Temperature Distribution Design Based on Variable Lattice Density Optimization and Metal Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) is employed for fabricating industrial products with complex geometries. As topological optimization is suitable for designing complex geometries, studies have combined AM and topological optimization, evaluating the density optimization of lattice structures as a variant of topological optimization. The lattice structures of components fabricated via AM comprise voids. Models designed using topological optimization should be modified to ensure structures suitable for AM. As the lattice unit can be easily fabricated using AM with fewer design modifications, this study uses lattice density optimization for an industrial AM product. We propose a method of optimizing the lattice distribution for controlling the surface temperature uniformity of industrial products, such as molds. The effective thermal conductivity of the lattice is calculated using the homogenization and finite element methods. The effective thermal conductivity changes depending on the internal pore sizes. The proposed methodology is validated using a 3D example; the minimization problem of surface temperature variations in the target domain is considered. The variable density of the embedded lattice in the target domain is optimized, and we experimentally validated the performance of the lattice unit cell and optimal 3D structure using metal powder bed fusion AM.

Considerations for the Variable Density Lattice Structure of Additive Manufacturing: A Review

“…The products or parts manufactured by metal technology have a granular structure, and there are unbound molten particles on the outer surface of the parts. The average surface roughness of the powder-bed-based process [87] is less than 15 mm, which is the smoother of these technologies. The parts processed by selective laser melting and direct metal fusion technology have better surface finish, and the surfaces of the other two technologies are a little rougher.…”

Symmetry and Its Application in Metal Additive Manufacturing (MAM)

“…Figure 5. Geometrically designed models used to carry out the studies of the different techniques [60] Similarly, an earlier study [61] used symmetry optimization by conveniently using a quarter-symmetry test piece to perform a temperature distribution study based on variable lattice density optimization in additive manufacturing using powder bed fusion. This allowed them to obtain simplified and earlier results.…”

Symmetry Analysis in Wire Arc Direct Energy Deposition for Overlapping and Oscillatory Strategies in Mild Steel

“…That is why proper bead geometry can enable fast and efficient part manufacturing [8,24]. Despite the increasing popularity of additive manufacturing, the exploration of symmetry in this realm has remained relatively limited, often overshadowed by the broader theme of design for additive manufacturing [2,25].…”