Perspectives
Topological optimization. Design for additive manufacturing

Topological optimization is still a young field, with many limitations. Current limitations and associated perspectives can be identified.

• Make optimizations for larger parts accessible

  The problem stems fundamentally from the fact that finite element calculations are used and the entire design space must be meshed, which limits the size of the mesh possible. As the size of the mesh elements dictates the size of the details that can appear, it is very difficult to generate thin walls in a large part, as is often the case in mechanically-welded structures, for example.

  To optimize larger parts, we need to increase the power of our computing resources (massively multi-processor calculations, GPU calculations) and develop automatic mesh adaptation methods.

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