Wire + arc additive manufacturing components contain significant residual stresses, which manifest in distortion. High-pressure rolling was applied to each layer of a linear Ti–6Al–4V wire + arc additive manufacturing component in between deposition passes. In rolled specimens, out-of-plane distortion was more than halved; a change in the deposits' geometry due to plastic deformation was observed and process repeatability was increased. The Contour method of residual stresses measurements showed that although the specimens still exhibited tensile stresses (up to 500 MPa), their magnitude was reduced by 60%, particularly at the interface between deposit and substrate. The results were validated with neutron diffraction measurements, which were in good agreement away from the baseplate. This paper is part of a Themed Issue on Measurement, modelling and mitigation of residual stress.

Wire + Arc Additively Manufactured components contain significant residual stresses that manifest in distortion. Each layer of an additively manufactured wall was rolled with the aim of reducing the residual stress. Neutron diffraction and contour method measurements show that the residual stresses were reduced particularly at the boundary with the substrate. The process also reduced distortion, and refined the microstructure which may facilitate implementation on aerospace components.