development and calibration of a cfd based model of the bed fusion slm additive manufacturing process aimed at optimising laser parameters

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Laser Operating Windows Prediction in Selective Laser-Melting Processing of Metallic Powders: Development and Validation of a Computational Fluid Dynamics-Based Model

The rapidly ascending trend of additive manufacturing techniques requires a tailoring of existing solidification models and the development of new numerical tools. User-friendly numerical models can be a valid aid in order to optimize operating parameter ranges with the scope to extend the modelling tools to already existing or innovative alloys. In this paper a modelling approach is described simulating the generation of single tracks on a powder bed system in a selective laser melting process. The approach we report attains track geometry as a function of: alloy thermo-physical properties, laser speed and power, powder bed thickness. Aim of the research is to generate a numerical tool able to predict laser power and speed ranges in manufacturing porosity-free printed parts without lack of fusion and keyhole pores. The approach is based on a simplified description of the physical aspects. Main simplifications concern: the laser energy input, the formation of the pool cavity, and the powder bed thermo-physical properties. The model has been adjusted based on literature data providing the track’s geometry (width and depth) and relative density. Such data refer to different alloys. In particular, Ti6Al4V, Inconel625, Al7050, 316L and pure copper are considered. We show that the printing process presents features common to all alloys. This allows the model to predict the printing behavior of an alloy from its physical properties, avoiding the need to perform specific experimental activities

Modeling and Simulation of Creep Crack Growth in High Chromium Steels

Safe and accurate methods to predict creep crack growth (CCG) are required in order to assess the reliability of power generation plants components. With advances in finite element (FE) methods, more complex models incorporating damage can be applied in the study of CCG where simple analytical solutions or approximate methods are no longer applicable. The possibility to accurately simulate CCG depends not only on the damage formulation but also on the creep model since stress relaxation, occurring in the near tip region, controls the resulting creep rate and, therefore, crack initiation and growth. In this perspective, primary and tertiary creep regimes, usually neglected in simplified creep models, plays a relevant role and need to be taken into account. In this paper, an advanced multiaxial creep model [1], which incorporates damage effects, has been used to predict CCG in P91 high chromium steel. The model parameters have been determined based on uniaxial and multiaxial (round notched bar) creep data over a wide range of stress and temperature. Successively, the creep crack growth in standard compact tension sample was predicted and compared with available experimental data

Feasibility Study of Ferromagnetic Cores Fabrication by Additive Manufacturing Process

Currently, the commercial production of ferromagnetic cores involves staking thin sheets of soft magnetic material, alternating with dielectric material to reduce the eddy current losses. High silicon FeSi steels show excellent soft magnetic properties. Anyway, their workability decreases Si content increases thus imposing a technological limit in the production of thin sheets up to 3.5–4% Si. The additive manufacturing (AM) process based on laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) offers the possibility to redesign the magnetic components, compared to conventional design, allowing to act on the chemical composition of magnetic materials and on the geometry of the components. In the case of FeSi alloys, the additive technology allows to overcome the limit of Si content opening new perspectives for the production of ferromagnetic cores with high magnetic performance. In this work the feasibility study on the production of FeSi magnetic steel components by L-PBF technology is reported. Two variants of FeSi steels, with Si content of 3.0 wt.% and 6.5 wt.%, were considered. The effect of process parameters on the densification of manufactured parts was investigated. The best operating window has been identified for both steel chemical compositions, in terms of laser scan speed and power

Recent Advances in Additive Manufacturing of Soft Magnetic Materials: A Review

Additive manufacturing (AM) is an attractive set of processes that are being employed lately to process specific materials used in the fabrication of electrical machine components. This is because AM allows for the preservation or enhancement of their magnetic properties, which may be degraded or limited when manufactured using other traditional processes. Soft magnetic materials (SMMs), such as Fe–Si, Fe–Ni, Fe–Co, and soft magnetic composites (SMCs), are suitable materials for electrical machine additive manufacturing components due to their magnetic, thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties. In addition to these, it has been observed in the literature that other alloys, such as soft ferrites, are difficult to process due to their low magnetization and brittleness. However, thanks to additive manufacturing, it is possible to leverage their high electrical resistivity to make them alternative candidates for applications in electrical machine components. It is important to highlight the significant progress in the field of materials science, which has enabled the development of novel materials such as high-entropy alloys (HEAs). These alloys, due to their complex chemical composition, can exhibit soft magnetic properties. The aim of the present work is to provide a critical review of the state-of-the-art SMMs manufactured through different AM technologies. This review covers the influence of these technologies on microstructural changes, mechanical strengths, post-processing, and magnetic parameters such as saturation magnetization (MS), coercivity (HC), remanence (Br), relative permeability (Mr), electrical resistivity (r), and thermal conductivity (k)