Closing the Loop on Generative Design and Additive Manufacturing

Generative design enables designers and engineers to rapidly generate multiple designs based on a set of inputs describing the physical requirements. Unlike traditional optimisation tools which converge to a single solution, generative design provides multiple solutions which compete to meet specified objectives. This means the user can interact with a ‘solution space’ containing several designs and easily determine trade-offs between performance parameters like mass, stiffness and strength, cost, and manufacturability.

This article considers the well-known Alcoa-Grab CAD bracket challenge and applies the generative design workflow. One of the many potential options is taken from design, to build, to test, and fully verified with detailed non-linear finite element models.