Siemens Additive Manufacturing Simulation Solution Predicts Distortions

Siemens’ additive manufacturing (AM) process simulation solution enables manufacturers to design and print useful parts at scale. Building on the Simcenter portfolio, the simulation solution uses a digital twin to simulate the build process prior to printing, anticipating distortion within the printing process and automatically generating the corrected geometry to compensate for these distortions.

When metal parts are 3D printed, the method used to fuse the layers of the print involves heat. As the layers build up, the residual heat can cause parts to warp inside the printer, causing various problems, from structural issues within the part itself to print stoppage. Simulation of the printing process is said to alleviate many of these problems.

The product provides a guided workflow to the user that enables the assessment of distortions, the prediction of recoater collisions, areas of overheating and other feedback about the print process. The product offers the ability to iterate on a solution between the design and build tray setup steps of the workflow and the simulation step. This closed feedback loop is possible due to the integration of the digital platform. The data feeds into the digital thread of information which informs each step of the process. According to the company, this digital backbone enables the system to develop pre-compensated models and to feed those back into the model design and manufacturing processes without additional data translation.

According to Jan Leuridan, senior vice president for simulation and test solutions, “By using a combination of empirical and computational methods we can increase the accuracy of the simulation process, feeding the digital twin and helping customers better predict their real-world print results.”