In the selective laser melting (SLM) process, the spatter, introduced by moving melt pools, can contaminate the build region and potentially reduce the part quality. A well-designed inert gas flow system can help to effectively remove the process emissions. Therefore, it is critical to understand the flow characteristics as well as the interactions between gas flow and spatter. In this study, a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model for the SLM gas flow system has been developed to simulate

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... e complicated flow behavior in the chamber. The generation of spatter over the build region has been simulated by a discrete phase model (DPM). The Eulerian-Lagrangian modeling technique has been applied to accurately capture the influence of gas flow on ejected spatter. The process variables that can significant affect the gas flow efficiency in the chamber, such as inlet design, volume flow rate and material property, have been numerically investigated.