A Buckingham-Pi dimensionless analysis for melt pool stability and defect prediction in additive manufacturing


Alishavandi M., Ünal R., Salamci M. U.

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING LETTERS, cilt.17, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus) identifier

Özet

Melt pool instabilities limit the reliability of additive manufacturing. Here, we demonstrate that a minimal Buckingham-pi framework, supplemented by a normalized enthalpy (NE) metric, consolidates process outcomes across heat source settings (power, speed, spot) and material properties. IN738LC was processed on an EOS M290; single-track and bulk responses, melt pool geometric features, part relative density (rho*), and areal roughness parameters S-a and S-z, were quantified and subsequently mapped onto compact NE-dimensionless number spaces after the normalized-enthalpy metric had been calibrated using an effective absorptivity inferred from the measured melt pool depth. The recoil number cleanly delineates modes: Recoil less than or similar to 2 (conduction -> stable keyhole) maintains rho* greater than or similar to 99% with low S-a, whereas Recoil greater than or similar to 4-5 marks an unstable keyhole with spatter and porosity. Within this map, favorable transport balances are Re less than or similar to 100, We < 1, small Ca and not-too-small Oh, and Fo>0.1; external convection remains negligible (Nu << 1). Rather than VED, we advocate working directly in Pi-space (NE, Recoil, Re, We, Ca, Oh, Fo, Nu)-to define, compare, and transfer qualifiable process windows across machines and alloys.