Prediction of residual stress and deformation of build part with variation of hatch spacing in direct metal laser sintering of AlSi10Mg built part: Thermo-mechanical modeling

Abstract

Direct metal laser sintering is a metal-based additive manufacturing process used to make components directly from metal powders in a layered fashion. A high-intensity laser beam is used to fuse the metal powders during the scanning of the powder bed. In this process, rapid heating and solidification take place, which lead to thermal stress in the build part that can affect the mechanical properties of the fabricated component. In the present work, a thermo-mechanical model was developed using a finite element approach to study the effect of hatch spacing on residual stress in the AlSi10Mg build part. From the simulation results, it was found that there was a decrease in residual stress in the build part with an increase in hatch spacing. This simulation study will help the manufacturer and the designer to select appropriate hatch spacing for printing the component with minimum residual stress.