Purpose This paper aims to explore a structural optimization method to achieve the lightweight design of an aviation control stick part manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing (AM). The utilization of LPBF for the fabrication of the part provides great freedom to its structure optimization, further reduces its weight and improves its portability. Design/methodology/approach The stress distribution of the model was analyzed by finite element analysis. The material distribution path of the model was optimized through topology optimization. The structure and size of the parts were designed by applying honeycomb structures for weight reduction. The lightweight designed control stick part model was printed by LPBF using AlSi10Mg. Findings The weight of the control stick model was reduced by 32.64% through the optimization method using honeycomb structures with various geometries. The similar stress concentrations of the control stick model indicate that weight reduction has negligible effect on its mechanical strength. The maximum stress of the lightweight designed model under loading is 230.85 MPa, which is 61.81% larger than that of the original model. The lightweight control stick part manufactured by LPBF has good printability and service performance. Originality/value A structural optimization method integrating topology, shape and size optimization was proposed for a lightweight AlSi10Mg control stick printed by LPBF. The effectiveness of the optimization method, the printability of the lightweight model and the service performance of LPBF-printed AlSi10Mg control stick was verified, which provided practical references for the lightweight design of AM.
Ti6Al4V is widely used in aerospace and medical applications, where high demands on dimensional accuracy and surface quality require the application of post-processing to achieve optimal performance. However, the surface quality of parts fabricated by LPBF is inferior due to the inherent defects of LPBF. Therefore, it is important to investigate the effect of post-processing on the surface quality of Ti6A14V parts fabricated by LPBF. In this work, the effect of post-processing methods (i.e., sandblasting, electrolytic polishing, chemical polishing, and abrasive flow polishing) on the surface quality of Ti6Al4V fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing was investigated. The changes in surface roughness and morphology of the 45° inclined square and curved pipe Ti6Al4V samples processed with post-processing were observed, and the weight and elemental changes of the parts were also analyzed. The result reveals that sandblasting, electrolytic polishing, chemical polishing, and abrasive flow polishing are all effective in improving the surface quality of Ti6Al4V parts fabricated by LPBF. The effect of sandblasting is mainly caused by sharp-edged grit driven by high-speed airflow, resulting in the lowest surface roughness and the least influence on the weight, but may contaminate the surface with residual brown corundum. Electrolytic polishing and chemical polishing achieve surface quality improvement through different corrosion patterns without changing the surface composition. The surface smoothness of parts processed with chemical polishing is the best, while the weight loss rate of the sample processed with electrolytic polishing is the most at about 7.47%. Abrasive flow polishing presents a remarkable effect on polishing the internal surface of the Ti6Al4V sample by the extrusion scratching, extrusion deformation, and micro-cutting effects of abrasive on the surface. The findings can provide important engineering references for the post-processing of precision Ti6Al4V parts fabricated by LPBF and further promote the engineering applications of Ti6Al4V parts.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.