Abstract

TOTH, A.D.  and  PADAYACHEE, J.. Using topology optimisation to influence the infill placement of fused deposition modelled parts. S. Afr. J. Ind. Eng. [online]. 2023, vol.34, n.4, pp.91-103. ISSN 2224-7890.  http://dx.doi.org/10.7166/34-4-2900.

Additive manufacturing continues to see increased growth and adoption across various industries owing to technology improvements and increasing material options. This paper presents a method to optimise the infill structure placement in fused deposition modelling parts. The method uses finite element analysis and the bi-directional evolutionary structural optimisation technique to determine the optimal placement based on stress and validated through testing 3D-printed samples. The results show that multi-infill geometry outperforms traditional rectilinear infill in loading capacity and stiffness. The paper concludes with a real-world application, using this optimisation method on a railway-related part.

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