Iranian Journal of  Manufacturing Engineering

Iranian Journal of Manufacturing Engineering

Design and analysis of optimized mechanical structures using topology optimization and 3D printing

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
This study presents a novel approach based on topology optimization for the design and analysis of lightweight and high-performance mechanical structures. The mechanical behavior of the designed samples was investigated using numerical simulations and experimental tests. Initially, the preliminary design was generated using topology optimization using the Abaqus finite element software. Based on the resulting structure, a lattice model was designed to function as an energy absorber. The designed models were subjected to quasi-static loading in Abaqus finite element software. To validate the results, experimental samples were fabricated using 3D printing and tested under quasi-static loading conditions. The consistency between numerical and experimental results was confirmed. Two different configurations were studied to evaluate the proposed structure. The results demonstrated that the optimized structures exhibited satisfactory performance in terms of energy absorption, strength, and weight reduction, and the second optimal sample has a better performance in terms of energy absorption compared to the first sample by 31.5%. This approach not only enables the design of more efficient structures but also offers broad applications in industries such as automotive, aerospace, and other engineering fields.
Keywords

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