Fatigue and Tensile Performance of Cold Metal Transfer-Based Wire Arc Additively Manufactured 316L Stainless Steel

Abstract

In the present study, a wall made of austenitic stainless steel 316L (SS 316L) was produced using the cold metal transfer wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) technique. Tensile and high cycle fatigue behaviors were then analyzed and compared with those of as-received hot-rolled SS 316L. Optical and scanning electron microscopy was adopted for microstructural analysis. Microstructure and texture evolution were also studied using electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD). The phases and residual stress were determined using the x-ray diffraction technique. EBSD analysis revealed that the high heat input and repeated heating of each subsequent layer led to a coarse columnar structure formation on the additive-manufactured wall. The additively manufactured specimens demonstrated higher tensile strength compared to the as-received material, with the yield strength showing a remarkable 58% improvement over the as-received material. The fatigue strength of the WAAM-based specimen and the hot-rolled SS 316L were approximately 330 MPa and 300 MPa, respectively, at a fatigue life of 106 cycles. The induced compressive residual stresses, higher yield strength, and enhanced hardness in WAAM contributed to the improved fatigue life of the WAAM specimens. © ASM International 2025.