Finite element modeling of deposition of ceramic material during SLM additive manufacturing

A three dimensional model for material deposition in Selective Laser Melting (SLM) with application to Al2O3-ZrO2 eutectic ceramic is presented. As the material is transparent to laser, dopants are added to increase the heat absorption efficiency. Based on Beer-Lambert law, a volumetric heat source model taking into account the material absorption is derived. The Level Set method with multiphase homogenization is used to track the shape of deposed bead and the thermodynamic is coupled to calculate the melting-solidification path. The shrinkage during consolidation from powder to compact medium is modeled by a compressible Newtonian constitutive law. A semi-implicit formulation of surface tension is used, which permits a stable resolution to capture the gas-liquid interface. The formation of droplets is obtained and slight waves of melt pool are observed. The influence of different process parameters on temperature distribution, melt pool profiles and bead shapes is discussed