Modeling of the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) Process Using the ANSYS Software
Abstract
A high-power laser is utilized as the energy source in the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technique, a form of AM Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) technology, to melt and fuse certain areas of a metal powder layer. Complex geometric metallic pieces may be produced using the SLM method. Additionally, SLM products have mechanical characteristics that are typically comparable with those of parts produced conventionally. The quality and mechanical characteristics of AM parts can be greatly impacted by defects including keyholing, lack of fusion, and balling. The amount and nature of defects observed during SLM process depend on the input laser energy. The energy input into the materials may be connected to the key process parameters, such as hatch spacing, scan speed, layer thickness, and laser power. In this study, the SLM process was modeled using the ANSYS Additive Science. The goal was to establish optimal process parameters that would result in defect-free components and to also determine the impact of the scan speed and laser power on the grain size distribution. Ti6Al4V and AlSi10Mg alloys were used in this study. To validate the simulation results, ANSYS input process parameters were matched with published experimental data. The width and depth of the melt pool as well as the grain sizes predicted by the simulation were observed to be qualitatively comparable with referenced experimental data. The quantitative melt pool width and depth, as well as grain sizes obtained from the simulation differed from the referenced experimental data.
Subject Area
Mechanical engineering|Materials science
Recommended Citation
Anne Munyasia,
"Modeling of the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) Process Using the ANSYS Software"
(2022).
ETD Collection for Tennessee State University.
Paper AAI29991981.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI29991981