Can Additive Manufacturing Help Win the Race?

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the new CPAM Project on Additive Manufacturing (AM) in design and simulation, focusing on topology & lattice structure optimization for a light-weighting advantage. This industry/academia collaboration project aims to utilize existing hardware and software tools, and investigate the practical limits of the technologies, providing eventual guidelines for general use. This will provide a solid foundation for the practical use of metal AM optimized solid and latticed structures especially for Ti6Al4V parts. Two case studies are demonstrated here, one a purely topology optimized design, and one also incorporating lattice optimized design, both from Ti6Al4V and load-bearing components, to be utilized in the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) Eco-Car Project in competition, late in 2018. This paper presents the Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) process, the challenges met iro applying a DfAM design mindset, and a unique final voxel-based smoothing step finishing off the design process. Detailed structural integrity assessment of these parts are included - the question remains: can Additive Manufacturing help win the race?

A 3D-Printed Continuously Variable Transmission for an Electric Vehicle Prototype

“…The Shell Group sponsors an international competition called the Shell Eco-marathon, which focuses on lowering vehicle fuel consumption and is competed in by university groups of enthusiastic automobile teachers and students all over the world [3][4][5][6][7][8]. This and similar events foster several automotive technology developments, including the demonstration of distinctive car designs [9][10][11] , energy management systems [12][13][14][15][16] , powertrain innovations [17][18][19][20], advanced use of materials and manufacturing methods [21,22], mechanical design [23][24][25][26][27] and the development of new 3D-printed automotive parts [28][29][30][31][32][33].…”