Practicable multiscale topology optimization method accounting for manufacturability
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Multiscale lattice structures have been an emerging solution to extreme light-weight demands in many engineering fields, while its design and optimization still rely on the traditional trial-and-error approach. Existing concurrent multiscale topology optimization methods are usually difficult to implement and not practicable due to neglecting the manufacturability of optimized structures. In this work, a direct finite element square method (DFE 2) based topology optimization method proposed earlier by the authors [1] was further improved to account for manufacturability in the pre-process stage, significantly improving the practicability of proposed method. This is done by enforcing the internal connectivity, inter-connectivity and minimum manufacturable size of the DFE 2 based optimization results, whereby these three restrictions were incorporated into the DFE 2 model by defining a reasonable frozen region in meso-scale RVEs. It has been proved that the three restrictions are also satisfied in the multiscale structures reconstructed from the DFE 2 based optimization results via either “Copy-Paste” or “Interpolation-Filter” method. Two 2D examples including a classical lattice structure and a honeycomb structure were optimized using the proposed DFE 2 based topology optimization method and manufactured via FDM 3D printing. Both experimental tests and numerical simulations show that the proposed DFE 2 based optimization can significantly improve the structural stiffness of multiscale structures, achieving performance comparable to traditional DNS-based topology optimization. Moreover, by explicitly accounting for manufacturability, the DFE 2-based approach offers substantially higher computational efficiency and good practicability, making it a promising approach for design and optimization of multiscale structures in engineering applications.
Source: Composite Structures
Language: English
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,660
Funders: Department of Human Resources and Social Security of Henan Province, National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Scholarship Council, Beijing Institute of Technology, Science and Technology Department, Henan Province, State Key Laboratory of Explosion Science and Technology, Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi Province
OpenAlex ID: W4414785783