TY - JOUR
T1 - Heat transfer simulations of selective laser melting process based on volumetric heat source with powder size consideration
AU - Tran, Hong Chuong
AU - Lo, Yu Lung
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided to this study by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan under Grant Nos. MOST 105-2218-E-006-005 and MOST 105-2218-E-006-015 . The study was also supported in part by the Ministry of Education, Taiwan, under “The Aim for Top University Project” of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU). In addition, this research was, in part, supported by National Chung-Shan institute of science and technology under aerospace grade large-scale additive manufacture development and verification project.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2018/5
Y1 - 2018/5
N2 - Three-dimensional finite element heat transfer simulations with new volumetric heat source are performed to estimate the size of the melt pool cross-section during Selective Laser Melting (SLM). The simulations are based on a new volumetric heat source which takes into account the effect of the powder size distribution on the propagation of the laser energy through the depth of the metal powder layer. In modeling the volumetric heat source, a modified sequential addition method is used to construct the metal powder layer with different powder particle sizes and the absorptivity profile along the depth of the powder layer is then calculated by means of Monte Carlo ray-tracing simulations. It is shown that the peak melt pool temperature obtained in the present simulations (3005 K) is in better agreement with the experimental value than that obtained in previous simulation studies. Furthermore, the peak temperature is lower than the evaporation point of the powder particle layer, and is hence consistent with the stable melt track reported in experimental studies. To further confirm the validity of the proposed finite element heat transfer model, the simulation results obtained for the contact width between the melt pool and the substrate and the width of the powder-consumed band are compared with the experimental results and simulation findings presented in the literature. Finally, simulations are performed to predict the stability condition of a single scan melt track in the SLM process. The prediction results are shown to be consistent with the experimental findings.
AB - Three-dimensional finite element heat transfer simulations with new volumetric heat source are performed to estimate the size of the melt pool cross-section during Selective Laser Melting (SLM). The simulations are based on a new volumetric heat source which takes into account the effect of the powder size distribution on the propagation of the laser energy through the depth of the metal powder layer. In modeling the volumetric heat source, a modified sequential addition method is used to construct the metal powder layer with different powder particle sizes and the absorptivity profile along the depth of the powder layer is then calculated by means of Monte Carlo ray-tracing simulations. It is shown that the peak melt pool temperature obtained in the present simulations (3005 K) is in better agreement with the experimental value than that obtained in previous simulation studies. Furthermore, the peak temperature is lower than the evaporation point of the powder particle layer, and is hence consistent with the stable melt track reported in experimental studies. To further confirm the validity of the proposed finite element heat transfer model, the simulation results obtained for the contact width between the melt pool and the substrate and the width of the powder-consumed band are compared with the experimental results and simulation findings presented in the literature. Finally, simulations are performed to predict the stability condition of a single scan melt track in the SLM process. The prediction results are shown to be consistent with the experimental findings.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85039838502&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85039838502&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2017.12.024
DO - 10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2017.12.024
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85039838502
VL - 255
SP - 411
EP - 425
JO - Journal of Materials Processing Technology
JF - Journal of Materials Processing Technology
SN - 0924-0136
ER -