Powder Spreading Dynamics and Process Optimization at a Heterogeneous Interface for Z-Direction Multi-Material Laser Powder Bed Fusion

This paper investigates the powder spreading process in a Z-direction multi-material fabrication system utilizing a blade. Focusing on 316L stainless steel and CuCrZr, a discrete element model was developed to simulate powder spreading at the heterogeneous material interface. The effects of spreading speed and theoretical layer thickness on the resulting powder bed quality were systematically examined. The results reveal that during spreading over a heterogeneous bed, the underlying powder exhibits an unsteady “forward-surging and rearward-suppressing” motion pattern, with inter-particle force chains displaying significant spatiotemporal fluctuations. Increasing the spreading speed exacerbates the disturbance and removal of the underlying powder, leading to a reduction in the deposited mass of CuCrZr and a deterioration in its distribution uniformity. Conversely, increasing the layer thickness effectively mitigates the mechanical disturbance of the underlying powder by the blade, significantly enhancing both the deposited mass of CuCrZr and its distribution uniformity. Further investigation demonstrates that employing a higher spreading speed in combination with a larger layer thickness can achieve a favorable powder bed quality while maintaining high spreading efficiency, thereby enabling a synergistic optimization of productivity and bed quality. This work elucidates the mesoscopic dynamic mechanisms governing the powder spreading process at Z-direction heterogeneous interfaces and provides a theoretical foundation for process optimization in multi-material laser powder bed fusion.