Hybrid 3D Printed Structures Using COTS Parts Under Load Constraints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Designing multi-component structures that effectively combine 3-D printed and commercially available parts is challenging due to the difficulty in identifying optimal arrangements considering performance, cost, assembly, material requirements, and durability, often resulting in sub-optimal design choices that fail to account for subtle but important design aspects.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for determining multi-component structure models that involve obtaining a 3-D print model based on load case criteria, identifying portions that can be replaced with commercial-off-the-shelf parts, and replacing those portions to create an optimized multi-component structure model, utilizing modules for 3-D print model generation, COTS part identification, and optimization techniques such as topology and multi-objective optimization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If 3-D printed parts are used throughout the structure, then design flexibility and geometric complexity are improved, but cost and manufacturing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The structure is divided into multiple components: 3-D printed parts for complex geometric regions requiring design flexibility, and COTS parts for standard regions where cost efficiency is prioritized. This segmentation allows each part type to be used where most beneficial, resolving the contradiction between design flexibility and manufacturing cost.
Solution Approach 2:
Different manufacturing approaches are applied to different regions of the structure based on local requirements. Complex load-bearing or geometrically intricate regions use 3-D printing, while standard regions use COTS parts, optimizing the balance between design flexibility and cost on a local basis.
2Adaptability or versatility
If 3-D printed parts are used throughout the structure, then design flexibility is improved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The structure is segmented into modular 3-D printed components and standardized COTS components. The COTS parts come with standard interfaces and mounting methods, reducing assembly complexity compared to assembling entirely custom 3-D printed parts, while still allowing design flexibility in the 3-D printed portions.
3Ease of manufacture
If COTS parts are used throughout the structure, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but design flexibility and performance optimization are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The structure is segmented into regions where COTS parts are used for cost-effective standard components, and regions where 3-D printed parts are used for geometrically complex or performance-critical components. This allows the structure to benefit from both low-cost COTS parts and the design freedom of 3-D printing where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The hybrid approach creates a universal manufacturing strategy that can handle both standard components (using COTS) and custom components (using 3-D printing) within the same structure, providing flexibility in manufacturing decisions based on component-specific requirements.
4Ease of operation
If manual design approaches are used for MCS, then design control is maintained, but design efficiency and optimization quality decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses automated algorithms to generate multiple design configurations and evaluates them against performance criteria, providing feedback that guides the design process. This maintains design control through iterative refinement while significantly improving design efficiency compared to purely manual approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated design system performs preliminary optimization and configuration generation, reducing the manual workload required for creating and evaluating design options. Designers retain final control but benefit from the system's ability to rapidly generate and assess multiple configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for performing multi-material selection optimization (MMSO) to provide topologically and geometrically optimized multi-component structures (MCSs) across a plurality of design inputs and constraints are proposed. In some embodiments, a 3-D print model of an object based on load case criteria is obtained. A portion of the 3-D print model is determined that can be replaced with a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) part model such that the load case criteria remain satisfied. The portion or the 3-D print model can then be replaced with the COTS part model to determine the MCS model. In various embodiments, a mesh representation of the model can be generated, and plurality of optimization techniques can be used to determine the MCS model.