Design Method for Optimized Infills in Additive Manufacturing Thermoplastic Components

Abstract

The following article extends and tests computational methodologies of design to consider Finite Element Analysis in the creation of optimized infill structures based on regular and semi-regular patterns that comply with the geometrical constraints of deposition. The Stress-Deformation relationship manifested in Finite Element Analysis is structured in order to influence the geometrical arrangement of the complex spatial infill. The research presents and discusses a program of performance informed infill design, and validates the generalizability of a method of internalizing and automating Finite Element Method (FEM) processing in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) workflows, and tests manufacturability of the methods through its ability to handle the FDM process constraints of FEM influenced intricate geometries.