Additive Manufacturing: Thermal Simulation of Electron Beam Melting Process

In the Additive Manufacturing field, the Electron Beam Melting (EBM) process is a relatively new technology. The use of a high-power electron beam to melt metal powder, in a Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) process, allows to produce complex parts made of excellent quality materials, overcoming the limitations proper of traditional manufacturing techniques, which result too expensive or difficult to be applied. ?? Nowadays, to fully exploit the potentialities of this technology, the optimization of process parameters is performed by means of an empirical try and error approach. Many efforts have been done to model the EBM process in a proper way and to make it more reliable, helping to reduce industrialization time, production costs and material waste. Process simulation can help to explore “what if” scenarios, representing a suitable alternative tool for decision-making and process optimization.?? The aim of the present thesis project regards the development/implementation of a model for process/product optimization of components produced by Electron Beam Melting technology through the utilization of FEM software. More in detail, a thermal simulation tool has been tested to predict the temperature distribution generated during EBM process inside a low-pressure turbine blades made by TiAl. Understanding the distribution of process temperatures in a layer is fundamental. Uniform and constant build temperature is the key to melt difficult alloys like TiAl, giving at the same time process stability and microstructure uniformity. For these reasons, by means of an optimization procedure, the so obtained temperature distribution has been uniformed as much as possible reducing the thermal gradients within and between layers.