Heat transfer applied to rapid prototyping by metal deposition in successive layers using 3D welding

This work presents a study on the heat transfer phenomena that occur during the process of Rapid Prototyping by layered arc welding metal deposition, also called, 3D Welding. The main goal is to understand the heat transfer process and its relations with the welding parameters, in order to enable a control of the thermal cycles that the deposited material shall be subjected to. A numerical model is developed using the finite difference method to analyze the heat transfer, in order to allow the simulation of certain situations. The numerical model was validated by means of simulating specific cases for which analytical solutions are available. From the theoretical model equations, some dimensionless numbers were defined, among which the so called π1 number, mainly related to the welding speed. Some numerical experiments were carried out in order to allow the observation of its influence on the average and peak temperatures and also on the amplitudes of the thermal cycles which the part is subject to.

Welding; Heat Transfer; Rapid Prototyping; 3D Welding; Addition Technologies