3D printing is still a long way from perfect. This is particularly true for metal additive manufacturing (AM), which is somewhat newer than polymer 3D printing and involves materials that are more difficult to manipulate. For this reason, engineering simulation firm ANSYS and the University of Pittsburgh have partnered to tackle these problems.
As it stands, metal AM still suffers from huge issues in terms of repeatability and predictability. Residual stress during the printing process causes parts to warp, while the physics of a metal meltpool are so complex that they can be hard to predict. Many times, engineers and machine operators will determine their designs and print parameters based on a trial-and-error process that can see the same part fabricated more than a few times before the process is even perfected.
With funding from American Makes, the United States pilot institute for 3D printing, ANSYS and the University of Pittsburgh have worked together to attempt to resolve some of these issues. The partners have been developing software tools for simulating deformations in prints before printing takes place.
The ultimate goal of the research, as per the project assignments from America Makes, will also see the commercialization of a design suite for optimizing designs for the process. This includes the use of finite element analysis for the creation of microscopic cellular structures within a part that would improve its overall physical properties. Through the use of physics-based computation, it’s possible to simulate how a component will behave before it is fabricated, taking into account such variables as the material used, the design of the part and more.
To build upon the work funded by America Makes, the University of Pittsburgh is launching a 1,200-square-foot facility at the Swanson School of Engineering, which will house 3D printing systems for materials such as metals, alloys and polymers.
Dubbed the Additive Manufacturing Research Laboratory, the lab will be used to enable students and faculty to perform their own research as well as develop solutions to the aforementioned problems associated with 3D printing. Therefore, while the lab can be employed to develop 3D-printed designs, the simulation software being developed by ANSYS and the university will be further developed as well.
Interestingly, this is not the only such software solution that has been funded by America Makes. The institute has also funded research led by GE Global Research to develop software capable of simulating thermal distortion in laser powder bed metal 3D printing. 3DSIM, a partner on the project, has its own software for predicting the physics of metal 3D printing processes.
In fact, Brent Stucker, CEO of 3DSIM, previously conducted a study at the University of Louisville, where 3DSIM software was originally developed, that demonstrated that his solution was “significantly faster” than that of ANSYS. This study was conducted in 2014, however, and it’s possible that ANSYS, through its work with the University of Pittsburgh, has been able to improve its software speeds.
The next release of ANSYS, version 18.0, will feature many of the developments achieved through the work funded by America Makes and is due out early next year; however, there is still much work to be done to fully unlock the potential of additive manufacturing.