Additive Manufacturing Constraints in Topology Optimization for Improved Manufacturability

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) provides tremendous advantage over conventional manufacturing processes in terms of creative freedom, and topology optimization (TO) can be deemed as a potential design approach to exploit this creative freedom. To integrate these technologies and to create topology optimized designs that can be easily manufactured using AM, manufacturing constraints need to be introduced within the TO process. In this research, two different approaches are proposed to integrate the constraints within the algorithm of density-based TO. Two AM constraints are developed to demonstrate these two approaches. These constraints address the minimization of number of thin features as well as minimization of volume of support structures in the optimized parts, which have been previously identified as potential concerns associated with AM processes such as powder bed fusion AM. Both the manufacturing constraints are validated with two case studies each, along with experimental validation. Another case study is presented, which shows the combined effect of the two constraints on the topology optimized part. Two metrics of manufacturability are also presented, which have been used to compare the design outputs of conventional and constrained TO.

Smart additive manufacturing: Current artificial intelligence-enabled methods and future perspectives

“…In the product design stage, the integration of opportunistic and restrictive methods provides a promising solution to fulfil the complex design and manufacturing requirements and generate more reliable design proposals. However, current methods only consider simple design rules, such as thin features and size limitations [57,58]. In practice, the design rules are more complex [59].…”

Topology Optimization for Additive Manufacturing as an Enabler for Light Weight Flight Hardware

“…Several exciting works have focused on including the AM constraints, such as support structure elimination (through overhang elimination) in topology optimization routines and are included in references [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]. Additionally, Liu et al [37] recently presented a review paper on recent trends and future challenges that are associated with the incorporation of AM constraints and considerations into topology optimization algorithms.…”

Model-based, multi-material topology optimization taking into account cost and manufacturability

“…creating manufacturable MMTO designs, the focus in this paper is not on measuring manufacturability in an absolute way, but on obtaining relative improvements in manufacturability. This is because manufacturability is a broad concept, for which multiple definitions and interpretations are present in literature [33,34]. On the one hand, manufacturability depends on the manufacturing techniques that are considered (i.e.…”

“…This explains why most studies focus on relative improvements in manufacturability. The main approach in topology optimization to achieve these improvements is by considering so called engineering constraints in the design process [36,33,[37][38][39][40][41]. In this paper, this approach is extended to create better manufacturable MMTO designs.…”