Correspondence of Measured and Simulated Melt Pool Geometries in Laser-Processed High-Strength Steel

Author(s):

Stephen Cluff, Clara Mock, Brandon McWilliams, and Manoj Kumar Reddy Rangapuram

Abstract:

The ability to accurately simulate the thermal histories exhibited by directed energy deposition additive manufacturing processes is essential in the development of agile additive platforms that seek to serve Army needs. The current work presents a mesoscale finite element model that captures the distribution of temperatures formed from the laser processing of a high-strength steel. The model is used to simulate the thermal gradients surrounding the melt pool formed by the laser and is validated by comparison to experimental measurements of melt pool geometries. Comparisons made to cross-sectional and top-surface melt pool geometries captured by an in-situ welding camera show good agreement between measured and simulated melt pool geometries for various sets of process parameters. It is concluded that the model presented is capable of accurately capturing the thermal gradients immediately outside melt pools formed in high-strength steel, and for the calculation of part-scale thermal histories.