Numerical Analysis for Sintering of Metal Powder Layers of the Direct Metal Prototyping

직접식 조형법의 금속 분말 적층부 소결에 관한 연구

The Direct Metal Prototyping(DMP), one of the rapid prototyping technologies, allows the manufacturing of three-dimensional metallic parts using metal powders directly from the CAD data. Laser power and scanning speed are the most important variables of the process. The objective of this study is to obtain the design data for laser power and scanning speed to bond metal powders effectively using the finite element method. To obtain the design values, a numerical analysis considering two-dimensional heat transfer during the sintering of metal powder layers of the process was performed. The laser beam has been modeled to have directionality in its heat flux distribution, i. e., in the scanning direction a Gaussian beam mode distribution has been assumed and in the thickness direction a square beam mode distribution. The three-dimensional irregular distribution of metal powders of the powder layer is idealized as two-dimensional distribution in which metal powders are located regularly and periodically on the plate. In this study the design values of laser power vs scanning speed have been obtained. Temperature distribution and temperature variation of the powder layers with respect to time have been predicted. The commputed dsign data will be useful in determining the initial conditions of the process.