Numerical simulation of sintering for 3D-printed ceramics via SOVS model

Today, rapid progress can be seen in ceramic 3D printing processes and their application to the manufacturing of complex-shaped parts. However, the significant deformation of parts during sintering is a major impediment to the broad introduction of the technology. Hence, the application of mathematical modeling methods to simulate the behavior of a part during sintering has become a valuable tool to finely tune the process parameters. The purpose of this paper is to share the experience acquired in the application of the Skorohod-Olevsky Viscous Sintering (SOVS) model for the simulation of the sintering process of Al2O3 samples manufactured with a stereolithography technology. The SOVS model was implemented in the ABAQUS modeling suite using the subroutine mechanism. The modeling results demonstrate an acceptable convergence with the experimental data in terms of the shrinkage and final density of a material.