Quest for the Perfect Topology

So, what is topology optimization? It’s basically some engineering magic that turns boring, oversized designs into an exciting looking, lightweight nightmare for machinists. In more serious terms, topology optimization is a mathematical method which optimizes the structure of a given object by removing as much material as possible while retaining enough strength to withstand the specified loads.This is especially useful for lightweight applications, but it also comes with a downside: The geometry generated by a topology optimization software is often very complex, and many topology optimized parts would have been impossible to manufacture with traditional manufacturing methods. Only recently, since the rise of 3D printing, topology optimization has gained in popularity. While 3D printing has its own downsides, one of its biggest advantages is that it can produce almost any part, no matter how complex the geometry is.Due to our in-house 3D printing capability and the weight limitations for our…