Thermal Modelling of the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) 3D Printing Process and Melt Pool Characteristics

The purpose of this research is to develop a 2D mathematical model to obtain the thermal characteristics of Selective Laser Melting (SLM) 3D Printing Process. In SLM, metal powder is spread on a build surface (usually preheated) and laser melts the powders in selective regions and consolidates it i.e. changes the powder into densely packed metal in selective regions. In this way selective powder layers are added in the z-direction which eventually results in a 3D part. The transient heat conduction equation with surface heating was solved in 2D to simulate the x-y (width) and y-z (depth) planes and obtain the melt pool dimensions. The thermal profile was also obtained in the cases of Ti6Al4V and Steel 304. Lastly, the thermal profile was modelled in the case of Ti6Al4V powder in SLM and the melt pool width and depth were predicted and compared to some available experimental data.