Optimization and control of powder bed in frozen sand mold additive manufacturing: a comprehensive analysis based on numerical simulation and experimentation
摘要
Frozen sand mold additive manufacturing (FSMAM) is a disruptive, green casting technology that uses water or modified aqueous solutions as a binder to layer-by-layer spray and bind sand particles through liquid–solid phase transformation at low temperatures. Despite advances in the understanding of sand particle stress and binder infiltration, research on the sand-laying process in FSMAM is limited. Achieving a powder bed with low surface roughness and high density is a key challenge in FSMAM. In this work, based on a vibration laying/roller compaction device developed by the Green Intelligent Manufacturing Equipment Team at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, numerical simulations were conducted to assess the impact of roller compaction parameters on powder bed quality, and optimal ranges for roller diameter and speed were proposed. Experimental calibration of deposition parameters was performed, revealing that forward roller rotation promotes a denser powder bed, while reverse rotation improves surface quality. Additionally, the process window for the vibration laying/roller compaction method was optimized using the genetic algorithm, with the multi-objective optimization improving powder bed quality in FSMAM.