Multi-material Lightweight Design Considering Manufacturability

现代汽车和航空航天车辆的设计者面临着巨大的压力，他们必须寻找新的方法来减轻车辆的重量，以提高燃油经济性。重量减轻是通过战略性的材料使用、有效的连接方法、先进的制造技术和设计优化来实现的。我们小组的研究在所有这些方法上都取得了很大的进步，但目前的设计水平要求每种方法在设计过程中独立应用。通过开发优化方法和集成软件工具，从根本上改变机械设计过程是一个很好的机会，该工具可以有效地同时考虑所有轻量化设计方法，以产生可立即制造的最佳设计。*******这一变化将通过实现三个短期（5年）目标来实现：****目标1：开发一种考虑增材制造的多材料、多关节拓扑优化算法；*******目标2：关节（包括焊缝、螺栓、铆钉和粘接键）的精确建模，特别强调焊缝的精确疲劳建模；*******目标3：开发一种有效的后处理器，用于拓扑优化，过滤掉非物理特征并可以考虑人类经验；以及集成上述所有工作（目标1和2，以及后处理器）的集成拓扑优化工具的开发。*******我的研究计划的长期愿景是在设计优化的基础上，通过最大限度地减轻设计师的重量，对汽车和航空航天工业以及环境产生深远的影响。拟进行的研究将由7名HQP（3名博士和2名硕士研究生，1名本科生和1名博士后）完成。HQP将有机会提高他们在实际汽车/航空航天设计和各种软件包方面的学术能力和技术技能，从而获得重大利益。他们也将有很大的机会显著改善和提高领导能力、沟通技巧和网络技能。*******所提出的方法将产生一个能够对增材制造生产的零件进行多材料和多关节拓扑优化的软件程序，并将创建创新和机械上可行的优化设计，可以立即制造。这种方法和工具将通过大大减少设计过程中所需的时间和精力，为轻量化设计树立新的标准。这项研究如果成功，将彻底改变机械设计过程，并将使工程师们能够推动轻量化设计的技术界限。研究成果将立即供工业合作伙伴使用，从而实现根本性和永久性的技术、经济和环境影响。******

Modern automotive and aerospace vehicle designers are under great pressure to find new ways to reduce weight of vehicles in order to improve fuel economy. Weight reduction is achieved by strategic material use, effective joining methods, advanced manufacturing techniques, and design optimization. My group's research has made great advancements to all of these methods, but current state of the art design requires each method to be applied independently in the design process. There is a great opportunity to fundamentally change the mechanical design process by developing optimization methods and an integrated software tool that can effectively consider all lightweight design methods simultaneously to produce immediately manufacturable, optimum designs.*******This change will be realized by accomplishing three short-term (5 year) objectives:****Objective 1: Development of a multi-material, multi-joint topology optimization algorithm with the consideration of additive manufacturing;*******Objective 2: Accurate modeling of joints (including welds, bolts, rivets, and adhesive bonds) with a particular emphasis on accurate fatigue modeling of welds;*******Objective 3: Development of an effective post-processor for topology optimization that filters out non-physical features and can consider human experience; and development of the Integrated Topology Optimization Tool that integrates all above efforts (Objectives 1 and 2, and post-processor).*******The long term vision of my research program is to make a profound impact on the automotive and aerospace industries and the environment by maximizing weight reduction capability of designers based on design optimization. The proposed research will be completed by 7 HQP (3 PhD and 2 MSc students; 1 undergraduate student; and 1 postdoctoral research fellow). The HQP will have significant benefits by having opportunities to improve their academic competence, and technical skills in practical automotive / aerospace design and various software packages. They will also have great opportunities to significantly improve and enhance leadership, communication skills, and networking skills.*******The proposed methodology will produce a software program capable of performing multi-material and multi-joint topology optimization for parts produced by additive manufacturing, and will create innovative and mechanically feasible optimum designs that can be immediately manufactured. This method and tool will set a new standard for lightweight design by dramatically reducing time and efforts required in the design process. The proposed research, if successful, would revolutionize the mechanical design process and will empower engineers to push forward technological boundaries of lightweight design. The research outcome would be immediately usable for industrial partners which will enable fundamental and permanent technological, economic, and environmental impacts.******