Impact of Surrounding Powder on Thermal and Mechanical Behaviors in Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing Process Simulations

Finite element simulation provides a powerful tool for examining the intricate thermal and mechanical behaviors in additive manufacturing processes. By predicting temperature distribution, residual stresses, and deformation, simulations play a critical role in improving part quality and reducing defects. In Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) processes, steep thermal gradients caused by rapid heating and cooling cycles make materials particularly susceptible to residual stresses and warping. While many existing PBF simulations approximate the effect of surrounding unmelted powder using simplified convective boundary conditions, this approach often overlooks the detailed interactions between the powder and the solidified material. This study presents an explicit modeling method for the surrounding powder to investigate its thermal and mechanical interactions with the printed part. By considering the full powder bed in the simulation, we aim to evaluate the effects of the interactions on the process and explore the feasibility of assessing powder reuse potential. The simulation is performed using commercial software (i.e., ANSYS) and the results are validated against experimental data. The proposed approach is expected to enhance the accuracy of PBF process simulations and provide deeper insights into powder behavior and sustainability.