JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE 38 2003) 35-8 A three dimensional model for direct laser metal powder deposition and rapid prototyping M. LABUDOVIC Corning Lasertron, R & D, 11 Oak Park, M/S L2-727, Bedford, MA 01730, USA E-mail: marko_L@email.msn.com D. HU, R. KOVACEVIC Department of Mechanical Engineering, Southern Methodist University, P.O. Box 750337, Dallas, Texas, USA A three-dimensional model for direct laser metal powder deposition process and rapid prototyping is developed. Both numerical and analytical models are addressed. In the case of numerical modeling, the capabilities of ANSYS parametric design language were employed. The model calculates transient temperature profiles, dimensions of the fusion zone and residual stresses. Model simulations are compared with experimental results acquired on line using an ultra-high shutter speed camera which is able to acquire well-contrasted images of the molten pool, and off-line using metallographical and x-ray diffraction analyses. The experiments showed good agreement with the modeling. The results are discussed to provide suggestions for feedback control and reduction of residual stresses. © 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers Nomenciature A Heat absorptivity of laser beam fon metal surface C Specific heat (Jikg: K) 4 Diameter ofthe laser beam (m) ddeydq Length (width) of the laser beam in z (x) direction (m) ‘Thermal flux density of laser beam (J/s-m?) Elastic modulus (N/mm?) Heat transfer coefficient (Wim?) Enthalphy (/kg) Heaviside function (unit step function) Boltemann's constant (K = 1.38066 x 10-3 ws/K) Heat conductivity (Jim-s-K) Latent heat of fusion (J/kg) Laser beam power (J/s) Surface pressure vector (Nim?) Rate of heat generation (I/s-mm°) “Tensor of heat flow derivatives (lms) ‘Volume-specific heat flow or source densi man's) Body force vector (Nim?) Distance from the center of the laser beam (m) Effective laser beam radius (m) ‘Area (m2) ‘Area of the solid-tiquid interface (m) Time (3) ‘Temperature (K) Cooling rate (K/s) Displacement components in the x, ¥, 2 directions, respectively (m) ma 78 ESS TOR sar gas 5 com2-2461 © 2 ‘uwer Academie Publishers a Displacement vector (m) v ‘Volume (m°) ym Molten pool depth (om) i Incremental time 6) a Thermal expansion coeficient (1/K) 2 Density gin") Y—— Poisson’s ratio 2 Emissivity 3() Dima deta fntion = Strain tensor in updated Lagrange configuration f% Tensor of elastic volumetric strain rates (1/8) Bq Tensor of viscoplastic strain rates (1/s) Inelastic heat fraction © Stefan-Boltzmann constant (@ =5.670 x 10-* Wim? K* 0) aj Deviatoric stress tensor N/mm") @ Stress tensor in updated Lagrange configuration (Nim?) .¢,x Local coordinates 1. Introduction The direct laser metal powder deposition process ig laser-assisted, direct metal manufacturing process for rapid prototyping under development at Southern ‘Methodist University. The process is similar to the aser-engineered net shaping (LENS)™ process de- veloped at Sandia National Laboratories (1]. It in- corporates. features from stereolithography and laser cladding, that use computer-aided design (CAD) file ‘oss sections (stl fle) o control the forming process. Metal-powder particles are delivered in an argon g0s stream into the focus of te laser beam to form a molten 35pool. The part is then driven by an xy positioning sys- ‘em to generate a three- dimensional part by layer-wise, additive processing. In order to understand the thermal behavior of the process, an on-line high-shutter speed: imaging was coupled with a microstructural analysis, x-ray analy= sis, analytical and numerical modeling. Since the ther ‘mal behavior controls the morphology and properties of the specimen; thermal measurements, microstruccural snalysis, and modeling can be combined to develop the process parameters 0 control the microstructural devel- ‘opment and tailor the properties ofthe specimens. Asa fist step, a high-shutter speed imaging is employed in monitoring the deposition of 100 mesh MONEL 400-alloy powder on AISI 1006 stee! plate, at a variety of laser powers and scanning speeds. The microstruc~ ture of the deposits was investigated, and the dimen- sions of the fusion zone were correlated to the ther- ‘mal conditions at solidification. Finally, both analytical and numerical models were developed to determine the thermal history of the specimens both in the areas that are accessible or not accessible to high-shutter speed imaging measurements, The results from beat trans- fer analysis were then used as loads for fnite element analysis of residual stresses, Residual stresses were in- vestigared with an x-ray diffraction technique, and the resulls were correlated with those obtained by the finite clement modeling. 2. The Physical description of the phenomena Since direct laser powder deposition is a thermal pro- cess, the well-known, heat conduction equation plays 1 central role in the physical modeling of the process. The heat conduction equation follows from the energy balance of an appropriately chosen volume and consists of the diffusive heat flows, the convective heat flows, and the possible sources of heat [2 For the thermo-mechanical coupled system, the ther- ‘mal equilibrium equation for analysis of heat transfer ina domain D can be written as: ar wo (er er, OT ax a” a ‘To obtain the solution from the thermal equilibrium equation, the boundary conditions andthe inital con- ditions are needed. ‘The initial condition is: acct ty T(x,y,2,0)=To for (y,2eD. 2 ‘The essential boundary condition is: T(x,0,2)=T ® ‘on the boundary Sy for (x, 2) Sy and ¢>0. S) repre~ sents the bottom surface of the plate. The natural bound ary conditions can be defined by: or "On ‘on the boundary Sz for (x, y, 2) €Sz and > 0. Se rep resents those surfaces that are subjected to radiation, ‘convection and imposed eat fluxes. 36 +I -Ty)+04(Tt-T{)=0 (4) ‘The inclusion of the temperature-dependant thermo- physical and mechanical properties, and a radiation term in the above boundary condition makes this type of analysis highly nonlinear. Since the incorporation of radiation effects are found to increase the solution time bby as much as three times, an empirical relationship as, proposed by Vinokurov [3] was used: H=24x 107! oO Equation 5 combines the effect of radiation and con- vection into a “lumped” heat transfer coefficient. The associated loss in accuracy using this relationship is ‘estimated to be less than 54% [3]. ‘The fundamental equation of themomechanics of x Alle! 91, ta! dy’ df (10) Unfortunately, no explicit analytical solution of Equation 10 for an arbitrary intensity profile { can be found. However, the equation can be solved in explicit from after introducing several approximations. To test validity, such an approximated analytical model was compared to the numerical solution, 4.2, Analytical solution of the model 4.2.1. Maximum surface temperature induced by stationary laser beam For stationary (v =0) laser beam, analytical models for the maximum surface temperature are.available from literature, and these can be calculated from Equation 10. ‘The maximum steady surface temperature induced by a stationary Gaussian intensity profile (TEM:p), with diameter d, equals [2] Ape [2 78'0,0,0) = 48 [2 an 4.2.2, Maximum surface temperature Induced by fast moving laser beam With the velocity of the laser beam approaching infin- ity, the heat flow in the solid can be approximated by one-dimensional flow perpendicular to the surface of the workpiece (2) In addition, since the intensity pro- files under consideration are symmetric with respect 10 the x-axis, then the maximum surface temperature for high laser beam velocities isreched at z =0. Hence, the ‘maximum surface temperanure induced by the Gaussian intensity profile is [10] @ _ V8 ay [Eo Thm eegt Pay gro =mnen =| [eee] vr ce Leo VHT 4.2.3. Maximum surface temperature induced at intermediate velocities By combining the solutions for the statiocary Ty and the fast moving beam To, a following equation for the (Gaussian intensity profile is obtained [11] «cf, [# = ap, |__| Te aya ey t+ OOFE aay ‘To evaluate the accuracy of this analytical expression, the Equation 13 is compared tothe corresponding tern- peratures obtained by the numerical model. 4.3. Geometry of the molten pool ‘The geometry ofthe molten pool is determined by the cnergy balance. Inthe case of direct laser meal powder ‘epositon, the energy balance consiss of thee term: the absorbed laser energy Qs, the energy Qc tans- ported by heat conduction fom the lquid-solid iter {ace of the molten poo! into the non-lten material, and the energy Op required to create a molten pool (latent heat of fusion), The energy balance reads: Qu-Or=Oc as) 4.3.1. Laser energy The laser energy Or absorbed by the work piece, can bbe approximated by: Qu = APL as) Where i; denotes the interaction time of the laser beam \with a given point on the surface of the work piece. This interaction time is approximated by (12) A a6) where d denotes the diameter of the laser beam. 4.3.2. Heat conduction ‘The energy Qc, which flows from the molten poo! into the solid material, can be calculated from the heat en- closed by the heat affected zone under consideration, sand equals Qc an of To where V;, denotes the heat affected zone in the solid under the molten pool, and T(x, y. 2, 2) denotes the ‘corresponding temperature field at time ¢ =. It is as- sumed thet the heat transfer under the molten pool may 37 2, 1dVs