Researchers have used wire-arc direct energy deposition (DED-Arc) to manufacture a large stainless steel pressure vessel. The vessel, standing 1600 mm high with a 900 mm diameter, was built as a single piece using a combination of single-pass and multi-pass techniques for different wall thicknesses.
The vessel’s shell, with a nominal thickness of 5mm, was constructed using a single-pass approach, while the thicker head, up to 30mm, required multiple passes. After manufacturing, the vessel was pressure tested up to 111 bar to ensure structural integrity. To assess the mechanical properties, tensile and fatigue tests were conducted on samples from the as-built and pressure-tested conditions.
Metallurgical analysis correlated the microstructural features with mechanical performance, confirming the vessel’s high quality. The study also included 3D scanning to verify dimensional accuracy. The results showed minor deviations from the CAD model, with a mean deviation of 0.27 mm and most points within ±6 mm.
The vessel’s material properties were validated through hardness and microhardness measurements. The pressure test, combined with digital image correlation (DIC), showed reliable performance under operational conditions. Fatigue tests on extracted coupons further validated the vessel’s suitability for high-performance applications.
Overall, the study has demonstrated that DED-Arc is effective for producing large-scale, high-performance stainless steel pressure vessels, emphasizing the importance of process optimization for dimensional accuracy and mechanical performance.
You can read the full research paper, titled “Manufacturing and mechanical performance of a large-scale stainless steel vessel fabricated by wire-arc direct energy deposition” at this link.