Additive User's Guide (Print and Science)

ANSYS, Inc. Release 2019 R2

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Table of Contents
I. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1
1. Welcome to ANSYS Additive ............................................................................................................. 3
1.1. Why Use ANSYS Additive? ........................................................................................................... 3
1.2. Look for Frequent Updates .......................................................................................................... 4
1.3. The Simulation Process ............................................................................................................... 4
2. Understanding the Additive Interface .............................................................................................. 5
2.1. Managing Your Simulations and Data .......................................................................................... 6
2.1.1. Where is My Data Stored? ................................................................................................... 8
2.1.2. A Note About Data Noise with Parallel Processing ............................................................... 8
3. Choosing a Simulation Type ............................................................................................................ 11
3.1. Assumed Strain - Uniform Isotropic ........................................................................................... 12
3.2. Scan Pattern Strain - Anisotropic ............................................................................................... 13
3.3. Thermal Strain - Anisotropic ...................................................................................................... 13
II. Additive Print ........................................................................................................................................ 15
1. Prepare and Import a Part ............................................................................................................... 17
1.1. Guidelines for Part Orientation and Resolution .......................................................................... 17
1.2. Importing a Part ....................................................................................................................... 18
1.3. Importing Supports .................................................................................................................. 19
1.4. Importing a Build File ................................................................................................................ 21
2. Set Up a Simulation ......................................................................................................................... 23
2.1. Performing an Assumed Strain Simulation ................................................................................. 23
2.1.1. Set Details ........................................................................................................................ 23
2.1.2. Select Geometry .............................................................................................................. 24
2.1.3. Define Support Options ................................................................................................... 28
2.1.3.1. Using Support .stl Files ............................................................................................. 30
2.1.3.2. Using Automatic Supports ....................................................................................... 30
2.1.3.3. Simulating Without Supports ................................................................................... 33
2.1.4. Select Material ................................................................................................................. 34
2.1.4.1. Linear Elastic versus J2-Plasticity Stress Mode ........................................................... 35
2.1.4.2. Strain Scaling Factor ................................................................................................ 37
2.1.4.3. Customizing a Material ............................................................................................ 37
2.1.5. Select Outputs ................................................................................................................. 39
2.1.5.1. On-Plate Residual Stress/Distortion .......................................................................... 40
2.1.5.2. Distortion Compensated .stl File .............................................................................. 40
2.1.5.3. Displacement After Cutoff ........................................................................................ 41
2.1.5.4. Layer by Layer Stress/Distortion ............................................................................... 41
2.1.5.5. Blade Crash Detection ............................................................................................. 41
2.1.5.6. High Strain Areas ..................................................................................................... 43
2.2. Save/Export a Draft Simulation .................................................................................................. 43
3. Run a Simulation ............................................................................................................................. 45
3.1. How Long Will My Simulation Take? ........................................................................................... 45
3.2. Common Error Messages During a Simulation ........................................................................... 46
3.3. Can I Run Multiple Simulations at Once? ................................................................................... 46
4. Review Results of a Simulation ....................................................................................................... 49
4.1. Output Files .............................................................................................................................. 49
4.2. Using ANSYS Viewer to Review Results ...................................................................................... 52
5. Performing a Scan Pattern Simulation ........................................................................................... 55
5.1. Anisotropic Strain Coefficients .................................................................................................. 55
5.2. Machine Parameters for a Scan Pattern Simulation ..................................................................... 56
5.2.1. Layer Thickness (10-100 μm) ............................................................................................. 57

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Additive User's Guide (Print and Science)

5.2.2. Starting Layer Angle (°) ..................................................................................................... 57

5.2.3. Layer Rotation Angle (°) .................................................................................................... 57
6. Performing a Thermal Strain Simulation ........................................................................................ 59
6.1. Mesh Resolution Factor ............................................................................................................. 59
6.2. Select Material for a Thermal Strain Simulation .......................................................................... 59
6.3. Machine Parameters for a Thermal Strain Simulation .................................................................. 60
6.3.1. Hatch Spacing (μm) .......................................................................................................... 61
6.3.2. Slicing Stripe Width (mm) ................................................................................................. 61
6.3.3. Laser Power (W) ............................................................................................................... 61
6.3.4. Scan Speed (mm/s) .......................................................................................................... 61
6.3.5. Baseplate Temperature (K) ................................................................................................ 61
III. Additive Science ................................................................................................................................... 63
1. Performing a Single Bead Parametric Simulation .......................................................................... 65
1.1. Machine Configuration ............................................................................................................. 66
1.2. Geometry Configuration ........................................................................................................... 67
1.3. Reviewing Results ..................................................................................................................... 67
2. Performing a Porosity Parametric Simulation ................................................................................ 75
2.1. Machine Configuration ............................................................................................................. 77
2.2. Geometry Configuration ........................................................................................................... 79
2.3. Reviewing Results ..................................................................................................................... 79
2.4. Solver Tuning ............................................................................................................................ 79
3. Performing a Thermal History Simulation ...................................................................................... 81
4. Performing a Microstructure Simulation ........................................................................................ 83
14. Glossary ............................................................................................................................................... 85

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Part I: Introduction
Chapter 1: Welcome to ANSYS Additive
ANSYS Additive is simulation software dedicated to the field of metal additive manufacturing. Offerings
include:

• Additive Print – a tool for machine operators to perform quick simulations of parts to ensure they will
print successfully (included with Additive Print and Additive Suite licenses).

• Additive Science – an exploratory environment for scientists to determine the optimum process
parameters for their machines and materials (included with Additive Suite licenses).

For all licensing options, ANSYS Additive platforms include Additive Desktop, a standalone application,
and Additive Cloud, the same application deployed in a cloud environment. The capabilities are the
same, with just a few minor exceptions as noted throughout this guide.

This user's guide is intended for all users of ANSYS Additive. Explanations of capabilities available only
in Additive Science are clearly identified.

1.1. Why Use ANSYS Additive?

Companies today are designing products that are sophisticated, complex, and finely-tuned to operate
in their working environments. With the use of CAE and FEA tools, designers are aggressively reducing
their product’s time-to-market, cost, and material consumption. ANSYS Additive harnesses the next
level of design improvement by providing tools to simulate a part’s behavior during the manufacturing
process for those using the latest techniques in additive manufacturing (3D printing). Already shown
to be a revolutionary technology with immense advantages over traditional manufacturing methods,
additive manufacturing brings unique challenges as well as opportunities for even more time and cost
savings.

The Additive application simulates the layer-by-layer build process of metal parts undergoing Laser
Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), a type of additive manufacturing that uses a laser to melt or fuse material
powder together. As each layer is processed, the region under the laser experiences extremely intense,
local heat that cools rapidly and results in thermal distortion. The simulation method uses a layer by
layer accumulation of inherent strain to predict this distortion. As a user, you will gain critical insight
into the complex physics-based phenomena associated with this layering process.

Simulating the build process may be performed at various points in the overall design/manufacturing
process depending on your goals. Additive generates practical solutions to residual stress, distortion,
and build failure, enabling you to:

• Improve Product Design – In complicated, asymmetrical parts, shrinkage and distortion due to rapid
heating and cooling during the 3D printing process may result in components outside of tolerances.
Simulations of the build process show magnitudes and locations of part distortion. Designers can quickly
make design changes to assure part conformance without iterations of trial and error builds.

• Inform Build Preparation – Instead of building several part prototypes in different orientations on the
build plate, simulations of these orientations reveal best orientation in a fraction of the time and expense.

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Welcome to ANSYS Additive

• Validate Build Preparation – Parts designed using powerful topology optimization tools result in complex
and intricate shapes that present difficult challenges on where to place supports required for build.
Simulations in Additive include the generation of optimized support structures using predicted residual
stress accumulation as criteria for support placement and thickness. Engineers can use the optimized
support information in their production builds to reduce build failures due to insufficient supports.

Simulations accurately predict part distortion during the build. Additive’s Distortion Compensation
feature takes that information a step further and automatically creates a distortion compensated geo-
metry, essentially reversing distortion effects. Engineers can use the compensated geometry file in their
production builds and be assured of a final part that conforms to design intent.

1.2. Look for Frequent Updates

As is everything associated with the additive manufacturing industry, we are moving fast. We want to
provide you with rolling updates of the ANSYS Additive software on a more frequent basis than what
you might be used to. In Additive Desktop, you can look for updates under Help > Check for updates...

Our Additive Cloud application, updated more frequently still, may offer Beta features not included in
Additive Desktop. Documentation on these Beta features, if available, is located here.

Finally, check here for the latest updates to this User’s Guide.

1.3. The Simulation Process

A simulation in Additive consists of four steps:

1. Prepare and Import a Part

2. Set Up a Simulation

3. Run a Simulation

4. Review Results of a Simulation

Depending on your simulation goals, you may need to run multiple iterations of this four-step process.

Also, before beginning a simulation for the first time, you should run a series of calibrations to determine
input factors that take unique aspects of your machine and material into consideration. The calibration
procedures and parts are available online here. Note that the calibration procedure may continue to
evolve as we work with more machine partners and key customers.

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Chapter 2: Understanding the Additive Interface
The Additive interface is quite simple and straightforward. It includes a simulation dashboard in the
main portion of the window and resource libraries on the left. Clicking on the ANSYS logo ( )
from anywhere in the program takes you back to the simulation dashboard.

Resource libraries are repositories for parts, build files, and materials. The first step in the simulation
process, prepare and import a part, involves importing a part into the Parts Library (or the Build File
Library if you have a build file).

The dashboard shows your most recent simulations organized from left to right as Draft Simulations,
Running Simulations, and Completed Simulations. This structure parallels the next steps in the simulation
process; set up a simulation, run a simulation, and review results of a simulation. Draft simulations are
simply saved simulation forms that have not been run as simulations yet.

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Understanding the Additive Interface

2.1. Managing Your Simulations and Data

At most points while using Additive, you have opportunities to Export, Save, Start/Restart, Duplicate,
Cancel, and/or Delete a simulation, depending on where you are in the program. The operations are
designed to work within a database paradigm, as described below.

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 Managing Your Simulations and Data

Save: Clicking the Save button under Draft Simulations saves your simulation form internally (but not
as a file on your computer) and you will see it listed under Draft Simulations. It is removed from Draft
Simulations when you start a simulation (i.e., when it is no longer a “draft”). All your input options are
stored when you run a simulation so that you may see your options at any time when you click on a
simulation in the Running Simulations and Completed Simulation areas of the dashboard. Use Export
to save your simulation form to a file.

Start: Click Start under Draft Simulations to start execution of a simulation. At this point, the simulation
is removed from Draft Simulations and is shown under Running Simulations.

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Understanding the Additive Interface

Cancel: Clicking the Cancel button under Running Simulations stops the simulation. (It takes a moment
for the processes to stop.) After canceling a simulation, you’ll see it as canceled under the Completed
Simulations list and you can Restart the simulation again with the Restart button.

Restart: Click on Restart under Completed Simulations to restart a canceled or interrupted simulation.
(If you need to change an input value, click on Duplicate, at which point you will need to start the
simulation from the beginning again.)

Duplicate: Clicking Duplicate from any point in the application makes a copy of the inputs of that
simulation and creates a Draft simulation of the same name with those inputs. If you are working in
Draft Simulations, a Save is required before you can Duplicate.

Export Simulation: Clicking Export Simulation brings up your file manager so you can save simulation
form inputs to an .aasp file. This proprietary file format contains simulation input data that can be im-
ported into ANSYS Additive (Desktop or Cloud). Your geometry selection (i.e., part) and simulation results
are not included on the .aasp file. If you are working in Draft Simulations, a Save is required before you
can Export.

Import: Click on Import on the dashboard to bring up the file manager and load an .aasp file. This action
will populate a new simulation form with saved inputs. Note that the part is not included in saved inputs
and will need to be added to the simulation form.

Delete: Clicking the Delete button from either Draft Simulations or Completed Simulations removes
the simulation from the application. The operation will delete all metadata and output files. Data will
be permanently deleted and is not recoverable.

Save Logs: The Save Logs button under Completed Simulations is needed only if you have a problem
with your simulation and you need to contact customer support for a resolution. Clicking Save Logs
brings up your file manager and allows you to write a zipped file containing files used for diagnostic
purposes. Contact us at the ANSYS Customer Portal.

Customize: Clicking Customize under the details of a material page will allow you to edit properties
to define your own custom material to store in the Materials Library. Your custom material will then
appear as an option when selecting a material for a simulation.

Archive: Clicking Archive under the custom material page will remove a customized material from the
Materials Library. Simulations using these materials will remain in your stored application data.

2.1.1. Where is My Data Stored?

For users of Additive Desktop, your completed simulations, parts, materials, and build files as well as
log files and other program data, are stored as “AppData” on your computer. This is usually a hidden
file but you can find it by typing %appdata% in your Windows File Explorer and then look for the ansys-
additive folder. You can backup this folder periodically if having data backups is important for your
workflow. (%appdata% is an environment variable determined by your operating system.)

ANSYS Additive does not support installation across a network so AppData will be local to your computer.

2.1.2. A Note About Data Noise with Parallel Processing

You may notice very slight differences in the stress and distortion outputs from one run to the next
when using more than one core. This is a due to a known limitation in shared-memory parallel processing
sometimes referred to as "noise." Operational randomness and numerical round-off inherent to parallelism
can cause slightly different results between runs on the same machine using the same number of cores

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 Managing Your Simulations and Data

or different numbers of cores. This difference is often negligible. Assuming we compute displacements
up to the order of ~1 mm, you may expect the noise to be on the order of ~1e-5 mm. Assuming stress
values on the order of ~1 MPa, you may see differences on the order of ~10 Pa. However, in some cases
the difference is appreciable. This sort of behavior is most commonly seen when simulations are numer-
ically unstable, that is, not converging. The more numerically unstable the model is, the more likely the
convergence pattern or final results will differ as the number of cores used in the simulation is changed.

If run with a single thread, the results between successive runs with identical inputs should produce
identical outputs.

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Chapter 3: Choosing a Simulation Type
From the dashboard, click on the New dropdown box to choose a new form corresponding to a simu-
lation type.

There are three types of simulations available in Additive Print; Assumed Strain Simulation, Scan Pattern
Simulation, and Thermal Strain Simulation. The simulation types (sometimes called strain modes) specify
the different ways inherent strain is calculated as an input to the Mechanics Solver. All three strain
modes offer the same simulation output options.

There are four types of simulations available in Additive Science; Single Bead Simulation, Porosity Sim-
ulation, Thermal History Simulation, and Microstructure (Thermal History and Microstructure simulation
types are Beta at Release 2019 R2). The goal of Additive Science is to determine the best process-para-
meter combination to use for building your part, given a L-PBF machine and a material. You begin this
exploration with a Single Bead Parametric Simulation to narrow the process-parameter combinations
down to a smaller number of acceptable candidates based upon melt pool dimensions. Typically you
will then want to do a Porosity Simulation using your chosen parameters from the Single Bead simulation
to determine the lack-of-fusion porosity associated with those process parameters.

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Choosing a Simulation Type

3.1. Assumed Strain - Uniform Isotropic

Assumed strain mode is the fastest simulation type available. It assumes that a constant, isotropic strain
occurs at every location within a part as it is being built. The strain is equal to the Strain Scaling Factor
multiplied by yield strength and divided by elastic modulus:

The Strain Scaling Factor (SSF) is an important factor quantifying the variables unique to each build
scenario. It must be experimentally determined for each machine/material/strain/stress mode combination
of interest. Calibration procedures are available online here.

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 Thermal Strain - Anisotropic

Except indirectly through the use of the experimentally determined calibration factor (SSF), an Assumed
Strain Simulation does not use information about the machine or scan pattern.

3.2. Scan Pattern Strain - Anisotropic

This strain mode uses the same average strain magnitude as assumed uniform strain, but it subdivides
that strain into anisotropic components based on the local orientation of scan vectors within the part.
This strain mode requires the creation of scan vectors using user-provided scan settings or by reading
scan vectors from a machine's build file. This extra step results in a small, increased amount of simulation
time compared to assumed uniform strain. For parts where the scan pattern is randomized, scan pattern
and assumed strain should give a similar answer. For parts where the scan patterns are aligned, scan
pattern strain will result in a more accurate prediction. As in an Assumed Strain Simulation, you will
need to calibrate for Strain Scaling Factor.

3.3. Thermal Strain - Anisotropic

This strain mode provides the highest degree of accuracy by predicting how thermal cycling affects
strain accumulation at each location within a part. A "thermal ratcheting" algorithm assigns a base strain
to each location within the part as it solidifies. Each time a location within the part is heated above a
temperature threshold (approximately 40% of its absolute melting temperature) an increase in strain
in that location occurs. If a location re-melts, the strain is reset to the base strain. The more times a
location is heated above the threshold without melting, the higher the strain accumulates. Once the
strain magnitude is calculated for each location within a part using the thermal ratcheting algorithm,
that strain is passed to the Mechanics Solver and applied as an anisotropic strain based upon both
local strain magnitude and local scan orientation. Because thermal strain requires a thermal prediction
for every scan vector, this strain mode requires a much longer computational time. As in Assumed Strain
and Scan Pattern Simulations, you will need to calibrate for Strain Scaling Factor.

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Part II: Additive Print
Chapter 1: Prepare and Import a Part
A typical workflow begins with preparing a part for importing to the Additive application. From within
your tool of choice, such as ANSYS SpaceClaim with Additive Prep, you’ll need to export an .stl file. The
standard file format for most rapid prototyping and 3D printing applications, an .stl file (from stereo-
lithography) is a tessellated representation of a 3D object that consists of triangle elements that define
the external surface of the object. Rather than being a volume representation, surface normal vectors
define the inside versus the outside of the object.

1.1. Guidelines for Part Orientation and Resolution

There are some important considerations to keep in mind before you export your geometry from the
CAD program:

• Do not include supports in the part geometry file. You will have an opportunity to import supports
separately or have the Additive application create supports automatically for the part. If you have de-
signed supports along with the part, keep them as separate bodies and save them to a separate file.

• Do not include a baseplate (build plate) in the part geometry file. The Additive application takes the
baseplate into consideration internally in the simulation and it never needs to be explicitly modeled.

• Dimensions of the part must be in units of millimeters (mm). While .stl files are unitless, the Additive
application does not provide the ability to switch unit systems and Metric units of millimeters are as-
sumed.

• Currently, part size is limited to 600 millimeters in all directions (i.e., the maximum part is 600 x 600 x
600 mm).

• The .stl file must have the part positioned in the orientation in which it will be printed.

• A part with its longest dimension in the Z direction will require the longest simulation time. While the
domain volume doesn’t change with part orientation, the number of voxel layers changes, which means
more calculations in the solver are being performed. Alternatively, a part with the smallest dimension
in the Z direction will have the shortest simulation time. (Note that parts oriented with their longest
dimension in the Z direction will similarly take longer to print on the machine because more layers are
required. Powder recoating/spreading time is an order of magnitude higher than laser printing time.)

• The time required to slice and voxelize an .stl file increases significantly with the number of triangles.
Given two .stl files for the same geometry, the file with the smallest number of triangles will be processed
faster. (Slicing, as used here, refers to the internal process of dividing a part into scan vectors according
to the scan pattern input parameters that will be used in the 3D build process. Voxelization refers to
the dividing of a part into voxels, or elements, used in the mathematical simulation. See Voxel
Size (p. 24).)

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Prepare and Import a Part

1.2. Importing a Part

To import a part to the Parts Library, click the Parts button in the left panel of the dashboard
and then click on Import Part. Part files are .stl files, either ascii or binary. While .stl files are unitless,
dimensions of the part in Additive are assumed to be in units of millimeters (mm). Note: When importing
parts in ANSYS Additive Cloud, there is a maximum file size limit of 500 MB.

The name, tags, and description fields allow you to identify the part in some way that makes logical
sense to you. These fields are searchable at any location in the program that allows for searching on
text fields. Tags should be at least three characters long.

When you import a part, the Additive application internally creates a bounding box around the part
using the outermost edges of its dimensions. This bounding box is known as the domain. Furthermore,
the location of the minimum X, Y, and Z dimensions becomes the new origin (0, 0, 0) for the purposes
of calculations. Result items, such as displacements, will be output in coordinates based on this translated
origin.

It may take a few minutes to import a part, depending on the size of the file. The status indication in
the Parts Library shows “Processing” while the part is importing and “Available” when importing is
complete. A common practice is to import the part and then begin setting up your simulation. When
you get to the step of selecting geometry on the simulation form, the part is usually available for selec-
tion.

If you want to see details about a part that has already been imported, you may view it in the Parts
Library by clicking on it or searching on any text term used in the name, tags, or description of the part.
Click on the part name to bring up a summary of information and image preview of that part. Use your
mouse buttons to move the part around in the image preview; left button for spin, middle for zoom,
and right button for pan. Click Edit to edit the name, tags, or description. You cannot edit the features
of the geometry itself. (Note that if the original .stl file is changed, it does not affect the imported part.
A new copy is made inside the application that is not linked to the original file.)

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 Importing Supports

1.3. Importing Supports

Once a part is available after importing, you may import supports that will be associated with that part.
Click Import Support to bring up the import support window.

See Define Support Options (p. 28) for general information about how supports are used in the additive
manufacturing process. For now, it is important to know the following:

• Support files are in .stl format.

• Dimensions are assumed to be in millimeters (mm).

• The support must be oriented such that it is aligned with the part in the X-Y plane, at a minimum. (Use
Minimum Support Height to align it in the Z direction.)

• There is no limit on the number of support .stl files that can be imported for any given part, however only
one set of supports (i.e., one .stl file) can be used in a simulation.

• Just as the part's origin was translated to a new origin based on the domain (i.e., bounding box), upon import
of the supports the domain is now expanded to include the supports and the new origin is at the new
minimum.

Lock Support to Part

Check this option to lock the position of the support with that of the part. This implies that you have
created the part and supports so that they are properly aligned with respect to each other in all three
axes, X, Y, and Z. In fact, we recommend you check this option whenever you have properly aligned
part to supports in all directions. If some segment of the support does touch the baseplate this feature
will automatically calculate the proper Minimum Support Height.

If a support file consists only of part-to-part supports (i.e., no portion of the support structure touches
the baseplate), this check box must be checked to ensure proper alignment.

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Prepare and Import a Part

When this check box is checked, the Minimum Support Height input is disabled since that value will
be calculated automatically.

Minimum Support Height (mm)

This is the height, in millimeters, that the part will be elevated off the baseplate when the support is
properly positioned below the part and the support is resting on the baseplate. In other words, the
Minimum Support Height is the distance between the baseplate and the lowest point on the part when
it is properly aligned with a given support. A value of 0 means that some point of the part will start
printing directly on the baseplate.

It is important to be sure the supports and the part are properly aligned in the X and Y axes before
importing. The correct Minimum Support Height ensures that the part and support are properly aligned
in the Z axis at simulation time. Use Minimum Support Height when Lock Support to Part is unchecked.
This option is available if you want to run multiple simulations with the same part and different support
heights.

Support STL Type

Choose what type of supports you are importing as follows:

Volume-less STL: These supports are usually single-bead width support walls such as lattice or tree-
type supports. These structures do not need to be "water tight."

Standard STL: These supports are solid (water-tight) geometry bodies.

Part and Support Preview

Click Save to initiate the import of the support. As is the case for importing the part, the status shows
"Processing" while the support is being imported, and "Available" when the support has been fully
processed. Once the support is Available, click the Preview check box to see the part and supports to-
gether in the preview window.

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 Importing a Build File

1.4. Importing a Build File

Build files are unique to each 3D printing machine and are required to be .zip files containing the part
.stl file as well as files specifying machine scan vectors. To import a .zip file to the Build Files Library,

click on the Build Files button in the left panel of the dashboard and then click on Import Build
File. When you select Build File Type, you are specifying which of the approved translators Additive will
use when reading the data. ANSYS may add additional options as we continue to work with more ma-
chine partners.

Note

At this release, it is not possible to include support files in build files, nor is it possible to
identify a build file when selecting a support .stl to be used in the simulation.

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Chapter 2: Set Up a Simulation
Once you have added a part into the Parts Library (or a build file into the Build File Library), you are
ready to begin setting up a simulation. You will use a simulation form to specify the criteria necessary
for a simulation, including the part and its material and stress behavior, support options, and the desired
output options of your simulation.

2.1. Performing an Assumed Strain Simulation

This is the simplest and fastest simulation type. The following steps described for an Assumed Strain
Simulation are also required for the other simulation types.

2.1.1. Set Details

Details include Simulation Title, Tags, Description, and Number of Cores.

Simulation Title, Tags, and Description

The title (required), tags, and description fields allow you to identify the simulation in some way that
makes logical sense to you. These fields are searchable at any location in the program that allows for
searching on text fields. Tags should be at least three characters long.

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Set Up a Simulation

Number of Cores
To take advantage of High-Performance Computing, the Additive Desktop application allows you to
specify multiple processor cores. Depending on your Additive license, you may have up to 12 cores to
use. The default is 4.

2.1.2. Select Geometry

You select a part for simulation by adding it to your simulation form. Regardless of whether you add a
part or a build file, it must have been imported first to the Parts Library or Build File Library, respectively.

Voxel Size
Upon adding a part to the simulation form, you will see a preview of that part as well as a summary of
the part’s overall dimensions in millimeters in x, y, and z coordinates, a minimum voxel size recommend-
ation, and an estimate for memory usage.

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 Performing an Assumed Strain Simulation

You will need to specify a voxel size and a voxel sample rate to be used for your simulation. A voxel is
a hexahedral (cubic) element used in the finite element method. In the following figure of a cubic part,
a voxel is shown in red. There are eight voxels in the cube. Voxel size is the length of the yellow line.

When combined, voxels define the domain of the geometry. Minimum voxel size is the estimated voxel
size that can safely run without the simulation risking failure due to insufficient memory. This is calculated
automatically when the part is imported. Voxel size defaults to 0.5 mm.

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Set Up a Simulation

Voxel Sample Rate

The voxelization function divides the domain into voxels for simulation in the Mechanics Solver. The
technique employs subvoxels within each voxel to better represent geometry, in particular at edges
and curves. A user input parameter, Voxel Sample Rate, allows control over the number of subvoxels
to be used, ultimately controlling the trade-off between voxelization time and accuracy of geometry
representation. A higher number than the default of 5 may sometimes be necessary to adequately
capture fine supports and part features.

The following figure illustrates how subvoxels are used in defining the edges of geometries.

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 Performing an Assumed Strain Simulation

Voxelization at Part and Support Interfaces—Handling Intrusion

It is common practice when additively manufacturing parts for supports to intrude, or penetrate, into
part geometry. This ensures a good connection between the part and the support. The following steps
describe how the Additive application handles the interface between part and support when an stl
support file includes intrusion of support walls into part geometry:

1. The support is voxelized at subvoxel resolution, marking the state of support subvoxels as support
material.

2. The part is voxelized at subvoxel resolution, marking the state of part subvoxels as part material, and
overwriting any support subvoxels that happen to be in the way (i.e., coincident).

3. For each voxel, the resulting part subvoxels and support subvoxels are tallied up.

4. The voxel's density = (# non-empty subvoxels) / (# total subvoxels).

5. The voxel's state is considered support material if the voxel contains only support subvoxels. Otherwise,
if there is at least one subvoxel marked as part, the voxel's state is considered part material.

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Set Up a Simulation

So where there is overlap, there is no double-counting of density; the part material takes precedence
over the support material. This is relevant because, as discussed later, the support material's strength
is multiplied by a knock-down factor called Support Yield Strength Ratio (p. 30).

How Do I Determine Voxel Size?

Currently, the calculated Minimum Voxel Size assumes a Minimum Overhang Angle of 45 degrees and
a Minimum Support Height of zero. (See Define Support Options (p. 28) for further details about sup-
ports.) A smaller angle could result in fewer support voxels and a Minimum Support Height > 0 will in-
clude more support voxels. In both cases, memory requirements will change, and a larger voxel size
may be required for a successful simulation.

Generally, there should be at least four voxels through the thickness of the finest feature of interest.
This is accomplished by setting the voxel size to one-fourth the minimum feature dimension. It should
be noted however, that for a geometry with highly disproportionate overall dimensions compared to
its finest features, some accuracy may be sacrificed in the fine features to obtain a shorter run time by
applying the above rule to a thicker area of the part.

How Does Voxel Size Affect Run Time?

Decreasing voxel size by any factor can exponentially increase the solution run time by that factor raised
to the power of 4 (assuming a uniform part, like a cube).

As an example, if the starting voxel size takes 5 minutes of run time, and then the voxel size is reduced
by a factor of two, the run time could be expected to increase to approximately 5*(2) 4 = 80 minutes.

Currently, voxel size is limited to between 0.02mm and 2mm. However, due to memory requirements
of smaller voxel size simulations, this range of voxel size is not guaranteed to finish the simulation.

2.1.3. Define Support Options

We're going to take a moment here to summarize what we know about supports and then explain how
they are handled in the additive simulation. During Laser Powder Bed Fusion, as the laser passes over
each layer of metal powder it creates a melt pool similar to a welding process. The melt pool area cools

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 Performing an Assumed Strain Simulation

and is reheated again in the next laser pass. With each successive layer, the material underneath cools
and contracts. This process of heating and cooling, expanding and shrinking, results in strain, distortion,
and residual stress in the part that effectively act to lift the part off the baseplate. Therefore, support
structures are required to hold printed parts in place during fabrication.

These support structures are commonly thin “walls” printed along with the part that are fixed to the
baseplate and connect to the part at areas of the geometry that overhang the main body of the part.
The supports are printed of the same metal material as the part and must be cut or machined off upon
completion of the build. Too many supports, or support walls that are too thick, will require excessive
post-build time to remove. Too few supports, or support walls that are too thin, may not be strong
enough to hold a part in place and may result in cracks, excessive distortion, drooping between walls,
or breaks.

The Additive application offers the following options for handling supports:

• Automatic creation of supports (default)

• User imported Support STL files

• Simulation Without Supports

Select which of these options you will use with the Simulate With Supports check box and the Support
Type drop-down selection, as shown here.

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Set Up a Simulation

2.1.3.1. Using Support .stl Files

Choose Support STL to use a set of supports that has already been imported for the part. (The menu
option will not be available for selection if you have not selected a part with associated .stl files.) Only
one set of supports may be used in a simulation.

Support Yield Strength Ratio

The Support Yield Strength Ratio is a parameter associated with the support structure’s material. The
Support Yield Strength Ratio is used in the finite element simulation to modify the strength of the
support material. It affects both yield strength and elastic modulus of the support material. For example,
a value of 1.0 results in a support strength equal to the solid material while 0.5 is half the strength of
the solid material. The default value is 0.4375. This default was determined by studies where the support
strength for default supports built on an EOS M270 machine were tested and compared to solid mater-
ial built on the same machine.

2.1.3.2. Using Automatic Supports

Unless you select your own support .stl files or uncheck the Simulate With Supports box, the Additive
application creates supports automatically for your part. It is important to understand how these auto-
matic supports are implemented. The application simulates the build process with an initial set of supports
based upon geometry considerations only, and then generates two new sets of optimized supports
based upon the simulation results. The initial supports are thin, single-bead-scan width support walls
placed uniformly underneath overhang areas defined by a user-specified angle. The maximum residual
stresses that supports must withstand are predicted in the simulation (in the Mechanics Solver). The
optimized support structures are then automatically generated (in the support generation module)
based upon an algorithm which varies the support density to carry these maximum residual stresses.
Two sets of optimized supports are generated:

• Optimized Thin Wall Supports are of a uniform wall thickness, but wall spacing is varied such that
more walls are placed in regions of higher residual stress and fewer walls in regions of lower residual
stress.

• Optimized Thick Wall Supports are uniformly spaced walls with varying thicknesses such that thicker
walls are placed in regions of higher residual stress and thinner walls in regions of lower residual stress.

Be aware that the conditions defining inherent strain are not applied to supports, they are applied only
to the solid part material. Thus, stress is not accumulating in the supports as the layer-by-layer addition
of material is simulated until solid part material is reached, at which time the part material will cause
some stress to develop in the supports.

On your simulation form, you will need to specify certain parameters that guide the support generation
process.

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 Performing an Assumed Strain Simulation

Minimum Overhang Angle (°)

The overhang angle is measured from the powder bed surface (horizontal = 0 degrees) up to the surface
of the part. Any point on the surface of the part having an angle less than the Minimum Overhang
Angle will be supported. The default Minimum Overhang Angle is 45 degrees. Avoid using a value that
is the same as the angle of the geometry of your part, as it can cause asymmetric support structures
due to finite rounding errors. For example, if your geometry includes an overhanging feature of precisely
45 degrees, use 46 or 44 degrees for Minimum Overhang Angle.

Supports will be created for overhang areas even in cases where the supports cannot reach the baseplate
because a portion of the part is in the way. In that case, supports will span part-surface to part-surface.

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Set Up a Simulation

Minimum Support Height (mm)

This is the height, in millimeters, that the part will be elevated off the baseplate. If you set a value of 3
mm then the part will be elevated such that the lowest point on the part is at least 3 mm above the
baseplate. This value should be set to allow for an easy part cut-off from the baseplate while also con-
sidering how many voxels must be created to add that additional height. (More voxel layers = more
simulation time.) We recommend that this value be set as low as is realistic for each simulation. The
default value is 0. (See Simulating Without Supports (p. 33))

Support Factor of Safety

The support factor of safety is a parameter that drives the strength of the automatically generated op-
timized support structures. If you would like the supports to withstand 2x the expected load, then you
would enter a 2 in this field and the predicted strength of the automatically generated support structure
would be double the predicted stress. The strength of the support structure is driven by the number
and thickness of support walls that are generated. The support factor of safety defaults to 1.

Support Yield Strength Ratio

The Support Yield Strength Ratio is a parameter associated with the support structure’s material. The
Support Yield Strength Ratio is used in the finite element simulation to modify the strength of the
support material. It affects both yield strength and elastic modulus of the support material. For example,
a value of 1.0 results in a support strength equal to the solid material while 0.5 is half the strength of
the solid material. The default value is 0.4375. This default was determined by studies where the support
strength for default supports built on an EOS M270 machine were tested and compared to solid mater-
ial built on the same machine.

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 Performing an Assumed Strain Simulation

Thin Wall Parameters

Wall Thickness (μm)

A parameter used for the optimized thin wall supports. It is the wall thickness of the generated support
walls.

Maximum Wall Distance (μm)

Maximum Wall Distance is a parameter used for the Optimized Thin Wall Supports. It is the allowed
maximum distance between two neighboring support walls. Regardless of the predicted stress level in
the support structure, the walls in supported regions will be spaced not more than this value. Too large
of a wall distance might result in failures such as the part breaking away from the support or the devel-
opment of cracks in the support structure. When a laser scans a relatively large area of powder where
the support wall distance is too wide, cracking might happen since powder has no strength to hold
the solidified part in place. The excessive distortion might cause blade and part collision. We recommend
that maximum wall distance should not exceed 2 mm when a single bead support wall is used.

Thick Wall Parameters

Minimum and Maximum Wall Thickness (μm)

Minimum and Maximum Wall Thickness are parameters used for the Optimized Thick Wall Supports.
Minimum Wall is the thinnest possible support wall that the machine will build. Usually you will specify
the thickness of a single bead scan. The default value is 100 microns. The thickness of support walls
will not exceed the Maximum Wall Thickness. The default value is 1 mm.

Wall Distance (μm)

A parameter used for the optimized thick wall supports. It is the distance between support walls.

2.1.3.3. Simulating Without Supports

To simulate without supports, simply uncheck the Simulate With Supports check box on the form.
However there are some subtle assumptions to be aware of, depending on the outputs that you select.
The scenarios are described in the following table.

Minimum
Simulate Displacement
Support
with After Cutoff
Height What Happens? Part
Supports (output
(support
(check box) selection)
option)
No supports generated
N/A (0) Bottom nodes are rigid (no
displacements)
One layer of support voxels
added to simulate part after
cutoff
N/A (0)
No other supports added
anywhere

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Set Up a Simulation

Minimum
Simulate Displacement
Support
with After Cutoff
Height What Happens? Part
Supports (output
(support
(check box) selection)
option)
Support Yield Strength Ratio set
to 1
Supports generated below
Minimum Overhang Angle
0
Bottom nodes are rigid (no
displacements)
Supports generated below
Minimum Overhang Angle

One layer of support voxels

0 added to simulate part
after cutoff

Support Yield Strength

Ratio set by user
Supports generated below
Minimum Overhang Angle
Non-zero,
for 3mm of voxel layers
example, created
3 mm
Support Yield Strength
Ratio set by user

2.1.4. Select Material

You may choose from standard ANSYS pre-defined materials or you may customize your own material.
Upon selecting a material from the drop-down selection, the properties of Elastic Modulus (in GPa),
Poisson Ratio, and Yield Strength (in MPa) for that material automatically populate the fields on the
form. These values are for materials at room temperature. To see the other properties associated with
a given material, or to customize a material, you will need to bring up the Materials Library. See Cus-
tomizing a Material (p. 37).

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 Performing an Assumed Strain Simulation

2.1.4.1. Linear Elastic versus J2-Plasticity Stress Mode

Once you choose a material, you have the option of choosing material behavior in calculations of stress
that is either linear elastic or elastoplastic (exhibiting both elastic and plastic properties). The elastoplastic
calculations are based upon the J2 (von Mises) plasticity model.

This stress mode option is associated with a material’s ductility, a measure of a material's ability to un-
dergo significant plastic deformation before rupture. The following figure shows stress-strain curves for
a typical metal material. After yield, for a given strain, A, in the plastic deformation region, notice that
the stress at point B (fully linear elastic) is higher than the stress at point C (elastoplastic). Stress values
differ depending on your assumptions about material behavior.

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Set Up a Simulation

In the Additive application, an assumption of linear elastic behavior will result in a higher maximum
stress value for a given strain beyond the yield point for the material. This over-prediction may not be
realistic for parts with larger distortions. The simulation will run faster, however, which may be beneficial
if you care about on-plate results only (because you will heat-treat the final part to relieve residual
stress, for example). It is important to note that while stress values beyond the elastic range will be ar-
tificially high, distortion values will generally be correct using the linear elastic option. Therefore, using
linear elastic stress mode can be useful for analyzing distortion trends while the part is still on the baseplate.

An assumption of elastoplastic behavior (using the J2-plasticity model) applies best to ductile materials,
such as most metals. Currently, small deformation plasticity has been used in these models where addition
of elastic and plastic strains amount to total strain, since metals do not exhibit the large deformations
we see in polymers, for example. Von Mises stresses are used to reduce the stress levels when strain
values exceed elastic strain. Strain hardening algorithms are included in the stress calculations (see
Hardening Factor (p. 36)).

The simulation will run longer with the J2-plasticity option, but this option is required if you want ac-
curate distortion after-cutoff results, or accurate indications of stresses and strains.

Hardening Factor
If you select the J2-Plasticity option, a material-specific strain Hardening Factor is used in stress calcula-
tions to provide further information about the material’s behavior in the plastic deformation region.
The Hardening Factor is used to calculate the slope of the stress-strain curve (Ep) above the material’s
Yield stress:

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 Performing an Assumed Strain Simulation

This factor may be changed here or when customizing a material.

Note: Previous to Release 19.2, a hardening factor of 0.1 was used for all materials. Following the 19.2 update,
the default materials each have their own hardening factor. Custom materials created by the user prior to
this change will use 0.0198 as the hardening factor. A consequence of this change is that simulations run
from Release 19.2 forward may have slightly different output values than those run with previous releases.
The magnitude of the difference depends on a variety of factors including part geometry and orientation,
material, scan pattern, laser power and whether supports are used in the simulation.

2.1.4.2. Strain Scaling Factor

The Strain Scaling Factor (SSF) is a calibration factor that you may use to improve the accuracy of your
simulations. This value is a direct multiplier to the predicted strain values. Values greater than 1 will
amplify displacement and stress and values less than 1 will reduce them. The default Strain Scaling
Factor is 1. You should use the default SSF of 1 for your first simulation in Additive and then work from
there to calibrate the best value of SSF. Because these are single data point values and there can be
variations even from batch to batch of material, we recommend that you calibrate for SSF for each
specific machine and material combination. Calibration procedures are available online here.

It is not necessary to perform this calibration if you are conducting a trend analysis, that is, if you will
be examining the effects of variable changes on stress or distortion relative to each other.

2.1.4.3. Customizing a Material

Click the Materials button in the left panel of the dashboard to bring up the Materials Library.
There you will see the list of ANSYS pre-defined materials. selecting any of these materials will bring
up a panel of detailed properties for that material. Click Customize to create a new material based upon
one of these pre-defined materials. Note that you cannot edit an ANSYS pre-defined material, but you
may edit your own customized materials.

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Set Up a Simulation

At this time it is not possible to create temperature-dependent material properties.

When you select a custom material to use in your simulation, the custom values of the material properties
will automatically populate the appropriate fields in the simulation form.

To remove your customized materials from the Materials Library, bring up the details page for that
material and click archive. Simulations using these materials will remain in your stored application data.

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 Performing an Assumed Strain Simulation

2.1.5. Select Outputs

The powerful features of ANSYS Additive leading to the most useful insights for users are initiated by
simple output option check boxes. On a simulation form under Outputs, there are several options from
which to choose, depending on your simulation goals. These options may affect simulation run-time
but provide additional output files that will be available under Completed Simulations when the simu-
lation is complete. In some cases, additional inputs are required.

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Set Up a Simulation

2.1.5.1. On-Plate Residual Stress/Distortion

The basic output produced for all simulations (it appears grayed out because it is the default set of
results) contains a voxelized representation of the part with predicted residual stresses and displacements
at the end of the build while the part is still attached to the baseplate. Both end state stresses and
maximum stress during the build are contained in this .vtk file. Results may be viewed directly in ANSYS
Viewer or exported.

2.1.5.2. Distortion Compensated .stl File

The Additive application can predict the location and magnitude of distortion and then "reverse" distort
the original .stl file. Then when you build your part using the compensated geometry, the result will
be closer to the original design.

On a simulation form under Outputs (either on-plate or after cutoff ), check the box for Distortion com-
pensated .stl file. Once selected, you have the option to specify Scale Factors. The Scale Factor will
change the magnitude of the distortion applied to the original .stl file. A Scale Factor of 1 (default) will
create an .stl file with distortion compensated by the same magnitude as the simulated results. A Scale
Factor < 1 will compensate less than the simulation-predicted magnitude and a value > 1 will compensate
more than the simulation-predicted magnitude.

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 Performing an Assumed Strain Simulation

You may enter Multiple Scale Factors to determine which distortion compensation factor works best
for the part. Values must be between -5.0 and 5.0.

Once the simulation is complete, files labeled Compensated Geometry (and Compensated Geometry
(after cutoff )) can be found in the Output Files section under Completed Simulations. The Scale Factor
is used in the file name to distinguish results among multiple Scale Factors. Click the export link to get
the distortion compensated .stl file. A second output is also created named Geometry with Distortion
(and Geometry with Distortion (after cutoff )). This is a geometry representation in .vtk format with dis-
placement vectors with each vertex.

How Does Distortion Compensation Work?

The Additive application simulates spatial distortion that occurs during the build process. With Distortion
Compensation activated, each vertex in the Compensated Geometry .stl file is moved in the opposite
direction of the closest distortion vector (i.e., new position = original position + deformed (dX, dY, dZ)
x -1). To ensure the .stl file has fidelity on par with the simulation, any triangle with an area greater
than an equilateral triangle with sides equal to the selected voxel size is split into smaller triangles.

Since the Distortion Compensation feature is a simple linear assumption, it may not always be correct.
Parts can respond non-linearly. For example, if you use a Scale Factor of 1 (default) in a simulation and
then use the compensated file to rerun the simulation, you will see if the part is predicted to distort to
the correct shape. If not, you’ll know that the compensated .stl file was under-compensated or overcom-
pensated and you can adjust the Scale Factor up or down from there. Generally, the Distortion Compens-
ation feature tends to be an iterative process. In fact, our experience shows good results using two iterations
with Scale Factor = 0.5 for each simulation. Alternatively, a good starting point for one iteration is a Scale
Factor = 0.75.

2.1.5.3. Displacement After Cutoff

Choose Displacement After Cutoff to view the voxelized representation of the part with predicted dis-
placements after the part and supports (if any) are cut off the baseplate. Currently there is not a way to
remove supports separate from the baseplate.

In the case where you have chosen to simulate without supports (i.e., you have unchecked Simulate
with Supports in the Supports section of the simulation form) and you choose Displacement After Cutoff,
one layer of support voxels will be added to the base of the part to simulate part after cutoff. (See
Simulating Without Supports (p. 33).)

2.1.5.4. Layer by Layer Stress/Distortion

Choose this option for detailed voxel layer-by-voxel layer results to learn insights about the behavior
as the part is being built. Results are for the surface of the part, not the interior information. The output
consists of a .zip file containing a series of .vtk files, one for each voxel layer. The .zip file may be large.
Use these files to “animate” the build process. View locations throughout the part of potential blade
crashes and high strain areas that may indicate cracks.

2.1.5.5. Blade Crash Detection

Considering the amount of distortion that is possible within a part being built, a scenario of concern is
a collision of the recoater blade and the distorted part. The Additive application provides a blade crash
detection feature that predicts if and where such a collision will occur.

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Set Up a Simulation

On a simulation form under Outputs, check the box for Detect potential blade crash due to distortion.
Once selected, you have the option to specify a Threshold Scaling Factor and Layer Thickness. (Note
that for Scan Pattern and Thermal Strain simulations, the Layer Thickness parameter appears in the
Machine section of the simulation form.)

Once the simulation is complete, a file labeled Potential blade crash locations can be found in the
Output Files section under Completed Simulations. Click the export link to get the .csv file. Indications
of blade crash are also available on the On-plate stress/displacements .vtk and .avz files and the Layerwise
.vtk files.

Each voxel will be assigned one of the following values for predicted blade crash:

• 0 (none predicted)

• 1 (warning—potential blade crash)

• 2 (critical—likely blade crash)

Layer Thickness (10-100 μm)

Layer Thickness is the thickness of the powder layer coating that is applied with every pass of the re-
coater blade. The default value is 50 microns. We recommend that you use the actual thickness unique
to your machine.

Threshold Scaling Factor

This value is used to modify blade crash calculations so that you can allow for flexibility in the recoater
blade. Using the default value of 1 and a Layer Thickness value of 50 μm, any displacement in the
positive Z direction over 50 μm will be marked as a warning (potential blade crash) and any displacement
over 100 μm will be marked as a critical area (likely blade crash). In another example, if you know there
is not a lot of flexibility in the recoater blade, use a threshold value of 0.8. With a 50-micron Layer
Thickness, any displacement in the positive Z direction over 40 microns will be marked as a warning
and any area with displacement greater than 80 will be marked as critical.

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 Save/Export a Draft Simulation

2.1.5.6. High Strain Areas

When the strain in a part exceeds the elongation a material can withstand, a failure can occur resulting
in cracking throughout the part or supports. This is a common issue that can affect parts built with
additive manufacturing. The Additive application allows you to quickly look at the design and process
settings that would alleviate potential cracking. The High Strain Areas feature allows you to identify
regions of the part that may be prone to forming cracks during or after the build process by highlighting
critical strain values. Required inputs for this output type include the Support Strain Threshold, Part
Strain Threshold, and Strain Warning Factor.

Strain threshold values should be entered as a percent for the support and part material respectively.
(Engineering strain can be calculated as the change in length divided by the original length. For example,
a 3.0" titanium bar that has been stretched to 3.3" is said to have experienced a tensile strain of 0.1, or
10 percent.) The default values of 10 and 20 percent strain are simply sample values, and you should
adjust these values as needed for different materials or other factors that may affect the total elongation
of your build material. When a calculated strain exceeds these threshold values, it will be labeled as
“Critical.”

The Strain Warning Factor allows you to establish a “Warning” range, to identify further areas where
strain is approaching the critical range.

Support Strain Threshold (%)

Percentage strain in the supports above which strain will be considered critical. Defaults to 10%.

Part Strain Threshold (%)

Percentage strain in the part above which strain will be considered critical. Defaults to 20%

Strain Warning Factor

This value is multiplied by each of the strain thresholds above to define limits where strain is labeled
as a warning. Defaults to 0.8.

Using default values for all inputs, strains in the supports between 8 and 10 percent will be in the
warning range, while strains over 10 percent will be considered critical. Strains in the part between 16
and 20 percent will be in the warning range, while strains over 20 percent will be considered critical.

The output of High Strain Areas can be viewed as part of the On-plate stress/displacement .vtk and .avz
files and the Layerwise .vtk files, as well as a High strain regions .csv file. When viewed through the On-
plate stress/displacement output, critical strain locations are given a value of 2 and warning locations
are given a value of 1. All other locations retain a value of 0 to show low risk. The High strain regions
.csv file consists of strain values for all points with strains at or above the warning threshold. Information
about each point includes the x, y, and z locations along with the strain value and the deposit layer.
The deposit layer represents the actual powder layer during a build. When using the Assumed Strain
analysis type, a layer thickness of 50 μm is used to identify the deposit layer of each location.

2.2. Save/Export a Draft Simulation

You may want to save your simulation form periodically before starting the simulation. While it is not
saved to a specific file on your computer, it is saved internally, and you will see it listed under Draft
Simulations. It is removed from Draft Simulations when you start a simulation (i.e., when it is no longer
a “draft”). All your input options are stored when you run a simulation so that you may see your options

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Set Up a Simulation

at any time when you select a simulation in the Running Simulations and Completed Simulation areas
of the dashboard.

To save your inputs to a file, use the Export button. (A Save action is required before you can Export.)
Exported files have an .aasp extension and may be imported using the Import button under Draft
Simulations. Exported files do not include the part.

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Chapter 3: Run a Simulation
Start a simulation by clicking on the Start button at the bottom of your simulation form. You will imme-
diately see status activity in a convenient summary format.

3.1. How Long Will My Simulation Take?

ANSYS Additive is fast! For simple simulations, your run time will take minutes or even just seconds.
For more complicated geometries and simulation options, the program may run for many hours, or
even days, but you will see status activity in the log indicating progress throughout the simulation.
Keep in mind these general considerations:

• A simulation with J2-plasticity (stress mode) will take slightly longer than a simulation assuming linear
elastic stress behavior. Stress results will be more accurate. See Linear Elastic versus J2-Plasticity Stress
Mode (p. 35).

• A Scan Pattern simulation will take slightly longer than an Assumed Strain simulation. See Scan Pattern
Strain - Anisotropic (p. 13).

• A Thermal Strain simulation will take much longer than any other type of simulation, but it provides
the highest level of accuracy in results. See Thermal Strain - Anisotropic (p. 13).

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Run a Simulation

• Too small of a voxel size can increase simulation time significantly. See How Does Voxel Size Affect Run
Time? (p. 28)

• A part oriented with the longest dimension in the Z direction will take longer during simulation than
parts oriented with their longest dimension in the plane of the baseplate. While the domain volume
doesn’t change with part orientation, the number of voxel layers changes. See Guidelines for Part Ori-
entation and Resolution (p. 17).

• Run time will get slower per voxel layer as the simulation proceeds through the voxel layers. There are
more calculations being performed for each new layer as the simulation progresses.

• Simulation time does not equal build time but it is related. If the time to build your part takes a week,
it is reasonable to expect the simulation to take a few days.

3.2. Common Error Messages During a Simulation

There may be occasions when a simulation fails and cannot continue. If that is the case, a warning
message will pop up on your desktop and you will get an error message in the activity log. The following
table lists a common error message related to the number of iterations in the simulation and recom-
mended actions.

Error Message:

Invalid state: Hit maximum iterations (12000) with a residual of 10071.14…

Cause Suggested Solution
Too coarse of a mesh, leading to poor Try reducing voxel size to improve connectivity of the
connectivity between elements (i.e., mesh.
elements only sharing corners/edges).
As the number of iterations required Try increasing voxel size to reduce the problem size.
to reach convergence scales
nonlinearly with the problem size,
this may be indicative of too large of
a problem.
May happen in regions of a part with May try adjusting support structure settings to avoid
large unsupported cantilevered large unsupported overhangs.
overhangs, resulting in excessive local
distortion.
Convergence is dependent on the May try modifying geometry to improve
level of interconnectedness of the interconnectedness or try simulating the part in a
mesh. Thin shell parts or parts different orientation.
connected only by slender members
may not be so well interconnected.

3.3. Can I Run Multiple Simulations at Once?

You can queue multiple simulations so that one will start immediately after the one before it completes.
This is extremely convenient if you want to line up a few simulations to run overnight, for example.

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 Can I Run Multiple Simulations at Once?

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Chapter 4: Review Results of a Simulation
Look for the Success status indication to know your simulation has completed. In the Overview and
Logs sections, you will see beginning and ending time stamps and other useful information. Simulation
results are found in the Output Files section.

4.1. Output Files

Results from your simulation are viewable in ANSYS Viewer, or are exportable files (.avz files are ANSYS
Viewer files), or both, as described in the following tables.

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Review Results of a Simulation

Part Output Files Type Description

Solver Voxel Input* .vtk Voxelized part showing voxel densities. Use this file to see how well
the part geometry is represented by the voxel mesh and to confirm
that your used defined supports, if any, are aligned correctly to the
part.
On-plate .vtk Voxilized part with predicted displacements and stresses at the
Stress/Displacement* and end of the build (i.e., end state) while the part is still attached to
.avz the baseplate.

• Displacement in mm: magnitude, x, y, and z components

• Current state stress in Pa: von Mises, xx, yy, zz, xy, yz, zx directions

• Max stress during build in Pa: von Mises, and xx, yy, zz in compression
& tension for each

• Blade crash severity (if Detect potential blade crash output option is
chosen)

• High strain severity (if High Strain Areas output option is chosen)

After Cutoff .vtk Voxilized part with predicted displacementsafter the part is cut
Displacement and off from the baseplate.
.avz
• Displacement in mm: magnitude, x, y, and z components

Layerwise .vtk files .vtk A series of .vtk files that show voxelized representation of part
(zipped) layer-by-layer during the build. You will have as many .vtk files as voxel
layers. Use these files to animate the build process. View locations
throughout the part of potential blade crashes and high strain areas
that may indicate cracks.

For each voxel layer:

• Displacement in mm: magnitude, x, y, and z components

• Current state stress in Pa: von Mises, xx, yy, zz, xy, yz, zx directions

• Blade crash severity (if Detect potential blade crash output option is
chosen)

• High strain severity (if High Strain Areas output option is chosen)

Geometry with .vtk Contains the voxelized representation of the original, undistorted part
Distortion with predicted displacements at the end of the build while part is still
attached to the baseplate. The geometry does not include the offset
for supports between the baseplate and the part.

• Displacement in mm: magnitude, x, y, and z components

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 Output Files

Part Output Files Type Description

Geometry with .vtk Contains the voxelized representation of the original, undistorted part
Distortion (after Cutoff ) with predicted displacements after the part has been cut off from the
baseplate.

• Displacement in mm: magnitude, x, y, and z components

Positioned Part .stl Input geometry (non-compensated) positioned into its start location
and orientation, that is, offset to account for supports between the
baseplate and the part.
Compensated Geometry .stl Contains the distortion-compensated 3D surface representation
(tessellated triangles) of the part while the part is still attached to the
baseplate. The compensated geometry is placed flush with the
baseplate surface and does not include the offset for supports between
the baseplate and the part.

You may want to use this file as the part geometry for final
production builds.
Compensated Geometry .stl Contains the distortion-compensated 3D surface representation
(after Cutoff ) (tessellated triangles) of the part after the part is cutoff from the
baseplate.

You may want to use this file as the part geometry for final
production builds.

* = Default output for all strain simulations

Supports Output Files Type Description

Supports .vtk Contains the voxelized representation of the support structure with
Stress/Displacement and predicted displacements and stresses at the end of the build (i.e., end
.avz state) while the part is still attached to the baseplate.

• Displacement in mm: magnitude, x, y, and z components

• Current state stress in Pa: von Mises, xx, yy, zz, xy, yz, zx directions

• Max stress during build in Pa: von Mises, and xx, yy, zz in compression
and tension for each

View this file together with On-plate stress/displacement to see full

build together (part and supports). Note that these are the default
uniform supports, not the optimized supports. Recall that stress is
not accumulating in the supports until they are affected by the
solid part material. See Define Support Options (p. 28).
Uniform Thin Wall .stl Representation of uniform thin walled supports used in the finite element
Support simulation before support optimization occurs.

View this file to see areas of the part that need supports based on
Minimum Overhang Angle specified on the simulation form.
Compares to typical third-party software that generates supports
on part areas that meet the overhang minimum.

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Review Results of a Simulation

Supports Output Files Type Description

Optimized Thin Wall .stl Contains optimal thin wall support layout based on predicted stresses
Support and distortions that can be used to minimize risk of support failure.
Optimized Thick Wall .stl Contains optimal thick wall support layout based on predicted stresses
Support and distortions that can be used to minimize risk of support failure.

.csv Files Type Description

Potential Blade Crash .csv Includes locations of all potential and likely blade crashes and the
Locations predicted magnitude of the Z displacement at those points.

• Global x, y, z coordinates, and total Z displacement in mm

High Strain Regions .csv List of high strain warning areas during the build.

• Global x, y, z coordinates

4.2. Using ANSYS Viewer to Review Results

ANSYS Viewer is an interactive 3D image viewer that is embedded in ANSYS Additive. It allows you to
easily visualize simulation results in 3D models.

To bring up ANSYS Viewer, click on “View” next to any of the outputs with that link in the Output Files
section under Completed Simulations.

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 Using ANSYS Viewer to Review Results

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Review Results of a Simulation

You can click on different result items in the View Manager to see them displayed. Use your mouse
buttons to move the part around in the image preview; left button for spin, middle for zoom, and right
button for pan.

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Chapter 5: Performing a Scan Pattern Simulation
A Scan Pattern Simulation uses anisotropic strain calculations to improve upon the assumed strain
method. That is, a Scan Pattern Simulation takes into account the fact that more strain develops in the
scan direction than perpendicular to it, as shown in the following figure. Anisotropic strain is rapidly
calculated for each powder layer based on the major orientation of the fill scan vectors or the specific
scan vector files if loaded through a build file. Then these individual layer strain values are collected
and averaged to the voxel size. The predicted strain is then used for a rapid mechanics analysis.

In addition to the standard inputs as described in Performing an Assumed Strain Simulation (p. 23),
there are two unique sets of input required for a Scan Pattern Simulation. These are the anisotropic
strain coefficients of your material, and the type and process parameters of your 3D printing machine.

5.1. Anisotropic Strain Coefficients

The Material Configuration section of the simulation form will change to include anisotropic coefficients
if you have chosen a Scan Pattern or Thermal Simulation type.

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Performing a Scan Pattern Simulation

Anisotropic strain coefficients are used to represent anisotropic strain behavior on coordinate systems
aligned with the local longitudinal, transverse, and depth scan directions. Positive values result in
compressive base strain (contraction), whereas negative values result in tensile strain (expansion). Default
values are shown in the following table.

Anisotropic strain coefficient (||) = 1.5 Longitudinal: The predicted strain in the direction that
the laser is scanning for the major fill rasters will be
multiplied by 1.5
Anisotropic strain coefficient (⊥) = 0.5 Transverse: The predicted strain orthogonal to the
direction that the laser is scanning for the major fill
rasters and in the plane of the surface of the build
plate will be multiplied by 0.5
Anisotropic strain coefficient (z) = 1 Depth: The predicted strain in the Z direction will be
multiplied by 1

5.2. Machine Parameters for a Scan Pattern Simulation

The following figure shows a typical scan pattern. Currently, the Additive application supports rotating
stripe and checkerboard scan patterns. (Island patterns are not supported. Contour scans are not simu-
lated.) Machine parameters required for a Scan Pattern Simulation include Layer Thickness, Starting
Layer Angle, and Layer Rotation Angle.

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 Machine Parameters for a Scan Pattern Simulation

5.2.1. Layer Thickness (10-100 μm)

Layer Thickness is the thickness of the powder layer coating that is applied with every pass of the re-
coater blade. The default value is 50 microns. We recommend that you use the actual thickness unique
to your machine.

5.2.2. Starting Layer Angle (°)

This is the orientation of fill rasters on the first layer of the part. It is measured from the X axis, such
that a value of 0 degrees results in scan lines parallel to the X axis. The starting layer angle is commonly
set to 57 degrees (default).

5.2.3. Layer Rotation Angle (°)

The Layer Rotation Angle is the angle at which the major scan vector orientation changes from layer
to layer. This is commonly 67 degrees (default).

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Chapter 6: Performing a Thermal Strain Simulation
Thermal Strain Simulations provide the highest degree of accuracy by predicting how thermal cycling
affects strain accumulation at each location within a part. It uses inherent strain but also implements
a thermal ratcheting algorithm to locally modify the inherent strain value.

In addition to the standard inputs as described in Performing an Assumed Strain Simulation (p. 23),
you will need to:

• Consider using a Mesh Resolution Factor, a scaling factor to control speed versus accuracy of the simu-
lation

• Select an ANSYS pre-defined, thermally validated material

• Define additional configuration parameters of your 3D printing machine

6.1. Mesh Resolution Factor

Because of the increase in the number of calculations at each point in a part, Thermal Strain Simulations
take much longer than Assumed Strain or Scan Pattern simulations. Additionally, while the Voxel Size
and Voxel Sample Rate determine the mesh used in the Mechanics Solver, the Additive application uses
a much finer mesh in the Thermal Solver. This mesh sizing is controlled internally. An option is available
for simulations that use the Thermal Solver to increase the speed of your simulation—or to increase
the accuracy of the melt pool— by scaling the mesh for the thermal strain portions of the calculation.
The Mesh Resolution Factor (MRF) allows some user control over mesh size. Valid inputs are integers
between 1 and 12.

MRF is inversely proportional to run time and fidelity. If the MRF is too low, the simulation will take a
long time to complete. If the MRF is too high, you will see a warning message, such as "The Mesh Res-
olution Factor (MRF) used (4) is too coarse to accurately resolve the maximum melt pool width (0.188
mm). For more accurate results, please reduce the MRF such that (MRF * 0.057 mm) < max melt pool
width." This means the element size is too large to fully capture the heat transfer phenomena in the
melt pool. We recommend you use the default value of MRF = 5, in which case you should see compar-
able run times to the pre-2019 R1 release, but the results are being generated at better than twice the
resolution in X and Y.

6.2. Select Material for a Thermal Strain Simulation

ANSYS pre-defined materials are designed to capture the effect of a material’s chemical composition,
powder-to-liquid and liquid-to-solid state transitions, and high cooling rates. Nonlinear thermo-physical
properties such as thermal conductivity, density, and specific heat are essential for capturing solidification
phenomena in metal additive manufacturing. At the time of this software release, the materials that
have had complete validation tests performed and are recommended for Thermal Strain Simulations
are shown with a check-mark as Available for Thermal Simulation in the Materials Library and in the
details panel for a material. Only those materials will be available for selection in the Material Configur-
ation section of the Thermal Strain Simulation form.

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Performing a Thermal Strain Simulation

6.3. Machine Parameters for a Thermal Strain Simulation

Additional machine parameters required for a Thermal Strain Simulation include Hatch Spacing, Slicing
Stripe Width, Laser Power, Scan Speed, and Baseplate Temperature.

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 Machine Parameters for a Thermal Strain Simulation

6.3.1. Hatch Spacing (μm)

This is the distance between adjacent scan vectors when rastering back and forth with the laser. Hatch
spacing should allow for a slight overlap of scan vector tracks such that some of the material re-melts
to ensure full coverage of solid material. The default Hatch Spacing is 100 microns.

6.3.2. Slicing Stripe Width (mm)

In rotating stripe scan patterns, the geometry is broken up into sections, which are called stripes. The
stripes are scanned sequentially to break up very long continuous scan vectors. Slicing Stripe Width is
commonly set to 10 mm wide (default). Memory requirements for the thermal solution will expand
significantly as you increase the Slicing Stripe Width much beyond the default.

6.3.3. Laser Power (W)

This is the power setting for the laser in the machine. Defaults to 195 Watts.

6.3.4. Scan Speed (mm/s)

This is the speed at which the laser scans, excluding jump speeds and ramp up and down speeds. The
default value is 1000 mm/sec.

6.3.5. Baseplate Temperature (K)

The controlled temperature of the baseplate. The default value is 353 degrees Kelvin.

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 Part III: Additive Science
Performing a Single Bead Parametric Simulation (p. 65)

Performing a Porosity Parametric Simulation (p. 75)

Performing a Thermal History Simulation (p. 81)

Performing a Microstructure Simulation (p. 83)

Chapter 1: Performing a Single Bead Parametric Simulation
We assume you are familiar with the basics of running ANSYS Additive, such as how to use the Additive
interface, start simulations, etc. If not, refer to Understanding the Additive Interface (p. 5) for that in-
formation. Now let's dive in to Additive Science.

A Single Bead Parametric Simulation is a tool used to obtain information about the melt pool character-
istics of your selected material. It is set up to follow the industry practice of testing on-powder single
beads on PBF machines in which the laser runs in one single scan line across powder. The goal is to
determine the geometry of the melt pool. Geometry refers to melt pool width, length, and depth, as
shown in the following figure. Using simulation is a good way for you to see how process parameters
affect melt pool characteristics without using a lot of expensive material and machine time.

We will use an example to demonstrate just one of the many ways you can use Additive Science to
gain insights into your PBF process. Keep in mind this is hypothetical example where we have made
assumptions about our process goals and chosen material that may not be valid in other cases. We will
run a Single Bead Parametric simulation using a generic material.

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Performing a Single Bead Parametric Simulation

1.1. Machine Configuration

Enter values for the process parameters in this section of the simulation form. Inputs include Baseplate
Temperature (°C) and Layer Thickness (µm) as constant values and Laser Power (W) and Scan Speed
(mm/sec) as parametric variables. You can enter variable values through either the incremental step
tool, or manually, or both. (Note that each time you use the incremental step tool it will overwrite the
values you have already entered.)

In this example, we entered Laser Powers starting at 50 and ending at 400 in increments of 50. After
clicking on the check-mark, the values of 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, and 400 are entered.

Continuing with this example, we entered Scan Speeds between 700 and 1300 in increments of 100.
This will result in 56 individual permutations in the simulation. That is, single bead scans will be simulated
at a Laser Power of 50 and a Scan Speed of 700, then another one for Laser Power = 50 and Scan Speed
= 800, another one at Laser Power = 50 and a Scan Speed = 900, and so on until every combination is
performed. This is a full factorial experiment, with each laser power matched with each scan speed.
There is a limit of 300 permutations in one simulation.

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 Reviewing Results

1.2. Geometry Configuration

The Geometry Configuration section of the simulation form is where you enter the Bead Length (in
mm). Valid input values are real numbers between 1 and 10. In our studies, we have seen that the melt
pool becomes stable (i.e., reaches steady-state) well within 2 mm for all our validated ANSYS-defined
materials. It is seldom that you will need a Bead Length longer than 3 mm (default).

1.3. Reviewing Results

In the ANSYS Additive application, we track the instantaneous melt pool along the bead length and
then average the value of each dimension over the entire bead length. Output files are provided for
both the individual permutations showing the full progression along the bead length and a summary
file of the average and median melt pool length, width, and reference depth for each permutation.
From the single bead scan figure at the beginning of this chapter, we see that the reference depth is
the entire melt pool depth minus the Layer Thickness, or the melt pool depth starting from the bottom
of the first layer. It is the median result of any particular dimension you should use when interpreting
your data, rather than the average result. The average will be skewed by the beginning of the bead
when the melt pool is not yet stable. Let's examine the results from our example.

Individual Melt Pool Results

Results from an individual permutation (i.e., one combination of power and speed) are shown below.
A .csv file called L0_Meltpool.csv (for Layer 0) is output for each permutation. (You may find it useful
to open it in Microsoft Excel and save it as an Excel table with a bit of formatting as shown here.) The
timestep and distance along the bead (the mesh size) are determined internally. For this power/speed
combination, we can plot melt pool dimensions against distance along the bead (laserX column) to
observe when the melt pool has reached steady state. In our example, convergence is reached within
0.3 to 0.5 mm, as shown in the chart.

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Performing a Single Bead Parametric Simulation

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 Reviewing Results

Summary Results
The Single Bead Summary file summarizes the melt pool characteristics for all 56 permutations. The
parametric variables are listed in the left two columns; scan speed and laser power. We'll begin by
sorting the data by median melt pool reference depth to see how scan speed and laser power influence
melt pool depth. As a quick check of our data, for the last row with the deepest melt pool (0.182 mm
median reference depth), we would expect to see the highest power and slowest scan speed combination.
Indeed, our data shows the highest power (400 W) and slowest scan speed (700 mm/s) permutation
from our simulation.

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Performing a Single Bead Parametric Simulation

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 Reviewing Results

In our example simulation, we added columns in the summary table to calculate depth-to-width ratio
and length-to-width ratio using the simulation data. We made the following hypothetical assumptions
regarding the criteria for "good-candidate" power/speed combinations:

• We want a melt pool depth that reaches at least halfway through the third layer. A penetration depth
of about three layers through the thickness reduces porosity by remelting previous layers. Since our
layer thickness is 40 microns (0.04 mm), that means we want a melt pool depth of at least 0.1 mm,
which is a median melt pool reference depth of at least 0.06. The data that fall outside of our acceptable
criteria for melt pool reference depth are shown in the yellow shaded area of the median melt pool
reference depth column. These melt pools are not deep enough.

• We want a depth-to-width ratio below 0.95. The data that fall outside of our acceptable criteria are
shown in the blue shaded area of the depth-to-width ratio column. These melt pools are too deep.

• We want a length-to-width ratio below 4.0. The data that fall outside of our acceptable criteria are shown
in the orange shaded area of the length-to-width ratio column. These melt pools might be too long.

Data points that meet all the good-candidate criteria above (power/speed combinations that are not
in the yellow, blue, or orange shaded regions) are shown in the green shaded rows in the summary
table.

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Performing a Single Bead Parametric Simulation

The following is a chart of all the data from the summary table shown in a power/speed process map.
We can make the following observations:

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 Reviewing Results

• The eight good-candidate power/speed combinations are shown as green stars.

• Data points in yellow are the power/speed combinations that fall outside our acceptable criteria for melt
pool reference depth, indicating melt pools that are not deep enough. This makes sense given that the
yellow points are in a region of the map with high scan speeds and low laser power (i.e., low energy density),
which could contribute to lack-of-fusion porosity between the layers.

• Data points in blue are the power/speed combinations that fall outside our acceptable criteria for depth-
to-width ratio, indicating melt pools that are too deep. This makes sense given that the blue points are in
a region of the map with low scan speeds and high laser power (i.e., high energy density), which could lead
to keyhole formation.

• Data points in orange are the power/speed combinations that fall outside our acceptable criteria for length-
to-width ratio, indicating melt pools that may be too long. This is an area of the map with the highest speeds
and the highest powers, an area which has the potential for the generation of spatter and for a beading effect
known as balling.

Based on median width and length data from the table, melt pool sizes ( ) are shown for a few
sample points in the chart to show relative sizes of the melt pools. Note that these are not true scale.

We will examine the good-candidate combinations further in a Porosity Parametric simulation.

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Chapter 2: Performing a Porosity Parametric Simulation
Following Single Bead Parametric simulations, typically you will want to expand your exploration to
include Porosity Parametric simulations. Porosity simulations are used to obtain information about the
level of porosity in additively manufactured material. They are set up to follow the industry practice of
building full 3D cubes (or cuboids) on PBF machines in which many layers are printed using your chosen
material and scan pattern.

Let us now revisit the power/speed process map. In our single bead example, we made some assumptions
about melt pool criteria that would yield good-candidate power/speed combinations based on hypo-
thetical experimental data. Without the benefit of experimental data, however, it becomes a wide open
exploration with many variables. ANSYS Additive solves for only lack-of-fusion porosity. Accurate simu-
lations of the other two porosity mechanisms (keyholing and balling) would require full fluids analyses
and would consider the effects of other physics within the melt pool. Still, our software can guide you
toward a more informed approach when choosing process parameters, and provide essential information
about lack-of-fusion porosity, in particular.

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Performing a Porosity Parametric Simulation

As in Single Bead Parametric simulations, up to 300 permutations are possible for Porosity Parametric
simulations. However, each permutation takes a much longer time to complete because, now, many
layers are being simulated in the cuboid geometry, not just a single bead. The general approach is to
select the best candidate process parameters as determined from the Single Bead Parametric simulation
and introduce a new variable, such as Hatch Spacing. In our example, we identified 8 target power/speed
combinations to study further. If we introduce 5 hatch spacing values, we will have 40 porosity permuta-
tions.

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 Machine Configuration

2.1. Machine Configuration

Because many build layers are simulated in porosity simulations, you need to account for your particular
PBF machine and your chosen scan pattern. See Machine Parameters for a Thermal Strain Simula-
tion (p. 60) for descriptions of these input parameters.

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Performing a Porosity Parametric Simulation

For our example, note that we can't enter all our speeds, powers, and hatch spacings on one simulation
form because that would produce a full factorial simulation of 4 powers, 5 speeds, and 5 hatch spacings
for 100 total permutations. Instead, we ran 4 separate simulations, as shown here.

Simulation A Simulation B Simulation C Simulation D

Power = 250, Speed =
Power = 150, Speed = Power = 200, Speed = Power = 300, Speed =
1000, and 1100, and
800 900, 1000, and 1100 1100
1200
Hatch Spacing = 0.05 Hatch Spacing = 0.05 Hatch Spacing = 0.05 Hatch Spacing = 0.05
Hatch Spacing = 0.07 Hatch Spacing = 0.07 Hatch Spacing = 0.07 Hatch Spacing = 0.07
Hatch Spacing = 0.09 Hatch Spacing = 0.09 Hatch Spacing = 0.09 Hatch Spacing = 0.09
Hatch Spacing = 0.11 Hatch Spacing = 0.11 Hatch Spacing = 0.11 Hatch Spacing = 0.11
Hatch Spacing = 0.13 Hatch Spacing = 0.13 Hatch Spacing = 0.13 Hatch Spacing = 0.13
5 permutations 15 permutations 15 permutations 5 permutations

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 Solver Tuning

2.2. Geometry Configuration

Enter the Width, Length, and Height of the cuboid (in mm). Valid input values are real numbers between
1 and 10. In our studies, we have seen that the porosity pattern will reach steady state within a 3 x 3
x 3 mm cube (default) for all our validated ANSYS-defined materials. It is seldom that you will need a
cube larger than the default.

2.3. Reviewing Results

Lack-of-fusion porosity is identified in Porosity Parametric simulation results as values of solid ratio below
1. In other words, an ideal solid would have a solid ratio of 1. Anything that is not solid is a void, or
powder. The goal when additively manufacturing parts is to choose process parameters that optimize
our process. One guideline is to choose the fastest scan speed and the widest hatch spacing possible
while staying within our target processing region so as to avoid porosity. Depending upon what our
acceptable level of porosity may be, we can reduce our choices to a few viable candidates.

The following table shows porosity results for 25 of the 40 permutations. We have identified the best
candidates based on a target criteria of less than 0.5% porosity (shaded in green). The fastest build rate
of these candidates is the combination of 300 W power, 1100 mm/s scan speed, and 0.13 mm hatch
spacing.

2.4. Solver Tuning

The single bead and porosity simulations have some input parameters that are not available to the
user. These variables include thermal material properties, mesh size, laser beam diameter, and laser
penetration depth. Thermal material properties are temperature dependent and have been set to match
material produced through the additive manufacturing process. Laser penetration depth has been tuned
to fit data from single bead experiments and varies according to the power and velocity used in the
simulation. Mesh size is set to 15 µm for single bead simulations and 25 um for porosity simulations.

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Performing a Porosity Parametric Simulation

These values have been identified as values that give good results both in terms of accuracy and simu-
lation speed.

Since some of these variables have been tuned to experimental data, if you are running simulations
that vary too much from the typical processing space, you may encounter a decrease in accuracy.

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Chapter 3: Performing a Thermal History Simulation
In this simulation type, given a material, a part, and all the process parameters – meltpool dimensions
and thermal history are output for a particular cross-section of your part, simulating results from a
coaxial average sensor. This feature is a Beta feature at Release 2019 R2. Beta documentation, if available,
may be found here.

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Chapter 4: Performing a Microstructure Simulation
For simulations with Inconel 718, given the meltpool characteristics, thermal inputs and all the process
parameters – grain orientation of the material are output for three 2D planes (XY, XZ, and YZ) simulating
typical results of EBSD laboratory tests. Also, grain size distribution and orientation angle distribution
are output in graph form using the circle equivalence method and orientation maps for all three planes,
respectively. Microstructure simulations are parametric so you can run several permutations to determine
which process parameters will affect grain size the most. A Specific Random Seed input parameter may
be used to instigate the same nucleation pattern for a given set of process conditions so that compar-
ison simulations are possible. This feature is a Beta feature at Release 2019 R2. Beta documentation, if
available, may be found here.

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Chapter 14: Glossary
.aasp File
From "ANSYS Additive simulation package," the .aasp file format is a proprietary file
format that contains simulation inputs that can be imported into ANSYS Additive
(Desktop or Cloud). When imported, a new simulation form is populated under Draft
Simulations. Note that this file does not contain the part or simulation results.
Activity Status
The section of results where graphical indicators show the status of each function within
the simulation workflow.
After cutoff displacement .vtk and .avz file formats
An output file that contains the voxelized representation of the part with predicted
displacements after the part is cut off the baseplate. Data on file include magnitude and
x, y, and z components of displacement. Included in Output Files when a user has
selected to output the displacement after cutoff.
Anisotropic
When the properties of a material vary with different orientations, the material is said
to be anisotropic. The mechanical and thermal properties of these materials differ in
different directions. (Alternately, when the properties of a material are the same in all
directions, the material is said to be isotropic.)
Anisotropic Strain Coefficients
Coefficients used to represent anisotropic strain behavior on coordinate systems aligned
with the local longitudinal, transverse, and Z (depth) scan directions. Positive values
result in compressive base strain (contraction), whereas negative values result in tensile
strain (expansion).
Anisotropic Strain Coefficient (||) Defaults to 1.5.
Multiplier on the predicted strain in the direction that the laser is scanning for the major fill
rasters.
Anisotropic Strain Coefficient ( ) Defaults to 0.5.
Multiplier on the predicted strain orthogonal to the direction that the laser is scanning
for the major fill rasters and in the plane of the surface of the build plate.
Anisotropic Strain Coefficient (Z) Defaults to 1.
Multiplier on the predicted strain in the Z direction.

ANSYS Pre-defined Materials

Materials in the Materials Library that are available for use and may not be edited.
ANSYS pre-defined materials are designed to capture the effect of a material’s chemical
composition, powder-to-liquid and liquid-to-solid state transitions, and high cooling
rates.
ANSYS Viewer

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Glossary

ANSYS Viewer is an interactive 3D image viewer that is either embedded into your
ANSYS application or is available as an exportable file (on the ANSYS Customer Portal
here) to run in your web browser. Designed specifically for sharing and collaboration,
ANSYS Viewer enables you to visualize 3D models created in ANSYS CAE software even
if you do not have ANSYS software installed. ANSYS Viewer files have a .avz extension.
ANSYS Viewer is embedded in ANSYS Additive (both Desktop and Cloud) for seamless
3D visualization.
Assumed Strain Simulation

A simulation method that assumes a constant, isotropic strain (inherent strain) occurs
at every location within a part as it is being built. This is the fastest simulation method.
.avz File

A file format used by ANSYS Viewer for 3D visualization.

Baseplate

The surface of the 3D printing machine upon which the part is built. Also called the
build plate.
Blade Crash

A scenario in which the recoater blade of the printing machine hits into the part already
printed, most likely due to distortion of the part as a result of residual stress.
Build File

Build files are unique to each 3D printing machine and are required to be .zip files
containing the part .stl file as well as files specifying machine scan vectors.
Build File Library

The repository for Build Files that you have imported into the program. Build Files are
formatted .zip files written for specific 3D printing machines.
Build File Type

The machine type, such as Additive Industries, Renishaw, or SLM, corresponding to your
build file. When importing a build file, selecting the build file type assures that the
appropriate translator will be used.
Compensated Geometry .stl file format
An output file containing the distortion-compensated 3D surface representation
(tessellated triangles) of the part while the part is still attached to the baseplate. The
compensated geometry is placed flush with the baseplate surface and does not include
the offset for supports between the baseplate and the part.
Compensated Geometry (after .stl file format
cutoff)
An output file containing the distortion-compensated 3D surface representation
(tessellated triangles) of the part after cutoff from the baseplate.
Completed Simulation

Simulations that have either completed or that have been canceled or failed due to
error. These simulations are no longer running. Select a simulation in the Completed
Simulations area of the dashboard to see simulation results along with input parameters
and log files for that simulation.

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.csv File

From "comma separated values," this is a file that allows data to be saved in a
table-structured format. Traditionally, a .csv file is in the form of a text file containing
information separated by commas, hence the name.
Customized Materials

Materials that have been edited from the original ANSYS pre-defined materials are
labeled as customized materials.
Dashboard

The main area, or “home,” of the Additive user interface that shows an overview of
Draft Simulations, Running Simulations, and Completed Simulations.
Deposit Layer

The layer of metal powder spread over the baseplate or melted material. Simulations
begin at a deposit layer of 0 and layers are numbered sequentially thereafter as each
successive layer is added.
Detect Potential blade crash due to distortion

An output option that activates the blade crash detection feature of Additive. If this
box is checked, there will be a check to determine if the +Z displacement at every point
in each new layer exceeds a threshold value. Locations of potential blade crash and
associated displacement values are provided in a .csv output file, as well as in the
On-Plate Residual Stress/Distortion and Layerwise .vtk files.
Distortion

The deformation that occurs as a result of residual stress in a part.

Distortion Compensated .stl File

An output option that activates the distortion compensation feature of Additive, which
predicts the location and magnitude of displacement and then reverse distorts the
original .stl file. When you build your part using the compensated geometry, the result
will be closer to the original design.
Distortion Compensation

One of the functions within the simulation workflow responsible for reverse distorting
the original .stl file to compensate for the effects of predicted distortion. Shown with
a status indicator in the Activity Status area of Running and Completed Simulations.
Domain

The entirety of the voxels in the simulation as defined by the bounding dimensions of
the part plus the support voxels (if any). Some voxels are part material, some are support
material and some are powder.
Elastic Modulus Must be between 45 and 407 GPa. The default is material
dependent.
A material property that is a measure of the material's stiffness. Elastic Modulus, or
Young’s Modulus (E), describes tensile elasticity, or the tendency of an object to deform
along an axis when opposing forces are applied along that axis; it is defined as the ratio
of tensile stress to tensile strain.

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Glossary

Estimated Memory Usage

For Additive Desktop, an estimate of the memory required to run the simulation based
on the dimensions of the part and voxel size. This estimate is provided in the Geometry
Selection section of the simulation form as soon as you add a part. The estimate is
calculated without considering support generation. (Estimated memory is not applicable
to Additive Cloud.)
Experimental

A label applied to any new feature that has not been fully validated, but that we feel
is stable and useful for users.
Fill Rasters

Laser scans associated with the interior regions of the part.

Generic

The Generic machine selection in the Machine Configuration section of the simulation
form applies default input parameters that we have determined to be appropriate
through initial testing. The default machine parameters most closely approximate an
EOS machine, but may be similar to most commonly used metal laser powder bed
fusion machines.
Geometry Selection

This section of the simulation form where you select a part (or a build file) for simulation.
Parts (or build files) must first have been imported to the Parts (or Build File) Library.
Geometry with Distortion .vtk file format
An output file containing the 3D surface representation (tessellated triangles) of the
original, undistorted part with predicted displacements at the end of the build while
part is still attached to the baseplate. The geometry does not include the offset for
supports between the baseplate and the part.
Hardening Factor Must be between 0 and 0.5. The default is material
dependent.
Also known as strain hardening coefficient, a material-specific factor used to calculate
the slope of a material’s stress-strain curve (Ep) above the material’s Yield stress.
Hatch Spacing Must be between 10 and 1000 µm. Defaults to 100 µm.
The distance between adjacent scan vectors when rastering back and forth with the
laser. Hatch spacing should allow for a slight overlap of scan vector tracks such that
some of the material re-melts to ensure full coverage of solid material.
High Strain Areas

An output option that allows you to identify regions of the part that may be prone to
forming cracks during or after the build process by highlighting critical strain values.
High Strain Regions .csv file format
An output file containing a list of high strain warning areas during the build with their
associated strain values.
Inherent Strain

The residual, irrecoverable strain caused by a heat source melting or partially melting
a material in a very localized spot such that the thermal contraction of cooling solidified

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material is constrained by the surrounding material. Typically associated with a welding
process.
Isotropic

Isotropic materials have identical properties in all directions. For an isotropic medium,
the stiffness tensor has no preferred direction: an applied force will give the same
displacements (relative to the direction of the force) regardless of the direction in which
the force is applied.
J2-Plasticity

One of the options for stress mode in ANSYS Additive strain-based simulations.
J2-plasticity is a part of plasticity theory that applies best to ductile materials, such as
some metals. Ductility is a measure of a material's ability to undergo significant plastic
deformation before rupture. J2-plasticity uses Von Mises stresses to reduce the stress
levels when strain values exceed elastic strain with strain hardening algorithms included.
Simulations run longer with the J-2 Plasticity option but stress and strain results will
be more accurate.
Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF)

In Additive Manufacturing, a method of Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) that involves spreading
a layer of metal powder and then using a laser to melt or fuse metal powder material
together to build a part. This is the method being simulated in ANSYS Additive.
Laser Power Must be between 10 and 500 Watts. Defaults to 195
Watts.
The power setting for the laser in the machine.
Layer Rotation Angle Must be between 0 and 180°. Defaults to 67°.
The angle at which the major scan vector orientation changes from layer to layer. This
is commonly 67 degrees.
Layer Thickness Must be between 10 and 100 µm. Defaults to 50 µm.
The thickness of the powder layer coating that is applied with every pass of the recoater
blade. We recommend that you use the actual thickness used for your machine and
build material.
Layerwise .vtk Files .zip file containing many .vtk files
A series of .vtk files that show voxel representation of the part layer-by-layer during
the build. You will have one .vtk file for every voxel layer. The .vtk files are compressed
into a .zip file.
Linear Elastic

An assumption that a material will undergo strain linearly proportional to the magnitude
of applied stress and that the material will return to its original shape when the loads
are removed. (A simple straight line on a stress strain curve.) One of the options for
stress mode in ANSYS Additive strain-based simulations. Using this option can result in
a higher maximum stress value for a given strain beyond the yield point for the material.
This overprediction may not be realistic for parts with larger distortions. Stresses and
strains may be unrealistically high. Distortion values will generally be accurate, however,
so the linear elastic option may be useful for analyzing distortion trends while the part
is still on the baseplate. The simulation runs faster with the linear elastic option and is
a good choice if you are just beginning with Additive and you want to run practice
simulations with default options.

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Glossary

Logs

The section of results where the time-stamped log entries are collected. Reading log
messages is useful for following the progress of a simulation.
Machine Configuration

The section of the simulation form where you identify machine and process parameters.
You will see this section for Scan Pattern and Thermal Strain simulations only. Assumed
Strain simulations do not require inputs related to the 3D print machine.
Material Configuration

The section of the simulation form where you identify the material. When you select a
material, properties associated with that material are automatically populated and any
related background information is tied to the simulation.
Material Library

The repository for saved materials, including ANSYS pre-defined materials and user
customized materials.
Maximum Wall Distance Must be between 0 and 10000µm. Defaults to 1600 µm.
Must be greater or equal to Wall Thickness.
A parameter used for the optimized thin wall supports. It is the allowed maximum
distance between two neighboring support walls. Regardless of the predicted stress
level in the support structure, the walls in supported regions will be spaced not more
than this value. Too large of a wall distance might result in failures such as the part
breaking away from the support, the development of cracks at the bottom of the part,
or drooping between support hatches. When a laser scans a relatively large area of
powder where the support wall distance is too wide, cracking might happen since
powder has no strength to hold the solidified part in place. The excessive distortion
might cause blade and part collision. We recommended that Maximum Wall Distance
should not exceed 2 mm when a single bead support wall is used.
Maximum Wall Thickness Must be between 0 and 10000 µm. Defaults to 1000 µm
(1 mm). Must be greater or equal to Minimum Wall
Thickness.
A parameter used for the optimized thick wall supports. Support wall thicknesses will
not exceed Maximum Wall Thickness even in areas of high stress.
Mechanics Solver

One of the functions within the simulation workflow responsible for calculating
displacements and stresses. Shown with a status indicator in the Activity Status area of
Running and Completed Simulations.
Minimum Overhang Angle Must be between 1 and 89°. Defaults to 45°.
The overhang angle is measured from the powder bed surface (horizontal = 0) up to
the surface of the part. Any point on the surface of the part having an angle less than
the Minimum Overhang Angle will be supported. Recommendation: Avoid using a value
that is the same as the angle of the geometry of your part, as it can cause asymmetric
support structures due to finite rounding errors.
Minimum Support Height Must be between 0 and 5 mm. Defaults to 5 mm.
The height that the part will be elevated off the baseplate. If you set a value of 3 mm
then the part will be elevated such that the lowest point on the part is at least 3 mm

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above the baseplate. This value should be set with consideration of approximating a
realistic support height along with care about how many voxels must be created to
add additional support height. It is recommended that this value be set as low as is
realistic for each simulation.
Minimum Wall Thickness Must be greater or equal to Wall Thickness. Defaults to
100 µm.
A parameter used for the optimized thick wall supports. Minimum Wall Thickness is the
thinnest possible support wall that a machine will build under certain process parameters.
It is usually the thickness of a single bead scan.
Number of Cores Defaults to 4 cores.
Number of processor cores to be used in the simulation (i.e., parallel processing).
Depending on your Additive license, you may have up to 12 cores to use.
On-plate stress/displacement .vtk and .avz file formats
A result file that contains residual stresses and displacements of the part prior to its
removal from the baseplate. Both end state stresses and maximum stress during the
build are contained in this file, as well as potential blade crash locations and high strain
areas if those output options are selected.
Optimized Thick Wall Support .stl file format
An output file of the auto-generated support structure as defined by the thick wall
input parameters. The thick wall supports are uniformly spaced, but wall thickness is
varied based on the residual stress levels predicted.
Optimized Thin Wall Support .stl file format
An output file of the auto-generated support structure. The thin wall supports are of a
uniform wall thickness, but wall spacing is varied based on the residual stress levels
predicted in the part.
Overhang Angle

Angle measured from the horizontal baseplate (0 degrees) to the surface of the part.
Any surface measuring less than the Minimum Overhang Angle will be supported.
Overview

A section of the simulation results where you can quickly see a summary status of the
simulation.
Part

The geometry for the simulation as defined by an .stl file that must be imported to the
Parts Library. This is the most common method for defining geometry.
Part Strain Threshold Must be between 1 and 100%. Defaults to 20%.
An input parameter required when you choose the High Strain Areas output option.
Defined as the percentage strain in the part above which strain will be considered
critical. (Critical regions are shown in the On-plate stress/displacements, Layerwise .vtk,
and High Strain Regions output files.)
Parts Library

The repository for all parts (as .stl files) that have been imported into the system.
Individual .stl files must be smaller than 100MB.

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Glossary

Poisson's Ratio

A material property that is the ratio of transverse contraction strain to longitudinal

extension strain in the direction of stretching force. Tensile deformation is considered
positive and compressive deformation is considered negative.
Positioned Part .stl file format
An output file of input geometry (non-compensated) positioned into its start location
and orientation, that is, offset to account for supports between the baseplate and the
part.
Potential blade crash locations .csv file format
An output file that contains locations of all potential and likely blade crashes and the
magnitude of the +Z displacement at those points.
Residual Stress

Residual stress is the internal stress distribution locked into a material after all external
loading forces have been removed. Stresses are a result of the material obtaining
equilibrium after it has undergone elastoplastic deformation. In additive manufacturing
processes, a part undergoes repeated expansion and contraction from the heating and
cooling of the build process. This repeated heating and cooling can lead to residual
stress—a result that shows up as cracks, warpage, and other forms of deformation in
an object.
Result ID

A unique identifier for each simulation. When reporting a problem or looking for
clarification on a specific simulation, this is the number that needs to be included with
a support request. You will see the Result ID in the Overview section of Running and
Completed Simulations.
Reverse Distort

Predicted distortion of a part is automatically passed to a distortion compensation

function providing you with an .stl file that is pre-distorted, or reverse distorted, to
compensate for process generated distortion.
Running Simulation

A simulation that is either actively running or has been queued to begin as soon as
resources are available. Select a simulation in the Running Simulations list on the
dashboard to see input parameters, activity status, and log files for that simulation.
Scale Factor Must be between 0.1 and 5. Defaults to 1.
An input parameter required when you choose the Distortion Compensated .stl File
output option. The Scale Factor will change the magnitude of the displacement applied
to the original .stl file. A Scale Factor of 1 (default) will create an .stl file with
displacement compensated by the same magnitude as the simulated results. A Scale
Factor < 1 will compensate less than the simulation-predicted magnitude and a value
> 1 will compensate more than the simulation-predicted magnitude.
Scan Pattern Simulation

This simulation type uses the same average strain magnitude as in the Assumed Strain
Simulation but it subdivides that strain into anisotropic components based on the local
orientation of scan vectors within the part. This strain mode requires the creation of
scan vectors using user-provided scan settings or by reading scan vectors from a

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supported machine's build file. This extra step results in a small, increased amount of
simulation time compared to Assumed Strain simulation. For parts where the scan
pattern is randomized, scan pattern and assumed strain should give a similar answer.
For parts where the scan patterns are aligned, scan pattern strain will result in a more
accurate prediction.
Scan Speed Must be between 10 and 10000 mm/sec. Defaults to 1000
mm/sec.
The speed at which the laser spot moves across the powder bed along a scan vector
to melt material, excluding jump speeds and ramp up and down speeds.
Scan Vector

Direction and velocity of one laser scan across the part. Multiple scan vectors make up
a layer’s scan pattern.
Simulate with Supports

A check box (on/off ) option in the Supports section of the simulation form that controls
whether supports are automatically generated in the simulation.
Simulation Form

All simulations are initiated from a simulation form. It holds the inputs and selections
for your simulation. Saved simulation forms are shown under Draft Simulations in the
dashboard. Once you start a simulation, it is removed from Draft Simulations (i.e., it is
no longer a “draft”) but all your input options are shown for Running Simulations and
Completed Simulations.
Slicer

One of the functions within the simulation workflow responsible for “slicing” the domain
into scan vectors according to the scan pattern input parameters. Shown with a status
indicator in the Activity Status area of Running and Completed Simulations.
Slicing Stripe Width Must be between 1 and 100 mm. Defaults to 10 mm.
When using the stripe pattern for scan strategy, the geometry can be broken up into
sections, which are called stripes. The stripes are scanned sequentially to break up what
would otherwise be very long continuous scan vectors. Slicing Stripe Width is commonly
set to 10 mm wide. Memory requirements for the thermal solution will expand
significantly as you increase the Slicing Stripe Width much beyond the default.
Start (button)

Starts a simulation from the simulation form. All your input options are stored when
you run a simulation so that you may see your options at any time when you click on
a simulation in the Running Simulations and Completed Simulation areas of the
dashboard.
Starting Layer Angle Must be between 0 and 180°. Defaults to 57°.
The orientation of fill rasters on the first layer of the part. This is currently measured
from the X axis, such that 0 degrees results in scan lines parallel to the X axis. The
starting layer angle is commonly set to 57 degrees.
Status

The status of a part indicates the readiness of the part for running a simulation. When
you first import a part it will show as "processing", but there are some basic

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Glossary

pre-processing steps that are completed at this time, so the part is not available for a
simulation until "Available" appears in the status. (As a common practice, you can import
a part and then go to a simulation template and by the time the template is ready to
run the part will usually be available. When importing particularly large parts then there
is a chance that you may need to wait for import to complete.)
.stl File

From “stereolithography,” this is a 3D rendering file that approximates the surfaces of

a solid model with triangles. .stl files describe only the surface geometry of a
three-dimensional object without any representation of color, texture or other common
CAD model attributes. The .stl format specifies both ASCII and binary representations.
Binary files are more common, since they are more compact.
Strain Mode

Strain mode refers to the simulation type (Assumed Strain, Scan Pattern, or Thermal
Strain).
Strain Scaling Factor Must be between 0.002 and 10. Defaults to 1.
The Strain Scaling Factor (SSF) is a calibration factor that you may use to improve the
accuracy of your simulations. This value is a direct multiplier to the predicted strain
values. Values greater than 1 will amplify displacement and stress and values less than
1 will reduce them. A simple calibration test should be performed to account for
variations in material, machine, and temperatures as well as simulation assumptions
(such as simulation type and stress behavior). Calibration procedures are available online
here.
Strain Warning Factor Must be between 0.1 and 1. Defaults to 0.8.
An input parameter required when you choose the High Strain Areas output option.
This factor is multiplied by both the Support Strain Threshold and the Part Strain
Threshold to define limits where strain is labeled as a warning (i.e., approaching critical
range).
Stress Mode
An input option that allows you to choose between linear elastic or elastoplastic (using
the J2-Plasticity model) material behavior in calculations of stress.
Support (or Support Structure)

Support structures act as fixtures to anchor a part to a baseplate during part fabrication.
In an ideal scenario, the support density should be as low as possible so that less
material is consumed and supports can be easily removed. However, if the support
density is too low, supports can fail due to the intense strain resulting from thermal
stress accumulation in the part. The Additive application uses predicted residual stress
accumulation as criteria for support generation.
Support Factor of Safety Must be between 0.1 and 10. Defaults to 1.
An input parameter that drives the strength of the automatically generated optimized
support structures. If you would like the supports to withstand 2x the expected load,
then you would enter a 2 in this field and the predicted strength of the auto-generated
support structure would be double the predicted stress. The strength of the support
structure is driven by the number and thickness of support walls that are generated.

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Support Optimization

One of the functions within the simulation workflow responsible for automatically
generating supports. Shown with a status indicator in the Activity Status area of Running
and Completed Simulations.
Support Strain Threshold Must be between 1 and 100%. Defaults to 10%.
An input parameter required when you choose the High Strain Areas output option.
Defined as the percentage strain in the supports above which strain will be considered
critical. (Critical regions are shown in the Supports stress/displacement and High Strain
Regions output files.)
Support Yield Strength Ratio Must be between 0.01 and 1. Defaults to 0.4375.
The Support Yield Strength Ratio is a factor that is used in the simulation assumptions
to assign a strength to the support material as compared to the solid material. This
factor affects yield strength and elastic modulus of the support material. For example,
a value of 1.0 results in a support strength equal to the solid material while 0.5 is half
the strength of the solid material. The default value of 0.4375 was determined by studies
where the support strength for default supports built on an EOS M270 machine were
tested and compared to solid material built on the same machine.
Supports Stress/Displacement

A result file, output in both .vtk and .avz file formats, containing the voxelized
representation of the support structure with predicted displacements and stresses at
the end of the build (i.e., end state) while the part is still attached to the baseplate.
Tags

Tags are used throughout the Additive application to provide optional input for reference
and searching criteria.
Thermal Simulation

This is the method for calculating the thermal interaction of the laser and the material
at every point in a part throughout the entire build. This method takes much longer
than either of the other simulation methods, but is a much higher fidelity result.
Thermal Solver

One of the functions within the simulation workflow responsible for calculating inherent
strain fields dependent upon scan patterns (Scan Pattern simulation), or scan patterns
and thermal history (Thermal Strain simulation). Shown with a status indicator in the
Activity Status area of Running and Completed Simulations.
Threshold Scaling Factor Must be between 0.5 and 1.5. Defaults to 1.
An input parameter required when you choose the Detect potential blade crash due
to distortion output option. This factor is used to modify blade crash calculations so
that you can allow for flexibility in the recoater blade. (Potential blade crash locations
are shown in the On-plate stress/displacements, Layerwise .vtk, and Potential blade
crash locations output files.)
Title

The name used for a simulation. Required input on a simulation form.

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Glossary

Triangle Count

The number of triangular tessellation elements that define the outer surfaces of your
imported .stl geometry, making up the 3D representation of the part. You will see the
triangle count for a part on the detailed description of each part in the Parts Library.
Uniform Thin Wall Support .stl file format
An output file of the geometry-based auto-generated support structure. The uniform
thin wall supports use a uniform wall thickness and spacing and are strictly based on
geometry. These supports are not to be used as stress optimized supports and are not
recommended to use in building parts (use the optimized supports instead).
Version

Unique identifier of the release of the ANSYS Additive application. You can find the
version number under Help > About.
Volume (mm³)

The volume of the part is calculated based upon a rough estimation of the part.
Voxel

A hexahedral (six-sided) element used in the finite element method in the Mechanics
Solver. A regular hexahedron is a cube with all its faces square. Skewed, or elongated,
sides are acceptable up to a certain amount in the solver. When combined, voxels define
the domain of the geometry.
Voxelization

One of the functions within the simulation workflow responsible for creating the
voxelized geometry, that is, dividing the domain into voxels for simulation in the
Mechanics Solver. Shown with a status indicator in the Activity Status area of Running
and Completed Simulations.
Voxel Sample Rate Must be an integer between 1 and 10. Defaults to 5.
The number of divisions on each side of a voxel used in determining Voxel Density.
The input value is cubed, for example, a sample rate of 2 means 2 by 2 by 2 = 8 samples
(i.e., a voxel is divided into 8 sampling regions called subvoxels). A sample rate of 5 =
5 x 5 x 5 = 125 samples (125 subvoxels). Sample rate affects the accuracy of voxel
density. A higher number yields a more accurate Voxel Density approximation resulting
in preserved edges of a geometry.
Voxel Size Must be between 0.02 and 10 mm. Defaults to 0.5 mm.
The length of any side of the voxel (hexahedral element).

.vtk File

From "Visualization Toolkit," the .vtk file format is an open source specification for
storing 3D computer graphics, images, and visualization data. A right-handed Cartesian
coordinate system is used.
.vtk to .avz Conversion

One of the functions within the simulation workflow responsible for converting
generic-format results files to a format appropriate for ANSYS Viewer. Shown with a
status indicator in the Activity Status area of Running and Completed Simulations.

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Wall Distance Must be greater or equal to Maximum Wall Thickness
µm. Defaults to 1600 µm.
A parameter used for the optimized thick wall supports. It is the distance between
support walls.
Wall Thickness Must be between 20 and 500 µm.
A parameter used for the optimized thin wall supports. It is the wall thickness of the
generated support walls.
Yield Strength Must be between 10 and 4000 MPa. The default is
material dependent.
The material property defined as the stress, in MPa, at which a material begins to deform
plastically. Prior to the yield point the material will deform elastically and will return to
its original shape when the applied stress is removed. Once the yield point is passed,
some fraction of the deformation will be permanent and non-reversible.
Young's Modulus

Also known as the elastic modulus, Young's modulus is a mechanical property of linear,
elastic solid materials and is a measure of their stiffness. It defines the relationship
between stress (force per unit area) and strain (proportional deformation) in a material.

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 Release 2019 R2 - © ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. - Contains proprietary and confidential information
98 of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.