THERMO-MECHANICAL ANALYSIS IN DIRECTED ENERGY DEPOSITION (DED) METHOD: PREDICTION OF DISTORTION AND RESIDUAL STRESSES

Directed Energy Deposition (DED) is a metal additive manufacturing method that enables the production of complex geometries by melting and depositing material layer by layer using an energy source such as a laser, electron beam, or arc. However, the high temperature gradients that occur during the process can lead to residual stresses and distortions, which may negatively affect the mechanical properties of the fabricated parts. In this study, a thermo-mechanical finite element model was developed to predict the temperature distribution, distortions, and residual stresses during the DED process. Simulations were performed using Abaqus software. The results show that the highest distortions occur in the initial layers due to rapid heating and cooling. This study provides insights for optimizing manufacturing parameters to improve production quality and enhance material properties during the DED process. Future work may include advanced fluid dynamic effects such as Marangoni flow, buoyancy force, and recoil pressure to improve the accuracy of the model.