Additive Manufacturing Tutorials

ANSYS, Inc. Release 2023 R1

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Table of Contents
What You Need to Know About AM Tutorials ................................................................................................. v
1. Additive Print Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry ...................................................................................... 1
1.1. Problem Description ......................................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Import Geometry .............................................................................................................................. 3
1.3. Set Up Simulation ............................................................................................................................. 4
1.4. Select Geometry and Supports ......................................................................................................... 5
1.5. Configure Materials .......................................................................................................................... 7
1.6. Select Outputs and Solve .................................................................................................................. 8
1.7. Obtain the Distortion ........................................................................................................................ 9
1.8. Use Calibration Spreadsheet ........................................................................................................... 16
1.9. Run Subsequent Calibration Iterations ............................................................................................ 17
1.10. Save Calibrated Material ................................................................................................................ 19
2. Workbench Additive Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry .......................................................................... 21
2.1. Problem Description ....................................................................................................................... 21
2.2. Create Analysis System and Set Up Calibration ................................................................................ 23
2.3. Attach Geometry and Launch Mechanical ....................................................................................... 24
2.4. Set Units and Open Additive Wizard ................................................................................................ 25
2.5. Identify Geometries ........................................................................................................................ 26
2.6. Generate Mesh ............................................................................................................................... 27
2.7. Assign Materials .............................................................................................................................. 28
2.8. Define AM Process Steps and Conditions ......................................................................................... 29
2.9. Apply Boundary Conditions ............................................................................................................ 30
2.10. Set Up Calibration Iterations .......................................................................................................... 31
2.11. Run Calibration Iterations .............................................................................................................. 33
2.12. Obtain the Optimum Calibration TSSF ........................................................................................... 34
3. Workbench Additive Simulation - Gear Selector Fork .......................................................................... 37
3.1. Problem Description ....................................................................................................................... 37
3.2. Create Analysis System .................................................................................................................... 39
3.3. Define Engineering Data ................................................................................................................. 39
3.4. Attach Geometry ............................................................................................................................ 40
3.5. Open Mechanical Application ......................................................................................................... 40
3.6. Identify Geometries ........................................................................................................................ 41
3.7. Assign Materials .............................................................................................................................. 42
3.8. Generate Mesh ............................................................................................................................... 43
3.9. Add Supports ................................................................................................................................. 46
3.10. Define Connections ...................................................................................................................... 48
3.11. Define AM Process Steps ............................................................................................................... 49
3.12. Define Build Settings ..................................................................................................................... 50
3.13. Establish Analysis Settings ............................................................................................................. 51
3.14. Apply Boundary Conditions and Loads .......................................................................................... 52
3.15. Solve ............................................................................................................................................ 55
3.16. Review Results .............................................................................................................................. 57
4. Workbench Additive DED Simulation - Racetrack ................................................................................. 59
4.1. Problem Description ....................................................................................................................... 59
4.2. Create Analysis System .................................................................................................................... 60
4.3. Attach Geometry and Set Units ....................................................................................................... 61
4.4. Open the DED Process Wizard ......................................................................................................... 64
4.5. Wizard Step 1 - Identify Geometries ................................................................................................. 65
4.6. Wizard Step 2 - Generate Mesh ........................................................................................................ 67

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Additive Manufacturing Tutorials

4.7. Wizard Step 3 - Set Up for Element Clustering and Create Contact Connections ................................ 70
4.8. Wizard Step 4 - Assign Materials ...................................................................................................... 74
4.9. Wizard Step 5 - Define Build Settings and Thermal Boundary Conditions .......................................... 76
4.10. Wizard Step 6 - Define Structural Boundary Conditions and Base Removal ...................................... 79
4.11. Perform Element Clustering .......................................................................................................... 81
4.12. Solve the Transient Thermal Analysis ............................................................................................. 85
4.13. Review Thermal Results ................................................................................................................. 86
4.14. Solve the Static Structural Analysis ................................................................................................ 89
4.15. Review Structural Results .............................................................................................................. 90
5. Workbench Additive Sintering Simulation - Printed Bridge ................................................................. 93
5.1. Problem Description ....................................................................................................................... 93
5.2. Create Analysis System .................................................................................................................... 96
5.3. Attach Geometry and Set Units ....................................................................................................... 97
5.4. Load Sintering Process Add-on ...................................................................................................... 100
5.5. Wizard Step 1 - Identify Geometries ............................................................................................... 102
5.6. Wizard Step 2 - Define Contact ...................................................................................................... 104
5.7. Wizard Step 3 - Define Constraints ................................................................................................. 106
5.8. Wizard Step 4 - Generate Mesh ...................................................................................................... 108
5.9. Wizard Step 5 - Define Gravity ....................................................................................................... 110
5.10. Wizard Step 6 - Define Sinter Material .......................................................................................... 111
5.11. Wizard Step 7 - Define Sinter Schedule ......................................................................................... 113
5.12. Wizard Step 8 - Define Results and Solver Settings ....................................................................... 115
5.13. Generate Sinter Schedule and Solve ............................................................................................ 117
5.14. Review Results ............................................................................................................................ 121

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What You Need to Know About AM Tutorials
These tutorial problems demonstrate how to use some of the features in the Ansys family of products
dedicated to Additive Manufacturing. Each tutorial is a complete step-by-step simulation procedure.

The tutorials in this document were run on a 64-bit Windows 10 system. Your results may vary depending
upon your computer hardware and operating system.

Use the link provided under Tutorial Files in the problem description of each tutorial to obtain the
file(s) required to run the tutorial.

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Chapter 1: Additive Print Calibration - 4 Pillars
Geometry
This example demonstrates the workflow of performing an Assumed Strain, Linear Elastic calibration
simulation in Ansys Additive. The strain scaling factor (SSF) is obtained from this calibration process for
an AM build using Ti-6Al-4V alloy.

The following features and capabilities are used:

• Assumed Strain simulation type

• Ti64 material, Linear Elastic stress mode

• Calibration spreadsheet

Tutorial steps:
1.1. Problem Description
1.2. Import Geometry
1.3. Set Up Simulation
1.4. Select Geometry and Supports
1.5. Configure Materials
1.6. Select Outputs and Solve
1.7. Obtain the Distortion
1.8. Use Calibration Spreadsheet
1.9. Run Subsequent Calibration Iterations
1.10. Save Calibrated Material

1.1. Problem Description

This example part is used to demonstrate the overall calibration process in Ansys Additive. You may
want to design/choose the most appropriate calibration geometry for your own scenario by referring
to Determine Your Calibration Part in the Additive Print and Science Calibration Guide.

The 4-pillars geometry is a simple, symmetrical geometry with four 2-mm thick rectangular pillars attached
to a center cross beam. The overall dimensions of this part are 20 mm by 20 mm by 25 mm along the
X, Y, and Z directions respectively. The part is designed in such a way that a major distortion can be
measured near the overhang interface at Z=20 mm, as shown at the red arrow in the following
schematic. After fabrication, the on-plate distortion of the part in the as-built condition is measured
along the center line of the left pillar as highlighted by the purple dashed line. This measurement line
is located at X=0 and Y=5 mm. The picture shows the actual as-built calibration part example on plate
after fabrication.

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Additive Print Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry

The calibration part was fabricated using a laser powder bed fusion process with the machine process
parameter set as shown in the following table. Some of these processing parameters are used as inputs
in the simulation. The part was built with Ti-6Al-4V material directly on a build plate with no support
structures.

Ti-6Al-4V Processing Parameters

Layer Thickness (µm) 60
Preheat Temperature (°C) 200
Inert gas Ar
Beam Diameter (µm) 85
Laser Power (W) 350
Laser Speed (mm/s) 1100
Hatch Distance (mm) 0.12
Stripe Length (mm) 10
Starting Angle (°) 45
Rotation Angle (°) 67
3 44
Energy Density (J/mm )

The maximum as-built on-plate distortion for this build was 0.242 mm in shrinkage near Z = 20 mm
located along the measurement line shown in the schematic, at coordinates (0,10,20). This distortion
value will be used as the target value for the simulation.

Tutorial Files
Click here to download the following:

• 4_pillars.stl — Geometry file of the 4-pillars calibration part. There are no supports for
this model and a base plate is not needed in Ansys Additive.

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 Import Geometry

• Additive_Print_Calibration_Spreadsheet.xlxs — Custom spreadsheet with em-

bedded calibration calculations.

1.2. Import Geometry

1. Open Ansys Additive.

2. Click Parts to bring up the Parts Library.

3. When the Parts Library is loaded, click the Import Part button in the upper, right corner.

4. In the Import Part page, click Choose File and navigate to the 4_pillars.stl geometry,
select it, and click Open. Parts must be in .stl format and dimensions must be in units of milli-
meters. A green check mark appears on the page indicating a valid part has been chosen.

5. Enter a Name for the part and, optionally, tags and a description.

6. Click Save.

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Additive Print Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry

The import operation occurs when we hit Save. It may take several minutes to import, depending
on the size of the part. The part is available to be used in a simulation when the availability
status says "Available" on the part's details page.

1.3. Set Up Simulation

1. Click Dashboard, and under New, choose Assumed Strain. This will bring up a new Assumed
Strain simulation form.

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 Select Geometry and Supports

2. Enter a Simulation Title and, optionally, tags and a description for the simulation. We have
found it is good practice to use a detailed description for record-keeping purposes. In this ex-
ample we added "1st iteration" to the description because we anticipate additional iterations
when performing a calibration.

3. Depending on your Additive license, change the Number of Cores, as desired.

1.4. Select Geometry and Supports

1. Scroll to the Geometry Selection section and choose the 4-pillars calibration part we just imported
and click Add.

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Additive Print Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry

2. For Voxel Size, enter 0.5 to define a mesh size of 0.5 millimeters.

A voxel size of 0.5 mm for this geometry is larger than we recommend but is used here to speed up
the tutorial. A much smaller voxel size of 0.2 mm is more realistic for this geometry.

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 Configure Materials

3. Scroll to the Supports section and uncheck Simulate with Supports since there are no support
structures for this model.

1.5. Configure Materials

1. Scroll to the Material Configuration section and select Ti64 from the drop-down list.

2. Under Stress Mode, choose Linear Elastic.

3. Use the default Strain Scaling Factor of 1 for this first calibration iteration. We will be changing
this value for subsequent iterations.

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Additive Print Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry

1.6. Select Outputs and Solve

1. We do not need to add any extra output items so we will simply use the default on-plate residual
stress/distortion results.

2. Click Start to begin the first calibration iteration.

While the simulation is running, review the activity status and logs for helpful information. The
Simulation ID is a unique identification number given to this one simulation. Output files will
include this ID in their file names.

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 Obtain the Distortion

1.7. Obtain the Distortion

1. Once the simulation is complete, output files are available for review. First we'll look at the
results in the Additive application.

a. Click View next to On plate stress/displacement (avz) to bring up the viewer.

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Additive Print Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry

b. The result item displayed by default is the total displacement vector. We need to change
the display so that we are looking at the X component of displacement. Click the View
Manager button in the viewer controls bar.

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 Obtain the Distortion

c. In the View Manager drop-down, check the box next to disp_x and clear the disp check
box. Rotate the model so that the pillar with the greatest shrinkage distortion (red
contour) is shown. Move the mouse around within this area to see the X-displacement.
Click Close in the upper right corner to get back to the simulation results page.

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Additive Print Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry

2. Since it is a bit tricky to find the maximum displacement and to know its exact location, we
will view the results in Ansys EnSight.

a. Start by exporting the results to a .vtk file. Click Export next to On plate stress/displace-
ment and then Save the file.

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 Obtain the Distortion

b. Open Ansys EnSight.

c. Click File > Open, navigate to the simulation .vtk file and click OK.

d. Right-click the newly added sim file and choose Color by > Select variable. In the
dialog box that opens, click on the symbol to expand the Vectors options, choose
disp_mm_[X] and then click OK.

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Additive Print Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry

e. Rotate the model so that the pillar with the greatest shrinkage distortion (red contour)

is shown. Click the Interactive probe query button from the ribbon. A dialog
box opens. In the Probe create tab click the Show components check box and then
click disp_mm_[X] to display the X component of displacement.

In the lower half of the dialog box, from the Query drop-down, choose XYZ. Enter X,
Y, and Z values as 0, 10, and 20. Click Create. The node number and X-displacement
are shown.

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 Obtain the Distortion

f. Next we will use the settings in the Display style tab to change how the probe is dis-
played. In the Probe query box, switch to the Display style tab and change the settings
as shown below. This removes the node ID number, changes the displacement value
to floating point format with 3 decimal places, and increases the size of the marker dot
that indicates the location.

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Additive Print Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry

g. Finally, we want to probe nearby node locations in the Z direction to see if we observe
a higher displacement. Remember that the coordinates of (0,10,20) correspond to the
location of maximum distortion in the experimental portion of the calibration. In the
simulation the location of maximum distortion may shift a little bit since the element
size is larger than the layer thickness. At (0,10,20.5) the distortion value of 0.169 mm
is higher than at (0,10,20) so that is what we will use for the first calibration iteration.

1.8. Use Calibration Spreadsheet

A spreadsheet is used for the SSF calculations.

1. Open the Ansys Additive Calibration Sheet .xlxs file.

2. Click Calibration for AS tab.

3. Enter 0.242 mm as the experimental distortion target (measurement) in cell E5.

4. In the Linear Elastic table, record the simulation number, in our example it is 575, in cell D9
and then the distortion result 0.169 mm from the first calibration iteration in cell E9.

The calibration spreadsheet will automatically calculate a new SSF value for the next simulation
iteration, shown in both cell G9 and F10. At the same time, it will also calculate the % error
between the simulation and the experimental distortion value.

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 Run Subsequent Calibration Iterations

1.9. Run Subsequent Calibration Iterations

Perform a new simulation with all inputs unchanged except for the new SSF value. To make it easy, use
the Duplicate button on the simulation results page to copy the first iteration to a new simulation
form. Then change the simulation description (to note 2nd iteration) and the SSF value and click Start.
Iterate until the calculated SSF converges to an acceptable level of error between measured and simu-
lated, or until the results will not get any better.

In our example, the best simulation result is achieved in the 2nd iteration with SSF = 1.432, which yields
a 0.0% error.

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Additive Print Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry

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 Save Calibrated Material

1.10. Save Calibrated Material

In the Results Summary tab of the spreadsheet, record the calibrated SSF for future Assumed Strain,
Linear Elastic simulations in Ansys Additive using Ti-6Al-4V.

Within Additive Print, we recommend you save the final SSF by creating a customized "calibrated ma-
terial." In the Materials Library, select your original material and then click Customize. This brings up an
edit panel where you can change the title, description, and SSF value for your calibrated material. Then
be sure to select the appropriate custom material when performing future simulations.

Congratulations! You have completed the tutorial.

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Chapter 2:Workbench Additive Calibration - 4 Pillars
Geometry
This example demonstrates the workflow of using the Additive Wizard for a thermal-structural calibration
simulation in Workbench Additive. The Thermal Strain Scaling Factor (TSSF) is obtained from this calib-
ration process for an AM build using Ti-6Al-4V alloy.

The following features and capabilities are used:

• Additive Wizard

• Direct optimization module to perform the calibration iterations

Tutorial steps:
2.1. Problem Description
2.2. Create Analysis System and Set Up Calibration
2.3. Attach Geometry and Launch Mechanical
2.4. Set Units and Open Additive Wizard
2.5. Identify Geometries
2.6. Generate Mesh
2.7. Assign Materials
2.8. Define AM Process Steps and Conditions
2.9. Apply Boundary Conditions
2.10. Set Up Calibration Iterations
2.11. Run Calibration Iterations
2.12. Obtain the Optimum Calibration TSSF

2.1. Problem Description

This example part is used to demonstrate the overall calibration process using the Additive Wizard in
Workbench Additive. You may want to design/choose the most appropriate calibration geometry for
your own scenario by referring to Performing a Calibration in the LPBF Simulation Guide.

The 4-pillars geometry is a simple, symmetrical geometry with four 2-mm thick rectangular pillars attached
to a center cross beam. The overall dimensions of this part are 20 mm by 20 mm by 25 mm along the
X, Y, and Z directions respectively. The part is designed in such a way that a major distortion can be
measured near the overhang interface at Z=20 mm, as shown at the red arrow in the following
schematic. After fabrication, the on-plate distortion of the part in the as-built condition is measured
along the center line of the left pillar as highlighted by the purple dashed line. This measurement line

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Workbench Additive Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry

is located at X=0 and Y=5 mm. The picture shows the actual as-built calibration part example on plate
after fabrication.

The calibration part was fabricated using a laser powder bed fusion process with the machine process
parameter set as shown in the following table. Some of these processing parameters are used as inputs
in the simulation. The part was built with Ti-6Al-4V material directly on a build plate with no support
structures.

Ti-6Al-4V Processing Parameters

Layer Thickness (µm) 60
Preheat Temperature (°C) 200
Inert gas Ar
Beam Diameter (µm) 85
Laser Power (W) 350
Laser Speed (mm/s) 1100
Hatch Distance (mm) 0.12
Stripe Length (mm) 10
Starting Angle (°) 45
Rotation Angle (°) 67
Energy Density (J/mm3) 44

The maximum as-built on-plate distortion for this build was 0.242 mm in shrinkage near Z = 20 mm
located along the measurement line shown in the schematic. This distortion value will be used as the
target value for the simulation.

Tutorial Files
Click here to download the following:

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 Create Analysis System and Set Up Calibration

4pillars.scdoc — Geometry file of the 4-pillars calibration part and a base plate, saved as an Ansys
SpaceClaim document. There are no supports for this model.

2.2. Create Analysis System and Set Up Calibration

In this step we set up the systems in Workbench and load the Additive Wizard. The Additive Wizard is
available only if you have an Ansys Additive Suite software license with Ansys Mechanical Enterprise or
one of the multiphysics bundles. If Additive Wizard appears grayed out, or does not appear in the Ex-
tensions Manager as shown below, check your software license.

1. Open Ansys Workbench.

2. Select the Extensions menu, select ACT Start Page > Manage Extensions, and then from the
Additive Wizard drop-down menu, choose Load as default. Or choose Load extension to load
the wizard just for this session. Close the ACT Start Page tab.

3. Just below the Workbench Main Menu bar, click the AM Thermal-Structural button to add a
preconfigured AM thermal-structural system into the Project Schematic.

4. Now click the AM Calibration button to add a direct optimization module into the Project
Schematic. This module is configured to work with the AM thermal-structural system for a cal-

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Workbench Additive Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry

ibration iteration process to seek the optimized Thermal Strain Scaling Factor (TSSF) once the
calibration setup is completed via the Additive Wizard.

Be sure you add the AM Calibration into the Project Schematic before configuring your model
within Mechanical. Otherwise, the calibration option will not be added to the setup in the Ad-
ditive Wizard.

2.3. Attach Geometry and Launch Mechanical

In this step we import the geometry and open the Mechanical application.

1. Right-click Geometry in the AM Thermal Analysis and select Import Geometry > Browse.

2. Find the 4pillars.scdoc geometry, select it, and click Open to add it to the analysis. A
check mark appears next to the Geometry cell in the Project Schematic when the geometry is
added.

3. Double-click Model from the Transient Thermal analysis. A message "Starting Mechanical" will
show up in the status bar in the bottom, left corner. Mechanical may take a few minutes to
open and attach the geometry.

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 Set Units and Open Additive Wizard

2.4. Set Units and Open Additive Wizard

In this step we do a few things not covered in the Additive Wizard and then open the wizard.

1. Expand the Geometry object in the Project tree to see that the model consists of two solid
bodies, the 4-pillars part and the base plate. Use your mouse buttons to pan, zoom, and rotate
the model as you wish.

2. Set the units for this model to millimeters. From the Home tab in the ribbon, in the Tools group,
select Units > Metric (mm, kg, N, s, mV, mA).

3. It is a good time to adjust the number of processors (cores) you are using on your computer.
Depending on the complexity of your model, AM Process Simulations may be computer intensive.
If you have an Ansys HPC license, access the option from the Home tab, under the Solve group
and change the Cores to something appropriate for your simulation.

4. The remainder of the set-up is done using the Additive Wizard. Click the Automation tab, click
Open Wizard to activate the Additive Wizard, and click AdditiveWizard again in the panel on
the right side of the UI to open the wizard.

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Workbench Additive Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry

2.5. Identify Geometries

In this step we identify which bodies are the part, the supports, and the base.

1. With Geometry Selection as the basis for selection, use the Body picker to select the 4-pillars
part and click Apply next to the Part Selection input field.

2. Under Support Geometry, choose No Supports because there are no supports for this model.

3. Select the base and click Apply next to the Base Selection input field.

4. Leave the remaining options set to the default of No and click Next at the bottom of the wizard
page.

Note that while we recognize the 4-pillars geometry is symmetric, we would have to modify
the geometry file to include only a quarter (for ¼ symmetry) or half (for ½ symmetry) of the
part to use the symmetry feature. Rather than doing that, we will simulate with the full geometry.

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 Generate Mesh

Notice that items are added and/or updated in the Project tree after each step in the wizard. It is a
good idea to review these items that have changed corresponding to the actions in the wizard as this
is a good way to learn about Ansys Mechanical.

2.6. Generate Mesh

In this step we set mesh controls and generate the mesh.

1. Under Mesh Type, choose Voxelized.

2. For Build Element Size, enter 0.5 to define a mesh size of 0.5 millimeters.

3. For Base Element Size, enter 5 to allow a much coarser mesh size of 5 millimeters.

4. Leave the remaining options set to the default of Yes and click Next at the bottom of the wizard
page.

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Workbench Additive Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry

2.7. Assign Materials

In this step we assign materials to the build and the base.

1. Under Build Material, choose Ti-6Al-4V.

2. Under Base Material, choose Ti-6Al-4V.

By default, bilinear isotropic hardening material properties are applied to the model when a
material with those properties is applied. You can confirm this by viewing that Nonlinear Effects
is set to Yes for both the part and the base. (In the Project tree on the left side of the UI, expand
the Geometry object so you see the two bodies. Select each body and review the Details panel
for each at the bottom of the tree.)

3. Click Next.

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 Define AM Process Steps and Conditions

2.8. Define AM Process Steps and Conditions

In this step we define machine settings, build conditions, and cooldown conditions.

Under Machine Settings:

1. Leave Inherent Strain set to No and Build Settings Input to Enter Manually.

2. Set Deposition Thickness to 0.06 mm. (This corresponds to the Layer Thickness of 60 µm.)

3. Set Hatch Spacing to 0.12 mm.

4. Set Laser Speed to 1100 mm/s.

Under Build Conditions:

5. Set Preheat Temperature to 200 °C.

6. Leave the remaining settings to their defaults. Note that this includes removal settings. (Scroll
down in the wizard panel to see all the options.) We will not simulate cut-off of the part from
the base, as distortion measurements were taken on-plate in the experimental portion of the
calibration. Click Next.

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Workbench Additive Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry

2.9. Apply Boundary Conditions

In this step we apply boundary conditions to the base. This includes a constant preheat temperature
during the build, an ambient cooldown temperature during cooldown, and a fixed condition throughout
the simulation because we assume the base is rigid with no distortion.

Under Base Thermal Boundary Conditions:

1. Scoping method refers to the method of identifying the boundary upon which boundary con-
ditions will be applied. Leave this as Geometry Selection and use the Face picker to select
the bottom face of the Base. Click Apply next to the Geometry input field.

2. Keeping Temperature as the Build Condition, enter 200 °C for Build Boundary Temperature.
Leave the default Cooldown condition as a 22 °C temperature.

Under Base Structural Boundary Condition:

3. Using the Face picker , select the bottom face of the Base again and click Apply as the
geometry for the fixed support.

4. Click Next.

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 Set Up Calibration Iterations

2.10. Set Up Calibration Iterations

In this step we establish a line of nodes for distortion measurements (similar to the purple dashed line
in the experiments), enter our distortion target, and finish setting up for the calibration iterations. The
measurement line is along the Z axis located at X=0 and Y=5 mm.

1. First we need to select a line of nodes and define a Named Selection for it. This is done outside
of the Additive Wizard but keep the wizard open. In the Project tree, right-click Named Selection
and choose Insert > Named Selection. Rename the new Named Selection object to Measured-
Line.

In the Details panel of MeasuredLine, change the Scoping Method to Worksheet.

Right-click in the Worksheet area and choose Add to add a new row. Set up the fields in the
new row as shown in the following figure. Then add a new Filter row and set up the fields as
shown. Click Generate. A line of highlighted nodes is shown on the vertical wall of the pillar.

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Workbench Additive Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry

2. Back in the Additive Wizard, be sure Setup Calibration is set to Yes. Under Measurement Location,
change the Scoping Method to Named Selection. Choose the MeasuredLine named selection.
Choose X for Distortion Direction and enter 0.242 mm for Target Distortion, which is our
maximum distortion according to the experimental measurements.

3. Click Finish. The Additive Wizard has now been configured successfully.

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 Run Calibration Iterations

2.11. Run Calibration Iterations

In this step we run the calibration iterations using the automated Direct Optimization system in Work-
bench.

1. Go back to the Workbench UI. After completion of the calibration setup in the Additive Wizard,
notice that the Direct Optimization system is automatically connected to the AM Thermal-
Structural Analysis systems.

2. In the Direct Optimization system, right-click Optimization > Update to start the calibration
iterations. The optimization process will run the thermal-structural simulations iteratively by
automatically applying different TSSF values from 1 to 10 in order to search for the maximum
distortion value along the defined MeasuredLine that best matches the experimental distortion
value. By default, the optimization algorithm is set as Nonlinear Programming by Quadratic
Lagrangian (NLPQL) with a tolerance of 0.001.

The simulations may take a few hours to complete depending on the number of cores specified
and the machine used to run this model.

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Workbench Additive Calibration - 4 Pillars Geometry

2.12. Obtain the Optimum Calibration TSSF

1. When the optimization is done you will see a green check mark in the Optimization tab under
the Direct Optimization system. Right-click Optimization > Edit... and a separate tab C2: Op-
timization pops up.

2. Go to the C2: Optimization tab, right-click in the A12 cell from the Outline of Schematic C2:
Optimization section. All candidates for Thermal Strain Scaling Factor are listed and ranked by
stars. The more stars a candidate has, the closer the simulation distortion value is to the exper-
imental distortion value. Select the value with the most stars as the optimized calibration TSSF.
In our example, the calibrated TSSF is 1.3339, which results in a distortion of 0.24161 mm.

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 Obtain the Optimum Calibration TSSF

Congratulations! You have completed the tutorial.

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Chapter 3: Workbench Additive Simulation - Gear
Selector Fork
This tutorial demonstrates how to perform an AM Process Simulation of a Powder Bed Fusion (PBF)
process using a linked thermal-structural analysis.

The following features and capabilities are used:

• Inconel 718 material

• STL support

• Support removal step

Tutorial steps:
3.1. Problem Description
3.2. Create Analysis System
3.3. Define Engineering Data
3.4. Attach Geometry
3.5. Open Mechanical Application
3.6. Identify Geometries
3.7. Assign Materials
3.8. Generate Mesh
3.9. Add Supports
3.10. Define Connections
3.11. Define AM Process Steps
3.12. Define Build Settings
3.13. Establish Analysis Settings
3.14. Apply Boundary Conditions and Loads
3.15. Solve
3.16. Review Results

3.1. Problem Description

A gear selector fork, a common automotive part used to change gears in a manual transmission, is
shown (with a dog ring for reference) in the following figure. The geometry was optimized in Ansys
Discovery with a volume constraint of 85% and then the part was prepared in Additive Prep for additive
simulation. (The steps of topology optimization and support creation in Additive Prep are not included
in this tutorial.) The build material is Inconel 718.

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Workbench Additive Simulation - Gear Selector Fork

Tutorial Files
Click here to download the following:

• gsf with base.scdoc — Geometry file of the gear selector fork part and a base plate, saved
as an Ansys SpaceClaim document. (The support is included in the document but is suppressed
for physics.)

• gsf support_vless.stl — Support structure for the gear selector fork.

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 Define Engineering Data

3.2. Create Analysis System

1. From the Analysis Systems listed on the left, drag a Transient Thermal analysis into the Project
Schematic.

2. Drag a Static Structural analysis onto the Solution cell of the Transient Thermal analysis
system.

3.3. Define Engineering Data

In this step, from the many materials within the Ansys library, we make the appropriate additive manu-
facturing material available for the simulation.

1. In the Transient Thermal system, double-click Engineering Data.

2. Click Engineering Data Sources at the top.

3. Under Engineering Data Sources, click Additive Manufacturing Materials.

4. Click the "+" sign next to Inconel 718 and a book icon will appear next to the material to indicate
that it will be an available material for this analysis.

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Workbench Additive Simulation - Gear Selector Fork

5. Exit Engineering Data or click the Project tab.

3.4. Attach Geometry

1. Back in the Project Schematic, in the Transient Thermal system, right-click Geometry and select
Import Geometry > Browse.

2. Navigate to the gear selector fork geometry file, select it, and click Open to add it to the ana-
lysis. A green check mark appears next to the Geometry cell in the Project Schematic when the
geometry is added.

3.5. Open Mechanical Application

1. In the Transient Thermal system, double-click Model. A message "Starting Mechanical" will show
up in the status bar in the bottom, left corner. The Mechanical application may take a few
minutes to open and attach the geometry.

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 Identify Geometries

2. Once Mechanical is open and you see the model, set the units for this model to millimeters.
From the Home tab in the ribbon, in the Tools group, select Units > Metric (mm, kg, N, s, mV,
mA).

3.6. Identify Geometries

Identify which body is the build and which body is the base. This is done by inserting the AM Process
object into the tree. AM Process establishes the options and assumptions appropriate for an additive
manufacturing simulation. It is important to note that the AM Process object is available only if you
have an Ansys Additive Suite software license with Ansys Mechanical Enterprise or one of the multiphysics
bundles. If the AM Process button is grayed out, check your software license.

1. Click Model in the Project tree, and then from the Define group, click the AM Process button.
An AM Process object will show up in the tree. In the graphics window, feel free to pan, zoom,
and rotate the model as desired.

2. Use the Body picker to select the selector fork body and, in the Details view of AM Process,
click Apply next to Geometry under Build Geometry. Next select the base body and click Apply
next to Geometry under Base Plate Geometry.

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Workbench Additive Simulation - Gear Selector Fork

3.7. Assign Materials

Assign the AM material Inconel 718 to both bodies.

1. Expand the Geometry item in the Project tree. Select the Part child object. In the Details view,
set the Assignment to Inconel 718.

2. Select the Build Volume/Baseplate child object. In the Details view, set the Assignment to
Inconel 718.

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 Generate Mesh

3.8. Generate Mesh

Because of its organic shape and many curves, we will mesh the gear selector fork part with layered
tetrahedrons. We will mesh the base with standard brick elements.

1. Set mesh controls for the part:

a. Select the Mesh object in the tree.

b. From the Mesh tab in the ribbon, in the Controls group, click Method. An Automatic
Method object is added to the tree under the Mesh object.

c. Use the Body picker to select the selector fork body and, in the Details view of
Automatic Method, click Apply next to Geometry.

d. In the Details view, set the Method to Layered Tetrahedrons. (Automatic Method be-
comes Layered Tetrahedrons in the tree.) Set the Layer Height to 2 mm. NOTE: This
layer height is larger than recommended for this model, but it is used in this tutorial
for speed considerations. Our general guideline for a "super layer" is to use 10-20 times
the size of the machine deposition thickness.

e. Set the Layer Start to 0 mm to match the coordinates at the top of the base.

f. Click the Mesh object, and in its Details view, set the Element Size to 2.25, slightly
larger than Layer Height. This allows any given tetrahedral element to have a non-Z-

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Workbench Additive Simulation - Gear Selector Fork

direction edge length of up to 2.25 mm but still maintain the 2 mm layer height in the
Z-direction.

2. Set mesh controls for the base:

a. From the Mesh tab in the ribbon, in the Controls group, click Sizing. A Sizing object is
added to the tree under the Mesh object.

b. Use the Body picker to select the base body and, in the Details view of Sizing, click
Apply next to Geometry.

c. In the Details view, set the Element Size to 6 to allow a fairly coarse mesh size of 6
millimeters.

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 Generate Mesh

3. From the Mesh tab in the ribbon, click Generate to generate the mesh for the part and the
base.

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Workbench Additive Simulation - Gear Selector Fork

3.9. Add Supports

Import the STL support file. This support structure was generated beforehand in Ansys Additive Prep
(steps not shown in this tutorial).

1. Click the AM Process object in the tree, and then from the AM Process tab in the ribbon, click
the STL button in the Supports group. A Support Group object is added to the tree with a child
object called STL Support.

2. In the Details view of STL Support, click in the File Name field. Select the volumeless support
stl file for this geometry.

3. Set the Wall Thickness for the volumeless support to 0.15 mm.

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 Add Supports

4. Right-click the STL Support object in the tree and select Generate Mesh.

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Workbench Additive Simulation - Gear Selector Fork

3.10. Define Connections

Connections ensure that the part, support, and base bodies in the simulation are aware of each other
and are able to share data (temperatures and displacements) across boundaries.

1. Create build-to-base connection. Click the AM Process object in the tree. In the AM Process
tab in the ribbon, click the Create Base to Build button in the Contact group. A new Build To
Base connection object is created and two new named selections are created under the Named
Selection object in the tree.

2. Create support-to-part connection (AM Bond).

a. Create a named selection of the support elements. Right-click the STL Support object
in the tree and select Create Named Selection of Generated Elements. A new named
selection for these elements will show up in the tree under Named Selections with the
name "STL Support."

b. Create a named selection of the build geometry. Use the body picker to select the
build geometry. Right-click Create Named Selection.... Set the name for this named
selection to "Build" and click OK.

c. Select Connections in the tree, then from the Connections tab in the ribbon, click AM
Bond from the Connection group. In the Details view of AM Bond, click the field next
to Contact and select the "Build" Named Selection from the drop-down list. For the
field next to Target, select the "STL Support" Named Selection.

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 Define AM Process Steps

3.11. Define AM Process Steps

Use the AM Sequencer to define the steps in an AM process simulation. By default, there is a build step
and a cooldown step in both the thermal and structural portions of the simulation. We will add a step
to the structural analysis to account for the removal of supports from the base.

1. Click the AM Process object in the tree, then from the AM Process tab in the ribbon, click the
Sequence button.

2. At the bottom of the Static Structural panel, click Add Step > Removal Step: STL Support.

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Workbench Additive Simulation - Gear Selector Fork

3.12. Define Build Settings

Specify settings and conditions related to the PBF machine and the process. For this tutorial we will
use the Ansys-supplied sample file of settings for Inconel 718.

1. Under the AM Process object in the tree, click the Build Settings child object.

2. Right-click Build Settings and then click Load Build Settings.

3. Navigate to and choose the "Generic_Inconel_625_or_718" sample build settings from the Ansys
install directory (Ansys Inc\v211\aisol\DesignSpace\DSPages\SampleData\AdditiveManufacturing).

In this example, v211 indicates Release 2021 R1. Be aware that Ansys directory on your machine
may not be on the C drive.

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 Establish Analysis Settings

3.13. Establish Analysis Settings

Customize output controls so that we do not store result items we don't need.

1. Under the Transient Thermal system in the tree, click Analysis Settings. In the Details view,
expand the list of options under Output Controls. Double-click in the field to the right of
Contact Data to change the setting to No. This will turn off the storage of contact-related data
in our thermal results file.

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Workbench Additive Simulation - Gear Selector Fork

2. Under the Static Structural system in the tree, click Analysis Settings. In the Details view, expand
the list of options under Output Controls. Double-click in the fields to the right of Contact
Data, Volume and Energy, and Euler Angles to change them all to No. This will turn off the
storage of these data in our structural results file.

3.14. Apply Boundary Conditions and Loads

1. Apply Thermal Boundary Conditions:

a. Create temperature boundary condition on the base during the Build. Select the Transient
Thermal analysis in the tree. From the Environment tab in the ribbon, in the Thermal group,
click Temperature.

Rotate the model so that the bottom surface of the base is in view. Use the Face picker
to select the bottom face of the base and, in the Details view of Temperature, click Apply
next to Geometry.

Enter the Magnitude as 80°C to match our preheat temperature from the Build Settings. In
the Tabular Data, right-click the row for Step 2 and select "Activate/Deactivate for this
step!" This will turn off the temperature boundary condition for the cooldown step.

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 Apply Boundary Conditions and Loads

b. Create convection boundary condition on the base during the Cooldown. From the Environ-
ment tab in the ribbon, click Convection.

Using the Face picker , select the bottom face of the base again and click Apply next
to Geometry in Details of the Convection object in the tree.

Set the Film Coefficient to 1e-5 W/mm^2 to mimic convection into the machine during
cooldown. In the Tabular Data, right-click the row for Step 1 and select "Activate/Deactivate
for this step!" This will turn off our convection boundary condition for the build step.

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Workbench Additive Simulation - Gear Selector Fork

2. Apply Structural Boundary Conditions:

a. Select the Static Structural analysis in the tree. From the Environment tab in the ribbon,
in the Structural group, click Fixed.

b. Using the Face picker , select the bottom face of the base and, in Details of Fixed Support,
click Apply next to Geometry.

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 Solve

3.15. Solve
1. Under the Home tab in the ribbon, find the Solve group. Set the number of Cores that you would
like to solve with for this simulation, considering your machine capabilities and licensing for HPC.

2. To set up a plot of overall temperature that may be updated throughout the solution, under Transient
Thermal, Solution, right-click Solution Information, and select Insert > Temperature Plot Tracker.
Occasionally during the thermal solution, right-click this tracker and click Update Result to see a
live update of temperature results.

3. To set up a plot of overall deformation that may be updated throughout the solution, under Static
Structural, Solution, right-click Solution Information, and select Insert > Deformation Plot Tracker.
Occasionally during the structural solution, right-click this tracker and click Update Result to see a
live update of deformation results.

4. Click the Solve lightning bolt button in the ribbon to initiate the solution. The Transient Thermal
analysis will solve first followed by the Static Structural analysis.

Depending on the number of cores specified and the machine used to run this model, the simulation
may take a few hours to complete.

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Workbench Additive Simulation - Gear Selector Fork

5. Occasionally during the thermal solution, right-click the Temperature Plot Tracker tracker and click
Update Result to see a live update of temperature results.

6. Occasionally during the structural solution, right-click Deformation Plot Tracker and click Update
Result to see a live update of deformation results. Change the display scale to 1.0 (True Scale) in
the ribbon (Result tab) for a better view of deformation. (By default, the scale is set for an exaggerated
display.)

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 Review Results

3.16. Review Results

1. Once the solve is complete, results can be viewed by clicking on the result items in the tree.

2. To view different time steps, you can right-click different steps in Tabular Data or on the Graph
and select Retrieve This Result.

3. In the Result tab of the ribbon, you can set distortion scaling and control display settings for
element edges.

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Workbench Additive Simulation - Gear Selector Fork

Congratulations! You have completed the tutorial.

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Chapter 4: Workbench Additive DED Simulation -
Racetrack
This tutorial demonstrates how to perform a Directed Energy Deposition (DED) process simulation using
the DED Process Add-on.

The following features and capabilities are used:

• DED Process Wizard (included with the add-on)

• G-Code machine file to define the tool path and to generate element clusters

• Inconel 718 material

• Cartesian mesh

Tutorial steps:
4.1. Problem Description
4.2. Create Analysis System
4.3. Attach Geometry and Set Units
4.4. Open the DED Process Wizard
4.5. Wizard Step 1 - Identify Geometries
4.6. Wizard Step 2 - Generate Mesh
4.7. Wizard Step 3 - Set Up for Element Clustering and Create Contact Connections
4.8. Wizard Step 4 - Assign Materials
4.9. Wizard Step 5 - Define Build Settings and Thermal Boundary Conditions
4.10. Wizard Step 6 - Define Structural Boundary Conditions and Base Removal
4.11. Perform Element Clustering
4.12. Solve the Transient Thermal Analysis
4.13. Review Thermal Results
4.14. Solve the Static Structural Analysis
4.15. Review Structural Results

4.1. Problem Description

We will simulate the DED printing process of this racetrack-shaped model, shown here on a planar
baseplate. The print direction is in the global Z-direction. A G-Code file is used to control the tool path
and we will use that for element clustering. The geometry is sliced such that there are four layers through
the height of the track.

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Workbench Additive DED Simulation - Racetrack

Inputs
Material Inconel
718
Deposition Thickness (mm) 3
Deposition Rate (mm3/s) 72
Preheat Temperature (°C) 80
Process Temperature (°C) 1370

Tutorial Files
Click here to download the following:

• DED_Racetrack.scdoc — Geometry file of the racetrack part and a base plate, saved as an
Ansys SpaceClaim document.

• DED_Racetrack_G-Code.txt — G-Code machine file that controls the build order.

4.2. Create Analysis System

1. Open Ansys Workbench.

2. In the toolbox on the left side of the window, scroll down to Custom Systems, expand the se-
lection, and double-click AM DED Process to bring up the linked Transient Thermal, Static
Structural system in the Project Schematic.

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 Attach Geometry and Set Units

4.3. Attach Geometry and Set Units

In this step, we attach the geometry file in Workbench and then open the Mechanical application. The
DED Process Add-on requires that units be in millimeters so we will set units as the first thing we do
in Mechanical.

1. Right-click the Geometry cell in the Transient Thermal system and select Import Geometry >
Browse.

2. Navigate to the racetrack geometry file, select it, and click Open to add it to the analysis. A
green check mark appears next to the Geometry cell in the Project Schematic when the geometry
is added.

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Workbench Additive DED Simulation - Racetrack

3. Double-click the Model cell in the Transient Thermal system to launch the Mechanical application.
A message "Starting Mechanical" will show up in the status bar in the bottom, left corner. It
may take a couple minutes for the application to open and attach the geometry.

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 Attach Geometry and Set Units

4. Once the Mechanical application is open and you see a "Ready" message in the status bar, click
the Home tab. Select Units from the ribbon and then select Metric (mm, t, N, s, mV, mA).

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Workbench Additive DED Simulation - Racetrack

4.4. Open the DED Process Wizard

The DED Process Add-on is loaded automatically when you use the AM DED Process custom system.

1. Click the DED Process tab at the top of the user interface to access the add-on's custom ribbon.

2. Click Open Wizard from the ribbon to open the wizards panel.

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 Wizard Step 1 - Identify Geometries

4.5. Wizard Step 1 - Identify Geometries

Identify which body is the part and which body is the base.

1. Use the Body picker to select the racetrack body and click Apply in the Part Selection field.

2. Select the base body and click Apply in the Base Selection field.

3. Click Next to move to the next step.

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Workbench Additive DED Simulation - Racetrack

When this step is completed, Named Selections for the part body (print_part) and base body (base_plate)
have been added to the Project tree. These will be used later for the creation of other Named Selections.

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 Wizard Step 2 - Generate Mesh

4.6. Wizard Step 2 - Generate Mesh

Because this is a simple geometry, we will mesh the part with Cartesian elements. We will use an element
size of 3 mm for the part to match the deposition thickness. Reviewing the G-Code file below shows
the first layer has a Z-coordinate of 3.0, the second layer's Z-coordinate is 6.0, and so on. This will result
in 4 layers through the height of the model. We will mesh the base with standard brick elements with
a slightly larger element size of 4 mm.
G00 X-100.0 Y-83.5 Z0.0
; First layer
G00 X-54.0 Y-83.5 Z3.0
G01 X-49.9 Y-104.2 ; Circle 1
G01 X-38.2 Y-121.7
G01 X-20.7 Y-133.4
G01 X0.0 Y-137.5
G01 X20.7 Y-133.4
G01 X38.2 Y-121.7
G01 X49.9 Y-104.2
G01 X54.0 Y-83.5
G01 X54.0 Y80.2 ; Y-Line 1
G01 X49.9 Y100.9 ; Circle 2
G01 X38.2 Y118.4
G01 X20.7 Y130.1
G01 X0.0 Y134.2
G01 X-20.7 Y130.1
G01 X-38.2 Y118.4
G01 X-49.9 Y100.9
G01 X-54.0 Y80.2
G01 X-54.0 Y-83.5 ; Y-Line 2
G00 X-54.0 Y-64.6
G01 X54.0 Y-64.6 ; X-Line 1
G00 X-54.0 Y63.4
G01 X54.0 Y63.4 ; X-Line 2
; Next layer

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G00 X-54.0 Y-83.5 Z6.0

G01 X-49.9 Y-104.2 ; Circle 1
G01 X-38.2 Y-121.7
G01 X-20.7 Y-133.4
G01 X0.0 Y-137.5
G01 X20.7 Y-133.4
G01 X38.2 Y-121.7
G01 X49.9 Y-104.2
G01 X54.0 Y-83.5
G01 X54.0 Y80.2 ; Y-Line 1
G01 X49.9 Y100.9 ; Circle 2
G01 X38.2 Y118.4
G01 X20.7 Y130.1
G01 X0.0 Y134.2
G01 X-20.7 Y130.1
G01 X-38.2 Y118.4
G01 X-49.9 Y100.9
G01 X-54.0 Y80.2
G01 X-54.0 Y-83.5 ; Y-Line 2
G00 X-54.0 Y-64.6
G01 X54.0 Y-64.6 ; X-Line 1
G00 X-54.0 Y63.4
G01 X54.0 Y63.4 ; X-Line 2
; Next layer
G00 X-54.0 Y-83.5 Z9.0
G01 X-49.9 Y-104.2 ; Circle 1
G01 X-38.2 Y-121.7
G01 X-20.7 Y-133.4
G01 X0.0 Y-137.5
G01 X20.7 Y-133.4
G01 X38.2 Y-121.7
G01 X49.9 Y-104.2
G01 X54.0 Y-83.5
G01 X54.0 Y80.2 ; Y-Line 1
G01 X49.9 Y100.9 ; Circle 2
G01 X38.2 Y118.4
G01 X20.7 Y130.1
G01 X0.0 Y134.2
G01 X-20.7 Y130.1
G01 X-38.2 Y118.4
G01 X-49.9 Y100.9
G01 X-54.0 Y80.2
G01 X-54.0 Y-83.5 ; Y-Line 2
G00 X-54.0 Y-64.6
G01 X54.0 Y-64.6 ; X-Line 1
G00 X-54.0 Y63.4
G01 X54.0 Y63.4 ; X-Line 2
; Next layer
G00 X-54.0 Y-83.5 Z12.0
G01 X-49.9 Y-104.2 ; Circle 1
G01 X-38.2 Y-121.7
G01 X-20.7 Y-133.4
G01 X0.0 Y-137.5
G01 X20.7 Y-133.4
G01 X38.2 Y-121.7
G01 X49.9 Y-104.2
G01 X54.0 Y-83.5
G01 X54.0 Y80.2 ; Y-Line 1
G01 X49.9 Y100.9 ; Circle 2
G01 X38.2 Y118.4
G01 X20.7 Y130.1
G01 X0.0 Y134.2
G01 X-20.7 Y130.1
G01 X-38.2 Y118.4
G01 X-49.9 Y100.9
G01 X-54.0 Y80.2
G01 X-54.0 Y-83.5 ; Y-Line 2
G00 X-54.0 Y-64.6
G01 X54.0 Y-64.6 ; X-Line 1
G00 X-54.0 Y63.4
G01 X54.0 Y63.4 ; X-Line 2

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 Wizard Step 2 - Generate Mesh

1. Keep No (default) to Skip This Step. The option to skip meshing is available in case you are
satisfied with an existing mesh.

2. Choose Cartesian for Mesh Type.

3. Enter 3 for Build Element Size.

4. Keep 0 (default) for Projection Factor.

5. Enter 4 for Base Element Size.

6. Keep Now (default) to Generate Mesh now.

7. Click Next to move to the next step.

When this step is completed, mesh objects have been added to the Project tree: Body Fitted Cartesian
object for the part and Body Sizing for the base plate. The resulting mesh is shown in the image.

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Workbench Additive DED Simulation - Racetrack

See the following topics in the Workbench Additive Guide for DED Simulations for additional information:

• Apply Mesh Controls and Generate Mesh

4.7. Wizard Step 3 - Set Up for Element Clustering and Create Contact
Connections
In this step, we will set up for element clustering. Note that the actual generation of element clusters
is not performed in the wizard so you will need to generate clusters after you finish the wizard.

Also in this step, the contact connection between the part and the base plate is made automatically.
Connections ensure that the part and base bodies in the simulation are aware of each other and are
able to share data (temperatures and displacements) across boundaries.

1. Choose G-Code Clustering for Input Source.

2. Click Edit and browse to the DED_Racetrack_G-Code.txt file. Click Open.

3. Enter 1000 for Cluster Volume. This value determines how many elements are activated per
load step, the time for this load step is then determined by volume/deposition rate. A smaller
cluster volume tends to provide a more accurate result. Based on the overall dimension of the
build geometry, this value should be determined by balancing the computational cost and
desired accuracy.

4. Keep Z (default) for Print Direction.

5. Keep Yes (default) for Build to Base Contact Generation.

6. Click Next to move to the next step.

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 Wizard Step 3 - Set Up for Element Clustering and Create Contact Connections

In this step, the AM Process for DED object is added to the project tree. AM Process for DED establishes
the options and assumptions appropriate for a DED simulation.

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Workbench Additive DED Simulation - Racetrack

Also, two new Named Selections have been added defining the element faces required for contact
generation. Finally, a DED_Contact object has been added to establish the contact connection between
the part and the base plate. It uses the element faces Named Selections.

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 Wizard Step 3 - Set Up for Element Clustering and Create Contact Connections

See the following topics in the Workbench Additive Guide for DED Simulations for additional information:

• Perform Element Clustering

• Define Connections

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Workbench Additive DED Simulation - Racetrack

4.8. Wizard Step 4 - Assign Materials

Assign the AM material Inconel 718 to both bodies.

1. Choose Engineering Data for Material Assignment.

2. Choose Inconel 718 for the Build Material.

3. Choose Inconel 718 for the Base Material.

4. Click Next to move to the next step.

In this step, Inconel 718 material is assigned to both the part and the base plate. The Reference Tem-
perature is set to By Environment for now but the Reference Temperature for the part will be updated
in the Build Settings step next.

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 Wizard Step 4 - Assign Materials

See the following topics in the Workbench Additive Guide for DED Simulations for additional information:

• Assign Materials

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Workbench Additive DED Simulation - Racetrack

4.9. Wizard Step 5 - Define Build Settings and Thermal Boundary Condi-
tions
Specify settings and conditions related to the DED machine and the process.

Machine Settings:

1. Enter 72 for Material Deposition Rate. The value should match the actual machine setting for
the printing process.

Build Conditions:

2. Enter 80 for Preheat Temperature. This is determined by the actual preheating condition of the
printing process.

3. Rotate the model in the graphics window, select the underside surface of the base, and click
Apply in the Preheat Geometry field.

4. Keep Off (default) for Preheat During Print. You have the flexibility to choose if the preheating
should be kept on or off during printing process.

5. Enter 1370 for Process Temperature. This is the temperature value assigned to newly activated
elements at each load step, normally set as the melting temperature.

6. Keep 23 (default) for Room Temperature.

7. Keep 1E-05 (default) for Gas Convection Coeff.

Cooldown Conditions:

8. Keep 23 (default) for Room Temperature.

9. Keep 1E-05 (default) for Gas Convection Coeff.

10. Enter 3600 for Time. This allows an hour for cooldown.

11. Keep Yes (default) for Add Temperature Result. This is simply a convenience option related to
the simulation and not related to anything in the printing process. A value of Yes adds a result
item object into the project tree before solution so that the calculated temperatures will be
populated upon solution completion and viewable with one click.

12. Click Next to move to the next step.

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 Wizard Step 5 - Define Build Settings and Thermal Boundary Conditions

In this step, the Build Settings object is populated with chosen settings. The green checkmark next to
the Build Settings object indicates it is now complete. Also, a Temperature result item is added under
the Transient Thermal Solution object. Finally, the part body is assigned a Reference Temperature By
Body and the Reference Temperature Value is set to the Process Temperature. This is an important update
to the properties for the part.

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Workbench Additive DED Simulation - Racetrack

See the following topics in the Workbench Additive Guide for DED Simulations for additional information:

• Define Build Settings

• Apply Thermal Boundary Conditions

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 Wizard Step 6 - Define Structural Boundary Conditions and Base Removal

4.10. Wizard Step 6 - Define Structural Boundary Conditions and Base

Removal
Here we will apply a fixed support to the underside of the base plate. We will not simulate removal of
the base plate for this example.

1. Select the underside surface of the base, and click Apply in the Geometry Selection field.

2. Choose No for Base Removal.

3. Keep Yes (default) for Add Deformation Result. This is simply a convenience option related to
the simulation and not related to anything in the printing process. A value of Yes adds a result
item object into the project tree before solution so that the calculated displacements will be
populated upon solution completion and viewable with one click.

4. Click Finish to complete the wizard.

5. Click X in the upper, right corner to close the wizard panel.

Upon completion of the wizard, a Fixed Support object has been added to the project tree, along with
a Total Deformation result item under the Static Structural Solution object.

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Workbench Additive DED Simulation - Racetrack

When completing any wizard, you should review the status icons next to each object in the project
tree. Objects with green checkmarks are complete. Objects with yellow lightning bolts indicate an action
is required, such as mesh, generate, or solve. For this tutorial, the yellow lightning bolt next to G-Code
Clustering indicates we now need to generate element clusters.

See the following topics in the Workbench Additive Guide for DED Simulations for additional information:

• Apply Structural Boundary Conditions

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 Perform Element Clustering

4.11. Perform Element Clustering

In the wizard, we identified the G-Code machine file. We should view and verify the tool path defined
in the G-Code file before generating the element clusters.

1. Click the AM Process for DED toolbar.

2. Click Show Path. Blue lines represent the tool path with no material deposition and green lines
represent the tool path with material deposition. Visualization helps you to determine the fol-
lowing:

• Is it the correct G-Code file?

• Is the location / rotation / orientation of the path correct with respect to the model?

• Are the unit systems of the G-Code file and model matching?

• Do I need to apply a Layer Offset to place the path on top of the layers?

• Did I set the correct Laser On / Off commands?

3. Click the Hide Path button to turn off the tool path display.

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Workbench Additive DED Simulation - Racetrack

Once we have confirmed the path looks correct, we simply need to generate the element clusters.

Important:

The cluster generation step requires an Ansys Additive Suite software license with Ansys
Mechanical Enterprise or one of the multiphysics bundles. If you get a warning message at
this step, check your software license.

4. Under the AM Process for DED object, right-click G-Code Clustering and select Generate.

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 Perform Element Clustering

The clustering process may take a few to several minutes, depending on the size of your model. When
completed, you will see Named Selections for all the clusters organized into folders, one folder per
layer. Given the part geometry, the Build Element Size of 3 mm, and the Cluster Volume of 1000 mm3,
there are 76 total clusters for this model. The following image shows one example cluster consisting of
37 elements on layer 4.

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Workbench Additive DED Simulation - Racetrack

You can view the progression of element clusters along the path.

5. Under Named Selections, expand the Layer 1 folder and click the first cluster, el_loop_01.

6. Click the Cluster Selection Forward button in the toolbar to show the first element cluster.
Continue clicking the Cluster Selection Forward button to see consecutive clusters displayed
along the tool path.

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 Solve the Transient Thermal Analysis

See the following topics in the Workbench Additive Guide for DED Simulations for additional information:

• Perform Element Clustering

4.12. Solve the Transient Thermal Analysis

We will solve the Transient Thermal system first and view results before proceeding to the Static
Structural solution. First we should set the number of cores we want to use.

1. Click the Home tab in the ribbon.

2. In the Solve group, set the number of Cores that you would like to solve with for this simulation,
considering your machine capabilities and licensing for HPC.

3. Right-click the Transient Thermal object and select Solve.

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Workbench Additive DED Simulation - Racetrack

It is safe to ignore the warning message: "The model has no temperature, convection, or radiation
conditions specified...", as the DED Process Add-on applies the appropriate boundary conditions
automatically with information from the wizard.

4.13. Review Thermal Results

1. When the thermal solution is finished, click the Temperature result object under Transient Thermal
> Solution to see a plot of overall temperatures at the end of cooldown.

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 Review Thermal Results

2. Right-click anywhere within the temperature-time graph located at the bottom of the screen and
choose Retrieve This Result to see temperatures at that time point.

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 Solve the Static Structural Analysis

3. Use the animation controls at the top of the Graph window. Click the Result Sets button and

also the Update Contour Range at Each Animation Frame button . Adjust the number of
seconds for the animation and click Play. See Animation in the Mechanical User's Guide for more
information about animation controls.

The following is an animated gif. Refresh the page to refresh the animation. The animation is not viewable
in PDF format.

4.14. Solve the Static Structural Analysis

1. Right-click the Static Structural object and select Solve.

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Workbench Additive DED Simulation - Racetrack

4.15. Review Structural Results

1. When the structural solution is finished, click the Total Deformation result object under Static
Structural > Solution to see a plot of overall displacements at the end of cooldown.

2. Change the display scale to 1.0 (True Scale) in the ribbon (Result tab) for a better view of de-
formation. (By default, the scale is set for an exaggerated display.)

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 Review Structural Results

3. To view different time steps, you can right-click different steps in Tabular Data or on the Graph
and select Retrieve This Result.

Congratulations! You have completed the tutorial.

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Chapter 5:Workbench Additive Sintering Simulation
- Printed Bridge
This tutorial demonstrates how to perform a sintering process simulation using the Sintering Process
Add-on.

The following features and capabilities are used:

• Sintering Process Wizard (included with the add-on)

• Ansys-predefined sintering material 316L (PIM)

• Sintering result items: Relative Density and Sinter Stress

Tutorial steps:
5.1. Problem Description
5.2. Create Analysis System
5.3. Attach Geometry and Set Units
5.4. Load Sintering Process Add-on
5.5. Wizard Step 1 - Identify Geometries
5.6. Wizard Step 2 - Define Contact
5.7. Wizard Step 3 - Define Constraints
5.8. Wizard Step 4 - Generate Mesh
5.9. Wizard Step 5 - Define Gravity
5.10. Wizard Step 6 - Define Sinter Material
5.11. Wizard Step 7 - Define Sinter Schedule
5.12. Wizard Step 8 - Define Results and Solver Settings
5.13. Generate Sinter Schedule and Solve
5.14. Review Results

5.1. Problem Description

We will simulate the sintering process of this span bridge model, shown here on a planar baseplate.
The model is composed of 316L stainless steel in a green state after it has been printed. Our simulation
goals are to examine the densification during sintering and the final shape after shrinkage.

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Workbench Additive Sintering Simulation - Printed Bridge

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 Problem Description

The sintering process is performed in a single heating cycle in a batch furnace. For simplicity, the process
has one short isothermal hold, as shown here:

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Workbench Additive Sintering Simulation - Printed Bridge

Tutorial Files
Click here to download the following:

bridge_with_base.scdoc — Geometry file of the span bridge part and a base plate, saved as an
Ansys SpaceClaim document.

5.2. Create Analysis System

1. Open Ansys Workbench.

2. In Workbench, from the Analysis Systems listed on the left, drag a Static Structural analysis into
the Project Schematic.

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 Attach Geometry and Set Units

5.3. Attach Geometry and Set Units

In this step, we attach the geometry file in Workbench and then open the Mechanical application. Once
in Mechanical, the first thing we will do is set units.

1. Right-click the Geometry cell in the Static Structural system and select Import Geometry >
Browse.

2. Navigate to the bridge with baseplate geometry file, select it, and click Open to add it to the
analysis. A green check mark appears next to the Geometry cell in the Project Schematic when
the geometry is added.

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Workbench Additive Sintering Simulation - Printed Bridge

3. Double-click the Model cell to launch the Mechanical application. A message "Starting Mechan-
ical" will show up in the status bar in the bottom, left corner. It may take a couple minutes for
the application to open and attach the geometry.

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 Attach Geometry and Set Units

4. Once the Mechanical application is open and you see a "Ready" message in the status bar, click
the Home tab. Select Units from the ribbon and then select Metric (mm, t, N, s, mV, mA).

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Workbench Additive Sintering Simulation - Printed Bridge

5.4. Load Sintering Process Add-on

This step includes the loading of the Sintering Process Add-on and opening of the Sintering Process
Wizard.

1. Click the Add-ons tab in the ribbon.

2. In the Additive Manufacturing group, click Sintering Process to load the add-on.

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 Load Sintering Process Add-on

3. Click the Sintering Process tab in the ribbon.

4. Click Open Wizard from the ribbon.

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Workbench Additive Sintering Simulation - Printed Bridge

5.5. Wizard Step 1 - Identify Geometries

Identify which body is the green part and which body is the base.

1. Use the Body picker to select the bridge body and click Apply in the Geometry field under
Part.

2. Click Yes in the Baseplate field because this model has a baseplate.

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 Wizard Step 1 - Identify Geometries

3. Select the base body and click Apply in the Geometry field under Baseplate.

4. Click Next to move to the next step.

When this step is completed, Named Selections for the part body (Part) and base body (Baseplate) have
been added to the Project tree. These will be used later for the creation of other Named Selections.

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Workbench Additive Sintering Simulation - Printed Bridge

5.6. Wizard Step 2 - Define Contact

Contact between the part and baseplate is automatically detected by default in Mechanical because
the bodies touch one another (they are mutually tangent). The wizard allows you to use this automat-
ically detected contact region, indicated by a specific contact region ID number, or allows you to specify
a new contact region or skip the step and define contact later. We will use the automatically detected
contact region.

1. Choose Contact Region ( Id = 29 ) for Selected Contact Region.

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 Wizard Step 2 - Define Contact

2. We will use the recommended default settings for the contact interface between the part and
the baseplate. The baseplate is large and stiff enough that we can ignore flexibility and assume
a rigid baseplate. This assumption speeds up the simulation time. We expect the part to slide
on the base as the part shrinks during sintering so we will be sure Small Sliding option is off.

Keep 0.2 (default) for Friction Coefficient.

3. Keep Yes (default) for Rigid Baseplate.

4. Keep Off (default) for Small Sliding.

5. Keep Each Iteration (Aggressive) (default) for Update Stiffness.

6. Keep Yes (default) for Adjust To Touch.

When this step is completed, a Contact Region object has been added to the Project tree.

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Workbench Additive Sintering Simulation - Printed Bridge

5.7. Wizard Step 3 - Define Constraints

In this step we'll apply a fixed support to the underside of the base plate.

1. Click Fixed Support in the Constraint Type field.

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 Wizard Step 3 - Define Constraints

2. Rotate the model in the graphics window, use the Face picker to select the underside surface
of the base, and click Apply in the Geometry field.

3. Click Next to move to the next step.

When applied to a rigid body, a body-to-ground fixed joint will be created instead of the Fixed Support
boundary condition, as shown in the Project tree.

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5.8. Wizard Step 4 - Generate Mesh

We'll specify a mesh size of 1 mm so that there are at least three elements through the height of the
bridge span.

1. Keep Yes (default) for Mesh via Wizard.

2. Enter 1 for Element Size.

3. Keep Yes (default) for Contact Sizing (recommended).

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 Wizard Step 4 - Generate Mesh

4. Click Next to move onto the next step.

When this step is completed, mesh objects have been added to the Project tree: a Body Sizing object
for the part and baseplate, and Contact Sizing for improved contact traction. The resulting mesh is
shown here.

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5.9. Wizard Step 5 - Define Gravity

A gravitational acceleration is applied so that frictional forces between the bridge and the baseplate
prevent rigid body motion.

1. Keep -Z (default) for Gravity Direction.

2. Click Next to move to the next step.

A Standard Earth Gravity object has been added to the Project tree.

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 Wizard Step 6 - Define Sinter Material

5.10. Wizard Step 6 - Define Sinter Material

The wizard allows you to use an Ansys-defined sinter material or a user-defined one. We'll use stainless
steel 316L (PIM) from our library. See Sintering in the Material Reference for more information.

1. Choose 316L (PIM) for Material.

2. Choose Type 1 for Pre-defined Models.

3. Keep 0.5 (default) for Initial Relative Density. This value—50% dense—will be uniformly applied
to the entire part.

4. Keep 0.025 (default) for Mean Powder Diameter. This is the average powder diameter used for
building of the part.

5. Enter 1000 for Sinter Activation Temperature. This is the temperature above which sintering
stress is non-zero and shrinkage can occur.

6. Click Next to move to the next step.

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Workbench Additive Sintering Simulation - Printed Bridge

When this step is completed, a Sinter Material object has been added in the Project tree with the required
coefficients and exponents and other material model inputs populated based upon the model type
selected in the wizard.

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 Wizard Step 7 - Define Sinter Schedule

5.11. Wizard Step 7 - Define Sinter Schedule

The sintering furnace schedule is defined in this step. As shown in the problem description (p. 93), the
temperature ramps up to 1380°C in two hours and holds at that temperature for one more hour.

1. Keep 22 (default) for Room Temperature.

2. Click Add, and enter 1380 and 7200 for Temperature [C] and Time/Duration, respectively.

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3. Click Add to insert a second row, and enter 1380 and 3600 for Temperature [C] and
Time/Duration, respectively.

4. Click Next to move to the next step.

When this step is completed, a Sinter Schedule object has been added in the Project tree. The yellow
lightening bolt next to the object indicates that there is an action required, which is the generation of
the sinter schedule itself. We will do this after completing the wizard.

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 Wizard Step 8 - Define Results and Solver Settings

5.12. Wizard Step 8 - Define Results and Solver Settings

The final wizard step allows us to customize results and solver settings. We will use the recommended
defaults.

1. Keep Yes (default) for Generate Result Objects.

2. Keep Yes (default) for Large Deflection.

3. Keep Yes (default) for Quasi-Static Solution.

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Workbench Additive Sintering Simulation - Printed Bridge

4. Keep Yes (default) for Auto Time Stepping, 1 (default) for Min Time Step, and 1000 (default)
for Max Time Step.

5. Click Finish to complete the wizard.

6. Click X in the upper, right corner to close the wizard panel.

When this step is completed, several sintering-specific result items have been added in the Project tree.
We will review those items once the solution is complete.

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 Generate Sinter Schedule and Solve

5.13. Generate Sinter Schedule and Solve

An optional step is to generate the sintering schedule before solving, perhaps so you can verify that
the data is correct. Otherwise, generation of the schedule is done automatically when you initiate the
solution.

1. Under the Static Structural analysis, right-click Sinter Schedule and select Generate.

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Workbench Additive Sintering Simulation - Printed Bridge

After a few seconds, a plot and table representing the sinter schedule appears below the
graphics window. Note that a very small, insignificant step (1 second) is added at both the be-
ginning and end of the furnace schedule to aid in simulation convergence.

2. We are now ready to solve! Under the Static Structural analysis, right-click Solution (A6) and
select Solve to initiate the solution.

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 Generate Sinter Schedule and Solve

3. While the solution is solving, right-click Solution Information, click Insert, and select Deform-
ation Plot Tracker to see the deformation during solution.

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Workbench Additive Sintering Simulation - Printed Bridge

4. Occasionally during the solution, right-click the Total Deformation plot tracker and select
Update Result to get a fresh snapshot of the deformation.

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 Review Results

5.14. Review Results

Once the solution is complete, review results by clicking on the result items in the tree.

1. First, change the display scale to 1.0 (True Scale) in the ribbon (Result tab) for a better view
of deformation. (By default, the scale is set for an exaggerated display.)

2. Next click Total Deformation. The result shows bending in the middle of the bridge span due
to gravity because of the viscoplasticity of the material. In the graph below the graphics window,
you can see the behavior over time. There is an initial thermal expansion followed by shrinkage
once the sintering activation temperature is reached.

3. Use the animation controls to see an animated display of the deformation, as shown here. The
following is an animated gif. Refresh the page to refresh the animation. The animation is not viewable
in PDF format.

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4. Click Relative Density. A maximum densification of 0.566, or about 56%, occurs at the top of
the bridge span where compression of the material aids densification. The bottom of the span
experiences tension and, therefore, less densification.

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 Review Results

5. Click Sinter Stress. Sinter stress is the driving force that cause shrinkage. Once the temperature
reaches the sintering activation temperature, the stress abruptly increases.

Congratulations! You have completed the tutorial.

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