Experimental and numerical assessment of the topological optimisation of additively manufactured T‐joints

Abstract

AbstractAdditive manufacturing (AM) is rapidly expanding to all research areas due to its multiple advantages, such as the freedom and flexibility in achieving any geometry. By using AM as a fabrication technique, the design process has almost no limitations, blending considerably well with the irregular geometries that may result from topology optimization, which can produce optimal material configuration. Therefore, Topology Optimization can combine greatly with Additive manufacturing. A suitable AM method concerning geometry, speed and shape is Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). In this paper, a hollow square t‐joint is modelled and evaluated by the application of two optimization methods with various parameters to find an optimal geometry; numerical analysis (FEM) on non‐optimized and optimized models; and experimental assessments on non‐optimized and optimized printed t‐joints to validate the entire process.