| Abstract Scope |
Driven by the increasing adoption of WAAM in the O&G industry to reduce lead times and spare parts inventory, this study evaluates the productivity and quality of Tandem WAAM versus conventional single-wire deposition. The investigation focuses on the fabrication of 2” ASME B16.5 Class 150 neck flanges using ER110S-1 (1.20 mm) wire and Ar+2%CO₂. Due to the Tandem torch configuration, slicing the preform into flange-transition-neck modules presented significant complexity, as bead geometry varied with travel direction. The heat input values were 3.56 and 6.50 kJ/cm, with deposition rates of 2.75 and 8.00 kg/h, resulting in deposition times of 3h15 min and 1h00 min for the conventional and Tandem processes, respectively. The study concludes that while active cooling effectively manages the thermal cycle, the Tandem process offers a remarkable productivity leap, notwithstanding the challenges in slicing and toolpath generation. |