ABS and Radian Forge Launch R&D on Digital Qualification for Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 12, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Radian Forge of the United States launched a joint research and development project in Portsmouth, Virginia, to study the use of digital manufacturing data to qualify the quality and performance of wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) components. The project targets the fabrication of ships and offshore engineering equipment, with a focus on verifying whether production process parameters, real-time sensor data, quality inspection records, and material test results can form reliable technical evidence for determining the manufacturing consistency and final performance of additively manufactured parts.

WAAM uses an electric arc as the heat source and metal welding wire as the feedstock, building metal components through layer-by-layer melting and deposition; it belongs to the directed energy deposition category of additive manufacturing processes. Compared with conventional casting and forging, this technology can directly produce large, complex metal structures from digital models, reducing some tooling and machining preparation work, and is suitable for ship structural components, equipment supports, connectors, and other large metal parts. For critical components with long lead times or limited supply channels, WAAM can also offer a manufacturing option distinct from conventional casting and forging.

In this R&D effort, Radian Forge is responsible for manufacturing the test components, collecting production process and sensor data, and conducting the corresponding material tests; ABS is responsible for independent technical review, assessing the test results and the proposed digital qualification method. The project will focus on correlating arc voltage, current, wire feed speed, interlayer temperature, equipment operating status, and on-site imaging during the manufacturing process with material chemical composition, mechanical properties, and non-destructive testing records, so that each component can form a traceable manufacturing record.

Radian Forge is located within an active shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia, and its business combines industrial robotics, wire arc additive manufacturing, engineering design, and process monitoring. By linking production parameters, layer-by-layer manufacturing records, material testing, and final inspection results to individual components, the company provides customers with quality traceability documentation from manufacturing to delivery. Its material processing capabilities cover carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, copper-nickel alloy, nickel-aluminum bronze, and some nickel-based alloys, and it can produce large metal components for the marine, defense, and industrial sectors.

ABS has previously established technical requirements applicable to additive manufacturing for ships and offshore engineering, covering manufacturing processes, raw materials, operators, and qualification of final components. This collaboration further investigates how continuously collected manufacturing data can be used to improve the completeness and traceability of qualification evidence and reduce the information gaps associated with relying solely on final product inspection. The relevant digital methods still need to be validated through test specimen manufacturing, material testing, and independent technical review, and cannot replace all inspection and certification procedures required by current standards.