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Home / New Ways to Reduce Weight and Costs in Metal 3D Printing

New Ways to Reduce Weight and Costs in Metal 3D Printing

To manufacture complex and efficient lightweight structures where every gram counts, FEM calculations and topology optimization can create even more efficient printed components.

Posted: April 10, 2018

This simple bracket for fixing attachments in an engine compartment weighs 50 percent less, but its functionality and durability remain the same. The level of stress is high in the areas highlighted in red, while the green and blue areas depict regions where stress is lower. This information was used to evaluate and optimize the basic shape of the bracket for functionality and durability, reducing its weight to the minimum amount possible without having a detrimental effect on its component properties.
Another simple bracket for fixing attachments in an engine compartment. It also weighs 50 percent less, but its functionality and durability are the same. FEM results in lightweight components “losing” weight and optimizing their design. Topology optimization was used to calculate the most efficient basic shape of this bracket while accounting for any mechanical loads it will be subjected to later. Besides conserving materials, optimizing the bracket’s design in advance means fewer modifications or rework are required once it is produced.
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Metal laser melting, or metal 3D printing, can be used to manufacture complex and efficient lightweight structures that are particularly beneficial in the aerospace and motorsport sectors where every gram counts. Last year, we decided to start using the Siemens NX software package to improve our process chain, from design and construction to modifications using machining techniques. As a result, we are now able to produce even more efficient components thanks to the weight and cost reductions enabled by the modules for finite element method (FEM) calculations and basic shape (topology) optimization that are built into the software. Special features for topology optimization and FEM calculations enable us to design optimal components by analyzing not only the material being employed and the laser-melted test pieces, but the forces subsequently exerted on the component as well.

The software can be used to reproduce the load paths and internal stresses that later act on the component. The ambient temperature can also be taken into account. Using this data, the program identifies the areas in which the amount of material can be reduced. The simulated results provide detailed information on the stresses and strains exerted within the optimized component. While the level of stress is high in the areas highlighted in red, the green and blue areas depict regions where there is a lower amount of stress. This information enables designers to evaluate the topology optimization results in terms of functionality and durability, allowing weight to be reduced to the minimum amount possible without there being a detrimental effect on the component properties. In most cases, a safety factor is included in the calculation so that the completed part can withstand an even greater load than stated in the specification.

The finite element method not only results in lightweight components “losing” weight, but also optimizes their design. Designers can use topology optimization to calculate the most efficient basic shape of a component, all while taking into account the mechanical loads to which it will later be subjected. Besides conserving materials, optimizing a component’s design in advance means that fewer modifications will be required once it is actually produced. For example, there would be less of a need to remove support structures, apply surface treatments or perform any reworking using machining processes. A further advantage of this analysis is the ability to use different materials. The calculations enable designers to ascertain which material would be most suitable for the way in which the component is to be subsequently used. This not only saves additional time and materials, but further reduces the need for reworking.

For shops such as ours that are committed to improving their procedures and the complete process chain, including optical and tactile measuring and non-destructive testing in accordance with NADCAP, component quality is crucial, especially in applications where safety is of vital importance or certification is required. This is why it is important to also assess the dynamic strength of various metals by performing laboratory fatigue testing in-house.

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