Am trying to simulate the SLM process for a single layer of Alloy 718. I need to add 718 powders of 40 microns thick over the substrate plate and simulate the printing.
How could one add up the powders in the COMSOL model? Do we need to use other software to do the linking?
Do you have to add the actual spherical powder or do you want to introduce the volume which is less dense as powder and more dense after the process?
Also check this:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328531204_Thermo-fluid-metallurgical_modelling_of_laser-based_powder_bed_fusion_process
I want to add actual powder (one layer thick) over the build substrate and then do the simulation. Thank you.
Hi Roshan,
You have to use either phase field or level set method available in COMSOL. Maybe the following work will be helpful:
Article Multi-Physical Simulation of Selective Laser Melting of Molybdenum
Thanks,
Akash
Akash Aggarwal - Wanted to copy the way the authors have laid down the powders over the substrate bed in the paper you have shared. Will look into the phase field and the level set method.
Hi Roshan,
If you need random packing then you also need to simulate powder packing and flowing behavior. You may use technique such as discrete element modelling. There are many opensource software for discrete element modelling (LIGGGHTS, Yade etc). After DEM modelling you need to export particles coordinate to COMSOL for thermo-fluidic modelling.
Thanks,
Akash
Akash Aggarwal - Happy with the simple cubic packing. Would that require DEM or is it possible within the COMSOL? Thank you for the tips!
Hi Roshan,
For simple cubic packing, you will not need DEM. It can be easily done in COMSOL.
Thanks,
Akash
Is there any good tutorial to refer on how to add powders on to the substrate?
Always keep in mind that if you want to obtain more detailed results, you need to put in more detailed (boundary) conditions. For example, the particles will have a contact resistance in between each other and to the substrate which changes once the particles turn liquid. There are more things to struggle with once you start to calculate with discrete particles instead of continous domains with adjusted properties. Also, the necessary computational ressources will increase quite a lot.
Do not get me wrong: it is definitely worth to follow this approach if it helps to answer your questions. Just make sure you know what you want to obtain and what you need to put in to get the results you need.
> Is there any good tutorial to refer on how to add powders on to the substrate?
Why don't you just use an array of spheres and place it on the substrate layer by layer? For cubic packing of mono-sizes spheres, you can calculate the offset in all three directions. You may have to apply a tiny overlapping between sphere geometries to make sure they actually touch and not have a gap due to numerical reasons.
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