Thermal Analysis During Metallic Additive Manufacturing

Due to its ability to produce 3D parts with anfractuous and complex structures with limited post-processing and minimal wastage of raw materials, additive manufacturing (AM) technology opens a new route for manufacturing without tooling and/or machining limits. Therefore, it is constantly used in industrial and research sectors all over the world with expanding prospects. However, the temperature distribution and heat transfer during AM processes directly affect the properties and structures of the printed parts, especially for metallic components. Herein, a comprehensive summary of thermal analysis and heat transfer during metallic AM processes is presented. Metallic AM methods are divided into several categories, including powder bed fusion (PBF), direct energy deposition (DED), and other metallic AM processes. The challenges of heat transfer in each metallic AM process are fully discussed, and the energy insertion and material thermal properties are also discussed for better fundamental understanding. Finally, the experimental and computational studies of thermal analysis in different metallic AM methods are summarized, and a view of the future research is provided.