Project Details

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Topology optimization of a helicopter component using metal additive manufacturing - Team 2

Company: PSU CIMP-3D

Major(s):
Primary: IE
Secondary: ME
Optional: MATSE

Non-Disclosure Agreement: NO

Intellectual Property: NO

In 2016, the U.S. Navy flew the first flight critical component made with metal additive manufacturing (AM) on its MV-22B Osprey helicopter thanks to help from Penn State’s Center for Innovative Materials Processing through Direct Digital Deposition (CIMP-3D): https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/research/a22185/osprey-tiltrotor-files-with-3d-printed-parts/ The metal AM part that was flown was an exact replica of the existing component that is made using conventional manufacturing techniques. The objective in this project is lightweight the part to demonstrate the advantages of combining topology optimization software tools with metal AM processes. The team will review the project report, develop a set of loading and boundary conditions, utilize suitable software package(s) to minimize the weight of the part, and compare the results for four different material options: Ti-6Al-4V, AlSi10Mg, SS 316L, and IN718. Finite element analysis and AM process simulation software will then be used to refine the top two design options based on reviews with the project sponsor. Polymer prototypes should be printed out at each stage of the design optimization process to help document project results. The final deliverable should include CAD models of the top two designs and recommended build orientation, layout, support structures (as needed), and machining allowances to fabricate each topology optimized part using one of the laser powder bed fusion systems in CIMP-3D. Cost, build time, and print-to-part estimates should also be reported to document how the design matures throughout the design optimization process. Supporting results from finite element analyses, topology optimization, generative design, etc. should also be included in the project report to show how the design has evolved.

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Our mission is to help bring the real-world into the classroom by providing engineering students with practical hands-on experience through industry-sponsored and client-based capstone design projects. Since its inception, the Learning Factory has completed more than 1,800 projects for more than 500 different sponsors, and nearly 9,000 engineering students at Penn State University Park participated in such a project.