Stress and Strain Analysis for a Topological Optimized Beam

This paper presents a study of a beam manufactured using fused deposition modeling (FDM) which was topologically optimized and subjected to 3-point bending. In this paper polylactic acid (PLA) was used as a material in order to obtain the beams. Topology optimization is a method widely used in the additive manufacturing (AM) field, that uses algorithmic models to optimize the material layout within some parametric restrictions, like conditions, constraints, or sets of loads and it maximizes the performance and capability of the design by extracting material from different zones that are insignificant in terms of carrying loads to reduce the weight of the model. In the first step, the stress and strain state of the simple beam was numerically and analytically calculated, likewise, the experimental test of the beam subjected to 3-point bending was achieved. After the calculus for the simple beam, the next phase aims at the topological optimization process of the beam subjected to 3-point bending. For all the numerical investigations a calibrated material determined experimentally was used. Following calculations and experimental tests, a final version of the beam topologically optimized was reached, with a minimization of the cost regarding the mass of the beam and the material required for its reproduction.