A Three‐Dimensional Orthotropic Peridynamic Framework for Laser Powder Bed Fusion Simulation

ABSTRACT This paper presents a novel three‐dimensional (3D) Peridynamic (PD) framework for simulating the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L‐PBF) process. An orthotropic heat‐conduction PD model is proposed to efficiently account for Marangoni‐enhanced heat transport, and it is coupled with a phase‐change formulation to capture solid–liquid interface evolution. A Gaussian‐exponential volumetric heat source is further incorporated to represent laser energy deposition, yielding a unified 3D PD computational framework for L‐PBF simulation. The orthotropic heat conduction and phase‐change models are validated against a series of 3D test cases, followed by single‐track L‐PBF simulations of 316 L stainless steel to demonstrate the overall capability of the PD‐based L‐PBF framework. Comparisons with finite‐element solutions show excellent agreement in thermal fields for single‐ and two‐material systems, while solidification case for orthotropic materials demonstrates accurate interface tracking. Experimental validation further confirms that the PD‐based framework accurately reproduces the melt pool geometry of 316 L stainless steel, even without requiring explicit fluid‐dynamics coupling. This capability thereby provides a solid basis for future fully coupled thermomechanical PD modeling in additive manufacturing.