Abstract
The design methodologies and part shape algorithms for additive manufacturing (AM) are rapidly growing fields, proven to be of critical importance for the uptake of additive manufacturing of parts with enhanced performance in all major industrial sectors. The current trend for part design is a computationally driven approach where the parts are algorithmically morphed to meet the functional requirements with optimized performance in terms of material distribution. However, the manufacturability restrictions of AM processes are not considered at the primary design phases but at a later post-morphed stage of the part’s design. This paper proposes an AM design method to ensure: (1) optimized material distribution based on the load case and (2) the part’s manufacturability. The buildability restrictions from the direct energy deposition (DED) AM technology were used as input to the AM shaping algorithm to grant high AM manufacturability. The first step of this work was to define the term of AM manufacturability, its effect on AM production, and to propose a framework to estimate the quantified value of AM manufacturability for the given part design. Moreover, an AM design method is proposed, based on the developed internal stresses of the build volume for the load case. Stress tensors are used for the determination of the build orientation and as input for the part morphing. A top-down mesoscale geometric optimization is used to realize the AM part design. The DED Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) rules are used to delimitate the morphing of the part, representing at the same time the freeform mindset of the AM technology. The morphed shape of the part is optimized in terms of topology and AM manufacturability. The topology optimization and AM manufacturability indicator (TMI) is introduced to screen the percentage of design elements that serve topology optimization and the ones that serve AM manufacturability. In the end, a case study for proof of concept is realized.
Highlights
The definition of design methods varies across industries, from the design of ideas and concepts to detailed technical and manufacturing drawings [1,2]
The direct energy deposition (DED) Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) rules are used to delimitate the morphing of the part, representing at the same time the freeform mindset of the additive manufacturing (AM) technology
It was found that the proposed AM shape optimization method carries similarities with existing topology optimization methods
Summary
The definition of design methods varies across industries, from the design of ideas and concepts to detailed technical and manufacturing drawings [1,2]. Mechanical design of parts and assemblies have significantly progressed over the last 30 years from manual drawings to parametric computer-aided design suites (CAD) that enable enhanced design functions [3,4]. Over the last decade, engineering design has further evolved from a feature-based to a function-based mentality; parts are morphed based on their functional requirements and loading state [5]. Designs 2020, 4, 19 design, the design engineer decides upon the most important features, generating the initial shape of the design, and further determines the exact dimensions for the part to perform the required specifications [6,7,8]. The designer decides upon the morphing equation, its parameters, and the specific space inside the build volume that the algorithm fills with structures of material [9,10].
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