Numerical Simulation of Direct Metal Laser Sintering of Single-Component Powder on Top of Sintered Layers

Abstract A three-dimensional model describing melting and resolidification of direct metal laser sintering of loose powders on top of sintered layers with a moving Gaussian laser beam is developed. Natural convection in the liquid pool driven by buoyancy and Marangoni effects is taken into account. A temperature transforming model is employed to model melting and resolidification in the laser sintering process. The continuity, momentum, and energy equations are solved using a finite volume method. The effects of dominant processing parameters including number of the existing sintered layers underneath, laser scanning velocity, and initial porosity on the sintering process are investigated.