Thin to Thick Transition Detection Tool
Thin to Thick Transition Detection module is used to detect and highlight thin to thick transition areas in the geometry that could cause high thermal distortion in AM Process. Thin to thick transitions are transition areas from a low area layer to a high area layer along the build direction. In the DMLS process, the laser melts the metal powders and fuses them together. The heat energy in the current layer is transferred to the substrate through the layers beneath it. If the transition area between any consecutive layers is too small, it may cause thermal distortion due to impediments to heat transfer during DMLS process.
Figure 1 Custom GUI and result output for thin thick transition in Siemens NX Modeling
Instructions
Figure 2 Thin to Thick Transition GUI
The Thin to Thick Transition GUI is shown in the figure below. The detailed explanation of each option in the GUI is given below.
a) Select Body
This option is used to select the body for which thin to thick transition are detected and highlighted.
b) Rotation along X axis
Rotation along X axis (value to be entered in degrees) will rotate the selected part along the X axis.
c) Rotation along Y axis
Rotation along Y axis (value to be entered in degrees) will rotate the selected part along the Y axis
d) Transition Ratio
The threshold area ratio between the top layer and bottom layer that is identified as a transition from a thin layer to a thick layer.
e) Slice Thickness
Slice thickness is the distance between two adjacent slicing layers (unit in mm). As slice thickness decreases, the analysis is more accurate. However, decreased slice thickness will increase the processing time of the tool.
Thin Feature Detection module is used to detect and highlight thin features in the geometry that are difficult to manufacture in AM Process. Thin features are prone to increased thermal deformations due to build up of residual stresses. The thin feature dimensions depend on laser diameter or nozzle diameter. This tool can rotate a part and highlight critical thin sections in the geometry and calculate the areas of thin section region in each layer.
The output window of the Thin to Thick Transition Detection is shown below. The result shows locations and areas of the thin to thick transitions.
Figure 3 Thin to Thick Transition Output Window
Please watch the video tutorial of the module for an example part included with the zip file of the module.
Example Problem
Thick Transition Detection module folder that you have extracted from the website.
Open the example part, try the following input configurations and note the changes in locations of the transition areas.
a. Input Transition ratio as 0.2, Slice Thickness as 1 (mm), analysis the thin to thick transition area of the given part.
b. Reduce the Transition ratio to 0.1, analysis the thin to thick transition area.
c. Rotate the part along X axis by 90 degree. Transition ratio as 0.2 and Slice Thickness as 1 (mm). analysis the thin to thick transition area.
d. Reduce the Transition ratio to 0.1, analysis the thin to thick transition area.