| Abstract Scope |
Additive manufacturing (LPBF) is central to Industry 4.0, allowing the production of complex, high-precision parts across aerospace and manufacturing sectors. However, LPBF poses challenges in characterizing melt pool dynamics due to current experimental limitations. Concerning the LPBF of Al 7xxx alloys, the thermal–fluidic transport effects on the temperature distribution and melt pool characteristics have been ignored. This study proposes an integrated experimental–computational framework to address these challenges. Building on our previous study of CALPHAD-based Al 7xxx alloy design, the designed alloys’ thermocapillary gradients were characterized using sessile drop experiments and CALPHAD. Finally, finite element-based heat transfer–fluid flow models were developed to simulate the LPBF process, utilizing the characterized thermocapillary gradient data. The results revealed that compositional and thermocapillary gradient variations affected the temperature distributions and melt pool dimensions. This model enhances the understanding of process–structure–property relationships in LPBF, aiding material design and process parameter optimization.
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