Knowledge graph network-driven process reasoning for laser metal additive manufacturing based on relation mining

Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology offers remarkable flexibility in fabricating products with intricate geometries, presenting unprecedented advantages in material efficiency and speed. The process planning of AM plays a pivotal role in ensuring overall quality and time-efficiency of printed products. This drives engineers and researchers to explore various approaches to achieve optimal AM process solutions. However, numerous challenges persist, particularly in logical relationship reasoning and information representation for complex manufacturing tasks and design requirements. In this study, a novel AM process reasoning method based on relation mining is proposed, leveraging knowledge graph representation and graph neural networks (GNN). An AM knowledge graph is constructed comprising essential process information, followed by implementing RED-GNN to accomplish graph reasoning tasks for parameter recommendation. We then focus on the process planning scenario of lattice structures, a common geometry used for designing products with weight-relief requirements and high sensitivity to process parameters. A series of lattice structure parts are designed and tested using our proposed method, demonstrating strong performance and unveiling new potentials and opportunities in advancing knowledge-based engineering and intelligent manufacturing.