Towards Multiscale Topology Optimization for Additively Manufactured Components Using Implicit Slicing

Additive Manufacturing (AM) encompasses a set of fabrication technologies that are being used with increasing frequency in a wide variety of scientific and industrial pursuits. These technologies, which operate by successive additions of material to a domain, enable the manufacture of highly complex geometries that would otherwise be unrealizable. However, the material micro and meso-structures generated by AM processes differ remarkably from those that arise from conventional techniques and occasionally introduce unwanted functional features; this has been an obstacle to the use of AM in some applications. In the present work, we propose a multiscale method that utilizes the unique meso-scale structuring capabilities of implicit slicers for AM, in conjunction with existing topology optimization tools for the macro-scale, in order to generate functional components. The use of this method is demonstrated on the example of a hand tool. We discuss the applications of this methodology, its current limitations, and the future work required to enable its widespread use.