Topology Optimization

Every part in an assembly likely weighs more than it needs to. Extra weight equals excess materials, unnecessarily high loads on moving parts, compromised energy efficiency, and higher shipping costs.

Traditional design approaches don’t take advantage of state of the art manufacturing methods, like additive manufacturing.  These new methods remove design constraints and allow for new possibilities. For example, the optimal shape of a part is often organic and counterintuitive. Topology optimization allows for a completely new approach to design, letting the software find the best shape.   

With Topology Optimization in ANSYS Mechanical, the tools needed to design durable, lightweight components for any application are at your fingertips.  Define objectives easily and apply controls to ensure that manufacturing requirements are met, minimum material thicknesses are set and exclusion areas are defined.

You can easily perform lightweighting of structures, extract CAD shapes and quickly verify the optimized design.

Be sure to check out our recent blog post: What is Topology Optimization and Why Use It?

Topology optimization in ANSYS Mechanical allows you to:

• Apply multiple static loads and optimize for natural frequencies
• Optimize structures with spatially varying material properties such as composites or biological tissues
• Impose constraints for minimum material thickness
• Observe rules for machining operations
• Satisfy cyclic or planar symmetry
• Validate results with ease

Topological optimization tools in ANSYS Mechanical are fast, easy to use and included with all current licenses of the ANSYS Mechanical product family.

Interested in learning more?  Download the ANSYS Whitepaper: Simulation Driven Product Development & Additive Manufacturing.