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Topology optimization of 3D continuum structures under geometric self-supporting constraint

journal contribution
posted on 2024-11-02, 13:13 authored by Minghao Bi, Jonathan TranJonathan Tran, Yimin XieYimin Xie
The potential of additive manufacturing (AM) in fabricating structurally efficient yet geometrically complicated designs generated from topology optimization is widely recognised. However, various constraints presented in the additive manufacturing process are not directly considered in conventional topology optimization frameworks, potentially impairing the manufacturability of the generated topology. A most noteworthy example is the presence of overhangs, which are downward-facing regions that are not self-supporting. In such areas, traditional AM processes utilise sacrificial supports to act as scaffoldings, which result in additional time, effort and the corresponding cost. Here we present a novel method that can effectively address overhanging features in the bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization framework, creating self-supporting yet structurally efficient designs. By using a simple expression, the overhang problem is formulated as a layer-wise relationship, and elements whose modification does not create overhang are selected as candidates for the element updating scheme. To validate the effectiveness of the algorithm, numerical examples under different design conditions are presented. A comparison of the self-supporting designs against their non-self-supporting counterparts obtained by conventional topology optimization demonstrates their competitiveness in structural performance. Subsequently, physical 3D prints of the examples further prove the effectiveness of the proposed method in creating self-supporting designs.

History

Journal

Additive Manufacturing

Volume

36

Number

101422

Start page

1

End page

17

Total pages

17

Publisher

Elsevier BV

Place published

Netherlands

Language

English

Copyright

© 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Former Identifier

2006100657

Esploro creation date

2020-09-08

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