Powder Bed Fusion Part Analysis with Thermal-Structural Model Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing additive manufacturing techniques using powder bed fusion struggle with inaccurate thermal and structural analyses due to the resource-intensive nature of modeling with powder representations, leading to skewed structural behavior and excessive computational demands.
Innovation Solution
Perform thermal analysis with a model including powder representation and structural analysis without powder representation, while accounting for thermal effects, to improve accuracy and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a model with powder representation is used for thermal analysis, then thermal characteristics accuracy is improved, but computational resource demand increases
Solution Approach 1:
The analysis process is segmented into two distinct phases: thermal analysis using a complete model with powder representation, and structural analysis using an updated model without powder representation. This segmentation allows each analysis type to use the appropriate level of model detail, improving efficiency while maintaining accuracy where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The powder representation is extracted from the model after thermal analysis is complete. The updated model retains only the essential geometry needed for structural analysis, removing the computationally intensive powder representation that is no longer needed for the structural phase.
2Reliability
If a model with powder representation is used for structural analysis, then thermal effects during manufacturing are captured, but structural analysis accuracy deteriorates due to over-stiffened behavior
Solution Approach 1:
Thermal analysis is performed as a preliminary action before structural analysis. The thermal characteristics and thermal loads are calculated first using the complete model with powder representation, then these results are transferred to the structural analysis phase.
Solution Approach 2:
Thermal characteristics and thermal loads serve as intermediaries between the thermal analysis phase and the structural analysis phase. These thermal results are transferred to the updated model without powder representation, allowing the structural analysis to account for thermal effects without being contaminated by the powder representation's stiffening effect.
3Measurement precision
If powder representation is included in the model, then thermal analysis accuracy is improved, but model complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The model complexity is made dynamic by updating the model between analysis phases. The complete model with powder representation is used only when needed for thermal analysis, then the model is updated to a simplified version without powder representation for structural analysis, allowing complexity to adapt to the specific analysis requirements.
4Measurement precision
If thermal analysis is performed with powder representation, then thermal characteristics are accurately determined, but analysis time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The overall analysis is segmented into thermal analysis and structural analysis phases. The time-consuming thermal analysis with powder representation is performed only once for the thermal phase, then the model is updated to eliminate the powder representation for the structural phase, reducing subsequent analysis time.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure provides modelling techniques for accurately and reliably analyzing printed parts. More specifically, a model with a powder representation may be used for the thermal analysis, the powder representation may then be removed from the model for performing the structural analysis. Although the powder representation is removed from the model for the structural analysis, the structural analysis still factors in the thermal effects of the powder on the part determined by the thermal analysis. The computer-based techniques of the current disclosure improve the functioning of a computer system as compared to conventional approaches by facilitating analyses (e.g., thermal, mechanical, design, and heat treatment analyses) that are more accurate, more efficient (e.g., faster, smaller memory requirements, etcetera), and/or have a reduced processing burden versus conventional approaches.