Multiphysics Modeling of the Influence of Scanning Parameters on Melt Pool Geometry in Directed Energy Deposition

Directed Energy Deposition (DED) is an additive manufacturing technique that is increasingly useful in the repair of metallic parts. Several industries have adopted this technology for repairs such as the aerospace industry, automotive industry, and tooling industry. It is therefore important to manufacture parts of high precision and accuracy to match the whole assembly. Some ways of ensuring manufacturing accuracy in DED include in-situ monitoring methods, ex-situ product tests, and the use of advanced modeling tools. In-situ monitoring methods and ex-situ testing are cost intensive and, in most cases, iterative. Advanced modeling tools are needed to effectively predict the dimensional accuracy of parts before they are printed. This will improve the adaptability of Directed Energy Deposition to more manufacturing processes. In this research, a Multiphysics model was built to analyze the influence of scanning speeds, and deposition rate on the melt pool shape and morphology. It was found that higher scanning speeds resulted in narrower melt pools, while higher deposition rates resulted in an increase in melt pool height. The results gotten from the model agrees with existing studies which have investigated these process parameters using in-situ monitoring and ex-situ testing methods.