Accelerating material development with computational insights from FLOW-3D AM

Finding process windows for new materials is costly and time consuming, especially for aerospace applications, where availability of material for testing is often limited by supply chains. Model-based qualification for material development can reduce waste and provide deeper insights into the process dynamics allowing for better control of the final material properties. Physics-based models of melt pool dynamics and solidification give critical information on defect formation, thermal gradients, and cooling rates which support experimental data and reduce trial runs.

FLOW-3D AM is a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software developed by material scientists and computational engineers to accurately predict thermal-fluid behavior of metals during melting and solidification in laser-based processing. This presentation will detail how additive manufacturing simulations using FLOW-3D AM are supporting parameter development to bring new materials to market faster while saving on capital costs. Case studies will include examples of printing graded materials for enhanced performance as well as recycled material with impurities.