Optimización topológica aplicada al diseño de componentes plásticos inyectados reforzados con fibra corta

Abstract

The development experienced by discrete calculation models based on the finite element method has been accompanied by a boom in structural topological optimization solutions. Maximizing stiffness with minimal mass is the main milestone for designers to achieve. The restrictions of the manufacturing process in injected components, such as the admissible range of thicknesses and the demoulding angle, allow to obtain designs close to the final component when using isotropic materials. However, the non-isotropy inherent to a short fiber reinforced material implies the iterative performance of optimization, design, rheological analysis and mechanical validation phases, since the fiber orientation is initially unknown and, in turn, depends on the adopted topological solution. This work shows how the implementation of a thickness diagnostic algorithm allows predicting local fiber orientation and optimizing according to directionally defined mechanical properties. By integrating into the optimization process, the number of iterations required to reach a mechanically valid model is reduced.