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Production technologies often turn out to be a limiting factor for the geometrical freedom in part design. By the use of Additive Layer Manufacturing processes, the existing restrictions can be negotiated due to their generative character. To exploit their whole capabilities, new approaches in part design have to be applied. One of these numerous possibilities is mesoscopic lightweight design, like for example by the use of lattice structures instead of massive material accumulations. Currently, these structures have a periodic build-up, which leads to unfavourable stress states like bending loads in the single strut elements. By an adaption of the course of the structure to the flux of force inside a part, predominantly push and pull forces appear inside the struts, which is very positive for the structures lightweight performance. To prove the capability of this optimization approach, Finite-Element-Analyses have been executed for periodic and for flux of force adapted lattice structures. Thus, the great potential of this optimization method has been shown.

Presently the trend to customized products tends to result in complex geometries, a high number of variants causes the mold and die section to investigate new technologies. Economic solutions for injection molding are limited by the smaller number of products being produced with a single tool. Based on this understanding, formflexible tools for injection molding are developed to allow different geometries being generated with a single tool. Such a form-flexible tool is based on the principle of a pincushion. This cushion is made of a large number of square pins which are arranged in such a way as to allow relative movement to each other. The arrangement of pins enables generating any kind of cavity, which provides the mold for casting the individual plastic part. Having performed successfully as a mold, the pins can be re-arranged and adjusted automatically to produce other parts with different geometries.