TEJ KUMAR

Microstructural topology optimization (MTO) is the simultaneous optimization of macroscale topology and microscale structure. Furthermore, with the advent of additive manufacturing, the MTO structures can be fabricated with relative ease. Challenges associated with MTO are: (1) high computational cost, and (2) potential loss of microstructural connectivity. In this paper, these challenges are addressed by incorporating microstructure clusters, their rotation, and an auxiliary field.

Additive manufacturing (AM) has enabled the fabrication of artifacts with unprecedented geometric and material complexity. The focus of this paper is on the build the optimization of short fiber reinforced polymers (SFRP) AM components. Specifically, we consider optimization of the build direction, topology, and fiber orientation of SFRP components. All three factors have a significant impact on the functional performance of the printed part.

In topology optimization, the bisection method is typically used for computing the Lagrange multiplier associated with a constraint. While this method is simple to implement, it leads to oscillations in the objective and could possibly result in constraint failure if proper scaling is not applied. In this paper, we revisit an alternate and direct method to overcome these limitations.