A hybrid CAD/CAE/CAM project-based laboratory framework integrating topology optimization and laser powder bed fusion for engineering education

Abstract

In the era of Industry 4.0, laser-based additive manufacturing (LBAM) has gained substantial momentum in the production of complex lightweight structures in several domains such as aerospace, civil, and biomedical engineering. The increasing demand for consistent and precise manufacturing processes has urged the manufacturing industry to consider the coupling of topology optimization (TO) and laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) in the design of sophisticatedly novel topologies that are unattainable through traditional processes. Notably, this union has demonstrated a highly efficient and productive capability toward the manufacturing industry. In line with this accelerated pace, engineering programs within universities exert significant effort to revise and update their engineering curriculum design to incorporate emerging manufacturing technologies providing students with skills that are aligned with the actual industrial context. In this article, a computer-aided design (CAD)/computer-aided engineering (CAE)/computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) project-based laboratory framework is proposed combining TO and LPBF exploiting a simulation-based environment integrating CAD, CAE, and CAM. The structure of the proposed CAD/CAE/CAM design methodology is revisited to discern the added value of the newly developed framework and its particularity in assisting aerospace engineering students to meet industrial expectations. A new CAD/CAE/CAM project-based laboratory framework has been developed integrating TO and LPBF using advanced engineering tools within the aerospace engineering education.