TopoRestruct2 – Automated geometry reconstruction of aesthetic and technical-functional design from results of topology optimization by skeletonization and computational reconstruction

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Sandro Wartzack
• Subject Area: Engineering Design, Machine Elements, Product Development
• Term: since 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 411012054

As an established design method, topology optimization enables innovative lightweight design in numerous technical products. However, the result of the optimization only represents an abstract design proposal that cannot be manufactured directly. In particular, because the design proposal is represented as a triangulated surface mesh, it requires geometry reconstruction in a downstream process. While this often still has to be performed manually at great expense in terms of time and expert knowledge, current research results provide automated methods for reconstruction. These support the interpretation and reconstruction of the optimization result as a CAD model into the product development process. In the process, technical requirements such as manufacturing, stress and functional suitability can also be taken into account. However, structural components are becoming increasingly important as visible design elements. Particularly in the case of components of products with strong human-product-interaction, aesthetics make a decisive contribution to product evaluation by customers. In these cases, insufficient aesthetics risk the rejection of a design, which would ultimately cause the integration of topology optimization into the product development process to fail. Therefore, the focus is on extending the technical-functional reconstruction to include important aesthetic requirements. This is where the particular challenge lies, because known aesthetic motifs are subjective in nature. However, for integration into the automated CAD reconstruction they have to be implemented explicitly as geometric design rules. In this context, the characteristic design of topology-optimized structures lends itself to targeted use for aesthetic design.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants