A discrete source model of powder bed fusion additive manufacturing thermal history (original) (raw)

Modelling heat transfer in powder bed additive manufacturing

2018

One of the most important ingredients in a numerical model of Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a heat transfer model. On its own this is challenging enough as conductive, convective and radiative heat transfer mechanisms are all important, coupled with liquid/solid phase changes. For metals and alloys the process is also inherently multiscale – a perennial problem in materials science. Furthermore, heat transfer is only the first step to predict different phenomena of interest including metallurgical microstructure, defects and thermal stresses to name a few. This paper briefly touches on several of these areas, all of which merit concerted effort by the modelling community.

Multivariate Calibration and Experimental Validation of a 3D Finite Element Thermal Model for Laser Powder Bed Fusion Metal Additive Manufacturing

Integrating Materials and Manufacturing Innovation, 2018

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) typically suffers from high degrees of variability in the properties/performance of the fabricated parts, particularly due to the lack of understanding and control over the physical mechanisms that govern microstructure formation during fabrication. This paper directly addresses an important problem in metal AM: the determination of the thermal history of the deposited material. Any attempts to link process to microstructure in AM would need to consider the thermal history of the material. In situ monitoring only provides partial information and simulations may be necessary to have a comprehensive understanding of the thermo-physical conditions to which the deposited material is subjected. We address this in the present work through linking thermal models to experiments via a computationally efficient surrogate modeling approach based on multivariate Gaussian processes (MVGPs). The MVGPs are then used to calibrate the free parameters of the multi-ph...

Analytical Thermal Modeling of Powder Bed Metal Additive Manufacturing Considering Powder Size Variation and Packing

Materials, 2020

This work presents a computationally efficient predictive model based on solid heat transfer for temperature profiles in powder bed metal additive manufacturing (PBMAM) considering the heat transfer boundary condition and powder material properties. A point moving heat source model is used for the three-dimensional temperature prediction in an absolute coordinate. The heat loss from convection and radiation is calculated using a heat sink solution with a mathematically discretized boundary considering non-uniform temperatures and heat loss at the boundary. Powder material properties are calculated considering powder size statistical distribution and powder packing. The spatially uniform and temperature-independent material properties are employed in the temperature prediction. The presented model was tested in PBMAM of AlSi10Mg under different process conditions. The calculations of material properties are needed for AlSi10Mg because of the significant difference in thermal conductivity between powder form and solid bulk form. Close agreement is observed upon experimental validation on the molten pool dimensions.

Fast Detection of Heat Accumulation in Powder Bed Fusion Using Computationally Efficient Thermal Models

Materials, 2020

The powder bed fusion (PBF) process is a type of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technique which enables fabrication of highly complex geometries with unprecedented design freedom. However, PBF still suffers from manufacturing constraints which, if overlooked, can cause various types of defects in the final part. One such constraint is the local accumulation of heat which leads to surface defects such as melt ball and dross formation. Moreover, slow cooling rates due to local heat accumulation can adversely affect resulting microstructures. In this paper, first a layer-by-layer PBF thermal process model, well established in the literature, is used to predict zones of local heat accumulation in a given part geometry. However, due to the transient nature of the analysis and the continuously growing domain size, the associated computational cost is high which prohibits part-scale applications. Therefore, to reduce the overall computational burden, various simplifications and their associat...

A survey of finite element analysis of temperature and thermal stress fields in powder bed fusion Additive Manufacturing

Additive Manufacturing, 2018

This survey aims to provide a review on the application of finite element method to optimize process parameters and improve the mechanical performance of a part fabricated by powderbed-fusion Additive Manufacturing process. The state-of-the-art finite element models in the simulation of powder bed fusion process are reviewed. Numerical modeling methodologies of the laser beam melting or electron beam melting process at the macro-level are summarized in detail. Specifically, the importance of pre-processing of the part model, process parameters, mesh scheme, and temperature-dependent material properties are clarified. Simulation techniques used to reduce the computational cost are also discussed. Then the existing finite element models in the simulation of powder-bed fusion processes are reviewed and discussed. Simulation results are classified based on the characteristics of the melt pool and the printed part. Then the simulation results are validated by the experiment results. Finally, the significance of finite element method in the connection of other Additive Manufacturing issues such as material design, in-process monitoring and control, and process optimization are explained. The drawbacks of existing finite element models are summarized. And potential new methods to optimize process parameters of PBF process are proposed.

Multi-physics continuum modelling approaches for metal powder additive manufacturing: a review

Rapid Prototyping Journal, 2020

Purpose This paper aims to present a systematic approach in the literature survey related to metal additive manufacturing (AM) processes and its multi-physics continuum modelling approach for its better understanding. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review of the literature available in the area of continuum modelling practices adopted for the powder bed fusion (PBF) AM processes for the deposition of powder layer over the substrate along with quantification of residual stress and distortion. Discrete element method (DEM) and finite element method (FEM) approaches have been reviewed for the deposition of powder layer and thermo-mechanical modelling, respectively. Further, thermo-mechanical modelling adopted for the PBF AM process have been discussed in detail with its constituents. Finally, on the basis of prediction through thermo-mechanical models and experimental validation, distortion mitigation/minimisation techniques applied in PBF AM processes have been reviewed to p...

Local Thermal Rates and Gradients in Laser Powder Bed Fusion Metal Additive Manufacturing Method: Computer Simulation

2021

The powder bed fusion (PBF) metal additive manufacturing (AM) method uses an energy source like a laser to melt the metal powders. The laser can locally melt the metal powders and creates a solid structure as it moves. The complexity of the heat distribution in laser PBF metal AM is one of the main features that need to be accurately addressed and understood to design and manage an optimized printing process. In this research, the dependency of local thermal rates and gradients on print after solidification (in the heat-affected zone) was numerically simulated and studied to provide information for designing the print process. The simulation results were validated by independent experimental results. The simulation shows that the local thermal rates are higher at higher laser power and scan speed. Also, the local thermal gradients increase if the laser power increases. The effect of scan speed on the thermal gradients is opposite during heating versus cooling times. Increasing the s...

Metal powder bed fusion process chains: an overview of modelling techniques

Progress in Additive Manufacturing

Metal powder bed fusion (MPBF) is not a standalone process, and other manufacturing technologies, such as heat treatment and surface finishing operations, are often required to achieve a high-quality component. To optimise each individual process for a given component, its progression through the full process chain must be considered and understood, which can be achieved through the use of validated models. This article aims to provide an overview of the various modelling techniques that can be utilised in the development of a digital twin for MPBF process chains, including methods for data transfer between physical and digital entities and uncertainty evaluation. An assessment of the current maturity of modelling techniques through the use of technology readiness levels is conducted to understand their maturity. Summary remarks highlighting the advantages and disadvantages in physics-based modelling techniques used in MPBF research domains (i.e. prediction of: powder distortion; t...

Numerical modelling of heat transfer and experimental validation in Powder-Bed Fusion with the Virtual Domain Approximation

2018

Among metal additive manufacturing technologies, powder-bed fusion features very thin layers and rapid solidification rates, leading to long build jobs and a highly localized process. Many efforts are being devoted to accelerate simulation times for practical industrial applications. The new approach suggested here, the virtual domain approximation, is a physics-based rationale for spatial reduction of the domain in the thermal finite-element analysis at the part scale. Computational experiments address, among others, validation against a large physical experiment of 17.5 [cm^3] of deposited volume in 647 layers. For fast and automatic parameter estimation at such level of complexity, a high-performance computing framework is employed. It couples FEMPAR-AM, a specialized parallel finite-element software, with Dakota, for the parametric exploration. Compared to previous state-of-the-art, this formulation provides higher accuracy at the same computational cost. This sets the path to a...

Simulation of metallic powder bed additive manufacturing processes with the finite element method: A critical review

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture, 2015

This article provides a literature review of finite element simulation studies for metallic powder bed additive manufacturing processes. The various approaches in the numerical modeling of the processes and the selection of materials properties are presented in detail. Simulation results are categorized according to three major findings' groups (i.e. temperature field, residual stresses and melt pool characteristics). Moreover, the means used for the experimental validation of the simulation findings are described. Looking deeper into the studies reviewed, a number of future directions are identified in the context of transforming simulation into a powerful tool for the industrial application of additive manufacturing. Smart modeling approaches should be developed, materials and their properties should be further characterized and standardized, commercial packages specialized in additive manufacturing simulation have to be developed and simulation needs to become part of the modern digital production chains. Finally, the reviewed studies are organized in a table and characterized according to the process and material studied, the modeling methodology and the experimental validation method used in each of them. The key findings of the reviewed studies are also summarized.