Design for manufacturability in additive manufacturing using a graph based approach

Abstract

Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes are used to fabricate complex parts using a layer by layer approach. This enables designers to be more creative with their designs and build parts which may be difficult to manufacture using conventional processes. However, as AM is in its infancy, relevant literature with respect to design guidelines for AM is not readily available. This research proposes a novel approach to implement design guidelines in AM using a systematic graph based approach. These design rules will assist designers to come up with efficient part designs that can be manufactured with minimum part errors. The design rules are formulated by studying the relationship between input part geometry and AM process parameters. A feature graph based design analysis method is proposed along with a Producibility Index (PI) which is used to compare the designs. Modifications in part design based on these rules and their comparison is presented in the form of three case studies.