Topology optimization of the support structure for heat dissipation in additive manufacturing

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel topology optimization method for support structures in additive manufacturing that enhances heat dissipation during the build process, improving part quality and process efficiency.

Contribution

It introduces a level-set-based topology optimization framework for designing support structures that optimize heat dissipation in powder bed fusion additive manufacturing.

Findings

Optimized support structures significantly improve heat dissipation.

The numerical method accurately predicts temperature fields during printing.

The approach is validated through multiple numerical examples.

Abstract

A support structure is required to successfully create structural parts in the powder bed fusion process for additive manufacturing. In this study, we present the topology optimization of a support structure that improves the heat dissipation in the building process. First, we construct a numerical method that obtains the temperature field in the building process, represented by the transient heat conduction phenomenon with the volume heat flux. Next, we formulate an optimization problem for maximizing heat dissipation and develop an optimization algorithm that incorporates a level-set-based topology optimization. A sensitivity of the objective function is derived using the adjoint variable method. Finally, several numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and validity of the proposed method.