Thermomechanical Analysis of FDM- and LDED-Type Additive Manufacturing Processes

Special-purpose techniques and user subroutines are available for FDM- and LDED-type additive manufacturing processes. These internal built-in user subroutines are accessed by starting names and types with "ABQ_" as described below.

This page discusses:

In a fusion deposition modeling (FDM)-type additive manufacturing process, the raw material is injected through a nozzle onto a platform. The nozzle traces the cross-section pattern for each layer with the raw material. Materials are typically deposited layer-upon-layer until the build is complete. The raw material can be deposited in a molten state and then hardens as it cools. In some processes, such as laser direct energy deposition (LDED), the raw material is injected in a powdered form and then heated in place by a laser beam.

 

See Also
Progressive Element Activation
Sequential thermomechanical analysis of a directed energy deposition build
Defining Moving or Stationary Nonuniform Heat Flux in User Subroutine UMDFLUX
Accessing Abaqus Table Collections
Accessing Abaqus Event Series Data
*EVENT SERIES
*EVENT SERIES TYPE
*TABLE COLLECTION
*PARAMETER TABLE
*PARAMETER TABLE TYPE
*PROPERTY TABLE
*PROPERTY TABLE TYPE

Specifying Progressive Element Activation

The deposition of raw material from a moving nozzle is simulated using progressive element activation in a structural or a thermal analysis. The cross-section of the nozzle and the bead of the material being deposited are assumed to be rectangular (see Figure 1). The following steps are required to define the deposition process completely:

  • Define the motion of the nozzle in an event series.
  • Create a table collection with a name that begins with "ABQ_AM". The table collection must contain a parameter table of type "ABQ_AM_MaterialDeposition" and a parameter table of type "ABQ_AM_MaterialDeposition_Bead".
  • In the parameter table of type "ABQ_AM_MaterialDeposition", include a reference to the event series for the nozzle motion, and set the deposition process type to "Bead".
  • In the parameter table of type "ABQ_AM_MaterialDeposition_Bead", define the process parameters, such as the height and width of the bead.
  • Refer to the table collection in the progressive element activation.

Abaqus activates elements automatically according to the specified nozzle trajectory.

Progressive element activation for FDM and LDED processes.

A dedicated collection of parameter table, property table, and event series types is available to include all of the definitions required by special-purpose techniques for additive manufacturing. You can use the abaqus fetch utility to obtain the file containing all of the type definitions of parameter tables, property tables, and event series required by the special-purpose techniques for additive manufacturing as follows:

abaqus fetch job=ABQ_am_special_purpose_types.inp

Specifying Progressive Element Activation for a Material Bead with Variable Size and Orientation

You can simulate the deposition of a raw material bead from a moving nozzle using progressive element activation in a structural or a thermal analysis. The height, width, and orientation of the rectangular cross-section of the bead of the deposited raw material can vary with time.

The following steps are required to define the deposition process completely:

A dedicated collection of parameter table, property table, and event series types is available to include all of the definitions required by special-purpose techniques for additive manufacturing. You can use the abaqus fetch utility to obtain the file containing all of the type definitions of parameter tables, property tables, and event series required by the special-purpose techniques for additive manufacturing as follows:

abaqus fetch job=ABQ_am_special_purpose_types.inp