Automated and optimized piping by additive manufacturing (PipAM)

The research project PipAM addresses the automated design and additive manufacturing of complex fluid components by establishing an integrated digital workflow. Starting from XML-based hydraulic schematics, fluid paths are generated using grid-based initialization and evolutionary optimization with collision avoidance via octree structures. The resulting polylines are converted into manufacturable geometries through mesh- and SDF based methods, incorporating teardrop-shaped profiles to meet LPBF constraints. Flow simulation is carried out using OpenLB with automated XML-driven setup and GUI support, achieving accuracy comparable to established CFD tools. Initial LPBF trials with 316L revealed process limits regarding pipe orientation, diameter, and surface roughness. The presented results demonstrate the feasibility of combining automated piping, geometry generation, simulation, and additive manufacturing into a coherent workflow, while highlighting remaining challenges in process integration and overhang quality.