Abstract
Additive manufacturing (AM) enables highly complex-shaped and functionally optimized parts. To leverage this potential the creation of part designs is necessary. However, as today’s computer-aided design (CAD) tools are still based on low-level, geometric primitives, the modeling of complex geometries requires many repetitive, manual steps. As a consequence, the need for an automated design approach is emphasized and regarded as a key enabler to quickly create different concepts, allow iterative design changes, and customize parts at reduced effort. Topology optimization exists as a computational design approach but usually demands a manual interpretation and redesign of a CAD model and may not be applicable to problems such as the design of parts with multiple integrated flows. This work presents a computational design synthesis framework to automate the design of complex-shaped multi-flow nozzles. The framework provides AM users a toolbox with design elements, which are used as building blocks to generate finished 3D part geometries. The elements are organized in a hierarchical architecture and implemented using object-oriented programming. As the layout of the elements is defined with a visual interface, the process is accessible to non-experts. As a proof of concept, the framework is applied to successfully generate a variety of customized AM nozzles that are tested using co-extrusion of clay. Finally, the work discusses the framework’s benefits and limitations, the impact on product development and novel AM applications, and the transferability to other domains.
Highlights
Based on the layerwise adding of build material, additive manufacturing (AM) enables the fabrication of intricate, organic-shaped structures with high complexity [1,2,3]
Topology optimization exists as a computational design approach but usually demands a manual interpretation and redesign of a computer-aided design (CAD) model and may not be applicable to problems such as the design of parts with multiple integrated flows
With the rise of Additive manufacturing (AM), the need for improved design tools and an automated design approach is seen as a decisive factor in design for AM (DFAM) and applications such as customization [3]
Summary
Based on the layerwise adding of build material, additive manufacturing (AM) enables the fabrication of intricate, organic-shaped structures with high complexity [1,2,3]. It integrates multiple flow channels for cooling water and different reactants. The part demonstrates that AM processes have become mature enough to fabricate highly integrated and functionally optimized structures To create such complex part designs it is necessary to provide suitable design tools, which is considered a major barrier for the implementation of AM [1,2,3,6,7]. In case of the burner, the CAD model was created within six months and contains over 2500 features For such a complex design, a manual, low-level process limits rapid and iterative design changes as well as the quick embodiment of a variety of design concepts. The result of a TO usually represents a rough concept, which demands a manual interpretation and redesign of a CAD model [16,17,18] or a reverse engineering approach [19,20]
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