CAD-integrated topology optimization method with dynamic extrusion feature evolution for multi-axis machining

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This paper proposes a subtractive geometry projection topology optimization approach to simulate the multi-axis machining process and remove material from the initial design domain. Each geometric primitive is described by a plane extrusion operation based on a 2D closed cubic spline curve controlled by boundary points. The reference plane for the 3D extrusion operation can freely rotate and translate in the design space for optimization. The primitive is then projected onto the mesh based on the Heaviside function to modify the density distribution. The cutting primitives are combined using the p-norm aggregation function to produce the final subtractive design. The method of moving asymptotes method is implemented to optimize each geometry primitive based on analytical gradients. One of the major advantages of the proposed method is its ability to readily integrate the modeling history into the optimization process, paving the way to construct commercial CAD compatible designs.