Cellular Automaton Simulation Model for Predicting the Microstructure Evolution of an Additively Manufactured X30Mn21 Austenitic Advanced High-Strength Steel

Additive manufacturing techniques, such as laser-based powder bed fusion of metals (PBF-LB/M), have now gained high industrial and academic interest. Despite its design flexibility and the ability to fabricate intricate components, LPBF has not yet reached its full potential, partly due to the chall...

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Main Authors: Ashutosh Singh, Christian Haase, Luis A. Barrales-Mora
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Metals
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/7/770
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author Ashutosh Singh
Christian Haase
Luis A. Barrales-Mora
author_facet Ashutosh Singh
Christian Haase
Luis A. Barrales-Mora
author_sort Ashutosh Singh
collection DOAJ
description Additive manufacturing techniques, such as laser-based powder bed fusion of metals (PBF-LB/M), have now gained high industrial and academic interest. Despite its design flexibility and the ability to fabricate intricate components, LPBF has not yet reached its full potential, partly due to the challenges associated with microstructure control. The precise manipulation of the microstructure in LPBF is a formidable yet highly rewarding endeavor, offering the capability to engineer components at a local level. This work introduces an innovative parallelized Cellular Automaton (CA) framework for modeling the evolution of the microstructure during the LPBF process. LPBF involves remelting and subsequent nucleation followed by crystal growth during solidification, which complicates and burdens microstructure simulations. In this research, a novel approach to nucleation seeding and crystal growth is implemented, focusing exclusively on the final stages of melting and solidification, enhancing the computational efficiency by 30%. This approach streamlines the simulation process, making it more efficient and effective. The developed model was employed to simulate the microstructure of an austenitic advanced high-strength steel (AHSS). The model was validated by comparing the simulation results qualitatively and quantitatively with the experimental data obtained under the same process parameters. The predicted microstructure closely aligned with the experimental findings. Simulations were also conducted at varying resolutions of CA cells, enabling a comprehensive study of their impact on microstructure evolution. Furthermore, the computational efficiency was critically evaluated.
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spelling doaj-art-1b0cf68fbcec4cfc8da40c2dafaf0b092025-08-20T02:47:19ZengMDPI AGMetals2075-47012025-07-0115777010.3390/met15070770Cellular Automaton Simulation Model for Predicting the Microstructure Evolution of an Additively Manufactured X30Mn21 Austenitic Advanced High-Strength SteelAshutosh Singh0Christian Haase1Luis A. Barrales-Mora2CNRS IRL 2958, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 57070 Metz, FranceMaterials for Additive Manufacturing, Technical University Berlin, Ernst-Reuter-Platz 1, 10587 Berlin, GermanyCNRS IRL 2958, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 57070 Metz, FranceAdditive manufacturing techniques, such as laser-based powder bed fusion of metals (PBF-LB/M), have now gained high industrial and academic interest. Despite its design flexibility and the ability to fabricate intricate components, LPBF has not yet reached its full potential, partly due to the challenges associated with microstructure control. The precise manipulation of the microstructure in LPBF is a formidable yet highly rewarding endeavor, offering the capability to engineer components at a local level. This work introduces an innovative parallelized Cellular Automaton (CA) framework for modeling the evolution of the microstructure during the LPBF process. LPBF involves remelting and subsequent nucleation followed by crystal growth during solidification, which complicates and burdens microstructure simulations. In this research, a novel approach to nucleation seeding and crystal growth is implemented, focusing exclusively on the final stages of melting and solidification, enhancing the computational efficiency by 30%. This approach streamlines the simulation process, making it more efficient and effective. The developed model was employed to simulate the microstructure of an austenitic advanced high-strength steel (AHSS). The model was validated by comparing the simulation results qualitatively and quantitatively with the experimental data obtained under the same process parameters. The predicted microstructure closely aligned with the experimental findings. Simulations were also conducted at varying resolutions of CA cells, enabling a comprehensive study of their impact on microstructure evolution. Furthermore, the computational efficiency was critically evaluated.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/7/770laser powder bed fusionsimulationmicrostructurecellular automaton
spellingShingle Ashutosh Singh
Christian Haase
Luis A. Barrales-Mora
Cellular Automaton Simulation Model for Predicting the Microstructure Evolution of an Additively Manufactured X30Mn21 Austenitic Advanced High-Strength Steel
Metals
laser powder bed fusion
simulation
microstructure
cellular automaton
title Cellular Automaton Simulation Model for Predicting the Microstructure Evolution of an Additively Manufactured X30Mn21 Austenitic Advanced High-Strength Steel
title_full Cellular Automaton Simulation Model for Predicting the Microstructure Evolution of an Additively Manufactured X30Mn21 Austenitic Advanced High-Strength Steel
title_fullStr Cellular Automaton Simulation Model for Predicting the Microstructure Evolution of an Additively Manufactured X30Mn21 Austenitic Advanced High-Strength Steel
title_full_unstemmed Cellular Automaton Simulation Model for Predicting the Microstructure Evolution of an Additively Manufactured X30Mn21 Austenitic Advanced High-Strength Steel
title_short Cellular Automaton Simulation Model for Predicting the Microstructure Evolution of an Additively Manufactured X30Mn21 Austenitic Advanced High-Strength Steel
title_sort cellular automaton simulation model for predicting the microstructure evolution of an additively manufactured x30mn21 austenitic advanced high strength steel
topic laser powder bed fusion
simulation
microstructure
cellular automaton
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/7/770
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AT christianhaase cellularautomatonsimulationmodelforpredictingthemicrostructureevolutionofanadditivelymanufacturedx30mn21austeniticadvancedhighstrengthsteel
AT luisabarralesmora cellularautomatonsimulationmodelforpredictingthemicrostructureevolutionofanadditivelymanufacturedx30mn21austeniticadvancedhighstrengthsteel