Efficient thermal simulation in metal additive manufacturing via semi-analytical isogeometric analysis

Abstract

Thermal modeling of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is challenging due to steep, rapidly moving thermal gradients induced by the laser, which are difficult to resolve accurately with conventional Finite Element Methods (FEM). Highly refined, dynamically adaptive spatial discretization is typically required, leading to prohibitive computational costs. Semi-analytical approaches mitigate this by decomposing the temperature field into an analytical point-source solution and a complementary numerical field that enforces boundary conditions. However, state-of-the-art implementations either necessitate extensive mesh refinement near boundaries or rely on restrictive image-source techniques, limiting their efficiency and applicability to complex geometries. This study presents a novel reformulation of the semi-analytical framework using Isogeometric Analysis (IGA). The laser heat input is captured by the analytical point-source solution, while the complementary correction field, which imposes boundary conditions, is solved using a spline-based IGA discretization. The governing heat equation for the correction field is cast in a weak form, discretized with NURBS basis functions, and advanced in time using an implicit θ-scheme. This approach leverages IGA’s key advantages: exact geometry representation, higher-order continuity, and superior accuracy per degree of freedom. These features unlock efficient thermal modeling of realistic parts with complex contours. Our strategy eliminates the need for scan-wise remeshing and robustly handles intricate geometric features like sharp corners and varying cross-sections. Numerical examples demonstrate that the proposed semi-analytical IGA method delivers accurate temperature predictions and achieves substantial computational efficiency gains compared to standard FEM, establishing it as a powerful new tool for high-fidelity thermal simulation in LPBF.