A Physics-Informed Two-Level Machine Learning Model for Predicting Melt-Pool Size in Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Author(s):  
Yong Ren ◽  
Qian Wang ◽  
Panagiotis (Pan) Michaleris

Abstract Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing (AM) is one type of metal-based AM process that is capable of producing high-value complex components with a fine geometric resolution. As melt-pool characteristics such as melt-pool size and dimensions are highly correlated with porosity and defects in the fabricated parts, it is crucial to predict how process parameters would affect the melt-pool size and dimensions during the build process to ensure the build quality. This paper presents a two-level machine learning (ML) model to predict the melt-pool size during the scanning of a multi-track build. To account for the effect of thermal history on melt-pool size, a so-called (pre-scan) initial temperature is predicted at the lower-level of the modeling architecture, and then used as a physics-informed input feature at the upper-level for the prediction of melt-pool size. Simulated data sets generated from the Autodesk's Netfabb Simulation are used for model training and validation. Through numerical simulations, the proposed two-level ML model has demonstrated a high prediction performance and its prediction accuracy improves significantly compared to a naive one-level ML without using the initial temperature as an input feature.

Metals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1856
Author(s):  
Claudia Schwerz ◽  
Lars Nyborg

In situ monitoring of the melt pools in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) has enabled the elucidation of process phenomena. There has been an increasing interest in also using melt pool monitoring to identify process anomalies and control the quality of the manufactured parts. However, a better understanding of the variability of melt pools and the relation to the incidence of internal flaws are necessary to achieve this goal. This study aims to link distributions of melt pool dimensions to internal flaws and signal characteristics obtained from melt pool monitoring. A process mapping approach is employed in the manufacturing of Hastelloy X, comprising a vast portion of the process space. Ex situ measurements of melt pool dimensions and analysis of internal flaws are correlated to the signal obtained through in situ melt pool monitoring in the visible and near-infrared spectra. It is found that the variability in melt pool dimensions is related to the presence of internal flaws, but scatter in melt pool dimensions is not detectable by the monitoring system employed in this study. The signal intensities are proportional to melt pool dimensions, and the signal is increasingly dynamic following process conditions that increase the generation of spatter.


Metals ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 87
Author(s):  
Faiyaz Ahsan ◽  
Jafar Razmi ◽  
Leila Ladani

The powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process has received widespread interest because of its capability to manufacture components with a complicated design and better surface finish compared to other additive techniques. Process optimization to obtain high quality parts is still a concern, which is impeding the full-scale production of materials. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to identify the best combination of process parameters that produces parts with the least defects and best features. This work focuses on gaining useful information about several features of the bead area, such as contact angle, porosity, voids, melt pool size and keyhole that were achieved using several combinations of laser power and scan speed to produce single scan lines. These features are identified and quantified using process learning, which is then used to conduct a comprehensive statistical analysis that allows to estimate the effect of the process parameters, such as laser power and scan speed on the output features. Both single and multi-response analyses are applied to analyze the response parameters, such as contact angle, porosity and melt pool size individually as well as in a collective manner. Laser power has been observed to have a more influential effect on all the features. A multi-response analysis showed that 150 W of laser power and 200 mm/s produced a bead with the best possible features.


Author(s):  
Zhuo Yang ◽  
Yan Lu ◽  
Ho Yeung ◽  
Sundar Kirshnamurty

Abstract Melt pool size is a critical intermediate measure that reflects the outcome of a laser powder bed fusion process setting. Reliable melt pool predictions prior to builds can help users to evaluate potential part defects such as lack of fusion and over melting. This paper develops a layer-wise Neighboring-Effect Modeling (L-NBEM) method to predict melt pool size for 3D builds. The proposed method employs a feedforward neural network model with ten layer-wise and track-wise input variables. An experimental build using a spiral concentrating scan pattern with varying laser power was conducted on the Additive Manufacturing Metrology Testbed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Training and validation data were collected from 21 completed layers of the build, with 6,192,495 digital commands and 118,928 in-situ melt pool coaxial images. The L-NBEM model using the neural network approach demonstrates a better performance of average predictive error (12.12%) by leave-one-out cross-validation method, which is lower than the benchmark NBEM model (15.23%), and the traditional power-velocity model (19.41%).


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morgan Letenneur ◽  
Alena Kreitcberg ◽  
Vladimir Brailovski

A simplified analytical model of the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process was used to develop a novel density prediction approach that can be adapted for any given powder feedstock and LPBF system. First, calibration coupons were built using IN625, Ti64 and Fe powders and a specific LPBF system. These coupons were manufactured using the predetermined ranges of laser power, scanning speed, hatching space, and layer thickness, and their densities were measured using conventional material characterization techniques. Next, a simplified melt pool model was used to calculate the melt pool dimensions for the selected sets of printing parameters. Both sets of data were then combined to predict the density of printed parts. This approach was additionally validated using the literature data on AlSi10Mg and 316L alloys, thus demonstrating that it can reliably be used to optimize the laser powder bed metal fusion process.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document