FLOW-3D AM 2025R1 is the latest release of Flow Science’s specialized computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software for simulating laser-based additive manufacturing (AM) processes, including Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) and Directed Energy Deposition (DED). Released in early 2025 as part of the broader FLOW-3D 2025R1 product family, it integrates advanced physics models for melting, solidification, and material behavior to accelerate the development and commercialization of AM technologies. The software is machine-agnostic, allowing users to test printing parameters for state-of-the-art materials without physical prototypes, reducing time to market and costs for critical applications in aerospace, automotive, and medical industries.
This version introduces a fully integrated simulation platform that combines the core FLOW-3D solver with functionalities from FLOW-3D WELD and FLOW-3D DEM (Discrete Element Method), enabling seamless modeling of complex phenomena like powder spreading, laser interactions, and particle dynamics in a single interface. It supports single or dual-alloy applications and is designed for engineers seeking accurate predictions of defects, residual stresses, and microstructure evolution.
Key features and enhancements in FLOW-3D AM 2025R1 include:
- Unified User Interface and Pre-Loaded Templates: A streamlined, intuitive interface simplifies setup for complex simulations. Three new templates—powder operations, laser melting, and laser melting with active particles—allow users to quickly configure models, ensuring consistency across the AM process from powder bed preparation to final part analysis.
- High-Performance Computing (HPC) Support: Leveraging OpenMP-MPI parallelization in the core solver, simulations on HPC clusters achieve up to 9x faster runtimes compared to standard workstations. This is particularly beneficial for high-resolution models, such as single-track laser melting, enabling faster iteration for parametric studies and optimization.
- Improved Physics Models:
- Enhanced laser reflection modeling, including energy reflections from free surfaces, for more accurate simulations of the keyhole regime and melt pool dynamics.
- Integrated DEM for realistic powder particle interactions, collisions, and friction, extending to granular flow and particle-laden scenarios.
- Advanced heat transfer, phase change, and solidification models to predict porosity, distortion, and residual stresses with higher fidelity.
- Automation and Integration: Compatible with FLOW-3D (x) for workflow automation, including dedicated AM nodes for design space exploration, sensitivity analyses, and process optimization. Results can be exported in formats like EXODUS II for compatibility with third-party postprocessors and FEA tools.
- Post-Processing Enhancements: Improved visualization of fluids, melt regions, heat sources, reflections, and particles. Supports path tracing, smoothed faceted surfaces, and automated outputs for easier interpretation of porosity and cavitation risks.
