Additive manufacturing simulation software allows you to replicate real world additive manufacturing processes. The software predicts print outcomes based on the material properties and additive hardware process parameters and can be used to validate upfront engineering work or help optimize processes by visually representing design errors before they occur.
FUTURE OF MAKING | ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
METAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SIMULATION
Predict, validate, and optimize the performance of metal additive parts during the printing process to minimize failures and maximize your additive manufacturing output.
What is additive manufacturing simulation?
Key benefits of metal additive software
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EVALUATE ADDITIVE DESIGNS
Evaluate additive design options for printability before they even get to the additive engineering team increasing your productivity.
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MINIMIZE PRINT FAILURES
Metal additive simulation software helps you predict print failures, improving the profitability and throughput of your additive manufacturing business.
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COMPENSATE FOR PRINT DISTORTION
Automatically compensate geometries based on simulation results to achieve the desired shape when your parts are manufactured or 3D printed.
Capabilities of metal additive simulation software
Metal additive hardware and materials can be expensive. Additive manufacturing simulation software can help you minimize print failures and maximize your output, saving time, money and frustration.
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Predict hot spots and lack of fusion
Undesirable thermal effects can lead to poor build quality. Predict regions of a build that could experience temperatures too hot or not hot enough for proper fusion during processing.
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Identify and fix recoater interference
Recoater interference is a common cause of failed prints or equipment damage. Metal additive simulation software will highlight areas of potential recoater interference.
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Predict support structure failure
Support structures are often required to achieve a successful build with laser powder bed fusion process. Simulation software can aid in design of support strutures by predicting potential failure zones.
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Finite element mesh adaptivity
The adaptive mesher included in Netfabb simulation uses elements only when necessary and updates the mesh with each time step to minimize compensation time for simulation solutions.
Fast, predictive simulation (1:07 min.)
Multi-scale model for metal laser powder bed fusion simulation
The simulation process involves mapping results from a small-scale moving source thermo-mechanical simulation on to a part scale thermo-mechanical simulation. Since this process is fully predictive and physics based, it requires no experimental calibration to achieve accurate results.
To Run a Directed Energy Deposition Simulation (6:18 min.)
Directed energy deposition (DED) simulation
The simulation software can analyze DED for both powder and wire fed systems. The DED process is simulated as a moving source thermo-mechanical analysis, similar to traditional weld modeling techniques. A novel element formulation and element activation approach, allows for fast simulation of each individual weld bead.
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NETFABB METAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SIMULATION SOFTWARE
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SIMULATION FOR OTHER MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
Saving money with simulation software for metal additive manufacturing
APWORKS saves costs for customers reducing additive manufacturing print failures with Autodesk Netfabb Simulation software.