A DESIGN AUTOMATION FRAMEWORK SUPPORTING DESIGN FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

This scientific paper introduces a Design Automation (DA) framework that streamlines the Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) process. The framework is designed to simplify the creation and evaluation of different design options by automating geometry creation using high-level CAD templates and setting up and connecting Computer-Aided Engineering ( CAE) models to perform functional and manufacturing evaluations. By considering manufacturing constraints early in the design process, the framework aims to investigate various design alternatives and facilitate design changes late in the development process without additional manual work. This framework provides a comprehensive view of the entire DfAM process, integrating everything from functional requirements to manufacturing evaluation and preparation into the same design automation framework. To demonstrate the usefulness of the framework, the authors used it to design a hydraulic pump. Compared to the original design, the design created with the proposed framework reduces pressure drop by more than 50% and reduces the pump's weight by 35%. Furthermore, on an assembly level, the framework consolidates four components into two and eliminates two sealings. In summary, the Design Automation framework introduced in this paper simplifies the DfAM process by enabling automation of geometry creation and the setup and connection of CAE models. The framework facilitates the exploration of different design alternatives early in the process, considering manufacturing constraints, and enables design changes later in the development process without manual work. The benefits of the framework are illustrated through the design of a hydraulic pump, where it achieved significant improvements in performance, weight, and assembly complexity.