Metal Sintering Simulation
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 10:10 am
Hi,
Is anyone working on distortion simulation during the sintering process such as used in Metal Injection Molding? I have brown part analysis working great and are using topololgy optimization software to reduce weight and that is working great. I can run thermal calculations and get an approximation of what might happen during the sintering process in steel and this works well. I am looking for something similar to what Desktop Metal is doing with what they call Live Sinter. This software basically predicts what the shape should look like to reduce distortion errors or failures during the sintering process. Through trial and error I think I can construct a spreadsheet for this but something that would actually reconstruct the geometry that would best compensate for the distortion would be very useful for myself and others in the Metal 3D printing and MIM world. We are metal printing using BASF Ultrafuse 316L SS material. In this process we 3D FDM print what is known and the green part and then it goes through a debinding process to remove most of the polymer that hold the part together and then it goes into the sintering furnace to basically fuse the metal particles together into a dense part.
Thanks for reading. I can provide the printing and metal parts but need help in developing the simulation stuff.
Mark
Is anyone working on distortion simulation during the sintering process such as used in Metal Injection Molding? I have brown part analysis working great and are using topololgy optimization software to reduce weight and that is working great. I can run thermal calculations and get an approximation of what might happen during the sintering process in steel and this works well. I am looking for something similar to what Desktop Metal is doing with what they call Live Sinter. This software basically predicts what the shape should look like to reduce distortion errors or failures during the sintering process. Through trial and error I think I can construct a spreadsheet for this but something that would actually reconstruct the geometry that would best compensate for the distortion would be very useful for myself and others in the Metal 3D printing and MIM world. We are metal printing using BASF Ultrafuse 316L SS material. In this process we 3D FDM print what is known and the green part and then it goes through a debinding process to remove most of the polymer that hold the part together and then it goes into the sintering furnace to basically fuse the metal particles together into a dense part.
Thanks for reading. I can provide the printing and metal parts but need help in developing the simulation stuff.
Mark