Numerical Simulation of Temperature Field and Melt Pool Characteristics of CP-Ti Manufactured by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

A coupled heat source model that combined a Gauss surface heat source with a Gauss cylindrical volumetric heat source was introduced to simulate temperature field distribution and melt pool characteristics using a finite element simulation (FEM) method for the deep and narrow melt pools formed in laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) aiming at commercial pure titanium (CP-Ti). For comparison, the same simulations using the Gauss surface heat source model and the double ellipsoid heat source model were also performed. The simulated melt pool geometries using the coupled heat source model match well with the measurements, with an average error of 1% for the melt pool depth and 7% for the width. Based on the single-track experimental results, it was found by comparing the simulated results from the three heat source models that the coupled heat source model had better accuracy than the other two. Then, the temperature field and the melt pool geometries of CP-Ti fabricated at different laser power levels from 300 W to 500 W and scanning speeds from 600 mm/s to 4000 mm/s were simulated. According to the simulated maximum temperature and geometries of the melt pool, a suitable process parameters map for CP-Ti was obtained. The reported experimental results agree well with the simulated map. The coupled heat source model is more accurate and applicable for the deep and narrow melt pools formed during L-PBF.