Product Design Optimization Strategies for Metal Additive Manufacturing in Aerospace Applications

Abstract Numerical techniques are developed to generate innovative lightweight designs, difficult to obtain with traditional product manufacturing technologies. The use of advanced engineering design software makes it possible to generate un‐conventional geometries, combining a standard density‐based topology optimization approach with lattice structure‐based methods. Deep knowledge of modeling aspects is required to improve the topology optimization processes currently performed in aerospace applications, as well as to achieve design solutions suitably prepared for additive manufacturing technologies. In the present work, algorithms based on solid isotropic material with penalization (SIMP) method are used to reduce the weight of parts by removing unnecessary material from the initial part design. Moreover, the integration of lattice structures in the topology optimization procedures allows for a further part weight reduction offering the possibility of exploiting the potentials of 3D printing in the fabrication of complex geometries.