Abstract
Laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing is among the most used industrial processes, allowing for the production of customizable and geometrically complex parts at relatively low cost. Although different aspects of the powder spreading process have been investigated, questions remain on the process repeatability on the actual beam–powder bed interaction. Given the influence of the formed bed on the quality of the final part, understanding the spreading mechanism is crucial for process optimization. In this work, a Discrete Element Method (DEM) model of the spreading process is adopted to investigate the spreading process and underline the physical phenomena occurring. With parameters validated through ad hoc experiments, two spreading velocities, accounting for two different flow regimes, are simulated. The powder distribution in both the accumulation and deposition zone is investigated. Attention is placed on how density, effective layer thickness, and particle size distribution vary throughout the powder bed. The physical mechanism leading to the observed characteristics is discussed, effectively defining the window for the process parameters.
Highlights
Pinto FernandesAdditive Manufacturing (AM) has become a widespread method for the production of parts in fields such as aerospace and biotechnology where both a complex shape and good mechanical properties are required [1]
The other parameters are kept fixed since the main scope of the present work is to identify the underlying mechanism of the powder spreading process and not to perform a parameter optimization
The total mass of particles remaining after the spreading process will be considered, alongside with the variation of the mean diameter of the particles
Summary
Additive Manufacturing (AM) has become a widespread method for the production of parts in fields such as aerospace and biotechnology where both a complex shape and good mechanical properties are required [1]. Given the strong industrial interest for this technology, a great number of studies has been carried out to highlight and understand the underlying physical mechanism. Due to the complex multiphysics nature of the process, the effect of the manufacturing parameters on the mechanical properties of the final part is not completely understood. Some unsolved issues remain such as process repeatability, internal defects of the printed parts, and non-uniformity of the properties within the building chamber [3]
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