Thermo-mechanical modelling of the Directed Energy Deposition (DED) process for the optimization of deposi-tion strategies

Directed Energy Distribution (DED) process involves a continuous and subsequent deposition of layers, by means of a laser heat source that melts the feedstock material supplied in form of powders or wires. Laser power, pow- der flow rate, travel speed affect temperature gradient distribution and residual stresses in components. Due to this, the main process parameters’ influence on DED process was investigated, followed by a fine-tuning. The main objective of this work was to compare four simulations with different scanning strategies for the to-be-printed component, focusing on deformation re- sults. To achieve this objective, the 3DExperience software was essential in sim- ulating DED process accurately. Setting up the Finite Element Method (FEM) model, mesh type, material properties, and boundary conditions followed a strict procedure. As final step, once the best case in terms of deformations from a production perspective has been highlighted, the component is subjected to post-processing machining to respect the designed dimensioning and tolerances.