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Modelling and mitigating distortion in AM
Distortion in metal Additive Manufacturing: Modelling and mitigation There is a growing recognition that software can play a vital role in determining the success or failure of Additive Manufacturing within an organisation. As Autodesk’s Michael Gouge and Pan Michaleris explain, metal AM is about far more than having the right machine or specifying the right material. Dedicated AM software can today quickly and accurately simulate distortion in metal AM processes, significantly reducing build failure rates, minimising the associated economic impact and contributing to the enhancement of the technology’s reputation amongst end-users.
Consider this scenario: a company designs a large titanium part for fabrication in a powder bed AM machine. Months are spent rigorously ensuring that the component will meet the required specifications and geometric tolerances. Days are spent preparing the part to be built. The part is so large it takes up the entire build chamber, so it takes days, if not weeks, to finish manufacturing. Then imagine the part cracks during the final hour of building. This scenario is not a hypothetical one, but a story related to us by a customer. Every day we talk to companies trying to use Additive Manufacturing to produce usable parts and each of them talks about the same frustrations: excessive distortion, cracking and recoater blade interference. AM is being sold on the promise that it will make limited production run parts quicker, more efficiently, greener and easier than by using traditional manufacturing methods such as subtractive manufacturing or casting. These promises can only be met after months or years of failed builds produce the expertise within an organisation on
Vol. 3 No. 1 © 2017 Inovar Communications Ltd
how to predict and mitigate build failure before it happens. Autodesk has acquired a suite of software that packages this expertise together in an intuitive way. The key to avoiding build failure, in particular distortion and recoater blade interference issues, is simulation based mitigation, which is
made possible by Netfabb Simulation. This software forms the centrepiece of an integrated design for manufacturablity workflow. This workflow will guide the engineer through the process of designing a part, orienting it on a build plate, optimising the geometry, adding support structures,
Displacement Magnitude
Fig. 1 Sample powder bed fusion simulation part, dimensions are roughly 275 x 200 x 40 mm
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