Simulation of additive metal printing top layer distortion

• Main Author: Low, Lionel Aik Hong
• Other Authors: Li Hua
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2020
• Subjects: Engineering::Mechanical engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/139970
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Additive Manufacturing is widely used in many industries with its huge potential in a variety of applications. Selective Laser Melting (SLM) Powder Bed Fusion, is one of many additive manufacturing processes capable of 3D printing metal components with complex geometries. This process surpasses conventional methods in many ways. A typical application is cages used in the control valves industry. Some of the complicated problems involving SLM Powder Bed Fusion are thermal defects like warpage. The effects of thermal defects vary according to shapes, sizes and materials. The behavior and trend of thermal defects must be studied to help understand the problems faced in Powder Bed Fusion processes. With the capability of ANSYS Additive Print simulation software, it helps manufacturers to predict possible printing errors and distortion which arises from thermal defects that occurs in the printing process. This simulation software serves as an important tool for engineers. Strategies are carried out to investigate all forms of errors such as potential blade crashes and analyze stress distortion patterns in the SLM Powder Bed Fusion process. The study is done using SS316L material as it is one of the materials used in cages. Simulation experiments were carried out investigating factors such as cage designs, dimensions and support types are presented in this report. These are factors believed to affect the quality of print which targets at reducing distortions in the part. Several simulation experiments are performed to investigate mainly distortion problems and detecting potential blade crashes. In this investigation, the SLM Powder Bed Fusion process can be improved by changing the spacing between lattice structures of the cage to be more compact. Simulation results proved better heat dissipation with reduced distortion patterns by approximately 70% using automatic software-generated support, Circular-shaped lattice structure cage with 0.5mm lattice spacing. The second simulation study showed the importance of optimizing process parameters as it greatly helps to reduce maximum stress by approximately 50% and reduces approximately 70% for distortion patterns.