Page 20 - 3DMP Spring 2022

3D
Topology Optimization and Reusable Workflows
...result in a redesigned robotic end effector that’s significantly lighter than the previous design, with substantially fewer components and reduced sealing points.
FEATURE
The engineers of the DMG Mori Additive Intelligence team redesigned the head of the firm’s Robo2Go robotic arm using metal additive manufacturing (AM). Designed with nTopology software, the new head is 62- percent lighter, has 60-percent fewer com- ponents and improves the robot’s han- dling precision by a factor of 16x.
DMG Mori, a manufacturer of CNC metal-cutting equipment, has been invest- ing in Industry 4.0 technology for some time, including AM, automation and dig- itization. Its Robo2Go second-generation robotic system, integral to its factory- automation offering, is equipped with two separate grippers and simultaneously can load and unload parts from as many four CNC machines. And, it features intelligent concepts to enhance collaboration between operator and machine.
Additive Intelligence, DMG Mori’s AM design consultancy, works with internal and external customers. When tasked internally to redesign for metal AM the bulky head of the Robo2Go robotic setup, the primary goal was to maximize stiff- ness-to-weight ratio and improve han- dling precision, while reducing manufac- turing costs. At the same time, the external form factor of the new robot head had to remain unaltered, and the multifunctional component had to house the embedded channels of the pneumatic system and the end effector’s electrical components.
The team opted to apply a variable shell based on topology optimization. It then integrated the non-structural sub- systems and rapidly iterated to identify the best lattice infill. As a result of the redesign process, the team consolidated the 79 components of the original assem-
bly down to 48; reduced its weight to just 0.7 kg; and reduced the number of sealing points of the pneumatic system down to 20, a 45-percent decrease. The final prod- uct is printed using selective laser melting (SLM) on a DMG Mori Lasertec 30 Dual SLM machine (300 by 300 by 350-mm build volume, 600-W laser) using AlSi10Mg aluminum-alloy powder.
Topology Optimization + Advanced Lattice Structure
DMG Mori engineers completely over- hauled the component’s design by com- bining topology optimization with field- driven design techniques and advanced lattice structures.
“With nTopology, we were able to cre- ate a powerful and unique additive design. It wouldn’t be possible to create such a component with a traditional CAD sys-
18 | 3D METAL PRINTING • SPRING 2022
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