<p>Fiber-Reinforced Additive Manufacturing (FRAM) combines the design flexibility of additive manufacturing with the high stiffness-to-weight ratio of composite materials, enabling the production of lightweight, high-performance components. The anisotropic nature of fiber-reinforced composites makes their mechanical performance highly dependent on fiber orientation relative to applied loads. This work leverages both topology optimization (TO) and build orientation optimization (BOO) to enhance structural efficiency while addressing a critical gap in FRAM research: the integration of Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) principles, particularly support structure minimization. Support structures, required for fabricating overhangs, contribute significantly to print time, material usage, and cost. The proposed multi-objective optimization framework simultaneously minimizes compliance and support structures to balance performance with manufacturing efficiency. Applied to an Aircraft Fuselage Bracket, the methodology achieved an 80% reduction in compliance compared to an aluminum baseline, and relative to a fixed-orientation FRAM baseline, reduced manufacturing cost and print time by 68.8% and 61.2%, respectively, with only a 7.2% increase in compliance. This work offers a robust framework for producing cost-effective, structurally efficient FRAM components suitable for real-world applications.</p>

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Multi-objective build orientation and topology optimization for cost and time minimization in fiber-reinforced additive manufacturing

  • Erik Wotten,
  • Il Yong Kim

摘要

Fiber-Reinforced Additive Manufacturing (FRAM) combines the design flexibility of additive manufacturing with the high stiffness-to-weight ratio of composite materials, enabling the production of lightweight, high-performance components. The anisotropic nature of fiber-reinforced composites makes their mechanical performance highly dependent on fiber orientation relative to applied loads. This work leverages both topology optimization (TO) and build orientation optimization (BOO) to enhance structural efficiency while addressing a critical gap in FRAM research: the integration of Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) principles, particularly support structure minimization. Support structures, required for fabricating overhangs, contribute significantly to print time, material usage, and cost. The proposed multi-objective optimization framework simultaneously minimizes compliance and support structures to balance performance with manufacturing efficiency. Applied to an Aircraft Fuselage Bracket, the methodology achieved an 80% reduction in compliance compared to an aluminum baseline, and relative to a fixed-orientation FRAM baseline, reduced manufacturing cost and print time by 68.8% and 61.2%, respectively, with only a 7.2% increase in compliance. This work offers a robust framework for producing cost-effective, structurally efficient FRAM components suitable for real-world applications.