Learning Forum

[Rushwant Gnanasekar]

I used 316 stainless steel (Additively Manufactured) as my material. When I get into the Engineering data, It has isotropic elasticity instead of orthotopic elasticity. How can an additively manufactured material be isotropic and not orthotopic in the engineering data? 

Please help me out with this query. Thanks!

 

[Akshay Maniyar]

Hi,

Understanding the material properties in engineering data, especially for additively manufactured materials like 316 stainless steel, can be a bit complex. The isotropic elasticity you’re seeing in the engineering data might be a default assumption or simplification for the material model. Additively manufactured materials can exhibit anisotropic behavior due to the layer-by-layer manufacturing process, which can lead to different mechanical properties in different directions. However, the data provided in the engineering software might not always reflect this anisotropy, especially if the anisotropic data is not available or if isotropic properties are considered sufficient for the intended simulation.

For a more accurate representation of the material behavior in your simulations, you may need to obtain or generate orthotropic material data that reflects the anisotropic nature of the additively manufactured 316 stainless steel. This could involve experimental testing or sourcing data from research on similar materials.

Thanks,

Akshay Maniyar