Research on the Thermal Behaviour of a Selectively Laser Melted Aluminium Alloy: Simulation and Experiment

Li, Zhonghua; Li, Baoqiang; Bai, Peikang; Liu, Bin; Wang, Yu

doi:10.3390/ma11071172

Cited by 41 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…In recent years, various alloys such as stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, and nickel-based alloys are preferable for use in additive manufacturing technology. Ti 6 Al 4 V is the most popular alloy due to its lower density, elevated temperature properties, high strength-to-weight ratio, and good weldability characteristics [2,3,4,5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of SLM Process in Terms of Temperature Distribution and Melting Pool Size: Modeling and Experimental Approaches

2019

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Selective laser melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing (AM) technique that has the potential to produce almost any three-dimensional (3D) metallic part, even those with complicated shapes. Throughout the SLM process, the heat transfer characteristics of the metal powder plays a significant role in maintaining the product quality during 3D printing. Thus, it is crucial for 3D-printing manufacturers to determine the thermal behavior over the SLM process. However, it is a significant challenge to accurately determine the large temperature gradient and the melt pool size using only experiments. Therefore, the use of both experimental investigations and numerical analysis can assist in characterizing the temperature evaluation and the melt pool size in a more effective manner. In this study, 3D finite element analysis applying a moving volumetric Gaussian laser heat source was used to analyze the temperature profile on the powder bed and the resultant melt pool size throughout the SLM process. In the experiments, a TELOPS FAST-IR (M350) thermal imager was applied to determine the temperature profile of the melting pool and powder bed along the scanning direction during the SLM fabrication using Ti6Al4V powder. The numerically calculated results were compared with the experimentally determined temperature distribution. The comparison showed that the calculated peak temperature for single- and multi-track by the developed thermal model was in good agreement with the experiment results. Secondly, the developed model was verified by comparing the melting pool size for various laser powers and scanning speeds with the experimentally measured melting pool size from the published literature. The developed model could predict the melt pool width (with 2–5% error) and melt pool depth (with 5–6% error).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of SLM Process in Terms of Temperature Distribution and Melting Pool Size: Modeling and Experimental Approaches

2019

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“…A study has shown that as metal powders reach their melting and solidification temperatures by heating or cooling during SLM, phase change (i.e., melting) occurs [3,4]. However, the physical and chemical metallurgical processes in SLM are complex and involve heat transfer, heat convection, and radiation [5,6,7,8]. Due to the particularity of SLM, it is difficult to observe the thermal behavior, phase transitions, and melt-pool behavior directly because they strongly depend on the laser process parameters, such as the hatch spacing, scanning speed, and laser power etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Hatch Spacing on Melt Pool and As-built Quality During Selective Laser Melting of Stainless Steel: Modeling and Experimental Approaches

et al. 2018

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In this study, a combined simulation and experimental approach is utilized to investigate the influence of hatch spacing on the microstructure and as-built quality of 316L stainless steel (SS) samples fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM). A three-dimensional finite element model (FEM) is employed to investigate heat transfer and melt pool during the SLM of 316L SS. The phase transformation and variation of the thermo-physical properties of the materials are considered in this model. The effects of hatch spacing (H) on the temperature field, microstructure and melt pool size, overlap rate, surface quality, and relative density during the SLM of 316L SS are investigated. The simulated results indicate that, as the hatch spacing increases, the depth increases and the width of the melt pool decreases. Meanwhile, with the increase of hatch spacing, the simulated temperature of the subsequent tracks falls below the melting temperature of the first track. Moreover, the microstructures were found to coarsen with the increasing hatch spacing due to the reduced cooling rate. The optimized hatch spacing and overlap rate between adjacent tracks were obtained from numerical simulations. Simulation results illustrate that, when the optimized hatch spacing of 100 μm is adopted, fully dense parts with a smooth surface can be fabricated by SLM, thus experimentally validating the simulation results.

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“…Recently, many studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of build direction and processing parameters on the microstructure and mechanical properties of build microstruts [12,13,14,15]. Hadadzadeh et al [11] evaluated the effect of build direction on the high strain rate dynamic loading behavior of AlSi10Mg rod-shaped samples of 12 mm diameter.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, Thijs et al [13] reported that the microstructure can be controlled, and it depends on the SLM process parameters. Li et al [14] proved the effect of applied process parameters on the densification and mechanical performance of parts. Wei et al [15] systematically evaluated the effects of process parameters (laser power, scanning speed, and hatch spacing) on the densification level and mechanical properties of bulk AlSi10Mg alloy samples produced using SLM.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of Size Effect on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AlSi10Mg Samples Made by Selective Laser Melting

et al. 2018

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The macroscopic mechanical performance of additive manufactured structures is essential for the design and application of multiscale microlattice structure. Performance is affected by microstructure and geometrical imperfection, which are strongly influenced by the size of the struts in selective laser melting (SLM) lattice structures. In this paper, the effect of size on microstructure, geometrical imperfection, and mechanical properties was systemically studied by conducting experimental tests. A series of AlSi10Mg rod-shaped samples with various diameters were fabricated using SLM. The uniaxial tensile test results show that with the decrease in build diameter, strength and Young’s modulus of strut decreased by 30% more than the stable state. The main reasons for this degradation were investigated through microscopic observation and micro X-ray computed tomography (μ-CT). In contrast with large-sized strut, the inherent porosity (1.87%) and section geometrical deviation (3%) of ponysize strut is greater because of the effect of thermal transform and hydrogen evolution, and the grain size is 0.5 μm. The discrepancy in microstructure, geometrical imperfection, and mechanical properties induced by size effect should be considered for the design and evaluation of SLM-fabricated complex structures.

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Research on the Thermal Behaviour of a Selectively Laser Melted Aluminium Alloy: Simulation and Experiment

Cited by 41 publications

References 29 publications

Investigation of SLM Process in Terms of Temperature Distribution and Melting Pool Size: Modeling and Experimental Approaches

Investigation of SLM Process in Terms of Temperature Distribution and Melting Pool Size: Modeling and Experimental Approaches

Effect of Hatch Spacing on Melt Pool and As-built Quality During Selective Laser Melting of Stainless Steel: Modeling and Experimental Approaches

Study of Size Effect on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AlSi10Mg Samples Made by Selective Laser Melting

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