Innovative design and process simulation of aviation bracket based on topology optimization and additive manufacturing

Abstract In this paper, topology optimization(TO) and laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology were combined to explore the key technology of parts integration design and manufacturing oriented to performance, structure and manufacturing process. With the help of topology optimization(TO), the lightweight design of the aviation bracket achieved the weight loss goal of 87.69% in this work. The thermophysical properties of TC4 were calculated by thermodynamic calculation, and the temperatue interval of Laser Powder Bed Fusion for TC4 is 1800 °C−3000 °C was determined . Additionally, the LPBF macro-scale simulation was carried out. The results showed that the maximum temperature in the printing process is lower than 2500 °C, and the maximum displacement is 4.87 mm, which only appears in the non-design space. Finally, the safety factor and maximum displacement of aviation bracket are 1.2 and 0.8 mm, and the maximum Mises stress is 685 MPa, all of which meet the design requirements.