Research on High-Efficiency Metal Droplet Jetting and Forming Additive Manufacturing Based on Multi-Electrode Arc Melting

To address the limitations of conventional metal droplet jetting additive manufacturing in the efficient fabrication of large complex components and the precise control of multiple materials, an integrated additive manufacturing method combining multi-electrode arc melting and jetting with laser-induced deposition is proposed. Focusing on the cross-scale behaviors involved in this process, a full-process simulation model covering melting and jetting, deposition and forming, and component deformation is established. An experimentally constrained multiscale simulation and application-oriented analysis method is adopted. At the microscopic scale, a novel integrated multi-electrode arc composite deposition device is developed to observe the physical processes of melting and jetting and determine the model boundary conditions. A gas–liquid–solid nonequilibrium multiphase-flow coupling model is established and validated to analyze energy interactions among multiple arcs, localized melting, and droplet jetting behavior. At the mesoscopic scale, an oscillating laser-induced deposition model is employed to calculate droplet spreading, molten-pool flow, and solidification. Four types of alloys are prepared, and their heat-treatment processes and microstructure–property relationships are investigated to provide experimental validation and quantitative support for microstructural evolution and property control. At the macroscopic scale, based on the hardware and software integration of the equipment prototype and the optimization of material-processing parameters, physical quantities are transferred among the models to achieve cross-scale data mapping. The calculated thermal response and strain are introduced into an inherent-strain model to predict the overall stress and deformation of components, thereby providing a basis for establishing manufacturing specifications for large components. A technical research framework is consequently formed in which process, materials, simulation, and equipment mutually support one another.

Distinguished Professor and Ph.D. Supervisor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST). More than 70 academic papers have been published, with 30 authorized invention patents and software copyrights. Research interests focus on welding, additive manufacturing, and thermal spraying technologies.