Abstract: A method for performing a thermal simulation of an additive manufacturing process that includes accessing a voxel model representing a representative system using one or more processors. The voxel model includes a first transition associated with a first group of one or more voxels transitioning between liquid and vapor, a second transition associated with a second group of one or more voxels transitioning between solid and liquid, a third transition associated with a third group of one or more voxels undergoing sinter, and a fourth transition associated with a fourth group of one or more voxels undergoing a solid state phase change. The method determines a flux imbalance metric based on a flux, a rate of change of the first transition, a rate of change of the second transition, a rate of change of the third transition, and a rate of change of the fourth transition. The method determines one or more temperatures for the representative system based on the flux imbalance metric.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for simulating a fabrication process based on real time sensor measurements obtained during the process. In one embodiment, a first simulation of the process computes a set of predicted physical responses based on a first set of assumed boundary conditions, and then, during the fabrication process sensor measurements are obtained and used to compute a second set of boundary conditions. A second simulation, based on the second set of boundary conditions, can then be performed to compute an updated set of predicted physical responses that can be compared to the previously computed set of physical responses. The difference(s) can be used to determine line, surface or volumetric response distribution from point, line or surface boundary conditions respectively, whether and how to modify the fabrication process (or other processes) and how to take additive and other manufacturing process decisions real-time using simulation. Other examples are also described.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for performing a thermal simulation of an additive manufacturing process. In embodiments, one or more data sets (such as a temperature dependent thermal conductivity matrix and a temperature dependent heat capacity matric) characterize an ease of heat flow through a three-dimensional (3D) geometry. The one or more data sets are used to determine a thermal solution for an explicit solution length, where the explicit solution length is a length along a scan line of one two dimensional (2D) slice of the 3D geometry. A thermal solution for the scan line is generated by propagating the thermal solution for the explicit solution length along sequential time steps of the scan line and using Eigenmodal cooling to adjust for cooling of a heat residual between sequential time steps.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system derives non-equilibrium thermophysical values for phase property changes of a material from equilibrium thermophysical values of the material for a manufacturing process which involves heating and/or cooling of the material (such as an additive manufacturing, 3D printing, welding, or joining process). The system performs a simulation of the manufacturing process based upon the derived non-equilibrium and/or equilibrium thermophysical values. The system generates a set of results based on the simulation, the set of results indicating predicted physical properties of the material for the manufacturing process.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for simulating a fabrication process based on real time sensor measurements obtained during the process. In one embodiment, a first simulation of the process computes a set of predicted physical responses based on a first set of assumed boundary conditions, and then, during the fabrication process sensor measurements are obtained and used to compute a second set of boundary conditions. A second simulation, based on the second set of boundary conditions, can then be performed to compute an updated set of predicted physical responses that can be compared to the previously computed set of physical responses. The difference(s) can be used to determine line, surface or volumetric response distribution from point, line or surface boundary conditions respectively, whether and how to modify the fabrication process (or other processes) and how to take additive and other manufacturing process decisions real-time using simulation. Other examples are also described.

Abstract: Simulation systems, manufacturing systems, software products and controllers are provided with multi-scale modeling in which a coarse mesh and a fine mesh that models a stimulus are decoupled. The fine mesh can be moved within the coarse mesh with a cut and paste operation. The coarse mesh is updated by sparsely propagated effects through the coarse mesh. Simulations of the invention can be conducted in real-time, and be used as controllers in manufacturing systems, such as additive manufacturing systems. A number of efficient methods are provided for solving meshing determinations that arise from movement of a stimulus modeled within a fine mesh.

Abstract: Simulation systems, manufacturing systems, software products and controllers are provided with multi-scale modeling in which a coarse mesh and a fme mesh that models a stimulus are decoupled. The fine mesh can be moved within the coarse mesh with a cut and paste operation. The coarse mesh is updated by sparsely propagated effects through the coarse mesh. Simulations of the invention can be conducted in real-time, and be used as controllers in manufacturing systems, such as additive manufacturing systems. A number of efficient methods are provided for solving meshing determinations that arise from movement of a stimulus modeled within a fine mesh.