In design and engineering, striking the right balance between performance, material usage, and cost is crucial. Whether you’re working on parts for an automotive application, aerospace components, or even consumer products, the goal is often to create designs that perform optimally while using as little material as possible. This is where topology optimization in SOLIDWORKS comes into play. It’s a technique that helps you determine the best way to distribute material across your design to meet your performance goals. Various tools from Dassault Systèmes, such as SOLIDWORKS Simulation Premium and SOLIDWORKS Simulation Professional, can help guide you in making your parts more efficient and cost-effective. SIMULIA, a brand of other solutions from Dassault Systèmes, also supports topology optimization for more advanced simulation needs.
In this tech tip, we’ll walk through what topology optimization is and how it works. We’ll also explore how it can help you design lighter, stronger, and more cost-efficient parts using a variety of simulation tools.
What Is Topology Optimization?
At its core, topology optimization is all about optimizing the material layout of a part to achieve specific performance goals. Imagine it like sculpting a piece of clay. Removing unnecessary material and shaping the remaining material in a way that ensures the part performs as required, without excess weight or material.
Although the term “topology” might seem technical, it really just refers to how material is arranged within a given design space. In simple terms, topology optimization in SOLIDWORKS helps you design parts that are as efficient as possible by strategically placing material where it’s needed most. The end result is a part that’s lighter, more durable, and better suited to its intended function.
Key Objectives and Constraints of Topology Optimization
When you set up a topology optimization study in simulation software, you’re essentially telling the software what you want to achieve. Some of the key objectives or constraints typically include:
- Stress: Ensuring that the part can handle forces without failure. The goal is to have the material placed exactly where it’s needed to support the stresses applied to the part.
- Factor of Safety: This is a cushion of extra strength that guarantees the part can withstand unforeseen or extreme conditions, minimizing the risk of failure.
- Frequency: For parts exposed to vibrations, such as frames or supports, optimizing for frequency is essential. It helps ensure the part avoids resonating at certain frequencies, which could otherwise lead to failure.
- Manufacturability: No matter how efficient a design is, it still has to be manufacturable. Simulation tools factor in real-world constraints during the design process. This ensures the final design can be produced using methods like CNC machining, additive manufacturing, or injection molding.
How Does Topology Optimization Work?
The process of running a topology optimization in a SOLIDWORKS study is straightforward. This holds true whether you’re using SOLIDWORKS Simulation Premium, SOLIDWORKS Simulation Professional, or other solutions from Dassault Systèmes. Here’s a simplified step-by-step guide:
- Define the Design Space: First, you outline the area in which material can be placed or removed. This is the region where you will optimize the design.
- Apply Loads and Fixtures: You then define the forces, pressures, and any constraints the part will experience in the real world. For instance, you might specify areas where the part is fixed or under load.
- Set Your Optimization Goals: Next, you specify what you want to achieve with the optimization. Are you focusing on reducing weight? Improving strength? Or perhaps increasing the safety margin? Simulation tools let you set multiple objectives at once.
- Run the Simulation: Once all parameters are in place, the software runs the simulation. It gradually removes material from areas that don’t contribute significantly to performance, leaving behind only the necessary structure.
- Evaluate and Refine the Design: After the optimization process is complete, you receive a design that meets your performance requirements. You can then further refine it to ensure it fits your specific manufacturing processes.
Why Should You Use Topology Optimization?
Here are some compelling reasons to incorporate topology optimization in SOLIDWORKS into your design process:
- Material Efficiency: By using topology optimization, you ensure that you’re only using as much material as necessary, creating parts that are lighter and more efficient. This is particularly important in industries like aerospace or automotive, where every gram saved can lead to better performance.
- Cost Reduction: Using less material translates to direct cost savings. Topology optimization can help lower both material costs and manufacturing expenses, as lighter parts are often easier and less expensive to produce.
- Enhanced Performance: By strategically placing material where it’s needed most, topology optimization ensures that your design is as strong as possible without adding extra weight or material. This results in better-performing parts overall.
- Faster Design Process: Instead of manually exploring different design options, simulation tools allow you to quickly run multiple simulations and find the best solution. This saves you time and effort during the design phase.
- Real-World Manufacturability: Simulation tools don’t just optimize for performance. They also keep manufacturability in mind. Whether you’re using 3D printing, traditional machining, or injection molding, the software ensures your optimized design can be made with real-world methods.
Real-World Applications
Here are a few examples of industries that benefit from topology optimization in SOLIDWORKS include:
- Aerospace: Lighter, optimized parts are crucial for improving fuel efficiency and reducing the weight of aircraft. Engineers use topology optimization to design components that meet both performance and weight goals.
- Automotive: In the automotive industry, optimizing parts for weight without compromising on safety and durability is key to reducing fuel consumption and production costs.
- Consumer Products: From smartphones to sporting equipment, topology optimization helps designers create products that are both strong and lightweight, offering improved performance and better user experience.
- Medical Devices: In medical fields, especially with implants or prosthetics, topology optimization can help create designs that are comfortable, effective, and use less material without compromising performance.
This nonlinear brake pedal example shows the progression of topology optimization as it attempts to maximize the stiffness while reducing the volume by 50% during 31 design cycles. Source: https://www.3ds.com/fileadmin/PRODUCTS-SERVICES/SIMULIA/RESOURCES/SIMULIA-Abaqus-Topology-Optimization-Module.pdf
A Brief Look at Generative Design
While topology optimization is a reliable and proven method for optimizing designs, generative design is a more recent approach that can take things a step further. Generative design uses powerful algorithms to create multiple design alternatives based on a set of input parameters. It not only optimizes material layout but also explores entirely new shapes and forms that might not be immediately apparent.
For example, generative design might suggest unusual geometries or structures, often resulting in designs that are lighter and more efficient than what traditional design approaches might produce. This is especially useful when working with complex shapes or materials that benefit from additive manufacturing (3D printing).
While generative design is a cutting-edge technology, topology optimization remains a great starting point. It allows for the creation of structurally optimized components that meet performance goals while adhering to manufacturing constraints.
Engineering the Future: Unlock Efficiency and Savings with Topology Optimization in SOLIDWORKS
Whether you’re using SOLIDWORKS Simulation Premium, SOLIDWORKS Simulation Professional, or other advanced simulation tools, topology optimization can transform your design process. It’s a game-changer for creating more efficient and cost-effective parts. By optimizing material usage based on specific design goals, you can create parts that perform better while using less material. Whether you’re looking to reduce weight, improve strength, or save on manufacturing costs, topology optimization can help you achieve all of these objectives.
If you’re interested in exploring even more innovative possibilities, generative design offers a fascinating, forward-thinking approach. It builds on the foundation of optimization to explore new and creative solutions.
By integrating topology optimization into your design process, you’ll not only improve your product’s performance but also save time and money. This leads to designs that are both more efficient and manufacturing-ready.
This series of short videos shows you how to set up a topology optimization study using SOLIDWORKS Simulation to help you reach your goals. Want to go further? Contact our experts to get training or learn more about SOLIDWORKS Simulation.
Any questions? Need help? Ask one of our experts.
Whether you’re ready to get started or just have a few more questions, you can contact us toll-free:
