipbuilding systems, etc. Based on information and
knowledge from the concept design phase, calculations are repeated to achieve and
protect the vessel owner’s performance. requirements and to establish the release of the
building. At the end of this design phase, the so-called 'class drawings' are revised. The
information design phase is done according to the selected construction method. Ships,
machinery, and pipelines are usually built by the yard, and some are built locally by the
builders of the system providers. The details and design of the production are usually done
by the vessel location alone and / or by the designer.
2.3 Production of ShipHull

During its voyage, ships must overcome their resistance to movement. In order to reduce the
force required to overcome these forces and to control external and internal cargo, the
steering system and the ship's hull must be hydrodynamically developed and mechanically
strengthened. Therefore, the ship's vessel consists of many double curved parts (propeller,
rudder and bulbous bulb, etc.) in their costly and time-consuming production processes.
During shipbuilding, panels and blocks are manufactured according to the ship's design..

After cutting, bending, and making the plates and profiles, a surface preparation process is
performed that makes it possible to weld them into panels and blocks. Hydraulic pressing and
frame bending methods are widely used in shipyards to form the plates and profiles into
three-dimensional structures. Once the plates and profiles are prepared and the required
shape is given, they are welded according to the drawings that are approved by the
classification society. The outer profile and inner structure including compartments of a
bulbous bow are shown.

In ship construction, hull welding is performed mostly manually by welders. These

processes may be dangerous and labor-intensive as the size of ships and the intensity of
the welding processes are considered. Therefore, there has been much effort directed to the
automation of welding processes through robots, especially during the construction of
double-hulled blocks. Therefore, the production of ship parts that are large in size and
narrow to work inside of them (e.g. double bottom, bulbous bow, and rudder) as one piece
may eliminate most of the manual welding operations. Furthermore, for some other ship
parts manufactured by casting and/or milling, a high material scrap occurs. Minimizing the
scrap may be possible by producing these parts as one piece. The above-mentioned
problems encouraged several maritime and shipbuilding companies to find alternative
solutions for the integration of additive manufacturing methods into shipbuilding and spare
part supply processes.

3. WAAM (Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing)

In the near future, with the possibility of topology and form development, a significant
reduction in material residues will be of interest to modern industries, such as aerospace,
medicine, energy, and automotive industries and the shipbuilding industry. Although great
efforts have been made to improve the geometry and masses of materials, material waste
could not be brought to the required levels due to the limitations of conventional production
methods. As the need for a lightweight and customized design works as one of the market
drivers, AM technology will provide critical and valuable solutions in these areas. Laser-
based AM analysis of metal components by investigating the relationship between material,
process, and metal method has shown that multi-sector work will accelerate understanding of
material separation, process development, and metal methods for each AM method.

3.1 3-D Model ( CAD models)

Additional production processes begin with the construction of 3D CAD models with
commercial software or 3D scanners. Then, these models are converted into a file format that
provides information to the machine using solid, advanced technology and mesh. At WAAM,
the most widely used conversion and file format is the messaging method and .STL format
respectively. The ASCII.STL file is represented by triangular facetes defined by cartesian
links for each facet and the normal vector. Conflict prevention during placement and
elimination of defects in part can be controlled by precision cutting. Therefore, there is a need
for some algorithms for high quality WAAM cutting methods. In a single direct cut, the CAD
model is cut into thick non-stick layers that influence the accuracy of part size and computer
time directly. However, the multi-sided cut creates a 2.5D layer cut with a fixed or flexible
layer thickness that eliminates the need for support structures. Ding developed a new multi-
sided cutting algorithm and reported that the algorithm works to prevent collisions in the
WAAM system. After the CAD model and STL files have been edited, tool path analysis
starts that

involves arranging the toolbar for each layer to obtain a three-dimensional component once
to convey it to the deceiver in its own understandable language. With improved route
planning, the level of material placement can be increased and material residues can be
reduced. Raster, zigzag, contours, hybrid, and continuous pattern patterns are established on
AM paths and can be used for WAAM. Terms of choice between the types of method in
WAAM are durability, transparency, uneven bead profile, and crossing. Overall, the winding
method is the most widely used as it may reduce the total number of tool passes and
mechanical shift movements. Kao and Prinz proposed a new algorithm that incorporates
tools from the inside out so that spaces can be avoided by inserting the necessary items
outside the border. Michel et al. introduced the so-called Modular Path Planning (MPP) a
strategic planning solution in WAAM processes that can be used to build larger and more
complex topologies. After the system configuration is complete, the code that will transfer the
tool path data to the fraudster in its own language must be corrected. For commercial 3D
printers, there is software that can be used to cut the following; Cura, Kisslicer, Reperier
Host, Simplify 3D, Slic3r, and Zortax Z-Suite. Through the WAAM process, there are
marketing tools that can produce a G-Code for CNC manipulator. However, there are only a
few studies related to automated software management software for robotic applications.

Working principle and required equipment for a typical WAAM-Application

3.2 CNC Machine Tool

During the processing phase, a computer numerical device (CNC) machine or robot can be
used as a fraudulent WAAM process. In a computer numerical control system (CNC), a
welding torch can be mounted on a moving arm in a downward position. In the event that a
machine in the background processing is required, using CNC as a WAAM trick may be
helpful. On the other hand, robots with a higher Degree of Freedom (DOF) have more work
space than CNC systems. The arm of a 6-axis robot may allow for flexibility in the production
and production of large parts by eliminating volume limitations. Therefore, the production of
complex and massive components using robots can be of great benefit. The accuracy and
precision of the additional finish are also important in the post-processing phase which can
make the CNC system more efficient compared to robotic systems. Therefore, one needs to
define a specific process in the part of the part that will be manufactured using WAAM before
selecting robots, CNC, and configurations.

Methodology of WAAM

WAAM is a welding process for the construction and production of high quality steel parts
requires an excellent arc power source. At WAAM, temperature fluctuations may silence
residual pressures that greatly affect the accuracy of the final position of the component. Cold
metal transfer system (CMT) is based on the dip transfer process and is commonly used at
WAAM as it provides a customized arc waveform and wire movement interaction to set the
droplet junction. Compared to MIG welding, a small amount of current is required for

compact parts can be produced with improved quality of weld bead. produced Al – 6.3% Cu
alloy sample using WAAM with 4 different arc modes, CMT, CMT Pulse, CMT Advanced, and
Pulse Advanced CMT and reported CMT-PADV is the most suitable WAAM process for this
aluminum alloy as it provides low heat input and this results in low porosity with fine equiaxed
particles. In addition to the thin walls, the same blockchain study also showed that the CMT-
PADV arc mode results in a lower WAAM porosity of 2319-Al portions generated by Al –
6.3% Cu deposits. Visual images of 2219-aluminum alloys produced by WAAM using
different arc modes. It is evident that, in the CMT-PADV arc mode, very low porosity is
reached and the pores are considered circular.
CMT, and mixing CMT with pulsed MIG welding allows for greater material installation

Samples manufactured by WAAM technology. (a) Deposited AA5183 layers on the

6082-T6 support plate. (b) Large-scale unalloyed tungsten linear structure. (c) Nickel-
aluminum-bronze square bars.

3.3 Further developments in process design

To control and prevent microscale defects, linear monitoring of the morphology of the metal
part using Non-corrosive Examination can be performed. On-line testing may provide real-
time performance testing for each WAAM layer placement. With real-time detection of errors
within the segment as they occur during processing, the following possible steps can be
taken to reduce time wastage and cost.

● Redefine and change the process parameters during the processing

In case an unexpected microstructure and defect occurrence is observed, the
process parameters can instantly be changed according to the microstructure-
process-property relations which have been obtained in preliminary research
studies.
● Elimination of defects, Identifying the defects as soon as they exist allows to
eliminate them during processing by using in-process machining (e.g. rolling).
As a result, the defect size can be directly reduced to a value that is lower than
the critical defect size.
● Stop the production, As the defects larger than the critical defect size that
cannot be repaired are observed, the production can be stopped since the
finished product will not ensure the expected quality and performance from a
fracture mechanics point of view.
Ultrasonic testing (UT) that uses sound waves to detect defects would be suitable to detect
surface and volume defects during in-line monitoring of the WAAM process. Major possible
limitations of UT in in-line defect monitoring during the WAAM process are given as follows:

● Need of a high-density fluid between the part and transducer

● In case the thickness increases, the reflection of the waves may decrease
● The wave propagation becomes difficult as the air pores occur within the
material.
● Cannot function at temperatures higher than 500 K

The porosity of WAAM 5087 aluminum alloy (a) as-deposited without rolling (b)–(d) 15, 30,
45 kN inter-layer rolled.

4. Importance of WAAM in the shipbuilding industry

Ships are designed so that they will overcome forces in the water that act against their
direction of movement. Since the combination of these forces may be very high, the shape
of the ship must be hydrodynamically optimized and the ship hull design should be
strengthened to manage all external and internal loads and optimize energy efficiency.

One of the main problems with wire arc additively manufactured titanium alloys is the
anisotropy of strength and elongation on the layers due to coarse columnar prior β-grain
structures that are highly textured. This problem can be overcome by microstructural
refinement through cold rolling.

Copper and its alloys are mainly used in the shipbuilding industry for engine and boiler rooms
due to its ability to resist corrosion by saltwater. The mechanical properties and corrosion
resistance of the copper metal can be improved by using its alloys namely copper-nickel,
bronze, brass and copper-beryllium. For marine applications, copper-nickel, and nickel-
aluminum-bronze are used mostly since they offer improved macrofouling and anti-galling
that are critical for uses in seawater.
Nickel-aluminum-bronze alloys are very suitable for WAAM due to their good weldability and
excellent thermal spraying property.

An example application of WAAM, having 255 mm height, with the commercial filler wire of
1.2 mm diameter ALUNOX AX-CuAl8Ni6 welding wire is shown with the one produced by
conventional casting method.

A nickel-aluminum-bronze alloy part for marine industry produced by WAAM process

compared to the same part manufactured by casting.

4.1 Aluminum usage in Ship Manufacturing

In recent years, due to the new demands to decrease the weight of the ships, especially in
the yacht and fast boat building sectors, the use of aluminum alloys has become more
attractive. Using aluminum alloys allows to reduce the total weight of the structures up to
15–20% that may offer higher speeds for vessels such as patrol boats, pilot boats, and
hydrofoils. Although the cost of aluminum alloys is much higher than steel, this cost can be
accompanied by a decrease in construction, maintenance and operation costs of ships
and/or boats. Furthermore, the application of manufacturing methods providing higher
production speed and low material costs will accelerate the use of corrosion-resistant
aluminum alloys in ship construction.
5. Materials used in WAAM in Naval Application

Investigating several specific materials for large part components commonly used in naval
applications through a study highlighted two of them: an austenitic stainless steel
X2CrNiMo19-12 (AISI 316L) and a copper-aluminum alloy Cu-Al8Ni2Fe2 (Cu-Al alloy).
The technology chosen for deposits was gas metal arc welding (GMAW), with a controlled
process that allows higher stability of arc and lower heat input. For the Cu-Al alloy, the CMT
technology is compared to a pulsed mode. Welding programs used for the material
investigated are CMT + Pulse for AISI 316L and CMT or pulsed mode for Cu-Al alloy. The
welding torch has been installed on a three-axis machine controlled by a computer through a
Gcode. The filler metals selected were 1.2-mm-diameter wires.

For this study, a similar deposition program has been used for both materials; it consists of a

fully deposited 35-mm wide, 230-mm long, and 100- to 140-mm high block. This deposit is a

multilayer multipass deposit with an optimization of the overlap leading to a layer as flat as

possible. Optimized deposition parameters have been done considering the capacity to

deposit the material, layer by layer, without significant welding defects according to marine

standards and leading to constant growth in a z-direction. A single bead is around 7 mm

wide, and the interval between weld beads is about 4 mm which gives an average of overlap

around 55%. The thickness of the walls remained constant from the beginning to the end of

the deposition.
Production of the “AISI 316L block” and the “Cu-Al block” respected interpass temperatures,

respectively, around 100 and 150 °C and measured with a K-type contact thermometer on

the surface of the deposition. Longitudinal and transverse tensile tests have been performed

according to NF EN ISO 6892-1 and Charpy V notch Impact tests according to NF EN ISO

148-1. On this study, transversal tests mean tests performed in the z direction. Longitudinal

tests mean tests performed on the longest section of XOY plan, here, the z direction.

The main deposition parameters are detailed for each deposition mode in Table. Heat input

remained constant per material from the beginning to the end of the deposition. The

deposition rates were respectively 2.7 kg/h for AISI 316L and 3.3 kg/h for Cu-Al alloy.

For corrosion, electrochemical tests have been performed in seawater at room temperature in order to

compare the behavior of the deposited material to a reference material (cast material for Cu-Al and

plate for AISI 316L). First, the sample is put in seawater to record its own electrical corrosion potential

which exists between the material and a reference saturated calomel electrode in seawater. Then,

tension is applied from − 0.3 to + 1 V around this free corrosion potential.

5.1 - Study on AISI 316L

During deposition of AISI 316L, layers remained flat without visible defects. Tests on

stainless steel AISI 316L gave results close to typically welded joints mechanical

characteristics on internal welding procedure qualification reports (WPQR). Tensile results

respect minimum requirements on forged/rolled/cast standards for stainless steel similar to

AISI 316L. Results on longitudinal tensile tests are higher than those on transversal tests

which can be explained by an orientated columnar structure.

Hardness tests have shown an average value of 185–195 HV5 which is a classical result for

this kind of material.

The elongation for both directions presents an average of 41% which is close to the minimum

requirements of forged and rolled AISI 316L.

Impact test results at room temperature in all directions are quite similar and higher than the

minimum standard requirements as shown on Table. Nevertheless, the RKy values are in

relationship with the columnar structure with a propagation perpendicular to the columnar

grains.

Metallographic samples were prepared for micrographs using anhydride chromium reagent

and electrolytic attack and observed with Olympus DSX500. No significant defects are visible

except very scarce cavities (0.5 mm in diameter). Typically, a dendritic structure with

columnar grains is observed. An austenitic-ferritic structure similar to stainless steel welds is

observed. Few micro-oxides are observed (6 μm) linked to the lack of cleaning between

layers. Ferrite average ratio is 8% measured by the magnetic method using a FERITSCOPE
MP3C. Such amountis a convincing volume to prevent hot cracking in austenitic stainless

steel welds with the high solubility percentage of sulfur and phosphorus in ferrite.

The corrosion tests show a similar behavior between the deposited material and a laminated reference

of X2CrNiMo17-12-2. The passivation domain for the deposited material is less important but remains

convenient (around 400 mV). Corrosion potential of WAAM sample is − 280 mV/ECS while the one

of the laminated reference is − 393 mV/ECS which is lower than the first one.

5.2 - Study on Cu-Al alloy

The aim was first to be able to deposit the Cu-Al filler metal taking into account a fully

penetrated structure with a competitive deposition rate. A previous study on Cu-Al8Ni6 [7]

presented the results on a single-pass and multilayer deposit obtained by pulsed GMAW.

The goal of the present study was to develop the ability to build large multilayer and

multipass components.
In the first approach, the pulsed mode is compared to a CMT® mode from micrographs and

hardness results in order to propose the best compromise for the construction of multipass

blocks.

These preliminary results indicate that the CMT mode allows to obtain a more regular deposit

without any significant change in macro-/microstructure (columnar alpha phase structure),

compared to the pulsed mode. The better behavior of CMT on a weld pool is in relationship

with a lower heat input. It is more difficult to obtain a good and regular bead shape with a

pulsed mode.

The results of the hardness tests performed on the different specimens (see Table 3) indicate

a slight increase in hardness with the CMT mode compared to the pulsed mode. This slight

effect is attenuated by the heat affectation in a multipass deposition.

Mechanical results present an acceptable YS level according to International Association of

Classification Societies naval standards on cast products. However, YS and UTS are lower

than the supplier results of the filler material which can be explained by a too high heat input

and a too long period at high temperature. Temperature during welding deposition has not

been measured to attest a long time at high temperature. It led to a grain growth decreasing

the mechanical results. Results on longitudinal tensile tests are higher than those on

transversal tests that are explained by the orientated structure.

The elongations for longitudinal and transversal tensile tests give average values of,

respectively, 44 and 56% which, compared to minimum standard requirements of 15%, are

much higher than usual in relationship with the tensile mechanical characteristics. Cast

materials, used as reference, have another chemical composition with higher amounts of Al,

Ni, and Fe and have defects such as porosity, shrinkage, or oxide skins. They have an

impact on elongation associated with local large grains.

The corrosion tests indicate a potential value around − 300 mV. The behavior is considered as

equivalent to a cast material reference.

6. Challenges in using WAAM:

The significant heat input associated with arc sources leads to high residual stress, manifest

in distortion once the component is unclamped.24 Residual stresses are associated with the

shrinkage during cooling and are largest along the direction of deposition.25 Currently, the

following methods are employed to mitigate this issue.

6.1 Symmetrical building

A plane of symmetry is identified within the volume of the component; the initial substrate will

coincide with this plane. Using a part rotator, the deposition of the layers is alternated on the

two sides of the substrate; the layer deposited on one side produces stresses, which balance

those produced on the other side. Whenever a plane of symmetry cannot be identified, the

substrate will be aligned to the plane, which separates the two resulting volumes in the most

balanced way. The part was built with this strategy. One additional benefit of this approach is

the more effective heat management; while a new layer is deposited, the previous one cools

down.

6.2 Back to back building

When the starting plate is not part of the component, or when a redesign of the part is not

possible, components can be built on either side of the same substrate, which, in this case, is

sacrificial. This approach does not require redesign and is also characterized by improved

heat management; however, two distinct components are made in each step. Consequently,

this strategy is recommended when two symmetrical parts are needed, such as when

manufacturing wing spars. The parts are subsequently heat treated to relax the residual

stresses, before separation.

6.3 High pressure interpass rolling

Besides the microstructural benefits, the strain introduced by rolling pass results also in

mitigation of the residual stress. While the unrolled specimen showed peak stress of 600

MPa, that of the components rolled at 50 kN was 300 MPa. The slotted roller, which provided

additional side restraints and therefore resulted in a larger strain in the longitudinal direction,

reduced the peak stress even further to 250 MPa. Moreover, in the region at the top of the

wall, where in the deposited specimens residual stresses are moderately tensile, rolling

resulted in compressive stresses.

7. Actual and future potential applications of WAAM in shipbuilding

A ship propeller has a central boss mating with the rotating shaft that transmits the rotation
power. On a typical ship propeller blade, there are two edges; namely leading and trailing
edges. Depending on the rotation orientation of the propeller, the edge that has contact with
water first is the leading edge. These variations make the manufacturing of ship propellers
more difficult and labor intensive. Although the design, shape, and style of propellers have
changed in the last 50 years, the manufacturing process of propellers is still performed by
sand casting. In this framework, preparation of pattern, forming the cavities, casting, and
machining steps are applied. For each new design, a new pattern has to be obtained which
can be tedious work. The propeller blades can be cast together with the hub or they can be
manufactured separately and welded to the hub later. The propeller efficiency increases with
the number of blades; however as the number of blades increases to 4, 5 or 6, the
manufacturing cost increases significantly due to complexity and labor intensive work.
Therefore, the production of a propeller as one part with design flexibility plays an important
role in cost saving of ship construction. In the manufacturing of ship propellers, alloys of
nickel, aluminum, and bronze are used due to their high corrosion resistance. Furthermore,
except the twin ships, new propeller design has to be performed and produced individually for
each new ship construction. By Following used materials and design flexibility, WAAM
appears to be a suitable additive manufacturing method for propeller production.

7.1 bulbous bow

The last suggested implementation of WAAM in shipbuilding is the manufacturing of bulbous

bows. In modern ships, bulbous bows have become an indispensable part of the new
generation ships. The design of the bulbous bow is needed during the preliminary design
level in order to predict the speed and power. In principle, the bulbous bow generates the
wave system that interferes with the wave system generated by the ship. Due to difficulties
and high cost during the manufacturing, the designers follow some guidelines namely,
avoiding double curvature plates and decreasing the curvature of the free-form curved plates,
decomposing them into smaller ones. These limitations reduce the design flexibility of the
bulbous bow. Therefore, the production of the bulbous bow as one part by WAAM may offer
the use of an optimized geometry.

7.2 WAAM certificate

Certification of new manufacturing methods that allows the corresponding products to be

used in the ship industry plays an important role for the application of these methods in a
safe manner and increasing the use of the methods. Bureau Veritas published guidelines
describing the certification procedures for products intended to be used on ships or offshore
units and made in metallic materials by wire arc additive manufacturing process in May 2019.
8. CONCLUSION

WAAM seems to be a very strong candidate to replace some conventional methods for the

production of large size and complex ship parts. This case study reviews the adaptability of

WAAM technology into shipbuilding in terms of material availability, cost, and design

complexity. It was shown that various metals have already been used in WAAM successfully

and the variety of materials increases through new investigations. Therefore, from a material

point of view, WAAM can easily be adapted to shipbuilding. However, more studies may be

needed in development of improved slicing methodologies and softwares that prepares

codes for robots.

In this case study, application of for production of ships parts namely, bulbous bow, ruder and

ship propeller has been discussed. These parts have been selected since their quality

directly influences the ship performance and production of these parts are labor-intensive and

difficult. In addition to them, trials should be performed also with small ship parts that may

allow the spare part production on board. As a conclusion, it is assumed that with the

improvements in robotic hardware/software technologies, process parameter optimisation

and material variety, WAAM will offer lower production costs and production time, higher

design complexity and easier and cheaper spare part supply in marine and shipbuilding

industries.
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