A G-Code-Driven Modeling and Thermo-Mechanical Coupling Analysis Method for the FDM Process of Complex Lightweight...

Area of Science:

• Additive Manufacturing
• Computational Mechanics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) simulations are challenged by discrepancies between Computer-Aided Design (CAD) geometry and actual material deposition.
• Path-dependent material deposition significantly influences thermo-mechanical behavior and final part quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a G-code-driven, filament-level simulation workflow for FDM.
• To accurately predict thermo-mechanical behavior, including warpage and residual stresses, for complex geometries and infill strategies.
• To investigate the impact of infill topology and boundary conditions on simulation outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Parsing G-code to reconstruct individual filament paths as rectangular beads.
• Utilizing an element birth-death method with centroid-based selection in ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL) for progressive deposition simulation.
• Implementing indirect thermo-mechanical coupling for nonlinear transient thermal and structural analysis.

Main Results:

• The simulation accurately captures high-temperature zones following deposition paths (peak ~220 °C).
• Accumulated displacement and von Mises stress are significantly influenced by infill topology and boundary conditions.
• The workflow demonstrates robustness for complex meshes and varying infill patterns.

Conclusions:

• The developed G-code-driven workflow enhances the accuracy of thermo-mechanical predictions in FDM.
• Infill strategy and boundary conditions are critical factors affecting residual stresses and warpage in 3D printed parts.
• This method provides a valuable tool for optimizing FDM process parameters and part design.