Discover how Discrete Element Method (DEM) is revolutionizing the sintering process, enhancing efficiency and precision in the manufacturing industry.
Metal sintering transforms metal powders into solid components using controlled heat and pressure, serving critical roles across automotive, aerospace, electronics, and medical industries. However, manufacturers face significant challenges due to the process's complexity. The following interconnected challenges make it essential for manufacturers to develop better understanding and control methods to achieve consistent quality and economic viability in metal sintering operations:
Methods
The Discrete Element Method (DEM) is a valuable computational approach for studying and optimizing metal sintering processes. It models each powder particle individually, allowing detailed analysis of particle rearrangement, contact formation, porosity evolution, and early-stage bonding.
Most DEM sintering simulations focus on the cold compaction phase, where particles are pressed into shape before thermal treatment. These models capture mechanical consolidation and the formation of the "green body" using cohesive force models, but they do not simulate thermal diffusion, shrinkage, or microstructural changes—as those require coupling with other thermal or continuum models.
Beyond sintering, DEM is broadly used in industries like pharmaceuticals, mining, food, and construction to study particle flow, mixing, and compression. By offering insight into particle-scale behavior, DEM helps optimize processes, reduce energy usage, and improve product consistency.
Results
The following is an example of a sintering process application using Ansys Rocky, Ansys' particle flow simulation module. The setup consists of a feeder that supplies particles into the cavity, a press that applies a specified force, and finally, an ejector. The motion sequence must be defined before the setup and then configured through the motion frames (see the video below). The basic information is shown as follows:
Particle size can —and should— be smaller than the values used in this demo, approximately 0.1–0.3 mm. In Rocky, the results will also depend on the material properties and the interaction coefficients, which can be determined using the Material Wizard, such as:
Rocky also enables visualization of the particle size distribution in the final part after compression. With the particle size used in this case, some defects are noticeable, allowing for early design adjustments. As shown in the figure, the left image displays the compacted geometry, while the right image reveals the variation in particle size. Areas with larger or smaller particles can indicate potential inconsistencies in density or mechanical properties.
The motion frames include the compression effect by applying a 'Linear Time Variable Force' in conjunction with a 'Free Body Translation' to generate a force that increases linearly over time. For this demo, a coefficient of 500 N/s is used,d and it represents the slope of the linear force in the following plot. This force can be used to estimate the pressure generated by the hydraulic mechanism.
The last image shows the volume fraction map of particles in the final part after compression. Ideally, this distribution should be as uniform as possible to ensure consistent density throughout the part. However, a clear asymmetry is observed in the green boxes. In contrast, the top and bottom areas display good uniformity. This information is crucial for identifying compaction defects and for making adjustments to the feeder design, punch geometry, or motion sequence to improve the overall quality of the process.
To see this innovative application of Ansys Rocky for sintering simulation in action, watch our detailed video tutorial below. The video provides a comprehensive walkthrough from initial setup to results analysis, showing you how to adapt particle flow software for sintering applications.
>> You can download the geometry files here.
Particle-based simulation with Ansys Rocky offers robust capabilities to analyze and optimize bulk material handling and particulate processes across various industries. For preprocessing, Ansys SpaceClaim and Discovery Modeling enable geometry creation and cleaning, while Rocky handles particle injection, motion definition, and contact modeling with high flexibility.
Rocky provides accurate representation of particle shapes, breakage, adhesion, and rolling resistance, making it ideal for simulating realistic material behavior. Postprocessing tools within Rocky allow detailed visualization of particle dynamics, forces, and flow patterns.
Integration with Ansys Fluent, Mechanical, or LS-Dyna enables coupled multiphysics simulations, such as CFD-DEM and DEM-structural analyses. Parametric studies and design optimization can be performed through Ansys Workbench, DesignXplorer, or OptiSlang. Support for GPU acceleration and parallel computing ensures efficient solving of large-scale particle systems.
Ozen Engineering Inc. leverages its extensive consulting expertise in CFD, FEA, optics, photonics, and electromagnetic simulations to achieve exceptional results across various engineering projects, addressing complex challenges like multiphase flows, erosion modeling, and channel flows using Ansys software.
We offer support, mentoring, and consulting services to enhance the performance and reliability of your systems. Trust our proven track record to accelerate projects, optimize performance, and deliver high-quality, cost-effective results for both new and existing water control systems. For more information, please visit https://ozeninc.com.
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