Review of Metal AM Simulation Validation Techniques

Due to the complexity of metal AM (additive manufacturing), it can require many trial runs to obtain processing parameters which produce a quality build. Because of this trial and error process, the drive for simulations of AM has grown significantly. A simulation only becomes useful to researchers if it can be shown that it is a true representation of the physical process being simulated. Each process being simulated has a different method of validation to show it is an accurate representation of the process. This paper explores the various methodologies for validation of laser-based metal AM simulations, focusing mainly on the modeling of the thermal processes and other characteristics derived from the thermal history. It will identify and explain the various validation techniques used, specifically looking at the frequency of reported use of each technique