A novel mathematical model for predicting a sustainable selective laser melting and controlled densification

ABSTRACT

We introduce the innovative concept of Sustainable Laser Energy Consumption (SLEC, ε) that promotes sustainable metal additive manufacturing practices while maintaining productivity and tailored densification in the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) process. This study focuses on deriving analytical expressions through dimensional analysis and Buckingham’s π theorem to predict bulk density with high precision across studied materials: In718, W, AlSi10Mg, Ti6Al4V, and SS316L. This approach provides valuable insights and allows the setting of an appropriate combination of scanning speed and hatch distance for a range of laser power, enabling sustainable manufacturing of SLMed components with tailored density. Furthermore, the mathematical expression introduced as SLEC facilitates the tradeoff between energy consumption and productivity, promoting a greener and more sustainable future of metal additive manufacturing. Furthermore, the underlying fractal nature of SLM is explored through the investigation of the influence of fractal structures, present in the powder bed, on densification that provides information on how powder morphology and homogeneity (i.e. fractal dimension and lacunarity) of the powder bed are linked to a sustainable SLM process.

KEYWORDS:

• Selective Laser Melting
• energy consumption
• mathematical modeling
• fractals
• dimensional analysis
• density

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and its supplementary materials.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/19397038.2024.2327386

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the Tecnologico de Monterrey through the Research Unit of Accelerated Materials Development and the National Laboratory for Additive and Digital Manufacturing (MADiT) LN 315910.

Notes on contributors

Jorge A. Estrada-Díaz

Jorge A. Estrada-Diaz is a Ph.D. student in Nanotechnology at Tecnologico de Monterrey. As a member of the Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing, he specializes in the mathematical modeling of complex manufacturing technologies for promoting sustainable practices. Through classical and cutting-edge techniques, he has been able to describe and predict intricate phenomena such as metal additive manufacturing, electro hydrodynamics and ultrasonic micro-injection molding.

Alex Elías-Zúñiga

Dr. Alex Elías-Zúñiga is the principal researcher of the Accelerated Materials Discovery Research Unit at the Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing and a Department of Mechanical Engineering and Advanced Materials professor. Dr. Elías has published over 160 articles in International Journals (JCR) and about 120 papers in International Conferences and Proceedings. He is the inventor of six patents granted in Mexico and one in the USA. Dr. Elías has led several scientific-technology developments with global Companies such as Vitro, Cemex, Prolec GE, Honeywell Aerospace, Safran Aerospace, Whirlpool, Siemens, and Vertiv, to name a few, with deliverables that exceed the TRL6 level.

Oscar Martínez-Romero

Oscar Martínez-Romero is a Research Professor from the Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing at the Tecnológico de Monterrey. He finished his Ph.D. thesis in 2011 in Analytical Modeling of Regenerative Vibration Reduction in Milling Using Magnecto-rheological fluids using semi-active control damping. He has participated in several international and national projects and published more than 71 articles in international peer-reviewed journals in smart material, additive manufacturing, dynamics, and nanotechnology, among others.

Luis M. Palacios-Pineda

Luis M. Palacios-Pineda, PhD in Mechanical Engineering, is a seasoned engineer with a diverse professional background. Having worked as a design engineer at General Electric’s aeronautical turbine division and as a researcher at the Instituto de Investigaciones Eléctricas, he also served as Director of Engineering at Universidad La Salle Pachuca. Palacios is member of the Mexican Society of Mechanical Engineering, with notable publications in esteemed journals and conferences. With expertise in Finite Element Analysis, he currently holds a faculty position at Instituto Tecnológico de Pachuca, where he has also led postgraduate studies and research endeavors.

Rigoberto Guzmán-Nogales

Rigoberto Guzmán-Nogales is a postdoctoral researcher in the Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing of Tecnologico de Monterrey. He finished his Doctoral thesis in 2022 in numerical simulation of the selective laser melting process of metallic materials. His research areas encompass additive manufacturing technologies for the development of lightweight materials, simulation of Laser Micro Spot Welding and Selective Laser Melting processes.

Luis D. Cedeño-Viveros

Luis D. Cedeño-Viveros, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing. With a doctorate in engineering sciences from Tecnológico de Monterrey, his research expertise encompasses laser micro-welding, bioabsorbable implants, additive manufacturing techniques, and metal additive manufacturing projects, including a workshop on hybrid manufacturing of SLM preforms for the fabrication of aerospace components. Dr. Cedeño-Viveros is a member of the National System of Researchers from CONACyT at the candidate level.

Daniel Olvera-Trejo

Daniel Olvera-Trejo holds degrees in Mechatronics Engineering and a Doctorate in Engineering Sciences from Tecnologico de Monterrey. As a researcher at the Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing, Daniel focuses on the development of sustainable materials, improvement of machining processes, new applications of additive manufacturing, and electrodynamic processes by using mathematical modeling and computer-based simulations.