Measurement of Residual Stress in MELD deposited Al6061 by Neutron Diffraction

MELD, which is also referred to as additive friction stir deposition, is an emerging solid-state process that is uniquely suited for large-scale additive manufacturing and repair of metals and alloys .The work outlined forms part of a collaborative project between the University of Nottingham and Virginia Tech on the development of process modelling capabilities to predict the deposition geometry, thermal profiles, deformation and residual stress and resultant microstructures generated by the process to create a tool to improve understanding of the interaction of and optimisation of process parameters. The objective of this proposal is to validate an initial sequentially coupled thermo-mechanical model of the process.