In the methods of Laser Additive Manufacturing, the consolidation process plays a key role, because the product quality depends on the residual porosity. A numerical model of the consolidation process has been proposed to predict the porosity of materials produced by 3D printing. The results of powder consolidation modeling are consistent with experimental data obtained for 316L stainless steel. The times of consolidation and particle spreading were calculated, and melting conditions to minimize fine pore formation were determined. The estimation of characteristic times of heating, melting and consolidation in relation to the lifetime of the molten bath made it possible to formulate the criteria for specifying parameters of selective laser melting.
Voroshilov, E.S., Mosina, R.M., Gruzd, S.A., Ivantsov, A.O., Khlybov, O.A., Lyubimova, T.P., & Krivilyov, M.D. (2024). Capillary effects and consolidation kinetics during selective laser melting of 316L powder. Physics of Fluids, 36(4). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0195071