TITLE:
Effect of Temperature Cycle on the Microhardness of ER4043 Deposited by Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing
AUTHORS:
Nur Izan Syahriah Hussein, Mohamad Nizam Ayof, Gan Chin Ket, Ahmad Amirul Aizad Samsuri, Nor Ana Rosli, Jongkol Srithorn
KEYWORDS:
Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing, Gas Metal Arc Welding, Aluminum Alloys, Temperature Measurement, Microhardness
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Power and Energy Engineering,
Vol.13 No.11,
November
27,
2025
ABSTRACT: Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) is an innovative 3D printing process that deposits metal material layer-by-layer using an electric arc to melt and fuse metal wire onto the substrate of previous layers. Like any metal additive manufacturing method, thermal cycling causes dynamic changes in the substrate and previously deposited layers, causing issues. In addition, WAAM deposition heating and cooling rates affect phase development in the deposited material, which affects mechanical properties. The temperature-mechanical properties relationship of the WAAM process is crucial, but there is limited published data on it, notably for Aluminum Alloy 4043 (ER4043). This research aims to measure the heating and cooling cycle during ER4043 deposition on Aluminum Alloy 6061. The temperature measurement determined the effect of microhardness fluctuation of the ER4043-deposited structure. A gas metal arc welding (GMAW) WAAM structure of 180 mm length and 15 mm height was constructed to address this temperature and microhardness behaviour. The thermocouples were placed at predetermined locations for temperature measurement. The deposited structure was cut and prepared for microhardness testing. Results showed that the new layer reached 263˚C. After 42 layers, the temperature of the beneath layers did not exceed 200˚C. The silicon (Si) phase generated at the heat-affected zone (HAZ) and interdendritic area altered the microhardness values. Porosity is also affecting the microhardness significantly. The most important finding of this study is that dynamic temperature fluctuations during the WAAM process alter the phase transformation of the ER4043 deposited material, which affects microhardness variations. This research improves process optimization and control by revealing the significant impact of heat accumulation on WAAM deposition.