Articles techniques et présentations

This study explores the significance of the recoil pressure, Marangoni convection and surface tension effects in selective laser melting of Ti-6Al-4V. A pragmatic two dimensional model with appropriate powder distribution over a substrate of finite thickness has been developed in COMSOL Multiphysics®; the model reveals complex time-varying flow patterns having strong susceptibility towards process parameter selection. The mechanisms associated with SLM, such as balling effect, the formation of humps, entrainment of pores, the transition from conduction to keyhole regime and formation of spatters have been elucidated. The possible rectification of aforementioned defects is discussed. Further, sensitivity analysis has been employed to obtain process maps for better optimization of the SLM process.