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A DEM contact model for history-dependent powder flows

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Abstract

Die filling is an important part of the powder handling process chain that greatly influences the characteristic structure and properties of the final part. Predictive modelling and simulation of the die-filling process can greatly contribute to the optimization of the part and the whole production procedure, e.g. by predicting the resulting powder compaction structure as a function of filling process parameters. The rheology of powders can be very difficult to model especially if heterogeneous agglomeration or time-dependent consolidation effects occur. We present a new discrete element contact force model that enables modelling complex powder flow characteristics including direct time-dependent consolidation effects and load history-dependent cohesion to describe the filling process of complex, difficult to handle powders. The model is demonstrated for simple flow and an industrial powder flow.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) via the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations “Otto von Guericke“ e.V. (AiF) (IGF-Nr.: 430 ZBG) and by the IPROCOM Marie Curie initial training network, funded through the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007–2013/ under REA Grant Agreement No. 316555. This research has also been partially supported by the EU FP7 Project SimPhoNy (Grant Number 604005).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fraunhofer IWM, 79108, Freiburg, Germany

    Adham Hashibon, Raphael Schubert, Thomas Breinlinger & Torsten Kraft

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  1. Adham Hashibon
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  2. Raphael Schubert
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  3. Thomas Breinlinger
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  4. Torsten Kraft
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Correspondence to Adham Hashibon.

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Hashibon, A., Schubert, R., Breinlinger, T. et al. A DEM contact model for history-dependent powder flows. Comp. Part. Mech. 3, 437–448 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40571-015-0099-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40571-015-0099-7

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