Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer in Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion Processes: A Review

A key challenge in additive manufacturing processes is the emergence of residual stresses brought by the heating of metal powder to its melting point, followed by rapid cooling. The essential step of conducting process simulations within a computer environment becomes crucial for predicting and addressing this inherent risk. This chapter presents a comprehensive review of numerical simulations in laser beam powder bed fusion additive manufacturing, specifically focused on biomaterials suitable for implants and prosthetics. It covers mesh-based approaches such as Finite Element Modeling and Finite Volume Modeling, employing both open-source and commercial software. The review delves into pivotal findings from documented research literature to predict crucial factors like melt pool dimensions, velocity vectors, temperature distribution, peak temperature, and time–temperature evolution. These insights aid in defining optimal process parameters, such as laser power, scan speed, and hatch distance, while also determining an effective scanning strategy.