Example 14: Multiscale Thermal Analysis for Lack of Fusion and Hotspot Prediction

Sample files for use with the examples are available from the Downloads page.

Expand the downloaded ZIP archive into a convenient directory from which to run Local Simulation inside the numbered directories.

Problem description

For this example, you will run commands inside directory 14.

This example illustrates how to generate a process parameter (PRM) file for multi-scale thermal analysis. This analysis tool allows the user to investigate to see how a set of processing parameters will incur lack of fusion or overheating on a particular geometry. This follows the same method in previous examples, where first a PRM file is generated, which simulates the melting of a few layers on a small melt region, then that PRM file is applied to a part scale model, to predict how that geometry would behave if built with the corresponding processing parameters used to generate the PRM file.

In order to run a part-level powder bed analysis in Netfabb Simulation, a PRM file must first be generated. The PRM file links the small scale moving-source analysis to the full part-level analysis. To illustrate the usefulness of these options, two PRM files are generated in this example: one that results in lack of fusion problems, one that results in hot spots. The lack of fusion processing parameters are as follows:

The hot spot processing parameters are as follows:

The parameters are entered into the *LSRP card. The *GTAB card enables PRM file output and specifies the name of the process parameter file.