3D metal printing control using innovative laser sources, digital augmented models and artificial intelligence (CINDERELLA)

General context of the project:

The Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) process is currently at the peak of its industrial development, thanks to its ability to produce complex geometries. However, a number of known bottlenecks limit its capacity and wider industrial dissemination: Lengthy, iterative parametric research, difficulties in microstructures adaptation, process instabilities, lack of reliable and of on-line process control requiring high-performance numerical tools for upstream optimization of the process

PhD objectives:

The CINDERELLA project aims to accelerate the mastery of the L-PBF process by considering both experimental and numerical approaches assisted by Artificial Intelligence (AI), from laser-material interaction to liquid metal pool and microstructure generation.

The overall objective of CINDERELLA is to accelerate the mastery of the L-PBF process by considering both an experimental and numerical approach assisted by Artificial Intelligence (AI), at various scale, from laser-material interaction to liquid metal pool and microstructure generation. To this end, the main focus of the PhD project is the AI assisted multiphysics modeling/simulation of the LPBF process.

The project aims to develop a digital twin of the process. The approach is to couple phenomenological models obtained by AI processing of experimental data with Finite Element Models (model reduction by AI) and Cellular Automata (CAFE) to considerably reduce calculation times and improve the response of numerical models.

The numerical models will include laser-matter interaction, melt, and microstructure prediction models as optimized CAFE approaches. A validation on controlled materials by comparing simulation and experimental results over a wide parametric range (model robustness and generalization study) will be developed. Subsequently, experimental and numerical studies are foreseen on materials that are more difficult to use in L-PBF

see more here

https://www.cemef.minesparis.psl.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Phd_Cinderella2026.pdf

Centre de Mise en Forme des Matériaux (CEMEF)

CEMEF is a research lab. of MINES ParisTech I PSL University associated with CNRS, the French National Centre for Scientific Research (Unité Mixte de Recherche CNRS, UMR7635).

Overall, our missions are research and training in collaboration with industry.

Our research focuses specifically on materials and their transformation processes in the broadest sense. It extends additionally to other fields such as fluid mechanics, biomechanics or HPC for instance. On the other hand, our training programmes offer post-graduate courses related to our scientific fields of expertise. Furthermore, we are attentive to the scientific needs of industry and we set up research projects with industrial companies.

 A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH LABORATORY

 CEMEF studies the science of materials and forming processes. This twofold research theme is in fact at the origin of the creation of our research lab. Thus, from the outset, CEMEF has been interested in the analysis of manufacturing processes, i.e. it studies the entire chain consisting of the material / the process / the finished product .

Candidate in engineering school or master 2 level, in material science or mechanics with experience in numerical modeling.

An interest in additive manufacturing processes and/or Artificial Intelligence (IA) methods is expected.