Necessary advances in computer-aided design to leverage on additive manufacturing design freedom

Abstract

AbstractAdvances in manufacturing technologies and computational engineering are key enablers for optimized designs necessary for product performance improvements. Amongst other manufacturing technologies, particularly Additive Manufacturing (AM) is pushing the envelope of feasible design complexity challenging design engineers as well as their Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools. The research field of Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) provides an exhaustive supply of specific engineering design knowledge and methodological approaches accordingly. To enable design engineers to put those approaches into practice, this research gathers and structures not yet addressed AM-related requirements on the state of the art CAD tools. Additionally, architectural CAD functions as well as features are being pointed out and envisioned design workflow adaptions introduced, necessary to enable engineers to holistically utilize AM design potentials with CAD systems of the mid-term future.