Incorporating Manufacturing Constraints in Topology Optimization Methods: A Survey

Author(s):  
Alok Sutradhar ◽  
Jaejong Park ◽  
Payam Haghighi ◽  
Jacob Kresslein ◽  
Duane Detwiler ◽  
...  

Topology optimization provides optimized solutions with complex geometries which are often not suitable for direct manufacturing without further steps or post-processing by the designer. There has been a recent progression towards linking topology optimization with additive manufacturing, which is less restrictive than traditional manufacturing methods, but the technology is still in its infancy being costly, time-consuming, and energy inefficient. For applications in automotive or aerospace industries, the traditional manufacturing processes are still preferred and utilized to a far greater extent. Adding manufacturing constraints within the topology optimization framework eliminates the additional design steps of interpreting the topology optimization result and converting it to viable manufacturable parts. Furthermore, unintended but inevitable deviations that occur during manual conversion from the topology optimized result can be avoided. In this paper, we review recent advances to integrate (traditional) manufacturing constraints in the topology optimization process. The focus is on the methods that can create manufacturable and well-defined geometries. The survey will discuss the advantages, limitations, and related challenges of manufacturability in topology optimization.

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 305-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Recep M. Gorguluarslan ◽  
Umesh N. Gandhi ◽  
Yuyang Song ◽  
Seung-Kyum Choi

Purpose Methods to optimize lattice structure design, such as ground structure optimization, have been shown to be useful when generating efficient design concepts with complex truss-like cellular structures. Unfortunately, designs suggested by lattice structure optimization methods are often infeasible because the obtained cross-sectional parameter values cannot be fabricated by additive manufacturing (AM) processes, and it is often very difficult to transform a design proposal into one that can be additively designed. This paper aims to propose an improved, two-phase lattice structure optimization framework that considers manufacturing constraints for the AM process. Design/methodology/approach The proposed framework uses a conventional ground structure optimization method in the first phase. In the second phase, the results from the ground structure optimization are modified according to the pre-determined manufacturing constraints using a second optimization procedure. To decrease the computational cost of the optimization process, an efficient gradient-based optimization algorithm, namely, the method of feasible directions (MFDs), is integrated into this framework. The developed framework is applied to three different design examples. The efficacy of the framework is compared to that of existing lattice structure optimization methods. Findings The proposed optimization framework provided designs more efficiently and with better performance than the existing optimization methods. Practical implications The proposed framework can be used effectively for optimizing complex lattice-based structures. Originality/value An improved optimization framework that efficiently considers the AM constraints was reported for the design of lattice-based structures.


Author(s):  
Boris Vasilyev ◽  
Liubov Magerramova ◽  
Anton Salnikov ◽  
Nikolay Tsykunov ◽  
Vladimir Isakov ◽  
...  

The first part of this paper shows that the implementation of twin-web (hollow) discs can lead to an 8–30% decrease in mass or to a cyclic life increase of up to 300%, depending on the size of the disc and the operating conditions. The second part of this paper describes the results of the development of approaches for the manufacturing and processing of twin-web discs, both with the help of additive and traditional manufacturing methods. Several hollow discs with a closed cavity and a slot in the hub are made from the heat-resistant nickel alloy EI698P with the help of additive manufacturing (AM) and hot isostatic pressing (HIP), respectively. Various welding methods are considered for the production of the twin-web discs. The effect of post-processing on the characteristics of the materials is investigated in specimens that were produced with AM methods. Special attention is paid to the surface treatment methods that should be used for discs manufactured by AM methods. The “printed” discs were controlled using radiographic, ultrasonic, fluorescent penetrant, and eddy current methods, and they were examined using computed tomography. As a result, this paper shows that different approaches can be used for the manufacturing and processing of twin-web discs.


Author(s):  
Kunal Mhapsekar ◽  
Matthew McConaha ◽  
Sam Anand

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.


Author(s):  
Ivan Molnár ◽  
Ladislav Morovič

Abstract The paper discusses the use of 3D digitization and additive manufacturing technologies in the field of medicine. In addition, applications of the use of 3D digitization and additive manufacturing methods are described, focusing on the design and manufacture of individual medical aids. Subsequently, the process of designing and manufacturing of orthopedic aids using these technologies is described and the advantages of introducing the given technologies into the design and manufacturing processes in the medicine sector are presented.


Author(s):  
Alain Garaigordobil ◽  
Rubén Ansola ◽  
Igor Fernandez de Bustos

AbstractThis article falls within the scope of topology optimization for Additive Manufacturing processes and proposes an alternative strategy to prevent the phenomenon known as the Dripping Effect. The Dripping Effect is when an overhang constraint is imposed on topology optimization processes for Additive Manufacturing and is defined as the formation of oscillatory contour trends within the prescribed threshold angle. Although these drop-like formations constitute local minimizers of the constraint function, they do not provide a printable feature, and, therefore, they neither eliminate the need to form temporary support structures. So far, there has been no general agreement on how to prevent the Dripping Effect, so this work aims to introduce a strategy that effectively prevents it, and that at the same time may be easy to extrapolate to other types of geometric overhang restrictions. This paper provides a study of the origin of the Dripping Effect and gives detailed instructions on how the proposed prevention strategy is applied. In addition, several benchmark examples where the Dripping Effect is prevented are shown.


2021 ◽  
Vol 111 (06) ◽  
pp. 363-367
Author(s):  
Lukas Langer ◽  
Matthias Schmitt ◽  
Georg Schlick ◽  
Johannes Schilp

Die additive Fertigung ermöglicht komplexe Geometrien und individualisierte Bauteile. Die hohen Material- und Fertigungskosten können ein Hindernis für einen wirtschaftlichen Einsatz sein. In der hybriden additiven Fertigung werden die Vorteile konventioneller sowie additiver Fertigungsverfahren kombiniert. Für eine weitere Steigerung der Wirtschaftlichkeit und Effizienz werden nichtwertschöpfende Schritte der Prozesskette identifiziert und Automatisierungsansätze entwickelt.   Additive manufacturing enables complex geometries and individualized components. However, high material and manufacturing costs can be a hindrance for economical use. Hybrid additive manufacturing combines the advantages of conventional with additive manufacturing processes. For a further increase in profitability and efficiency, non-value-adding steps in the process chain are identified and automation approaches developed.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
WARUNA SENEVIRATNE, ◽  
JOHN TOMBLIN ◽  
BRANDON SAATHOFF

Additive manufacturing has been adopted in many aerospace and defense applications to reduce weight and buy-to-fly ratios of low-volume high- complexity parts. Polymer-based additive manufacturing processes such as Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) has enabled aerospace manufactures to improve the structural efficiency of parts through generative design or topology optimization. This level of design freedom did not exist in the past due to limitations associated with traditional manufacturing processes such as subtractive machining. Improvements in the material and the maturation of the FDM process has led to the production of many non-structural flightworthy parts used in aircraft today. Polymer-based additive manufacturing can be further leveraged in aerospace applications with the addition of electroplated coatings that act as reinforcement. While many of the commonly known electroplated coating applications involve enhancing the part appearance, electroplated coatings can also improve the strength, stiffness, and durability of plastic parts. Depending on the use case, the thickness of the metallic plating material (combination of copper and nickel) can be tailored to achieve the desired composite properties (metal and polymer). In this research, the tensile and flexural mechanical properties were assessed for Ultem™ 9085 FDM printed specimens and compared to specimens with metallic coating thicknesses of approximately 75-μm, 150-μm, and 300-μm. Non- destructive inspections using x-ray computed tomography were performed prior to mechanical testing to assess the electroplated coating thickness variation and overall quality.


Author(s):  
Michael Greminger

Abstract Topology optimization is a powerful tool to generate mechanical designs that use minimal mass to achieve their function. However, the designs obtained using topology optimization are often not manufacturable using a given manufacturing process. There exist some modifications to the traditional topology optimization algorithm that are able to impose manufacturing constraints for a limited set of manufacturing methods. These approaches have the drawback that they are often based on heuristics to obtain the manufacturability constraint and thus cannot be applied generally to multiple manufacturing methods. In order to create a general approach to imposing manufacturing constraints on topology optimization, generative adversarial networks (GANs) are used. GANs have the capability to produce samples from a distribution defined by training data. In this work, the GAN is trained by generating synthetic 3D voxel training data that represent the distribution of designs that can be created by a particular manufacturing method. Once trained, the GAN forms a mapping from a latent vector space to the space of manufacturable designs. The topology optimization is then performed on the latent vector space ensuring that the design obtained is manufacturable. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated by training a GAN on designs intended to be manufacturable on a 3-axis computer numerically controlled (CNC) milling machine.


Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Veiga ◽  
Alain Gil Del Val ◽  
Alfredo Suárez ◽  
Unai Alonso

In the current days, the new range of machine tools allows the production of titanium alloy parts for the aeronautical sector through additive technologies. The quality of the materials produced is being studied extensively by the research community. This new manufacturing paradigm also opens important challenges such as the definition and analysis of the optimal strategies for finishing-oriented machining in this type of part. Researchers in both materials and manufacturing processes are making numerous advances in this field. This article discusses the analysis of the production and subsequent machining in the quality of TI6Al4V produced by Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), more specifically Plasma Arc Welding (PAW). The promising results observed make it a viable alternative to traditional manufacturing methods.


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