Multiscale Modelling of Heat Transfer in Selective Laser Sintering

Abstract

This study investigates heat transfer mechanisms in Selective Laser Sintering through a multiscale modeling approach. At the micro-scale, the model simulates heat transfer within a single layer and scan line, capturing laser-powder interactions, phase transformations, and temperature-dependent material properties. At the part scale, two approaches are explored: one with a continuously operating laser and another where the laser heat is applied in discrete bursts, simulating a non-continuous process. Micro-scale results demonstrate rapid thermal responses over millisecond timescales, while the part-scale model reveals slower heating rates to achieve comparable temperatures. The part-scale model with the non-continuous approach also highlights the effects of energy migration across multiple layers. Parameter studies emphasize the sensitivity of thermal profiles to laser operation parameters and layer configurations in the model, with the non-continuous approach producing higher localized temperatures at low laser activation times. Overall, the models provide a numerical framework to optimize SLS processes and deepen the understanding of thermal dynamics during sintering.