Integration of Topology Optimisation and Design Variants Selection for Additive Manufacturing-Based Systematic Product Redesign

Featured Application This paper presents a redesign approach integrating design for additive manufacturing and topology optimisation, which supports the designer in product and process modification. Thanks to the integration of a systematic concept selection-based approach for product optimisation, the method provides an objective assessment of the developed configurations from a functional and production point of view. As a main goal, the method leads to cost and material reduction, without affecting product functionality. All these tools are implemented into a commercial computer aided technologies (CAx) platform, leading to a higher level of integration. The development of additive manufacturing allows the transformation of technological processes and the redesign of products. Among the most used methods to support additive manufacturing, the design can be optimised through the integration of topology optimisation techniques, allowing for creating complex shapes. However, there are critical issues (i.e., definition of product and process parameters, selection of redesign variants, optimised designs interpretation, file exchange and data management, etc.) in identifying the most appropriate process and set-ups, as well as in selecting the best variant on a functional and morphological level. Therefore, to fully exploit the technological potentials and overcome the drawbacks, this paper proposes a systematic redesign approach based on additive manufacturing technologies that integrate topology optimisation and a tool for selecting design variants based on the optimisation of both product and process features. The method leads to the objective selection of the best redesigned configuration in accordance with the key performance indicators (KPIs) (i.e., functional and production requirements). As a case study, the redesign of a medical assistive device is proposed, previously developed in fused filament fabrication and now optimised for being 3D printed with selective laser melting.