Case of topological optimisation of a part produced by the FDM process

Abstract

The article is devoted to the topological optimisation of an ABS part, which will be manufactured by the FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) process. Firstly, the maximum deformation and stress are noted by simulating the part (under loads) before optimisation. Secondly, and with optimisation along two privileged directions, we check the distribution of the deformation and the stress on the volume of the part.The methodology is based on topological optimisation under ANSYS (SIMP method). The study support piece is a garage release handle.The numerical results prove the usefulness of choosing a manufacturing direction to have an optimised part that is light and of better resistance than the initial part (made by the conventional process).Several parameters influence the right solution choice in this study. For future research, we can opt for an optimal solution in line with a minimum cost.The presented procedure can be generalised and applied to components of similar characterisation and other additive production methods.This article shows the usefulness of topological optimisation to guide the designer and an effective tool to design resistant parts by additive manufacturing. Thus, 3D printing can compete with conventional processes.