Modeling and Simulation of Multi-Layer WAAM Structures for Digital Twin Integration

In modern production, Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) is becoming an essential technology for manufacturing complex components. However, the complexity of planning such processes constrains their widespread use in production cycles. Using various numerical simulation approaches allows for the investigation of resulting geometries with respect to process parameters, reducing the need for experiment-based process planning. Similar to various subtractive processes, there is increased interest in integrating simulation approaches into digital twin applications for planning and optimization of WAAM processes. This requires dynamic geometry mapping and simulation time comparable to the process duration. In this paper, a numerical simulation employing a Dexel-based geometry representation and a model for single-bead geometry parameter prediction is investigated as a vital alternative to Finite Element Method (FEM)-based simulations. The focus lies on the accuracy of the simulated components with respect to the simulation settings, the time needed for it to complete, and the degree of compliance between the simulated and produced multi-layer structures. Using optimized simulation settings achieves an accuracy loss of under 7% due to geometry discretization, with a simulation time that is approximately 37% faster than the process duration. The simulated components closely correspond to the experimental ones in terms of width and height, with a volumetric similarity ranging from 63.3% to 88.8%.