Numerical Study of the Flow Field and Spatter Particles in Laser-based Powder Bed Fusion Manufacturing

Laser-based powder bed fusion (L-PBF) is an additive manufacturing (AM) technology that uses a high-energy–density laser to scan through a powder bed and completely melts the metal powder. The environment inside the printer chamber, including the flow field of the shielding gas and the spatter particles induced by laser–powder interactions, is essential for product quality. For the first time, this work built a full-size model of printer chamber, and numerically investigated the interaction between the shielding argon flow and the laser induced spatter particles with considering laser temperature. A full-size geometric model of a commercial L-PBF printer with a Gaussian heat source was constructed, as well as a movable particle-release source model for particle injection. The distribution of the argon flow field, the temperature field, and the trajectory and deposition of spatter particles, particularly above the workbench during the L-PBF process were quantitatively analyzed. The results show that the gas flow within 30 mm above the workbench is uniform, and in the upper region of the printer chamber, the flow field is disorderly. The laser can only induce high temperature and upward gas flow in a small region close to the workbench (the height less than 1.6 mm), and the laser induced velocity disturbance in rest regions of the L-PBF printer is negligible. Particles injected towards the outlet (ID4) are mostly blown into the outlet, and in the other four injection directions, more than 90% of spatter particles are deposited inside the printer chamber, especially more than 50% deposited on the workbench. Increasing the laser power (from 100 to 200 W) has little effect on particle deposition on the workbench. Results will be helpful for improving the L-PBF product quality.