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2024
Conference Paper
Title
Sustainability-oriented topology optimization towards a more holistic design for additive manufacturing
Abstract
The Design for Additive Manufacturing of final products needs to target many design objectives, e.g., function, low lead-time, costs, ecological footprint and possibly more. In balancing the latter, results of design changes are frequently counterintuitive, and this happens especially when it comes to sustainability-related qualities. The latter are commonly modeled by a Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the fabrication and use-phase. However, it is likely that related data is not yet available before most design decisions have been fixed. Even though Additive Manufacturing can enable more design freedom than conventional technologies, the process-specific parameters need strong consideration. The earlier this happens in the design process, improvements might have the biggest impact. Topology optimization can be an efficient method for conceptual design and design automation. However, the respective models often need to be simplified, e.g., regarding nonlinear material properties or intricate manufacturing constraints. For this reason, it is typically not possible in topology optimization to deal with all previously mentioned criteria.
A Sustainability-oriented Topology Optimization method is proposed within a generative engineering framework. Multimodal analyses of intermediate topology results should enable the computation of intricate measures. For example, regarding Laser Powder Bed Fusion-based Additive Manufacturing expedient build directions and an estimation of support structures are calculated. A predictive LCA model is included that calculates the ecological footprint measures on basis of the intermediate topology results. For that purpose, a simplified product system with representative processes is modeled. The presented approach enables a more holistic Design for Additive Manufacturing that can deal with a multitude of multidisciplinary criteria in a coherent way.
A Sustainability-oriented Topology Optimization method is proposed within a generative engineering framework. Multimodal analyses of intermediate topology results should enable the computation of intricate measures. For example, regarding Laser Powder Bed Fusion-based Additive Manufacturing expedient build directions and an estimation of support structures are calculated. A predictive LCA model is included that calculates the ecological footprint measures on basis of the intermediate topology results. For that purpose, a simplified product system with representative processes is modeled. The presented approach enables a more holistic Design for Additive Manufacturing that can deal with a multitude of multidisciplinary criteria in a coherent way.
Author(s)